The magazine industry is suffering one of its more pronounced troughs. Established names are closing, while others face an amalgamation of staff to survive. Many would say that this is too hostile a climate to support independent and innovative publications, but a new breed of maverick publishers are kicking the business up the backside by doing things their way, proving that there is always a market for wit, imagination and intelligence.
This month's issue of Wallpaper* features our favourite media mini-moguls. To see why we love them, click on the images below and launch the digital samplers.
Lula
Featuring all the verve and attitude of a fanzine with the production values of a fashion glossy, the biannual Lula is the brainchild of three former British Vogue staffers. The staff avoid talk of a ‘typical’ reader, insisting the magazine is for anyone, though admitting it is made chiefly for themselves. Features range from a celebration of Dolly Parton by various artists to a cartoon strip by cult singer-songwriter Jeffrey Lewis.
www.lulamag.com
032c
A self-styled fashion, art and politics magazine, 032c was founded in Berlin in 2000. Named after the bold red Pantone colour that was used on the cover of the first issues, the biannual magazine has developed into a substantial glossy entirely on its own terms. In 2005, they replaced austere minimalism with a human face. The first cover star, unapologetically, was Tom Cruise.
www.032c.com
The Paris Review
US writer and occasional actor George Plimpton co-founded The Paris Review in the French capital in 1953. Nowadays Philip Gourevitch, longtime staff writer at The New Yorker, is at the helm of this literary magazine that was described by Time magazine as 'the biggest little magazine in history'.
www.theparisreview.com
Stop Smiling
Like Wallpaper*, Stop Smiling has just celebrated its first decade in p[rint, no mean feat for a title which started out as a humble fanzine, put together in a Chicago basement. Founder JC Gabel describes the title as 'a magazine for high-minded low-lifes', whilst the classic design echoes the 1960's and 1970's golden era of US magazines, such as Playboy, Esquire, Interview and Rolling Stone.
www.stopsmilingonline.com
INFORMATION
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