Spence Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 (edited) Hi everyone! I'm now in the process of dealing with the designs for my new project and I'm testing cover formats that I will use for each issue that I publish. This is the prototype for the magazine and will give a good idea of how I want this magazine to look and how I hope the lines of the design will work. The content should be ignored, it is just there to illustrate the design - unless of course that's what you want to see in one of the issues! No.1 will be available at this years IPMS Nationals and will feature a what I hope will be some really cool features that fans of this era will enjoy. Well, that's the plan! Spence Edited October 20, 2012 by Spence 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Delta 210 Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 That sounds like an interesting project, Spence I will be following with interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hacker Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I like the cover. It is different from others I have seen and it does stand out. So far so good at least the way it looks on my end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madgepetto Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Looks great, and plays right to my favorite period...Skyray will be out soon in 1/32, it would fit right in! Good Luck , I hope this takes off! Paul Fisher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CockneyCol Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Hi Spence, Good luck with this project, certainly looks the part, and hits a popular modelling era. If the quality is the same as the other publications that you've had involvement with you'll do well. Cheers and all the best. Col' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fu_manchu Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 A nice cover design, minimal and quite classy looking. I wish you all the best with this one, as this is pretty much my main build area. I am often put off buying other mags as their wider topic areas don't often appeal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I will be honest unless stuck at the train station / airport etc I dont buy model mags. Is it going to be 1945 till the wall went? This one I will subscribe to, just let me know when and where. Julien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintsPhil Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 That looks great! I've just started buying mags, well the virtual versions anyway, are you planning on releasing them online, and through mobile apps too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Bryon Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 That looks great! I've just started buying mags, well the virtual versions anyway, are you planning on releasing them online, and through mobile apps too? Another vote here for an electronic format. No way I'm gonna be able to get a paper copy where I live... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sage Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Hi Spence, The test cover is an eye grabber looking forward to it. Cheers Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I like the cover but most of all I'm very intrigued by a magazine dedicated to what is the period I'm most interested in ! Will the magazine be generally available in newsagents ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 Hi guys - thank you all for the kind words on this new venture. I hope that you will like it when I finally have the first copy ready for the Nationals in November! If you would like to keep up with what I am doing on this title and the others that I'm working on, please visit my blog at: http://workbenchminiatures.blogspot.co.uk/ There you will find plenty of information and as and when I do them, some of the new designs that you will see in the magazine. If you click the "follow" button you will get regular updates. Or just drop me a line - I really will be delighted to hear from you and your thoughts on what I hope will be a really exciting title, that fans of this wonderful period of aviation will enjoy! All the best - and thanks a lot. I now have a Lightning to build..! Spence That sounds like an interesting project, Spence I will be following with interest. Thanks a lot - I'm pleased that you like it! I like the cover. It is different from others I have seen and it does stand out. So far so good at least the way it looks on my end Hey mate - that's the plan! I want this to look as different from the other titles as possible. In fact, I've spent the last four months studying lots of titles, and not one of them has been model related, just to understand how others design magazines and how I can use clean lines without it looking like I'm trying to be clever. Time will tell if I succeed! Looks great, and plays right to my favorite period...Skyray will be out soon in 1/32, it would fit right in! Good Luck , I hope this takes off! Paul Fisher Thanks Paul - I agree about the Skyray! PM inbound... Hi Spence, Good luck with this project, certainly looks the part, and hits a popular modelling era. If the quality is the same as the other publications that you've had involvement with you'll do well. Cheers and all the best. Col' Hi Colin - to be honest, I hope that it will be better. I have less space to play with and so that will distill the ideas to a more concentrated format. Add to that the quality of the printing that has been evident, on both my test pages and the new book that I've just published, and I think you will be happy with what you see! A nice cover design, minimal and quite classy looking. I wish you all the best with this one, as this is pretty much my main build area. I am often put off buying other mags as their wider topic areas don't often appeal. Thanks you! I think that the clean lines will appeal as do I the narrowing of the subject matter. Lots of lovely jets!!! I will be honest unless stuck at the train station / airport etc I dont buy model mags. Is it going to be 1945 till the wall went? This one I will subscribe to, just let me know when and where. Julien That's exactly the time scale - covering anything that I think is cool, current and interesting! As for subs - I'll let you know when I have that sorted... That looks great! I've just started buying mags, well the virtual versions anyway, are you planning on releasing them online, and through mobile apps too? That will depend on its success - but yes, I would like to do that... Another vote here for an electronic format. No way I'm gonna be able to get a paper copy where I live... Yes you are! This magazine will initially only be available directly from me either through the post, or at the shows I attend. If you want a copy you won't need to worry about missing it! Hi Spence, The test cover is an eye grabber looking forward to it. Cheers Andy Thank you! That's the template for all the covers that I will use - the colours will change, but essentially that what I hope readers will recognise over the months and years to come. I like the cover but most of all I'm very intrigued by a magazine dedicated to what is the period I'm most interested in ! Will the magazine be generally available in newsagents ? Initially, no. But you will always be able to order it directly from me. In the future? Who knows... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Looks great Spence, Question though. Will you be looking for models for each issue? Or building them yourself...? Just my Mil-4 is on hold at the moment due to work load, but I think it suits this mag perfectly! (I've scrubbed the Polish AF scheme now too..) Best of luck, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 Looks great Spence, Question though. Will you be looking for models for each issue? Or building them yourself...? Just my Mil-4 is on hold at the moment due to work load, but I think it suits this mag perfectly! (I've scrubbed the Polish AF scheme now too..) Best of luck, Both - each issue will have one of my builds in it, but I will also be looking for work from elsewhere - it all depends on budget and how much I can afford to pay the authors... And yes, you Mil would look great! Spence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigsty Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 (edited) I've a couple of small suggestions if you're interested. The overall design is very neat and refreshingly different from the usual fare. The link between the title and the company name is cunningly done. But having the title in three colours is a bit fussy. I can see why - the Workbench Miniatures logo drives it - but if it were up to me I'd render the white words in either red or black (red for a marginal preference). If the use of blue in the Vampire headline is to pick up the colour on the model, again, a cunning trick. But I’d be inclined to use a single colour for all the headlines, to give greater harmony to the overall design. I like the use of framed images. The publication it reminds me of most is International Air Power Review, whose style I've always liked. Please, don't be tempted to change and go for full-page images. They're never as tidy. Now, the really meaty idea. Any chance of extending this to Cold War armour as well? There's a great yawning gap between the last Tiger II and the 1991 Gulf War and it's about time someone filled it properly. I can't think of anyone better (smarm, smarm). Edited August 15, 2012 by pigsty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Both - each issue will have one of my builds in it, but I will also be looking for work from elsewhere - it all depends on budget and how much I can afford to pay the authors... And yes, you Mil would look great! Spence Nice one Spence, Look forward to seeing it at SMW! Will come over for a chat too.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Good luck with it Spence please don't make it a catalogue like most others are !!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 I've a couple of small suggestions if you're interested. The overall design is very neat and refreshingly different from the usual fare. The link between the title and the company name is cunningly done. But having the title in three colours is a bit fussy. I can see why - the Workbench Miniatures logo drives it - but if it were up to me I'd render the white words in either red or black (red for a marginal preference). If the use of blue in the Vampire headline is to pick up the colour on the model, again, a cunning trick. But I’d be inclined to use a single colour for all the headlines, to give greater harmony to the overall design. I like the use of framed images. The publication it reminds me of most is International Air Power Review, whose style I've always liked. Please, don't be tempted to change and go for full-page images. They're never as tidy. Now, the really meaty idea. Any chance of extending this to Cold War armour as well? There's a great yawning gap between the last Tiger II and the 1991 Gulf War and it's about time someone filled it properly. I can't think of anyone better (smarm, smarm). Thanks for the feedback! I have a tendency to agree with your points, which is why the colours of the logo and straps are not set. Unlike other titles that have a stock logo (including MIS), I can change this one to reflect the colours used on the cover subjects - keeping them conistent though is definitely something I'm keen to do and will experiment with that as time progresses. As for armour - that is certainly something I may look at, hence the 'aircraft' in the title being a flexible addition... International Air Power Review: that's not intentional, but a happy accident that has been mentioned a few times - and a flattering comparison! As for full-page pictures and double pages spreads, well, let's just say I'm not planning to use those any time soon... Nice one Spence, Look forward to seeing it at SMW! Will come over for a chat too.. Excellent - look forward to it... Good luck with it Spence please don't make it a catalogue like most others are !!! No chance of that - the content will be VERY heavily weighted on the side of features. News items will be noticeable by their absence... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfpack Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Sounds a great idea Spence. Only two sections needed, winners and losers. If you need any scribblings, just PM me. I'm in the process of a few words on the RB-36H at the mo. W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony C Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Not spefically a period that I'm interested in but am always ready to be convinced! One question... 1. What is the frequency likely to be, monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly? and one request... Please, please, please, please, no small 1" square pictures in the photo builds, as even with my glasses on I cannot see anything! I guess that the Space Race could be considered part of the Cold War, so may be worthy of inclusion? Anyway, good luck with the venture and as the aviation content in MiS seems to be diminishing, I may swap my subscription to CWAM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Fox Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Looks like a winner to me. The cover looks a bit like the long lamented Quarter Scale Modeller. No bad thing in my view. Good luck, I'll be getting the first issue at Telford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightningboy2000 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Hi Spence this title looks like it will be a winner subject wise especially with us on Britmodeller. Knowing how your last aviation mag read and was presented, I will be very interested. Can see this going pretty well and wish you all the very best. There is one thing, that really bothers me though. That aggressive embossing of the title really bugs me and reminds me of maybe a 90's scifi modellers mag. That titling really looks too soft and squidgy for a hard hitting cold war subject. Really needs to look a bit harder, if you know what I mean. Can't wait to see the content. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted August 16, 2012 Author Share Posted August 16, 2012 Hi Spence this title looks like it will be a winner subject wise especially with us on Britmodeller. Knowing how your last aviation mag read and was presented, I will be very interested. Can see this going pretty well and wish you all the very best. There is one thing, that really bothers me though. That aggressive embossing of the title really bugs me and reminds me of maybe a 90's scifi modellers mag. That titling really looks too soft and squidgy for a hard hitting cold war subject. Really needs to look a bit harder, if you know what I mean. Can't wait to see the content. Martin Hi and thanks for your comment. The logo is designed to follow the style and design of the 'Workbench Miniatures' icon and as such is there to rienforce an identity, rather than reflect the subject matter.I may work slightly on the texture, but the design is now set in place and will be the one that I use when the magazine is printed - only the colour of the lettering changing to match the background colours and any markings and the like, found on the cover's aircraft subject. The reason for this is simply that I want the cover to remain clean and consistent - thus creating the impression of a 'journal' rather than a 'magazine' - if you see what I mean! All the best - Spence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Looks like a winner to me. The cover looks a bit like the long lamented Quarter Scale Modeller. No bad thing in my view. That was exactly what I thought! Are you intending covering all scales in the mag. Spence, or just the 'bigger stuff'? And do you intend to have your own stand at Telford - if so what name are you going to be working under in order to find you on the show floorplan? You're covering my main area of interest here too, so I shall definitely be looking out for your first issue! ATB Keef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Hi Spence, Just as with Keef, you're covering my main era of interest, so I'm really looking forward to this . I realise you are probably still attending to the details, but do you have any idea as to what distribution you might be aiming for over here in the colonies? I'd be happy to subscribe, but I do like to support my LHS - so if they can get hold of it, it would benefit both. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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