I’ve always found magazines magical. My dad was a magazine junkie. Growing up, we had stacks of magazines all over our house. I vividly remember being obsessed with Sassy as a pre-teen. I have fond memories of sitting in my room—listening to the Cranberries — with my stacks of Sassy, cutting out my favorite images and gluing them into collages. I turned one of my favorites into my seventeenth birthday invitation. My dad joked I should get a job in making collages (in some ways, I have!).
In my opinion, print will never die. It has a place alongside digital. We need and crave that tangible experience. There are so many creative print magazines out there right now. It’s an exciting time for independent print magazines to be emerging. It was hard only to pick a few, but here are 5 I’m loving.
In 2017, illustrators Clay Hickson and Liana Jegers launched their monthly print paper, The Smudge. This retro-style newspaper is politically-minded with loads of incredible artwork and engaging, humorous articles. The idea for the paper was born in reaction to Trump’s election in 2016. They donate a portion of the profits to vital causes (e.g., Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective, National Immigration Forum, RAINN National Sexual Assault Program). I just bought a year-long subscription.
Every time I come across The Gentlewoman at a newsstand, I become powerless to its beauty. I buy it every time but never regret it. This biannual magazine offers thoughtful essays and style stories about the modern woman. The photography and layouts are always on point.
This incredible magazine was launched in 2017 and is minority-owned. They’re championing food to expand human empathy, and believe that telling diverse stories from minorities is essential. I couldn’t agree more.
This magazine is exquisite! It documents the history, ideas, and aesthetics of the Black and LBGTQ+ community. The imagery and journalism in this magazine are breathtaking and important.
I fell in love with this magazine the minute I discovered it. Created by French creative director and photographer, Laurent Laporte —Where is the Cool is a magazine filled with retro, trendy, and “cool” things you should know about.
