CIO: Lumpen magazine

Apparently there is a Chicago-based magazine, that has an innovative design and great reporting according to Rothstein. The magazine is called Lumpen magazine and reports on cultural, social and political issues that aren't covered very often in the mainstream media. It printed on newsprint paper but it's very colorful and has great designs inside.



I like how they use a pattern to spell out the headline. Although from this distance, I can't tell if they are ants or if they are just a normal pattern. I think the sans serif type worked will well with the design also. I think that if they tried to use anything any different then it probably would've made the opening spread look too over done and unreadable.





I honestly like the way they used the grid on this spread. It's kind of like what I used for the music section for this week. I think that random cropping can make any layout work if it is done correctly. Sometimes that's easy to accomplish and other times it's not. But this is definitely one that I admire.



Lately I've been perusing tutorials on Layers Magazine's website. And they talk about how to mask type of photos and normally I probably wouldn't go for this since if the photo wasn't set in a sepia tone. But I think it definitely makes the spread work. Plus the color alone isn't really to my liking but I think that it really makes the spread stand out.

I think this is definitely magazine that I could take a few pointers from. I can't wait to see if I can get my hands on it. Apparently it's been in print for about eighteen years. But sadly their great design isn't reflected on their website. In fact they rarely update it. I wonder if people who aren't Chicagoeans can order it. Hm.