In a world that seems to get bleaker by the day, children’s media reminds us to keep our sense of wonder—that innate curiosity that all children have.
Anyone who came of age before social media, smart TVs, iPads, and even the internet understands the glory of magazines. Here at PRINT, we have a particular affinity for the form, as a formerly printed publication founded in the 1940s, and we’re quick to wax nostalgic about other printed magazines of yore. I have strong memories of growing up in the ’90s revering Highlights, for example, a monthly magazine for kids filled with games, puzzles, and written features. While the magazine landscape has changed immensely since my Highlights days, some small but mighty publications are still kicking and doing their darnedest to keep printed media alive.
Studio Anorak, the publisher behind ‘Happy Mags for Kids,’ has produced two titles geared toward kids, Anorak and DOT, for 18 years and counting. Founded by Cathy Olmedillas in 2006, who now helms Studio Anorak as the editor-in-chief and creative director, issues of ‘Happy Mags for Kids’ are released quarterly and are sold on newsstands and in museum gift shops, boutiques, and bookshops worldwide. Both Anorak and DOT are geared toward kids ages 6+. Printed on recycled paper with vegetable ink, the magazines offer illustrated stories, games, and activities, with each issue structured under a given theme.
In celebration of their 18th anniversary, Olmedillas answered a handful of my questions about the ins and outs of keeping a printed magazine going during the digital age and the power of children’s media. Her responses are below.
(Conversation edited for length and clarity).
What’s the origin story of ‘Happy Mags for Kids’? When did you first decide to start a children’s magazine?
Around 20 years ago, I was working for The Face, where I fell in love with the craft of magazine-making. I was itching to launch my own but wasn’t really sure what it would be about.
In 2002, I became a Mum, and that’s when I realized the children’s magazine market was poorly served. It had evolved into a sea of pink or blue plastic-filled throwaway magazines. I had fond memories of the ones I used to read as a child, so I set out to launch one that reminded me of the ones I used to enjoy: one that would educate, look great, make us laugh, and last beyond one quick read.
In hindsight, I realize how bold that was because every aspect of our magazine went against the super well-established rules of children’s publishing: our paper, our tone of voice, our aesthetic, our frequency—everything, basically! Nonetheless, I just did it (despite many people advising against it), and with very little money.
I publish our Happy Mags because I love making them, writing them, working with illustrators, and receiving feedback from families about how they spark creativity in their children.
What is it about the magazine form specifically that you love so much? What sets magazines apart from other mediums?
As a child, I loved that magazines were like a good “brain snack,” i.e., something that didn’t require as much commitment as a book. As a teen, they were my Bible because we had no internet back then! As a grown-up and parent, I love the craft that goes into making them and the fact that they are multi-faceted, i.e., they carry many different types of content. I love the niche magazines; the ones that focus on one passion.
As a publisher, I love the process involved in making a magazine: putting words on a page, sending them to an illustrator, seeing them turn into a story, and, a few weeks later, ta-da! You have this physical thing that you can share with people. Doing that for the children’s market is the most rewarding thing.
What’s the team makeup behind ‘Happy Mags for Kids’? How many people do you work with day to day, what are the roles, etc.?
We are a tiny but mighty team. I write, commission artists, and run the business. Ben is our main illustrator and designer. We commission many different freelance illustrators who come on board for specific issues. We have Karolina, who does our PR; Max, our proofreader; Slava and Eritobi, our accountants; and Marcus, who looks after our site. That’s it!
I know that in numbers magazines aren’t doing as well as they were 20 years ago, but their role is just as important, if not more.
How do you feel about the changes in the magazine and printed media landscape over the years? Do you feel a sense of responsibility or pressure to keep ‘Happy Mags for Kids’ going while so many other magazines have folded?
The role of magazines has certainly changed in the last 20 years. They—along with newspapers—went from being essential for culture and information to being an alternative to what the internet offers. I know that in numbers magazines aren’t doing as well as 20 years ago, but their role is just as important, if not more. Plenty of titles are closing down, but many great independent ones are also launching. Whether they last as long as the behemoths of the past or sell as much is doubtful, but you never know! We are celebrating our 18th anniversary this year with new markets opening up in China and Korea, so … there is hope!
I publish our Happy Mags because I love making them, writing them, working with illustrators, and receiving feedback from families about how they spark creativity in their children. These are the only reasons I keep our magazines going, along with the crucial fact that they sell! As soon as they stop selling or I stop loving making them, I will reconsider.
What’s been the most rewarding part about helming ‘Happy Mags for Kids’? What’s been the biggest challenge?
The most rewarding thing is seeing children explore their creativity, receiving drawings from them (which we feature in the magazines), and getting emails from parents about how much our mags spark conversations.
The most fun is putting the mags together.
The most challenging part is distribution. Magazine distribution is wasteful and expensive, as no one in that chain pays promptly, so I focus on the business online, where most of our revenue comes from. We are lucky that because of our high production values, we are accepted by and work directly with bookshops, and we have one trusted book distributor who looks after our titles well.
In a world that seems to get bleaker and bleaker by the day, children’s media reminds us to keep our sense of wonder; that innate curiosity that all children have.
What lessons can people of all ages learn from children’s media?
In a world that seems to get bleaker by the day, children’s media reminds us to keep our sense of wonder—that innate curiosity that all children have. That fuels our Happy Mags, and it’s a gentler way to approach the world around us!