I have christened 2007 the year of the Magazine. With at least three subscriptions to my name, not to mention the unofficial 'subscriptions' from the footpaths of Melbourne city, it is my mission to indulge in all things high gloss & high art. Speaking of footpaths, there are hidden gems to be found on the stoops of stores throughout the CBD, most of which are edited and designed by the collaborators of Australia's best newsstand publications. (And they're all free.) An example of which is the inspired Nerds Gone Wild, which happens to be the brainchild of one of the country's greatest editorial talents, Mia Timpano. If you haven't heard of her before, she mixes articulate thought with sheer innovative wit in many articles written for Frankie.

Yet when the laser ink starts to rub on your hands from the array of street publications on offer, who can say they don't prefer the smell of fresh gloss stock in the morning? If you subscribe to this belief, then you cannot possibly live without visiting Mag.nificent. Regularly updated it provides true insight into the magical world of magazine culture. While making my daily visit, I found the fresh & French culture offering, Clark. Art directed (in the true sense of the word) by Parra, it's seriously worth looking at purely for it's use of colour and editorial design. But sadly that's all you're going to get out of it, unless you speak French.

I found this video on their myspace page. I think it sums up their successfully new wave thinking.



I've had four French lessons so far this semester. If I ever hope to subscribe, I'm going to have to work a hell of a lot harder.