Tyler Brûlé on the merits of print (and the new Monocle summer newspaper): “There’s a huge amount of talk about the death of print, thanks to various types of ‘pad’ devices, but if you think of summer – with sand, swimming, sun cream and socialising – a carefully crafted newspaper is more useful and reader-friendly than a backlit screen that hates the sun and salt.”

V magazine’s limited edition issue 66 scratch-off covers are now available to buy online. Act quick… there are five different covers, but only 1,000 of each cover with actual ichy and scratchy goodness. The newsstand copies don’t include the scratch-off panels. What are you waiting for? Hurry.

The covers were shot by A-list photographer Mario Sorrenti.

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Above: One of the eBay sellers in Human Billboards

Hey Jacco, we’ve been checking out your Roomservice magazine. Full points for originality. How and when did you get the idea for the magazine?

A few years ago I got addicted to the vaults of eBay. A new type of auction suddenly came up. People started auctions not to sell specific goods, but to tell a story in which the actual goods became kind of relics. Some normal people suddenly became eBay pop stars who could sell everything they wanted. A few very successful auctions passed by which are still copied today. Following those auctions became a daily occupation for me.

One of the most hyped listings those days was a mother that offered her forehead for advertising space. Online casino Golden Palace bought it for US$10,000. Many people saw the opportunity to get rid of their loans or maybe get really rich. So the Human Billboard became a genre of its own on eBay. Many people offered themselves but not many companies were interested in that type of advertising. I decided to buy a few human billboards to investigate if they where really the worthwhile advertising space they promised to be. And of course I was curious about the final appearance of my company name on a person.

How much was the magazine’s picture budget? That is, how much did you spend on the winning eBay bids of all the human billboards featured in the magazine?

I don’t want to know! In the magazine you only see the successful stories. Besides that I’ve been burned for hundreds of dollars… and providing clothing with advertising was expensive. I think the total costs were around US$2,000.

The graphic design student with the broken wrist promoting Roomservice on her cast is our favourite. US$25 well spent, we think. Do you have a favourite?

The harp builder with my logo/website on his outfit is one of my heroes. He wears it with dignity. Actually I love them all. The diversity of people is amazing.

Above: Jacco Kranenburg’s Human Billboards magazine

The lady who agreed to have Roomservice tattooed on her arm… for just US$50.09… well, that’s a little extreme. Sure, the tattoo was for a good cause [to raise money for breast cancer support]… but geez… we’re shocked. Which human billboard did you find most surprising?

I still have mixed feelings about that real tattoo on her arm. In the end it is her choice to sell that opportunity. But I’m glad I finally bought it to make this collection complete.

What about the people who are willing to walk around town with the Roomservice URL written on their foreheads in felt pen? Some of ‘em had us laughing out loud. Which human billboard did you find the funniest?

Indeed some are very funny. Or are they pathetic? I’m not sure. The reaction to this publication among friends and colleagues has been varied. Some people get angry, which is, in fact, a bit strange. I mean, many people earn their money by modeling. But because we know my ‘human billboards’ are paid amateurs, people get indignant.

Which do I find the funniest? Maybe the college student with advertising on his graduation cap, or the mother and daughter team.

So, all in all, Human Billboards is a pretty ace – and original – publication. Have you got any future magazines planned? If so, what can we expect?

Checking auctions is still a daily occupation and I’m working on several collections for future releases. The magazine will focus on personal stories told by auctions: ‘Real Life Transactions’. The blurring between professional and amateur is also an important aspect. The next issue will most likely be about one peculiar seller.

More info: Roomservice magazine

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Above: The third issue of Hero magazine

Hey Fabien and James. Thanks for chatting with Gym Class Magazine again. It’s been nine months since we last caught up. Time flies when you’re having fun. How are things?

[Fabien] Yeah, things are great thanks, going really well!

[James] Yeah, it’s been pretty full on but all enjoyable.

For readers who may not have seen Hero, what’s it all about?

[Fabien] Well basically it’s a men’s fashion magazine that is (hopefully) really cool, young and fresh. It focuses on the next up and coming ‘faces of tomorrow’s fashion’ – the models who will inevitably define campaigns and editorial in the near future but we also work with some pretty exciting photographers and designers. It’s very image led and we hope it’s one of the more upbeat fashion magazines out there.

James Yeah, were getting a bit tired of moody downbeat menswear editorials and we wanted to make something that was just a bit more energetic and exciting.

You mentioned last time that you’d like to expand Hero… more pages and more shoot locations. Is everything on track? Has the economic climate hindered?

[Fabien] Yeah everything is still on track, the climate is of course a factor at the moment generally with all magazines but we’re still on course, we’ve got more pages, more interest and some amazing people involved!

[James] And it seems like people are excited to contribute when they know you’re enthusiastic and battling against things like the economy. All the people we work with know it’s a personal project and so they all give a lot of time and energy that we really appreciate.

You also mentioned big holidays were on the cards. Have you had time for a holiday? If so, where have you been lately?

[Fabien] Haha, I guess that was one dream which I’ve still to look forward to, unless you can count Milan and Paris shows but they are far from a holiday!

[James] I think we had an afternoon off a few months ago!

The cover of Hero issue #03 looks ace. We rate it. It’s a calmer cover than the previous two… with a subtle cover line and single image. Is this a deliberate design change or natural progression?

[Fabien] I think I’d say it’s a natural progression, a strong image that sums up the whole issue is what we strive for with all the covers and this one just spoke out.

[James] When we saw Doug Inglish’s images come through we were so excited, we both knew straight away that was going to be the cover. It’s really amazing and so perfect – you can feel the balmy LA evening. We wanted as little type on the page as possible so it was all about that image.

We haven’t seen a copy yet. What’s happening on the inside of issue #03?

[Fabien] Lots of cool, cool stories. Doug shot a great story as well with the brand new Isaac Weber, we’ve got new London designers being featured and involved like J.W. Anderson and a really nice vintage Versace shoot shot by Stefan Heinrichs which just about sums up summer for me.

Above: Grabs from the third issue of Hero magazine

Publishing a magazine is quite an achievement. Can you identify a particularly satisfying moment from the last nine months?

[Fabien] Well it’s all been a big roller coaster, The first issue coming out was great and watching it grow and be stocked in unbelievable places from Colette in Paris to Universal News in New York has been brilliant, I think having Doug shoot this cover has been pretty great but also the support of everyone out there who are really embracing it is a great feeling!

[James] There are all of these little things that stick out in my mind, the first time we sold a copy online, the first time we saw it on the shelves. The first time I accidentally stumbled across it on a blog. But now we are calling people up about the magazine all over the world for various reasons, and they already know about it, which gives me a really warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

Thanks for your time guys. Now, less chit-chat… issue #04 isn’t going to publish itself. Stay coolio.

More info: Hero magazine

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We’ve been meaning to write about Decoy magazine for a while now. So, to right that wrong, we touched base with its creator Richard Kilroy.

Hey Richard. Thanks for chatting with Gym Class Magazine. You’ve started a magazine/newspaper called Decoy. It’s ace. What’s it about?

Cheers! It’s essentially a zine focusing on illustration within the fashion industry and related areas of interest. Fashion illustration has been sadly lacking in promotion and attention over the last few years, and there’s so much amazing talent that goes unnoticed. Initially the zine concept was something I just wanted to explore with my own illustrations, but then as the idea developed I realised it would be the perfect way to promote illustrators and other work I personally felt deserved attention.

Why is Decoy a printed publication? Was an online magazine ever an option?

I considered it briefly, yes. But like any other mag addict, I believe having something in print will always make it more treasurable. There are so many great online mags starting up, like Mykromag for example. But being confined to things like monitors and resolutions etc always makes viewing work feel more distant and disposable to me. And while it’s fine for articles, nothing beats print for viewing illustration and photography first hand. Print is simply extra sensory in that it offers that extra sense of touch… and even smell if it’s an old mag [laughs]. Plus, the large tabloid format is something that illustrations will always benefit from.

You’ve got Q&As with a couple of creative heavyweights in issue one – Cedric Rivrain and Alex Noble. Congrats. Who’s on top of your dream list for possible issue two interviewees/collaborators?

Ooh, as tempting as it is to say, I don’t want to jinx myself and say who I’m after in case it doesn’t materialise! That said, some of my personal heroes and favourites are mentioned on the blog and the Facebook page… and these are a good indicator of who I’m after. I’m looking to grow on exclusive contributions for Decoy too, but so long as it’s a good ground to promote illustrators work, I’m happy!

What’s the deal with issue two? When will it be out? What have you got planned?

I’ve kind of always thought to myself that being a self-published title would mean having the luxury of having the issue ready when it’s ready, and not being restricted by a deadline, so it wouldn’t affect the quality of the content. Ideally, every three to four months I’d say. The first issue is quite simplistic which is what I intended, but I definitely want to expand in content with the second issue.

Got any tips for people thinking of starting their own magazine?

Ha, I don’t feel like I’m wise enough on self-publishing to be offering advice as I’m still only starting out myself, but if people feel they’ve got a good enough concept or angle that they think others will love as much as they do, then they’ve got a good solid base to work from I guess.

There just seems to be a crazy amount of new fashion publications coming out at the moment that are all relatively similar in content and offer nothing new, it’s a shame.

Are copies of the launch issue still available? Where can people get it?

Haha, plugging time! I’m still in the process of sorting stockists, but it’s available directly through my site or the blog, and in Paper Scissor Stone in Leeds [UK], who’ve been great at promoting talented illustrators. You should check out their site to see some great work! Hopefully Decoy will have it’s own site by the end of the year.

Thanks for your time, Richard. You be rockin’ it.

Right back at you Gym Class Magazine!

More info: Richard Kilroy and Decoy magazine

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Gotta love a new stockist. Nice one.

We’re pleased to announce Gym Class Magazine #06 is now available to buy over at Magazero. Win!

What is Magazero? Well, in the words of Magazero’s founder…

“When [UK book and magazine shop] Borders closed down I realised how much I missed having a store that I could just wander into and browse the magazine racks. Sure, there are many great mag stores in London and a few where I live, but it seemed that the distribution channels for the world of independent magazines were closing down. Most people wouldn’t have a local store that stocked this stuff. And even in the great stores, I was aware that a lot of mags were missing.

So Magazero aims to bring you not just the same old favourites but to ferret out magazines from around the world and make them available.”

Sounds pretty cool to us. Be sure to check out Magazero. Gym Class Magazine is in fine company… other magazines available include Fire & Knives, Intersection, The Ride Journal, Anorak and plenty more.

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Issue 32 of Spanish Esquire is the first to feature a woman on the cover. We’re not sure who the lovely-looking lady is… but we give the cover two thumbs up. Big love to art director Clara Montagut and her team. Win!

You can view all of Spanish Esquire’s covers on the magazine’s website… or you can check out the cover gallery in the current issue of Gym Class Magazine, available to buy in the shop.

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