New T-Shirt of the Month Design

This awesome shirt by the incredibly talented Kate Moross is available for pre-order now at Plazm Thread. Order now and get this sweet shirt and 5 more awesome designs!

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Almost the New Newsweek

Much has been written about the redesign of Newsweek magazine. It's been on the stands for about four issues now. Plazm has a unique perspective on the new design. About nine months ago, we became one of three design firms contracted to reimagine, redesign and reposition Newsweek magazine. We partnered with our friends at SmithMag and, under a blazing 3-week deadline, we wrote, designed, and developed a complete prototype issue from scratch for the new Newsweek. Although we didn't win the pitch, we were honored to be asked and had a blast working day and night to upgrade the magazine.

The typography in this prototype is a beta font designed by longtime Plazm collaborator Gus Nicklos to represent the new Newsweek brand. Its overall perspective points to the future while its proportions and contemporary optic properties give it high legibility at small sizes. The beta version includes three initial variants: Regular, Italic and Black as well as custom Slab Serif characters created for initial caps. This approach signals an evolution of the Newsweek brand towards the future with every typeset letter.

We developed a new Newsweek Signature utilizing a modified version of Gus' custom type. Slab serifs have been added to the initial cap N as well as to the K. These bookends connect the brand to its rich typographic heritage while the bold geometric sans suggest a contemporary vision. The slabs are also brought forward as the basis for initial caps, the N as a supplement brand, and the edge of the K as a mnemonic graphic device suggesting forward movement and pointing to all web call outs.

You can view some of the spreads from our prototype on our web site.

Happy to hear any comments.

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Record Release Tonight

My band, Gay Deceivers, are having a show tonight: both a Pride Kick-off Party, and a record release. It is free! At the Portsmouth Pub, 5264 N Lombard St Portland, OR 97203. There will also be DJs and special readings. And pizza. And pinball! Doors at 9. This is what the Mercury said about our record:
"On their debut, Let it Come True, Portland's Gay Deceivers have created a surprising amalgam of familiar sounds. Rumbling, mossy, riot grrrl riffs sit on top of jerky, mechanical beats, and the off-kilter songwriting ranges from mundane subjects like playing videogames to more expansive issues like global politics and gender issues, but even the weightier topics are given a quirky, dance-pop buoyancy. Tonight celebrates the album's release on Sarah Dougher's Cherchez la Femme label as part of the FAME queer dance night."

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Portland Queer Readings

Lit Star Press has just released a new anthology called "Portland Queer". Edited by Ariel Gore, it includes contributions from Tom Spanbaeur, Sarah Dougher, Dexter Flowers, and some illustrations by myself. There are a bunch of readings going on this month; see the full schedule here.

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