I am now starting work on a new book.
Legacy: The Story Of The Face is to be published by Thames & Hudson in 2015 and has the support and involvement of Nick Logan, the owner and founder of what became one of the most important and influential publications of recent times.
In its approach to popular culture, The Face was a media game-changer, not just capturing successive waves of creativity by chronicling those making the moves but making an impact itself by shifting the intelligence.
In this way it was part of a fine lineage which includes important titles such as Playboy and Saturday Review in the 50s and Rolling Stone and New York (in the US) and The Sunday Times Magazine, Twen and Paris Match (in Europe) in the 60s and 70s.
I’m covering the story of the magazine from Logan’s launch with £3,500 savings in 1980 to the sale to Emap (now Bauer) in 1999. During this period The Face became the taste-making focus for excellence across many disciplines, spawning dozens of glossy “lifestyle” imitators around the world and paving the way for the digital delivery of visual culture in the 21st century.
Over the coming weeks and months I’ll be contacting and interviewing the individuals who made a difference at The Face as staff members and contributors, from art directors, designers, photographers and stylists to editors, critics and writers. It’s a testament to Logan’s stewardship that the majority continue to operate at the cutting edge of their chosen fields today.
Great idea, Paul.
Make sure you big up Neville Brody…
🙂
Thanks Steve. We are already in contact…
Great. About time someone did this. and you’re just the fella.
Used to have the first 100 issues until my mum chucked them out, now all I’ve got is the first issue and the Hard Times one.
Ah cheers Lee. Looking forward to doing it justice. Best PG
LondonLee – you could always buy my collection (which is gathering dust in the loft).
I’ll chuck in the first decade’s worth of Arena, too.
I’d happily settle instead for Paul’s book, which – hopefully – should have all the best bits!
Wow! Loved the Bubbles book and look forward to your new book. Can’t wait till 2015!
I’m so pleased that this book is going to exist! I googled ‘story of the face’ as I thought there should be a book about the history of the magazine and if there wasn’t I wanted to write one – never mind, you’ve beaten me to it…Really looking forward to when it comes out!
Hi Paul
I wrote for the magazine during the Sheryl Garratt, Richard benson and Ashley Heath years and did cover features on Oasis, Blur, Fugees and a few others as well as a lot of stuff on the merging cyber world, books, films and smaller features/think pieces. Hope your book is going well- great idea and very important resource.
I am trying to trace the issues that had two of my pieces in that I cannot find. the first is the last ever interview with Timothy leary ( can’t find it anywhere) and an interview with Terrance McKenna from around the same period. Any idea of which issues these were and how I can find copies of the text?
Best
Cliff
The Britpop Blur cover and the first oasis cover – The Sex Beatles one.
Hello Paul, I’m very interested in the Face book, do you have any news about it? When it’s gonna be published? I’m writing an article about the magazine at the brazilian blog japagirl.com.br and I want to talk about the book…if you can give me more details, I’d appreciate. Best, Arthur
Hi Arthur
Thank you for your inquiry. My book about The Face is published in October 2017 by Thames & Hudson worldwide. It covers the build-up to the publication of the first issue by Nick Logan in May 1980 through to the sale to Emap (now Bauer) in July 1999 and is based on extensive research and interviews with such figures as Logan, Nick Knight, James Truman, Sheryl Garratt, Richard Benson, etc etc… It will be 350pp and include many archive illustrations and reproductions of covers and spreads.