For those starved for a journal of food writing infused with fresh design ideas, all prayers to the spirit of the stove have been answered in the form of the Lucky Peach, a new magazine from American publishing house McSweeney’s. The quarterly culinary publication is the brain child of Korean chef and restauranteur David Chang of Momofuku fame and writer Peter Meehan. Together, they present a seasoned medley of writing, art, and graphic recipes that delves into the study of a single subject in the culinary sphere. The premier issue, which is all about ramen, dishes out a heaping bowl of insight on that portion of Japanese cuisine. There is also a nice digression into Chang’s favorite egg preps, because a dissertation on ramen would not be complete without some discussion on the egg.

Pulling it all together is the art direction and design of Brian McMullen, Walter Green and editor-in-chief Chris Ying, who commissioned a number of talented contributing artists to create a visual presentation chock-full of illustration, photography and unique layouts that is more savory than a simmered kurobuta pork bone broth. A sure favorite is Mike Houston’s “Tokyo Ramen God” letterpress work printed at his New York collaborative Cannonball Press on a 1938 Model 24 Vandercook proofing press using vintage wood and lead type and hand-carved woodcuts. Also visually appealing is the colorful, comic book style art of Baltimorean Daniel Krall. Even a quick flip through the 174-page periodical is sure to satiate those with an appetite for a left-field, experimental approach to publication design.

Cirrus

Over the weekend I poured over the new Spring/Summer issue of Apartamento magazine, reading nearly all 223 pages. For those unfamiliar, Apartamento describes itself as “a magazine interested in homes, living spaces and design solutions as opposed to houses, photo ops and design dictatorships. The magazine is a logical result of the post-materialist mind shift. People are bored with the ostentatious and über-marketing. There is a real quest for identity in the midst of mass production and globalization, and that quest leads to what is personal, what is natural, what is real.” And that’s really what it is, interesting stories and features about interesting people in interesting places.

One part that really enjoyed were these brick creations, created by Ana Dominguez and Omar Sosa. I love how they used such simple materials but did so much with them. I think these constructs also look so good because of the photography, which was done by Nacho Alegre, who was assisted by Robbie Whitehead. These are moody and playful, both at the same time, though I have to say, seeing these on the screen is nothing compared to the richness of the print version. A big thanks to Robbie for sending these over to me.

Bobby

Michael Salu is the artistic director of Granta Publications where he works across the divisions of Granta and Portobello Books and Granta magazine. Having previously designed a range of covers for almost every reputable publishing house in Britain, Salu is intimately familiar with the challenge of creating an eye-catching cover with visual elements that draw in a reader and reflect the literary content. No stranger to feminine imagery, he first came on board with Granta in time to create the art for its Spring 2010 “Sex” issue, which resulted in the ever-popular “this-is-not-a-purse” cover and a related set of films inspired by the writing.

For Granta magazine’s issue 115, “The F Word,” which focuses on feminism, Salu was faced with the daunting task of developing a visual concept for a theme that explores the ways in which feminism continues to inform, address and complicate the balance of power between the sexes. Luckily, Salu is a self-described man “raised in a world of women.” Armed with his insider knowledge yet heeding Simone de Beauvoir’s warning that even “the most sympathetic of men never fully comprehend woman’s concreted situation,” Salu considered the current blueprint for beauty prescribed by popular media, such as Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar, with the intent being to create a female “DIY Identikit” magazine cover. The result is a comical combination of connect-the-dot cleavage and windswept hair that grazes the title. The tongue-in-cheek text that forms a pouting mouth is also clever. It’s another one to add to his growing arsenal of memorable cover art.

Granta Publications presents some nice online features where Salu discusses the making of ”The F Word” cover and the selection of art chosen to complement the content, which includes the work of three moving-image artists’ individual responses to the stories in Granta 115.

Cirrus

I had the pleasure to be apart of another issue of Afterzine, the infrequently published art magazine that’s run by my good buddy, Hamish Robertson. This issue centers around Los Angeles, which I have lots to say about, but here’s what Hamish had to say:

“What began as a single-section issue with invited interpretations of “coincidence” by chance evolved into an exploration of the city of Los Angeles—a place I had mistakenly assumed to be lacking in happy accidents.”

The issue features a ton of creative people involved like Mike Mills, Miranda July, Zooey Deschanel, Andrew Andrew, Ben Jones, Peter Mendelsund and lots more. From these previews I’d definitely say it’s going to be a great read.

Kyle and I actually contributed together, putting together a map of our 10 favorite places in Los Angeles. We’re pretty opinionated, and we tend to frequent a lot of local places. I thought it would be fun to release our map as a wallpaper this week, since I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Everything was hand-painted by myself and then put into Photoshop to be tweaked.

But, in order to see why we love these places, you’re going to have to buy the issue. They’re only $10, and worth every penny. And just to reiterate, if you’re in Los Angeles on Friday, be sure to stop by the launch party at Skylight Books, more details can be found here.

Bobby

Click images to enlarge 

Always a favorite, this time around Dan Funderburgh brings his aesthetic for patterns and designs rooted in nature, repetition, symmetry and geometry to the cover of Diner Journal‘s 18th issue, titled “Communities, Communes and Cults.” For the instant illustration, Funderburgh created a harmonious layout of alchemy tools and kitchen items on laser-cut and engraved colored matboard. Like an alchemist transforming base metals into gold, Funderburgh takes everyday objects and through painstaking industry creates ornate two-dimensional silhouettes. Yet, as much as his art demands hard work from him, it also requires ours. The eye that does not look with haste but slowly meanders across the planes of Funderburgh’s designs will be repaid by the pleasurable surprise of his unique use of instantly familiar objects and tremendous attention to detail.

The appeal of Funderburgh’s ornamental design clearly lies in its complexity. But there is also a deeper appeal, which is the advocacy of traditional craftsmanship and the appreciation for the tools and functional objects of different eras. There is a certain dignity in making something by hand that the craftsman (or -woman) in all of us can identify with. It is not surprising, therefore, that one of Funderburgh’s creative inspirations is William Morris, father of the Arts and Crafts movement, whose often-quoted advice is, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Through his work, Dan Funderburgh opens our eyes to the beauty of many everyday household items and gives us a new appreciation for functional man-made objects as art.  For additional information on Dan Funderburgh and to see more images of his work, visit his Flickr and somewhat recently-created and quite lovely Tumblr; visit his 12ozProphet site for occasional news.

Images courtesy of Death at Sea Design, custom laser cutting and engraving, and Diner Journal contributor Naz Sahin’s Feasting Never Stops

Cirrus

It’s Independence Day, so I’m going to try and post some American-centric items today, American artists who I really respect. I thought it would be fun to start these posts off with this week’s cover of the New Yorker, illustrated by 85 year old George Booth. George has been illustrating for the New Yorker since 1969, and he has such a casual, effortless style that you can hardly tell the difference between the cover above and this one from March 12, 1979. I really like how he chose to not go overly patriotic with this cover, it’s obviously a celebration, American flags flying brightly, offset by the pure whiteness of the wall. It’s simply perfect.

Bobby

I’m an optimist when it comes to magazines and printed matter in general. Are they going to be anything like they were in the last 100 years? No way. They’re going to inhabit a niche genre that people who appreciate print will continue to support. One day this all may change, but for the time being I feel confident, especially when you have talented people like Mikael Fløysand. Created as a semester assignment while he was at Westerdals School of Communication, Everyday Magazine “is a magazine about graphic designers & other creatives, focusing on the people behind the works rather than the work itself.”

It’s a pretty straightforward concept but I was really impressed with how he executed it. It’s image heavy, often taking up a full spread, lots of bright shapes and great typography. I also like how he broke up the three interviews by color, blue, red and green, a subtle concept that’s done well. I hope that Mikael one day has the chance to make Everyday, or some other magazine, a real deal.

Bobby

Nearly 4 years ago I was desperately searching around the web for a theme to use for my then upcoming blog. There are plenty of WordPress themes out there, 99% of them are insane or crap, it’s a seriously difficult process. Then one day I came across the blog of a guy named Michael Bojkowski, who at the time was writing a blog called Boicozine. I have no idea how I came across it, but I immediately wrote him and asked him what he was using. He was totally nice and sent me a link to his theme, and I’ve been using the very same theme ever since then.

Cut to 4 years later and now Michael is the art director behind the revitalization of Grafik magazine. If you not familiar with the magazine there’s a tidy Wikipedia entry outlining it’s history. Basically it’s been around since the 80′s, was rethought by Caroline Roberts in 2003 and was recently shut down. But last month the magazine came back as a bi-monthly publication and it’s looking amazing.

Michael sent me a little preview of the newest issue which is available to order online and in UK stores on Thursday. It also has a special cover which was designed in collaboration with Ah! Studio. It’s so nice seeing quality magazines still being published, I can’t wait to get myself a copy.

Bobby

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about RRR, a zine filled with an immense amount of inspiring images which featured the work of tons of great artists. It was so great I asked editor Scott Massey if we could have a little giveaway, so I asked where you found inspiration from, a simple question which I knew would get a multitude of answers. From the 81 comments, I chose my five favorites who will be receiving a copy of the zine.

I find inspiration in being in love. Whatever the object of my being in love is. Whether it is my house, or my dog, or a man, or an idea, or my dinner, my breakfast, my night, my work, a song, a picture, a country…anything that makes me feel love. When I am in love, everything around is beautiful. I see good all around, even if it is something tough, I might learn something. There is some good in evil, and when I am in love I can see that. When you are in love, there are no evil thoughts or feelings. Everything is beautiful, even your 7eleven coffee. When I feel in love, I want to be a better person, and thinking about that, my whole surroundings become a source of inspiration.

By missmota

I’m always inspired by the talent around me. Whether at the studio, or friends’ projects, seeing what they’re doing makes me want to be better and come up with new ideas. Also, cheese.

By Destin

[1] Traveling overseas, my travel journal, and photo album.
[2] But, I can’t always be traveling. I work inside an old train station and just across the tracks is an elementary school. Every time they have recess, I think of Milton Glaser in the film To Inform and Delight discussing the day care or elementary school outside of his office that gives his day a little boost when he hears them having recess at the same time everyday. It helps you remember to play and keep a momentum.
[3] BibliOdyssey. Aside from it being an amazing blog, it’s a nice reminder that people have been doing some form of design for as long as humanly possible.

By Joel

Alcohol and all nighters.

By Xerex

I get my inspiration virtually everywhere, but if I had to pick one I’d go with my music collection. I usually work with my iTunes library playing on random and it’s a constant source of ever changing inspiration. I mean can you even imagine life without music?

By Robert Weiss

Bobby

Back in Novemeber of 2009 I reviewed a little zine called RRR, it was a collection of images from all kinda of artists and photographers and I was really impressed with it. Well now the second edition has been released and it happens to be even better than the first. Clocking in at 100 pages this 6 x 9″ zine is filled with all kinds of great artists like Mike Perry, Will Bryant, Andrew Holder, Ed Fladung, Gary Benzel and Keith Scharwath.

What’s great about a zine like this is that it’s filled with so much inspiration. Every page is different. There’s photos, then illustrations, then design, each one bursting with imagination. I know when I got my issue I totally poured over it, amazed by all the talented people and their beautiful work.

Lucky for you I’ve got 5 copies to give away thanks to the man behind RRR, Scott Massey. So how do you get your hands on one? Leave me a comment with your favorite place to get inspiration. My five favorite comments will win a copy, simple as that. Good luck!

Bobby