First things first: this post is really, really late. It was meant to be a celebration of Desktop’s 25th anniversary issue but between launching our new web store and preparing for Christmas (I know, it’s September… sickening, isn’t it?) we sorta kinda missed that issue and the next edition hit our shelves… today actually.
A quarter century in the publishing world is no mean feat and we’d like to offer a big congratulations to the team over at Niche Media.
But that being said… we’ve gotta admit, Desktop is not a mag that’s been one our big faves until, well, pretty recently actually. Before its re-launch earlier this year, Desktop really felt like a bit of a tired and shabby sight on our design shelves, rubbing shoulders with a gang of slick up-and-comers. In short, it struck us that it was a magazine struggling to make sense of just how it fit into the Internet age.
Indeed, many titles haven’t been able to make this transition at all! But since its re-launch in March under incoming editor Brendan McKnight, Desktop has metamorphasized from a title that seems threatened by the Internet… to one that complements it. And does so beautifully! Printed on a luscious paper stock (and believe me, if you like smelling magazines—and yes, I’m aware that this may just be me—you wanna get a serious whiff of this baby) and packed with incredible illustrations, jawdropping photographic spreads and longform behind-the-scenes features… this is a magazine that makes a wonderful case for the future of printed media.
Looking ahead into the next 25 years, we’re really glad to have Brendan here tell us about his favourite mags. Viva Desktop!
I think It’s Nice That was one of the first magazines I purchased from mag nation when I returned to Melbourne after being abroad for four years. The name says it all really. Starting as a website and turning into tri-annual publication documenting the best bits (and more), It’s Nice That has some terrific content from all across this globe. The complimenting colours of each cover work quite nicely together on the bookshelf too.
2. Condiment
I’m a bit of a foodie, and Condiment is the perfect balance between food, culture, creativity and community. Proudly made in Melbourne, the publication makes us question the complexities and value of food. To quote the editors – “after all, it is we who are dependent on food, and not food that is dependent on us.”
Another Melbourne-based mag, Dumbo Feather is where I go to be told a story about something and someone I didn’t know existed. A mix of visual storytelling with the written word, the recent redesign by Chase & Galley makes it even more of a pleasure to read.
4. Elephant
Magma books was one of my favourite stores when I lived in London, and so it was hugely exciting for a magazine to come out by the store’s owner, Marc Valli. Published by Frame, Elephant perfectly captures the richness and complexity of contemporary visual culture.
5. Heat
Yea, a bit of a curveball. A girl at a design studio I worked at in London used to get this every week, and so I’ll admit that I was partial to a weekly lunch-break read. Funnily enough, I actually had my photo once in Heat, in a voxpop spread where they asked 50 guys on the street about what underwear they prefer their girlfriends to wear. I like boys, so it was a bit of a laugh. I sent my mum a copy.
