Drawbridge - issue 19, Volume 2

The Drawbridge is an interesting publication and one that is hard to describe. It isn't a magazine, newspaper, journal, or even periodical. It is described as an "independent quarterly of thought, wit and reflection giving equal focus to literature and visual arts" and has just been subject to a radical transformation.

The Drawbridge originated as a full-colour newspaper format (I wrote about it in my post in December 2009: http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.com/2009/12/drawbridge-15.html). It is now a book-sized publication (195x260mm Portrait with 12mm spine). The content now forms the basis of quarterly exhibitions curated alongside each issue but still with a theme for each.

Cover photograph: Flights by Dave Anderson, 2004

Photograph: Charles, Vasa, Minnesota, 2002 by Alec Soth

Photographs: Falling in Trees 1 and 2 by Elijah Gowin, 2006

Main drawing: The Chair, project for an installation by Davide Bignami, 2008

Photograph: Athens, Greece, 2004 by Jim Goldberg.

...and a flattering report from design commentator Rick Poynor:
"Changing a magazine's format is always risky. It's such a fundamental aspect of what we perceive it to be. The Drawbridge's transformation is particularly startling. Indeed, it might rate as one of the most dramatic changes of visual direction ever ventured by a literary magazine. Or any kind of magazine." Rick Poynor, Design Observer

The re-design has been carried out by Creative Director, Stephen Coates. In the same way that he used the newspaper format with great effect, he has equally made illustration and photography work in this format by leaving (and creating) lots of space.
The specification is 4pp cover on StarFine White 300gsm and 142pp text on StarFine White 115gsm. The printing deservedly remains with London printers, Push (given what an excellent job they made on the previous issues printed on Redeem 100% Recycled 70gsm)

I wish Bigna Pfenninger (Editor) and her team, much success with the new format.

http://www.thedrawbridge.org.uk/
http://observersroom.designobserver.com/rickpoynor/entry.html?entry=24748
http://www.push-print.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 03.03.2011

The Drawbridge #15

Today, I received the latest edition of The Drawbridge. If you are familiar with this publication, then I imagine you'll stop reading now because you know how good it is and there won't be any point!

For those of you who haven't seen it, do try to see a copy as it really is a fantastic piece of work both from a content and design point of view.

I tried to describe what kind of publication it is but desperately struggled, so I've taken the cheats way out and lifted the following copy from the website: "The Drawbridge is an independent quarterly delivering thought, wit and reflection through words, photography and drawing. It is in turn critically nonsensical and radically serious. With each issue, authors and artists cast an unflinching look at a selected theme. The surprising combination of views and insights pays honest tribute to the progressive reader"

Contributors have included such luminaries as John Berger, J.G. Ballard, Tariq Ali, Umberto Eco, Tony Benn and the list goes on... The publication is edited by the lovely Bigna Pfenninger. It is widely available in creative/literary booksellers and I was in Tate Modern last week and noticed it's available in the bookshop there.

The Drawbridge takes the form of a full-colour newspaper and it is well written, superbly designed and fantastically printed. In particular the images used throughout are of the very highest quality. Design is by Creative Director, Stephen Coates who explores and experiments with the newspaper format with dramatic effect - the way that illustration and photography are combined makes the two media truly complimentary.

Cynics reading this may just think that I'm waxing lyrical about this job just because it's printed on our paper ...however I hope those people who actually know me will realise that whether or not this job was printed on our paper that I would still think this was a lovely piece of work anyway!

The Drawbridge is printed on our Redeem 100% Recycled 70gsm. The size is 288x396mm Portrait and it is a 24pp self cover, saddle stitched with two wires. Up until issue 13, it was a full "broadsheet" size of 578x395mm, 12pp self cover and unstitched (which is a format that I personally preferred). Print is by Push.

These are some of my favourite front covers from previous issues:

http://www.thedrawbridge.org.uk/

http://www.push-print.com/