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response : ten london minutes
Meet the Editor of Smoke magazine
At londonlostandfound we bring you the best of what’s
going on in London, but we also want to suggest things you might not have
heard of, or know about, or thought of doing. But we are not alone in
our mission to put a different perspective on life in a big city; there
are other alternative magazines out there. The third in our five part
series on alternative magazines is an interview with Matt Haynes, Editor
of Smoke magazine.
Can you briefly describe Smoke magazine?
"Words, photos, cartoons and graphic art inspired by the city"
is what it says on our home-made counter-stands, and that should be enough
to entice anyone... though "48 A5 pages printed in black and white
on 100gsm semi-matt paper with a 170gsm 4 page 2 colour cover" might
just do it for the more printerly types. It's a fan zine for London, celebrating
the idiosyncrasies of the city’s life, architecture and transport
system in words and pictures. What it ISN'T is a listings magazine –
it’s rooted in contemporary London, but we like to think the content
is timeless, and that each page is worth reading four times.
What inspired you to start the magazine?
Personally speaking, it was Jude asking me whether I wanted to start a
magazine, but that's rather a dull answer. My background is in the wonderful
world of independent music, and in famines that celebrated particular
bands or types of music, produced by people trying to communicate their
loves and hates to others via photocopied wads of paper sold at gigs.
And the idea of celebrating a city in the same way seemed a stroke of
genius (I can say that, as it was Jude's stroke).
Also, there didn't seem to be anything like it - there are literary magazines,
which are mostly dull, pretentious and poorly designed, and there are
books of photos, which are mostly hideously expensive and sell 10 copies,
and there are comics which are bought by weird people in capes…
but nothing that covered all bases.
What has been the most bizarre thing you have been
sent?
Mostly we just get sent contributions, literary or photographic, and very
little of that is bizarre, sadly – with my record-label, I used
to get sent all sorts of odd things – a hammock, a pair of traditional
Thai trousers and an electronic cat’s paw spring to mind. We get
odd bits from people who clearly haven't bothered finding out what sort
of magazine it is, which can be fun, though mostly it’s just annoying.
We had some sapphic erotica once. Oh, and our regular “London’s
Campest Statue” feature has started bringing in lots of photos of
naked muscled youths on plinths – I suppose some people might think
that’s bizarre? Others might just think it's their birthday.
What has been you favourite feature?
If I was asked to pick the article which best summed up Smoke,
I'd probably pick Seb Brennan's “London Shipping Forecast”
in Smoke issue 2, firstly because it's a wonderful imaginative
idea (he basically decided it was unfair that London didn't have a Shipping
Forecast, just because it wasn't made of, er, sea), and secondly because
of the thoroughness with which he followed it through - drawing a map
which divided London up into shipping-areas, then writing a forecast for
each area... and then taking blackboards chalked up with the individual
forecasts to the appropriate parts of London and photographing them in
situ... and then, just for good measure, he’s also recorded the
forecast onto a cassette which you can send off for. That sort of imaginative
sideways approach to the city is just the thing we want... and I also
can't imagine what other magazine would print it...
Where do you see the magazine in 5 years?
Probably still in boxes on the landing. Obviously it would be lovely if
Smoke could actually become self-sufficient, and sell enough
copies to be financially viable... if we could run it as a proper business,
and pay our contributors decent amounts, and still keep Smoke’s
original identity in tact, that would be lovely. I also have a plan for
attaching wings to some pigs I’m currently looking after for a friend.
What is your favourite thing about London?
My favourite thing is just London itself, and its London-ness –
unlike most big cities, it’s not just an interesting central core
surrounded by bland suburbs, and it isn’t rooted in one particular
historical period – it’s 2,000 years of continuous living
history spread over a huge geographical area. I also quite like the steps
down to the platform at Clapham Common station.
What do you hate about London?
The fact that most of the population didn't bother to vote last week,
but will now spend the next four years complaining about the way the city
is run. The fact that a scary number of those people who did vote chose
to give credibility to the stupid, ignorant, racist, thuggish spite of
the BNP/UKIP. People who think the rules of the road apply to everyone
but themselves. People who can't distinguish between a tax (something
everyone pays in accordance with their wealth) and a fine (something paid
only by those who break the law, and sadly not in accordance with their
wealth). People who demand zero-tolerance from the police for everything
except motoring offences. People who drive their children to school rather
than making them walk to the local school. People who fare-dodge and then
complain about the state of public transport. People who complain about
everything but never do anything to help bring about change. The Evening
Standard.
How can readers get a copy of Smoke?
Each issue costs 2 quid, and there's a list of stockists
on our website (www.smokelondon.co.uk). Or it's 2.35 mail-order including
p&p from Smoke, PO Box 14274, London, SE11 6ZG. Or you can get a subscription
to the next four issues for 9 quid, including p&p. Cheques payable
to Smoke.
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