YELLOW RAT BASTARD
GETTIN’ THERE The quest for a work placement was surprisingly straightforward. Perhaps most astonishing is the fact that no one ever even saw my portfolio. I decided early on that I would try my luck at finding work in the historic Mecca of Hip-Hop culture that is New York City. Hoping to visit some old friends Stateside, I decide that the April break is perfect for that classic combination of work and play. I sound the proverbial Facebook horn, to which my friend and writer Jiro Kohl returns with a list of magazines and record labels pertinent to my interest. One of them is YRB, a Brooklyn-based music, fashion and lifestyle magazine. Lifestyle is noot really my cup of Cawfee, but I give them a ring anyway and after a brief parlay I am put through to Sami, the editor. Asked to provide a few samples of work, I reply with a portfolio woefully thin in quality. Thankfully, as I find out later, this work was never seen anyhow. Having made my first call to the magazine during the latter half of February, I am happy for them to agree within days. I book a flight through Kuwait Airways at £229 squid all in, with a wicked curry to boot. I call a fortnight in advance just to double check everything. A-OK. I leave on Saturday 21 March from Heathrow to JFK, hung over, and stroll up Monday morning at YRB HQ, the ever eager beaver, and the first person in. “So uh, it’s Simon right? So do you have any work you
could show, so I can see what you can do. Oh, I didn’t get that email. Oh OK, well let’s just get you started. You can help Brian out, he’s the art director.” And so it came to pass that I, Simon Pitt, was cropping images of Serena Williams at YRB Magazine in Brooklyn, New York City.
WHO!? YRB is an acronym for Yellow Rat Bastard, a Manhattan-based shop that specialises in urban street fashion and takes its name from a Frank Miller novel. Although it started more as an in-store magazine, it has now branched out into a more independent though loosely affiliated publication. Its headquarters is in DUMBO, Brooklyn, DUMBO being the creative truncation for Directly Underneath Manhattan Bridge Overpass. God bless America. The YRB team comprises a cast of about permanent twelve members. There is one permanent art director, as well as a the creative director, the editorial director, associate director, photo director, freelance staff writer, fashion-advertising director, account executive, sales and marketing etceterahh. Basically, a whole lot of director and a handful of freelance writers and designers. There is a print run of approximately 400,000, the bulk of which goes to subscribers and music outlets. The Magazine is published every two months and features articles on music, fashion, gadgets, film, and any other considered-to-be-
print-worthy pieces. Although their target audience is not immediately clear, they seem to cater towards an alternative street culture, that is aware of the latest in fashion, music and technology. There is also an equivalent website at www. yrbmagazine .com that offers an online alternative to most of the features that appear in print. Supposedly, the magazine is noted for its edgy, inventive and ever-changing layouts, but seeing as this came straight from the horse’s mouth, may be hard to corroborate. In my opinion, the magazine has some articles that are worth reading, and the graphic side is generally done well, but often it seems that it’s lacking a cutting edge where some articles are sloppily written, or the layouts lack a certain sophistication and consistency. From my experience there, the creative process of the magazine as a whole seems a bit haphazard, lacking focus and unity. Decisions were made impulsively and the whole attitude seemed a bit blasé in terms of creating a professional and innovative publication. The articles and features, though on-trend, seemed rather to be riding the wave rather than be ahead of the curve. As a result, YRB Magazine is a reasonably good read, but far from the quality output of its NYC-based peers such as Waxpoetics, or the now defunct Mass Appeal. A good coffeetable or loo-read, but probably not something I would spend my nickels and dimes on. (It’s also only available in the USA).
WORKING WHAT!? I entered life at YRB woefully inadequate at virtually all of the Adobe package, hoping for the best. I had no specific briefs set, but was usually asked to take a look at a certain section, and see what I could muster up. Over the course of two weeks there I redesigned; OnLocation, a snapshot of events occurring around the globe; Gearing Up, a fashion spread showcasing emerging fashion designers; as well as the Music Reviews. I also worked on the layout for a six-page feature on the skateboard film called Street Dreams. Generally, I received positive feedback for the work I produced. They liked the simplicity I brought to somewhat cluttered designs, and were happy that I managed to boil OnLocation down from a double spread to a single. (More ad space). I was jokingly ridiculed for my gravitation towards a pastel pallet, but they liked the rougher look used for Gearing Up. After a rather menial first week there I was given the more exciting responsibility of doing the Street Dreams feature. I put a lot of effort into this, and came up with a few different options. The feedback I received from this was positive and the aesthetic seemed to fit the theme of the film. However, with the time up I had to leave the work unfinished, I was told I would receive credit for the piece and had hoped to finish it the following week. I didn’t hear from them, and simply hoped that some justice would be done to the spreads that had been left.
Simon was extremely personable and took time out to answer any questions we had on the nuances between living and working in NYC versus in London and Amsterdam. Overall, we were very pleased with his work and we’re happy we got the chance to learn from his interesting life experiences. Sincerely, Geo Hagan Editorial Director
When I finally received the magazine months later, I was a bit disappointed. I was happy that all my work had been published, a small dream of having work in print., I was disheartened by the fact that the Street Dreams feature had been torn apart, with a watered down aesthetic, the incorporation of my chosen typeface and look, but absolutely no credit. Frantically flipping to the front of the magazine, I found that my name was no where to be found amongst the magazine’s contributors, with no mention even under ‘Contributing Visuals.’ Although I must admit the disappointment of not being credited, it seems that getting fleeced for your visuals is a must in the design industry. Consequently, I will probably need to remain unaccredited a fair few times more before I can truly take up the mantle of ‘Graphic Designer.’
LESSON LEARNT Coming into this job with a child’s understanding of Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, I had probably doubled my knowledge by the end of the first day. As I was mainly told to redesign old sections, I was able to use the raw materials that they already had. Although this limited my creativity to an extent, it was good to work within professional design parameters. In addition to the graphic work, it was fascinating to be given a glimpse into all aspects of the publication process at YRB. The photo shoots of famed celebs
Busta Rhymes and Tyson Ritter gave me an insight into the fashion and photography side to the magazine. Seeing the manner in which a magazine that runs close to half a million copies is created was informative, enjoyable, and even amusing. Despite its jumbled and seemingly disorganised methods, a publication of reasonable quality is produced every other month, turning a profit, as well as keeping over a dozen people in work. In addition to the magazine itself, working in New York was an awe-inspiring experience. Coffee and a Danish in hand, I travelled to work with my fellow New Yorkers, had bagels for lunch, and snapped NY scrawls and graff, whilst enjoying the general vibe of the city.
THINK TWICE Prior to working for YRB I thought design for magazine would be right up my alley. I now know that it would be better to find a magazine that is up my alley first. I enjoyed the work that I did, and if all else fails, would certainly not hesitate to take it up as a career. However, sometimes I thought that the creative process was a bit lacking. Although this did not personally affect me, the editing team often overruled the art director’s ideas. It makes sense to have a Director guiding the project to completion, however the limited creative freedom is not appetising. So for now, I suppose it’s on to the next one.
WOLLE TA DRATSA