The magazine newsstand is a proportioned wilderness. Each sapling grappling for a glance of light from the eye, struggling to grow substantial roots. This wilderness, split by translucent borders via the "fanzine", "bookzine" etc, allow for fledging publications to blossom in an industry where survival is soul nourishment. Each sprouting 'zine is nurtured and watered in the initial stages, whereby the inaugural issue and some to follow attain a level of pruning by the reader. Through growth in the stem of industry and the flower of originality will the occasional wilting sapling bloom in abundance in a garden all of its own.
An example of such radical stability is "The Travel Almanac" a magazine which "explores traveling and temporary habitation for an increasingly sophisticated and mobilized generation of travellers". This subtle journal exemplifies a nexus between the collectable and the current, all encased within a utilitarian layout, both beautiful and purposeful. Continually roaming and reconnoitring, "The Travel Almanac" is nostalgic in terms of outlining the timeless and iconic with artists, theorists, filmmakers and musicians. Yet this is balanced via the extent of exploration, the undeniable essence of the magazine. Their third issue includes designer Rick Owens, actor Udo Kier and artist Norbert Bisky to name a few, they are accompanied by 12 hotel reviews from locations such as Bali, Zurich, Venice and Osaka and a "Souvenirs" section. Everything is formulated, from the margins, the typeface, the binding and the paper all of which suffuse the heady rainforest of the magazine industry. The essence is a basis for longevity and craftsmanship, traits that editors Paul Kominek and John Roberts have well engraved. Arguably, to create a magazine deliberately secular from arabesque ornamentation is more of a struggle with the loud titans who repeat anodyne issues. To edit takes skill and flair, an effect which is crystallised by Kominek and Roberts. Eliminating any potential sensationalism or smugness, "The Travel Almanac" invests in artistic appreciation and realism, in turn guarding its pages to a myopic mind. Both an escape and an informative reality, "The Travel Almanac" is a panacea to those who seek an alternative culture, landscape and world entirely.
