ALTERNATIVE PRESS
Gym Class Magazine has a stall. Hope to see you there!
DEFROSTED BRITAIN
I reckon this is what London will look like come the Spring, when all the snow has melted. The above lush layout flashback is from last year’s Wired UK re-launch issue. Coolio.
MELISSA PRICE
In the latest issue of Gym Class Magazine we caught up with London-based designer Melissa Price. She’d recently completed a self-initiated book celebrating London’s Barbican estate. It’s well ace.
In the Q&A Melissa mentioned another project she was working on… an ode to the UK’s M1 motorway. Excitingly, this latest book, called M1: 50 years, is now available. Here’s what Melissa has to say about it:
“M1: 50 years is a hand-screenprinted 20 page book about the M1 motorway, published to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its opening in 1959.
The book is a collection of drawings of the motorway’s junctions seen from above. I became interested in the graceful curves and shapes of the junctions and found that there are huge variations, from the simplest to those with multiple flyovers and roundabouts. It was an interesting challenge to take a subject that isn’t normally considered to be aesthetically pleasing and find a graphic angle on it.
Reading up on the history of motorways I found it very interesting that although they are generally seen as ugly and devoid of any aesthetic consideration, in fact their shape is carefully considered to give drivers a safe and visually simulating experience. The earliest sections of the M1 had several long straight stretches that were later discovered to have a soporific effect on drivers. In later motorway construction sweeping curved shapes were introduced after it was recognised that a changing perspective and vista helps drivers stay alert, improving safety.
The book was also a chance to celebrate the graphic identity of the UK motorway system developed by Jock Kinnear and Margaret Calvert in the late 50s. The typeface used is Transport, a ‘friendlier’ version of Akzidenz Grotesk developed as part of the UK road signage system, and the book is printed on blue paper stock to echo the blue background employed for all motorway signage.
The illustrations are accompanied by a full listing of the destinations that are signed from each junction, from South to North. The book has a short cover in paper-lined bookcloth with a Singer-sewn binding.”
You can buy M1: 50 Years from indie book store Kaleid Editions.
BIKE
Charge Plug 2010 Road Bike
“It came into its own zinging through the streets; it’s fun to ride, tough as old boots and you feel it could shrug off just about anything you could throw at it… it’ll give you the confidence to squeeze your way through tight spaces in traffic and to quickly steer around the sort of detritus that’s unfortunately so common on British streets.” – Simon Withers, Bikeradar
OPEN
Happy New Year, peeps. Hope you partied liked it was 1999. But now it’s time to get serious… let’s talk resolutions. We’ve got a few resolution recommendations for you.
Grafik and Linefeed
First, subscribe to Brit design mag Grafik. Regular columnist and Gym Class Magazine collaborator Michael Bojkowski has some nice things to say about us and fellow zinesters Kalina and No.Zine in his January 2009 contribution. Such as, we’re “pocket-sized mini-mavericks that will help keep magazines alive and well, now and into the future.” Coolio. It’s all good. Ch, ch, check it out. Oh, and why not subscribe on the Google Readerz to Michael’s must-read blog too… it’s stocked full for designer-y goodness. Win!
magCulture
Second, while you’re on the Google Readerz, sign up to Jeremy Leslie’s magCulture blog. It’s a staple here at Gym Class Magazine world HQ… and Jeremy’s got lots of groovy things planned for 2010. Exciting! Oh, and Gym Class Magazine was one of magCulture’s Christmas recommendations last month. Blush much? Well, yes we did. Thanks for asking.
Binky the Doormat
Third, Gym Class Magazine received a few gongs in Daniel Gray’s recent ‘Best of 2009’ blog series. Like Michael’s Linefeed and Jeremy’s magCulture, Daniel’s Binky the Doormat blog is another regular read here at Gym Class Magazine towers. Fire up the Google Readerz, peeps… it’s time for you to subscribe.
Editorial Design Organisation
Finally, if you’re in the UK and an editorial designer, design student or a magazine fan, sign up to the Editorial Design Organisation. It hosts regular talks and lectures by some of the world’s leading editorial designers, editors, etc. More information here.
So… there you go… four healthy resolutions that don’t involve running a marathon or eating fewer kebabs. Nice.
In other news, thanks to everyone who collaborated with us in 2009… thank you, seriously. You rock! Thanks, too, to everyone who bought a copy… awesome! Here’s to 2010! Looking forward… lot’s planned… stay tuned. Simples.
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