JD: In terms of poetry we look for writers who can approach a theme from an angle that casts a new light on the subject matter. Quality editorial breeds word of mouth and that’s what makes a great magazine.ĪT: What do you look for in an illustrator or poet who is submitting work to Popshot? There are so many titles that even after flicking through for 10 minutes, would be difficult to describe to someone. Also, make it obvious what the magazine is. Print magazines need to become more and more beautiful in order to create a tactile experience for the reader that they can’t get from their iPad or online. JD: Come up with a strong idea and execute it beautifully and clearly. It’s a shame that sex poems are usually so painful to read…ĪT: A lot of creatives dream of setting up their own magazines, what advice would you give to them? Few people would be interested in a poetry and illustration magazine that addresses the theme of waxed fruit so sometimes it’s good not to go too leftfield! Apparently magazines that are on the theme of Sex always sell at a higher rate than any other so that could be worth doing. I like the challenge of creating an issue that has a theme that most magazines don’t cover – although it can end up putting readers off. JD: They definitely started off more abstract although in recent times have become a little more broad. So that’s where it started! I felt that by combining poetry with design and illustration it could become much more appealing and help give the art form a sense of context.ĪT: The themes of each issue are always quite abstract, is this intentional? After trawling through the shelves of Borders, I felt that poetry magazines were doing poetry a gross misjustice and I could do it better. The inspiration for starting the magazine was born out of slightly arrogant innocence. Jacob Denno: Popshot was conceived when I was 21 with no background in publishing whatsoever. ARTS THREAD caught up with Jacob to learn more.ĪRTS THREAD: What inspired you to set up Popshot magazine? Five issues later, Jacob has launched ‘The Print Shop’, an online store which allows you to buy limited edition prints of some of the magazine’s finest illustrators. His goal was simple – to reclaim poetry from the ‘clammy hands of tweed jackets and school anthologies’. Popshot magazine, a bi-annual UK publication championing contemporary poetry and illustration, was founded by Jacob Denno in 2009.

Popshot magazine issue 5/City Abyss (Beata Szczecinska)