What Kind of Magazine Am I Making?

The first question I need to answer is: what kind of magazine do I want to create? This might seem simple, but it’s actually the foundation for everything else. The design, the content, the audience, even the photography style.

I’ve been thinking about my interests: I love alternative culture, visual kei music/fashion, gaming, character design, everything artistic, and fashion (even though my wardrobe is limited). I also enjoy drawing and creating fan artwork. Ideally, my magazine would combine several of these things into one unique publication. I’ve seen independent magazines that mix genres. That gives me confidence that a hybrid approach can work.

But I also need to be realistic. The final outcome has to be something I can produce with my own resources. I don’t have a big budget or a team of photographers, so I’ll need to create most of the content myself. Using my own clothes, my own artwork, and possibly interviews with friends or local creatives.

So my goal today is to explore different magazine genres, look at examples, and decide which direction excites me the most and feels achievable. Over the next few posts, I’ll dive deeper into alternative magazines, visual kei publications, gaming magazines, and fashion zines to see what speaks to me.

Key questions I’m holding in my head:

- What am I genuinely passionate about?

- What can I realistically photograph, draw, or write about?

- How can I make my magazine feel like “me” rather than a generic template?

I’ll answer these by the end of the week.

I've noted these facts:

- I need to pick a genre I can realistically create

-  Options I've considered: alternative culture, visual kei, gaming, character art, fashion, music, or a hybrid

- A hybrid is the safest and most likely. For example, a magazine about alternative style that includes music, games, and art, under one umbrella.

- I'll spend today researching different genres to see which feels most achievable.

Changes made to blog:

Spent time reformatting and changing texts to fit a typography style that I like and that is readable.