Clark
Street cultures-graphisme-musique
Paris, France
Po Box 143, 75523 cedex 11
Email: infos@clarkmagazine.com
- Category: Music
- Periodicity: Every two months
- Language: French
- Format: 225 x 300 mm
- Circulation: 35,000
- Price: 4.50 €
- Web: http://www.clarkmagazine.com
Founded in 2001
Exclusive Interview
“Stay true to ourselves!”
What is your magazine about?
New Worldwide Lifestyle (toward the best in street cultures, art, graphism, music, sports, fashion…)
Who’s behind the project? Tell us about the founders, their backgrounds and their motivations!
Helped by a independent French publisher (Mr Lee), Clark magazine was founded in 2001 by Guillaume Le Goff and Jonathan Choquel, two young street cats found of skateboard, music, do-it-yourself attitudes (from punk to hip-hop to graffiti) and travels… Jonathan was already the editor of Tricks skatemag – a French famous skateboard magazine – and Guillaume was an independent creative activist, promoter and journalist. They just wanted to read the magazine they didn’t have in France and that represents their ideas and lifestyle! Plus, there was a niche for that kind of press in France. End of january 2001, Clark issue 1 was born!
How do you produce one issue? How much time do you spend on it? How big is your team?
Now, Guillaume Le Goff is the only editor of Clark, he take care of the content and also, manage the marketing side. One issue is produce by him plus the art director (French well-known artist Veenom) a team a freelance superheros (journalists, graphists, photographers…), approx. 10 to 15 people, it depends on issue. As Clark is trimestrial, we spend 1 month getting new ideas and content, 1 month producing the magazing itself and 1 month to promote it and party !
What have been the important steps in the life of your magazine?
We still wait for it… France is a hard market and our publisher is now too small…
Which are the key incredients for the success of your magazine?
Passion, work, money and a good team: And a good lifestyle beside!
What are the difficulties you are confronted with? What would be “the” thing to help the magazine to improve?
France is a hard market and our publisher is now too small… Money, money, money… We have so much ideas and potential in different ways!
Where do you want the magazine to be in five years?
Published every month, a lot of readers, a lot of partners in advertising, a strong team and still a lot of fresh ideas and projects, a pleasure to do and to develop. Plus a TV and a radio show, a shop, some co-branding projects, events, a yacht, the best girls in Paris… what else? Big money… And stay true to ourselves.
Tell us about your audience! Who are the readers of your magazine?
25.000 issues produced. Approx. 10 to 15.000 sells. Readers: 80% boys, 20% girls, urban and new trends oriented, passionned by the lifestyle and ideas we represent, between 18 and 35 years old, “the new adults”…
Is remaining independent important to you? Is it part of the strategy?
Yes. But no, if I find a good publisher with big money that let us the control of ideas and development.
What’s your relationship with advertisement? Does it influence your content? Do you care about advertising-driven-editorials?
No influences. But now we do advertorials with brands like Adidas and Nike. it’s the best: we can be creative and develop a strong collaborations.
Do you think that magazine readers still need to watch TV?
Yes. And Internet. And books, and literature, and cinema, and…
Which is your relationship with your printer? Does he play a main role in your development?
Strange relations… He used to play a big role. We need a switch and some new blood now…
Which magazines did influence you most? What are you looking for in other magazines?
Lodown, Fader, XLR8R, ID, Dazed and Confuzed, Vice (at the debut), Trace (at the debut), The Face (at the debut)…
What do you think of your issue 01, when you look back at it?
Ah damn, too much infos and graphism… why we didn’t more time to finish it well? I know: we had to finish it super quick due to print matters and schedule… and inexperience!
What question did you never ask in your magazine but would have liked to?
Do u want to have sex with me? (to a dope girl of course…)
How many magazines do you buy / get / read each month? Do you qualify yourself a maniac?
Yes, I’m maniac since young age…. I have a huge collection… will never stop!
E-mail interview from “16.08.2005”. © Colophon2007.com – Mike Koedinger Editions SA (Luxembourg)
Staff
Publisher: Guillaume Le Goff...contact
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