Ray Gun (magazine)

Last updated

Ray Gun
Categories Music magazine
FounderMarvin Scott Jarrett
First issue 1992 (1992-month)
Final issue2000
CountryUSA
Based in Santa Monica, California
LanguageEnglish
ISSN 1533-4732

Ray Gun was an American alternative rock-and-roll magazine, first published in 1992 in Santa Monica, California. Led by founding publisher Marvin Scott Jarrett, art director David Carson and executive editor Randy Bookasta, along with founding editor Neil Feineman, Ray Gun explored experimental magazine typographic design and unique angles on the pop cultural currents of the 1990s. The editorial content was framed in a chaotic, abstract "grunge typography" style, not always readable (it once published an interview with Bryan Ferry entirely in the symbol font Zapf Dingbats), but distinctive in appearance. [1] That visual tradition continued even after Carson left the magazine after three years; he was followed by a series of art directors, including Robert Hales, Chris Ashworth, Jason Saunby, Scott Denton-Cardew, Ian Davies, and Jerome Curchod.

Contents

In terms of content, Ray Gun was also notable for its choices of subject matter. The advertising, musical artists and pop culture icons spotlighted were progressive—for example putting such artists as Radiohead, Björk, Beck, Flaming Lips, PJ Harvey and Eminem on its cover before its competitors.[ citation needed ] Those choices were guided by Executive Editor Randy Bookasta (and founding editor Neil Feineman for the first three issues), along with an editorial staff that included Dean Kuipers, Nina Malkin, Mark Blackwell, Joe Donnelly, Grant Alden, Mark Woodlief, Eric Gladstone and photographer Ian Davies.

Ray Gun produced over 70 issues from 1992 through 2000. Owner-founder-publisher Marvin Scott Jarrett (one-time publisher of a late-1980s incarnation of Creem ) also later created the magazines Stick, huH , [2] Bikini, [3] and Nylon [4] (a New York–based fashion magazine). [5] The most notable common thread among all of Jarrett's magazines (from his days at Creem through Nylon) have been their focus on graphic design and music.

Partial list of issues

Issue #DateCover
1November 1992 Henry Rollins
2December 1992/January 1993 R.E.M.
3February 1993 Dinosaur Jr.
4March 1993 Frank Black
5April 1993 Porno for Pyros
6May 1993 PJ Harvey
7June/July 1993 Sonic Youth
8August 1993 Iggy Pop
9September 1993 Urge Overkill
10October 1993 Teenage Fanclub
11November 1993 Swervedriver
12December 1993/January 1994 L7
13February 1994 Ministry
14March 1994 Morrissey
15April 1994 Elvis Costello
16May 1994 Alice in Chains
17June/July 1994 Perry Farrell
18August 1994 Lush
19September 1994 Jesus and Mary Chain
20October 1994 Kim Deal & J Mascis
21November 1994 Liz Phair
22December 1994/January 1995 Keith Richards
23February 1995 Belly
24March 1995 Mudhoney
25April 1995 Pavement
26May 1995 Beastie Boys
27June/July 1995 Björk
28August 1995 Neil Young
29September 1995 Flaming Lips
30October 1995 David Bowie [lower-alpha 1]
31November 1995 My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult
32December/January 1996 Sonic Youth
33February 1996 Smashing Pumpkins
34March 1996 Cypress Hill
35April 1996 Iggy Pop & Perry Farrell
36May 1996 Rage Against the Machine
37June/July 1996 Soundgarden
38August 1996 Yoko Ono
39September 1996 Beck
40October 1996 Tricky
41November 1996 Mazzy Star
42December 1996/January 1997 Smashing Pumpkins
43February 1997 Nine Inch Nails
44March 1997 David Bowie
45April 1997 U2
46May 1997 Chemical Brothers
47June/July 1997 Blur
48August 1997 Wim Wenders & Michael Stipe
49September 1997 Björk
50October 1997 Oasis
51November 1997 Jane's Addiction
52December 1997/January 1998 Marilyn Manson
53February 1998 Goldie
54March 1998 Radiohead
55April 1998 Pulp
56May 1998 Pearl Jam
57June/July 1998 Garbage
58August 1998 Andy Warhol
59September 1998 Prodigy
60October 1998 Kiss
61November 1998 Marilyn Manson
62December 1998 R.E.M.
63January 1999 Beck
64February 1999 Underworld
65March 1999 Shirley Manson
66April 1999 Jamiroquai
67May 1999 Eminem
68June 1999 Jamiroquai
69July 1999 Edward Furlong
70August 1999 Red Hot Chili Peppers
71September 1999 Chris Cornell
72October 1999 Missy Elliott
73November 1999 Stone Temple Pilots
74December 1999/January 2000 Nine Inch Nails

See also

Books

Notes

  1. Final issue to be art directed by David Carson.
  1. Shetty, Sharan. "The Rise & Fall of Grunge Typography". The Awl.
  2. Reminiscing on 90's huH Magazine by Eric Compton, Maximum Metal, May 6, 2016.
  3. Bikini to Hang it Up by Keith J. Kelly, New York Post, January 20, 2000.
  4. Nylon Magazine by Helen Lee, Sassy Bella Magazine, November 7, 2007.
  5. "Nylon Magazine". Archived from the original on February 13, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
  6. Jarrett, Marvin Scott (May 14, 2019). "Ray Gun: The Bible of Music and Style". Rizzoli New York. ISBN   978-0-8478-6315-0. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023.
  7. "Ray Gun, the Magazine That Defined the Alt ’90s, Lives Again", by Corey Seymour, Vogue magazine, May 23, 2019.

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