Let me begin by making it clear that the Capsule series is in no way intended as a replacement for the online magazine (which is still due to return in the near future), serving instead as a physical extension with it’s own functionality and agenda in line with the nature of the format. To explain a little further…

Since publishing the first digital issue of Multilink Magazine people have often enquired about a print version and expressed an interest in getting their hands on the featured artwork in a more tangible format. There’s a number of reasons why the magazine has always made more sense to me in a digital format both in terms of production and distribution as well as the flexibility needed to accommodate the diversity of what’s been featured in each issue. That’s not to say I don’t fully appreciate the desire to interact with content away from the computer sometimes. There’s so much to soak up online that it’s often hard to really give things the level of attention they deserve and regardless of what quality monitor you use it never really feels the same as leafing through well printed pages on a nice weighty paper stock.

 
Multilink Magazine has always been a purposely chaotic mixture of people and ideas across as wide a variety of disciplines as possible. The idea is to celebrate the diversity of creativity while at the same time trying to highlight the common fundamentals involved. This has meant issues of various sizes are released at irregular intervals, one of many logistical considerations that alongside the fluid nature of the content in each issue really doesn’t sit too well with the kind of unavoidable financial model required to produce and distribute a project in print.

Capsule has been conceived as a high quality and collectible series of art books and prints that span the same diversity of visual culture found in the free online magazine without the editorial. Many of the same principles remain in place such as the variety of content and desire to elevate some incredible talents, generally operating beneath the popular radar. But where the online magazine is a platform for all kinds of creative endeavours, these books and prints provide a more focussed catalog of art and illustration. High production standards have been a key consideration and considering what we’ve achieved with the magazine in it’s ‘virtual’ environment I’ve been keen to ensure that the physical quality of the end product justifies the move to a manufactured format. On a similar note, I’m happy to say that we’ve kept tightly in line with all FSC standards, using environmentally sound inks and paper from well managed forests and other sources. It was essential from the start to try and make the books as affordable as possible and collectible over time forming a much larger resource and archive. With that in mind they all feature an extra durable PUR binding to ensure you won’t find pages starting to drop out over the coming years. You can also open them up nice and wide too without worrying about any disturbing cracking sounds from the spine.

 
So enough introduction from me, follow the link below (or in the left hand menu) to see more details of who’s in the first volume. It’s currently available direct via our new online shop and will soon be joined by some initial limited prints from this volume and a handful of other non-Capsule related items that will also appear here on the blog in the coming weeks.

If you’re having any problems with the order process or have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to drop me an email via the address on the info page or via the contact page on the shop.

A new online issue of Multilink Magazine is incoming too I promise so please do keep checking back.

For more details and to order a copy at £7.99 click here.

As you can see the site has had a little refit to make way for things to come. I’m tired of giving all my time to clients and never getting a chance to move forward with multilink. Precarious as the current climate may be, I’ve made the decision to cut loose and see what’s possible here once and for all. The next issue of the online/pdf magazine is currently in production with an intended release date within the next couple of months, expect the usual cocktail of people and things spanning the period since the last one. I’m also organising a small online shop to help some featured artists and friends get their stuff out there. The focus will hopefully be on limited items and stuff you can’t pick up everywhere else.

The most common request over the years has been for a print version of each issue so people have a physical copy of the artwork to flick through. In some ways this goes against the nature of the online publication but I do hear where you’re coming from. In response I’m looking into a series of small but perfectly formed artwork books that will be produced in limited numbers and available in the new shop too, possibly alongside some limited prints. More about that as it comes together.

It’s probably wise that I leave it there for now, there’s quite a bit more going on but it’s a little further down the line. Now more than ever I’m looking for people to help out, particularly writers with ideas for articles or essays on creative subjects. If you have something that you think might make sense in the shop, hit me up about that too. I’ll do my best to answer all the emails but please bear with me while I try to get back in gear.

Proper blog posts to resume in the next few days, thanks for coming back.

(photo above: adam appleby)

This extended hiatus has turned out to be far longer than intended and two months with no update is not a good look either. On that basis I thought I’d better drop a note and reassure anyone out there that the magazine is still coming.

I won’t bore you with various excuses about why it’s taking so long. The bottom line is that this whole thing goes down without any money changing hands and when you do something purely for the love of it, it goes without saying that it’s worthing getting right.

What I can offer up for now is details of what’s in the pipeline…

The next issue of the magazine has been in the works for more than a year now and as a result the various content spans that period. I think this’ll be fine though as I’ve always tried to avoid past issues being too reliant on current events, hoping to create something that feels a little more like a time capsule instead. This is all about showcasing good ideas after all, which in my view should remain timeless.

Closer to the boil and likely to appear a little before the next issue is the launch of Slide, a podcast series of mixtapes we will be playing home to for the time being. I’m not going to explain the ideas and motivations for this here as they should become apparent as the various mixes appear. The best way to describe it for now might be an audio equivalent to the magazine; a wide variety of tasteful content, compiled and delivered in a simple manner and with the same consideration and integrity we’ve aimed for to date.

Also on the horizon are some various product lines (t-shirts and high quality artist prints are probably first) alongside some kind of online outlet where you can purchase them. This is taking some time as I’m keen to keep standards high but items affordable which is challenging as you can imagine but in no way impossible. At this stage I’m still considering whether to put them here directly of set up something independent but affiliated. Either way, all developments will be posted here as they happen.

So rest assured, although this stuff gets done as and when time is available, the cogs are still turning. I do feel we’re getting closer to something that should constitute a tidy little resource and with real character too. Thank you again to those of you who keep coming back, patiently waiting for new developments. Your support is massively appreciated and will hopefully pay dividends soon. I have some interesting items put aside to post here on the blog over the coming weeks so do check back or subscribe yourself to the RSS feed.

If you’re familiar with what we’ve done here in the past and have an idea to suggest for the blog or upcoming issue, now is a good time to drop me a line. Please do look at previous issues first though to get an idea of what might be suitable.

Keep daydreaming about a trip to Japan too, late 2008 / early 2009 I reckon…

Another update over the weekend if I can get enough other stuff done…

In the meantime, have a bit of ‘Purple & Brown’. This just about sums up my mental capacity at the moment, enjoy…

This project started a few years back with a load of ideas but no solid plans about how they should be executed. Having made the decision back then to allow it to grow as organically as possible it was amazing to watch things evolve and as more and more people offered their time and effort, I felt like we were building something really worthwhile. The problem with this approach is that as you progress you can’t help starting to see directions you want to guide things towards, potential routes that make sense in maintaining a stable future for what I’m trying to do here. That’s where we are now I hope, a slightly reconfigured approach that provides room for expansion without compromising my initial principles on how things should be done. Most importantly, a maintainable infrastructure is now in place (hopefully) meaning a lot more consistency in the delivery of content. This is not a business and nobody gets paid so it’s been a priority to make sure things remain manageable, as life has a habit of getting in the way.

So what’s different/new… well, firstly I’m no longer going to be delivering pdfs on a quarterly basis. Instead, there will be two issues a year which I hope to make more substantial. The big new addition is this blog which will be updated daily with new stuff to check. I’m hoping this will keep people coming back on a regular basis and mean we can begin to see what kind of community we have outside of those who’ve contributed content so far. Each blog entry has the capacity for you to leave comments and I’m hoping it’ll create a bit of dialogue so don’t be shy and leave a message if you find things of interest. Aside from the above, you’ll notice some other new bits and pieces as the site starts to ‘flesh out’ all of which will be introduced as and when they arrive.

There’s an RSS feed for the blog if you’d like to use it, you should see a subscription icon in your browsers address bar .

Remember, all the previous pdf issues remain available to download for free so if you missed any then now might be a good time to check them out. I’m aiming for a February release date on the next one so if you’ve sent stuff and not a lot has happened you may be hearing from me soon. Similarly, if you want to make a submission or discuss any ideas for content, get in touch. I’m ironing out a few kinks with the mailing list css but it still works fine if you want to subscribe, you email address will be safe I promise.

Onwards with the posting then…