A monster of an ‘issue’

With its striking cover of a robot from Eboy, a cheeky, but to-the-point intro (similar to the 1996 Trainspotting’s film Choose Life speech) and some witty and (at times) eccentric articles, it aims to be and capture the graduate voice of the design industry. From a first look, it certainly has our attention. 

If you’re a little confused and thinking a 1990s shellsuit clad monster is launching a magazine, you’re wrong.  Shellsuit Zombie can be described as a social unity dedicated to promoting and advising graduates in the visual arts and design industry.

The group has ventured into publishing as a reaction against existing design publications (that includes us – oh dear). Jonny Burch from Shellsuit Zombie, who designed the magazine, explains, ‘No offence – but we are less focused on featuring multi-million pound work and more on graduate issues and features they can relate to.’

‘The design is done in-house and follows a lo-fi ethic, taking influences from independents as much as existing design press,’ says Jonny. With a print run of a 1000, the 64-page magazine will be sold online through subscription service Stack and at various shops for £2.50 – you even get a free poster of Eboy’s Robot cover. 

We are, however, still a little perplexed about our very own freelance writer Adrian Shaughnessy writing an article on lobsters in shoes – but maybe that’s what Design Week has been missing.

Shellsuit Zombie magazine, launches 26 June at D&AD’s New Blood, Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London E1