A few weeks back, I subscribed to the most unique magazine subscription service, Stack Magazines. I wrote about Stack briefly, calling it the “best idea in magazines since, well, magazines“, and I hold true to that, especially now, since I just received my first installment of the subscription. I expected to get a random, new, independently published magazine. I didn’t expect the other bonus news rags I got with it.
The magazine is Makeshift, a “journal of hidden creativity” in the same vein of other magazines like GOOD and Monocle (another favorite), both in content and design.
The first rag is a dummy issue of Day Job, which is a fledgling “publication for anyone who have ever had a job they loved, a job they hated a life-long calling or way to make an easy buck”. Apparently, the magazine had a very successful Kickstarter campaign and this dummy issue was part of the reward for some of the backers. I’m not sure the content is really something I would read on a regular basis, but I like the design.
The last is Showpaper, a single page, print-only showcase of events in the Tri-State area, given away free, bi-weekly. The upside is a giant piece of art on the backside of each issue.
There’s many more issues from Stack coming in the future, and I would like to say that I plan on getting them for as long as they’ll let me subscribe, but this silver lining has a little bit of a dark cloud. Shortly after I got my subscription in the mail, I got an email from Stack HQ in Great Brittian with this sad news:
“By now you should have heard from Andrew to let you know that Stack America is being wound down and all subscriptions are being transferred over to the main Stack service.
We send out a different magazine every month, so starting in July you’ll receive something new from us roughly every four weeks until your current subscription runs out. Our magazines tend to originate in the UK and Europe and I’m quietly confident that we’ll be able to keep you supplied with great quality magazines you wouldn’t otherwise have seen.”
They’re giving refunds to anyone who wants one, but I’m in for the duration. Unfortunately, I may not be able to re-up my subscription next time around if the shipping costs are prohibitive. Only time will tell, but I wish the folks at Stack the best of luck. It’s a novel idea that deserves more attention and I’m happy I was able to participate if only for a little while.
Don’t fret though, I’ll keep showcasing the issues I do get, so there is still some Stack goodness to come.
Hi! I'm Dave and this site is about art, design and how to make it work for you. If you're an artist or a designer and you're looking for help getting your work to market, come along and we'll learn something new together.
