Hauntworld Magazine is coming and here is a peak...

[MDKing]

I think they look pretty cool, Brainstorm always does good work!

Allan

[tomstrong]

So what do you people think about the new magazine pages? Do you like them or what? Larry

I agree with Barry's comment above, putting graphics behind text along with the colored backgrounds and white text makes things hard to read. I understand that it seems to be the current trend to have very graphically-intense print and web publications but I miss the days of clear, black-on-white text with the pictures around it (or vice versa).

As for the content itself, it looks like I'd like to take more of a look at that, it might be time to subscribe again.

[drfrightner]

The magazine will be 100% color this time around, and features many haunts...

Want to send out a heads up to Noah for the great article on all the haunts in the Ohio/Michigan area.

Good job!

Larry

[damon carson]

Looks nice! Youve got me worried with the Deliverance bit though! LOL! Maybe Shane would like some of that action! Ha! New and improved magazine laid out by Brainstorm. Transworld coming to St. Louis. The Darkness going to be the main and haunt for the convention. Dont give him a heart attack Larry! LOL!
Damon

[Jolly Pumpkin]

Thanks Larry. I had fun writing it. I know as I type right now people are gonna complain about why I didn't include some haunts, but I think the ones that are covered people will really enjoy reading about. If I wanted to talk about everything it would end up being a 30 page article and I think covering 20 haunts is good enough. If I get the opportunity I would love to write a part 2 if the response for part one is good enough. There are so many great haunts in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana that it's hard to write an article covering only 20. But I think the article came out looking incredible and really showcases some incredible haunts.

[Infoamtek]

Putting on my Art Director's hat...

I would say that the magazine looks like an advertisement for a website for the magazine. White text on top of dark, multicolored backgrounds. Pictures layered and blended over each other. Magazines are about conveying information, and if that information gets cluttered up and hidden by clever but needless graphic tricks, then the magazine becomes worthless to the potential reader. Many fledgeling graphic designers fall into this trap of too much art and fancy tricks in their magazine designs. The designs that have been shown would work nicely as ads in a magazine but would tend to get confusing as a whole magazine. Speaking of ads, the ads that are shown are getting lost in the clutter. Somebody who is putting an ad in a magazine wants that ad to stand out and be noticed, not have it lost in the murk of overbearing clutter. Remember the K.I.S.S. principle.

[drfrightner]

This is probably a bad example because the article which I'm showing you is a story of 10 different haunts all in one story... so yeah it will be somewhat cluttered. Nothing you can do about that... it is one mans trip through 10 haunts, and we want all 10 to stand out from the rest that is why it is being done this way.

Plus you have to remember these are smaller images than a real full sized page...keep that in mind.

Larry

[Patti Ludwinski]

Noah,
Thank you for writing. Your talents are always appreciated and wanted here. Would love to read more of your articles in the future!

[Infoamtek]

Sorry to disagree with you,but...

Larry, that sounds like an excuse for bad page design. A good magazine designer could have done the same stories with less clutter and used less ink, thereby saving some money. Brainstorm is a good design group for what they do, but magazine design is a different animal.

[drfrightner]

I don't agree with on what you just said not even for a minute!!! It is just a difference of opinion! However I do take all opinions serious, otherwise I would never change the magazine, the content or the layout.

I do not agree with what you said about Brainstorm's layout because I think it looks awesome! However this particular article is about 10 haunts, not one, so yes we want the haunts to stick out from each other that is our design choice, maybe you don't like it but I do. I think most if not everyone will like it once they see it on the page and if not maybe we'll change it down the road.

As for Barry's comments I see what hes saying... this is why I post stuff I want feedback whether or not I agree or no is beside the point. But I do appreciate you taking the time out to offer your comments.

Larry

[graystone]

Lmao

LMAO, LMAO, LMAO I cant help it!!!! This is a damn Soap Opra!! Just like Dallas! But this time the new show will me called St. Louis. You will have Larry as JR and poor Patti aka Sue Ellen watching her mans back all the while someones in the Shadows! Then you got the baby of the Ewing bunch Bobby aka baby Tyler always looking up to big brother knowing all along hes doing wrong. Then you got Nut aka Jock Ewing the Daddy the voice of reason. And so on and so on. I have just fell out of my chair laughing! Actually I pissed in my pants!!!!!!! Funny Funny Shit its a Soap here people plain and simple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shane

[shawnc]

Larry, One suggestion I would make is to put a box around every ad. Without it, the info/photos in the ad tend to blend in with the copy and photos in the articles.

I know a lot of designers think the latest thing is to do away with the boxes, but they were used for many decades for a good reason. Just my two cents.

[Infoamtek]

Just a difference of opinion?

My opinion comes from my 20 years experience as a magazine designer and Art Director for a successful magazine publishing group. I see no flow in the articles. I see headlines hidden by the clutter. I see text that is difficult to read. I see ads that can't be differentiated from the stories. The style of design used is fine for the web or one sheet posters, but is problematic for printed publications. I'm not picking on just you, ALL of the haunt related magazines suffer from this bad design work. Try this, look at the large successful media (tv film) magazines and see how they design. Readability is the key.





p.s. The word you wanted in the headline of this posting is peek not peak. The copy editor in me.

[drfrightner]

Whoops! Thanks Larry

[drfrightner]

Okay MISTER MAGAZINE EXPERT... LOL

How is this page?

Larry