Even bigger than TV Hits when you unfold the Home and Away fold-out, says John Safran. Is Not Magazine is a magazine in the form of a 1.5m x 2m bill poster. It is the work of five young Melburnians, and from April 9, 2005, it has been on display at 50 outdoor poster sites in inner-city Melbourne. A year later, it launched in Sydney, and will soon appear at a café, bar, bookstore or laundromat near you.
Is Not is independently published, carries no advertisements and is, among other things, an experiment in publishing real content where people expect to find advertising. Its a design challenge and a reading experiment; a paper saving device; a bastion of editorial complexity and a grey area for the discerning communal reader. It uses the city as a canvas and brings reading to life. Approach it from any angle; bend down curiously; lean in for a closer look; embark on a treasure hunt to find a story that ends in another location.
Is Not Magazine has no single editorial goal or ideology through which to filter content instead it is a collection of different contributors perspectives and offers creative freedom to writers and illustrators. It is as much a piece of street art as a publishing project, and draws on Melbournes existing comic, stencil and street art culture. Though its heart is in Melbourne, it welcomes contributions from further afield and has featured t-shirt designs from Buenos Aires, architecture reviews from Helsinki, and short stories from Vermont.
It also allows readers to contribute in more unusual ways. Capture a 160-character flash fiction story on your camera phone to read later, or text the magazine one yourself. Fill in the crossword. Write your thoughts on the poster. Is Not is a canvas awaiting your comments.
While each issue reaches thousands of readers in Melbourne, Is Not Magazine is developing many and varied supporters across Australia and internationally. It is available for purchase full size only. It is cheap at the price. It is unique in all the world.
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