Arriving at UNregular Radio’s Downtown Crossing HQ last week for a photoshoot, I was greeted by the sweet smell of marijuana smoke in the entry hall. I knew I was in the right place.

Together with unflappable photographer Joel Veak, we wrangled the nine major players of the Boston Internet radio station into 2 coherent poses. However, they did not have to be coerced into smoking, goofing around, and hamming it up for the camera with props from around their office/loft. At the end of the first shot (which made the cover). I hopped up on the table to join the fun for a few shots.

Read Chris Faraone’s excellent article here.

Last week when news broke that Osama bin Laden had been killed, we decided to scrap the cover we’d been working on to do an Obama cover. The right image/text combo eluded us until early Tuesday evening (our press deadline is Wednesday morning). Taking a working headline from our editor, I searched though a bunch of WWII propaganda posters until I found one that seemed a perfect fit, and modeled the Phoenix cover after it.

We published the ‘American Badass’ version. But as a nod to an Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All article we had in the issue, we mad an alternate version : “USAWGKTA.” Both are available for download at thePhoenix.com.

A strange assortment of WWII propaganda posters found while searching for inspiration for this week’s Boston Phoenix cover. Enjoy!

Magazine Designers Guide (applies to newspapers too!). Full size: click here via SPD

Magazine Designers Guide (applies to newspapers too!). Full size: click here

via SPD

Last week I got creative with some clip-art to make a moody image for the Phoenix’s big cover story on a guy whose friend was a Russian spy.

Sometimes I’m surprised which cover options my editors go for. Above, this week’s cover and the original image.

I worked with Brooklyn-based illustrator Danny Hellman recently on Mad Men-related images for the Phoenix ‘Guide to the Season’ front and supplement covers. I’m a big fan of the show, as is Danny, so I was glad I had thought of him to do the job.

Our editor, despite never actually having seen Mad Men, is fascinated with the show — particularly with the idea of Joan Holloway and the secretaries. He originally wanted me to come up with a full-page cartoon idea for our Ski & Snowboard supplement — ‘Mad Men go skiing’ but I just couldn’t wrap my head around that idea. Instead, I suggested that we do something Mad Men-related for our annual holiday issue. I contacted Danny, and the idea started taking shape.

The resulting covers are shown above. The supplement cover layout leaves much to be desired, but I loved Danny’s group portrait of the break-away agency in their hotel room-office so much that I decided to let it stand on it’s own and put the type around it. Plus, there was the added challenge of having an ad (ugh) to work around.

An entry posted on Danny’s blog today about creating these illustrations offers some interesting insights into the process from his side. Check it out here.

And check out more about Danny on his Web site.

Rejected cover idea. ©2009 K Banks

Rejected cover idea.

©2009 K Banks

Submitted for your amusement: A rare behind-the-scenes look at the Phoenix creative process. The images above show the cover of the May 22, 2009 paper as it was printed, followed by some image ideas that somehow just didn’t make the cut. Ever wonder what Samuel Adams and Paul Revere would look like wearing a rasta wig? Now you know.

Theme created by: Roy David Farber. Based on concepts from: Hunson's Black and Blue Eyes theme. Powered By: Tumblr.
1 of 1