British ESQUIRE's current issue has five... yes, five!... split-run covers. They're all super ace. So we thought it about time we touched base with David McKendrick, the magazine's award-winning creative director, for the cover-tastic lowdown.
Hey David, congrats on the latest issue. Loving the heroes theme... and the split-run covers. How many archive photos did you look at before deciding on the final five?
Hello. Thanks for the compliment. The team worked really hard on getting these right. It's easiest to answer your question in numbers. So, checking each scans folder for each cover, the stats are as follows:
- Clint Eastwood: 58 low-res scans;
- David Bowie: 124 low-res scans;
- Jack Nicholson: 97 low-res scans;
- Keith Richards: 79 low-res scans; and
- Michael Caine: 141 low-res scans.
Five hundred images were considered, so goodness knows how many we looked at to whittle it done to that. So, quite a trawl of images... carried out by ESQUIRE's amazing photo director Henny Manley. She spent countless hours looking for images that felt unique enough to carry its own cover, but also make all five feel like a set.
Was using archive photos on the covers a hard sell? Was a modern, original shot ever an option?
I'm not sure what you mean by hard sell, as we generally trust our gut and go with that. It usually serves us well. A modern shot was never a consideration. It wouldn't have been as visually cool.
We were pretty happy when the Jack cover arrived at GYM CLASS MAGAZINE HQ. Did you print more of any single cover, or was it an even split?
There was an equal split between the five. No favouritism.
Do you have a favourite?
When it comes to heroes... to be honest... Jack was my fav. And between you and me, I think Bill Murray should have been the sixth. (He's my all-time hero.)
The magazine looks tight... and it feels like you've found your stride after the recent re-design. Are you happy with how it's turning out/developing?
Yeah, I'm very pleased with how the magazine is developing visually. We are constantly reinventing the look and feel... which is a killer amount to do each month, but really good fun. This month my mighty art director, Nick Millington, introduced a new font, Calibre, for the cover and features section, which is really fresh and has spurred us on even further. More exciting things to come.
Cool. So what can we expect from future issues?
More experimentation visually, for sure. But more importantly... new exciting projects, such as cracking on with with THE BIG BLACK BOOK 2 (ESQUIRES's biannual sister publication) as well as some new exciting projects up our sleeves... so busy times at ESQUIRE.
Exciting! Thanks David. You rock.
No... you rock, boss. Keep up the good work.
