Questions and Responses:
Contact Report – Gerry Brakus (New Statesman)
1. I’m personally quite a political character. Which sector of the magazine are you most interested in and why?
I work across the whole magazine, covering both politics and culture using illustrations and photographs to ensure it looks its best. I really enjoy commissioning illustrations and working collaboratively with artists to get the best possible results for the magazine and find the political angles the most challenging to illustrate as they often require conceptual ideas – I hope this is something where the illustrator can come up with the bright ideas! I think I probably veer more towards the cultural side; music, art, books.
2. I understand that you receive a lot of cartoons and designs every day. How do you select which work to use for the magazine?
For something to catch my eye, it usually has to be presented in a slightly unusual way and as I get so many emails, I often prefer to receive something by post. Cartoons are sent on an almost daily basis, reflecting news and current events. Very often they are sent after we’ve gone to press for that week’s edition so I can’t use them. It’s important to find out what your target publications deadlines are so that you know your timing is right. I often don’t have time to reply to everyone who gets in touch but if an illustrator/cartoonist/photographer keeps trying, eventually I’ll get back to them!
3. Do you find it difficult to choose work for the front cover knowing that the magazine covers a range of subjects?
We almost always have one lead story (usually political) in the magazine and we use that subject as the basis with which to choose and commission an illustrator. The cover art has to fit into a template and in some ways, this is the easiest thing to commission as we often have a pretty strong idea of what we need and want.
4. I saw on your LinkedIn profile that you studied Photography at university. When did you become interested in illustration? And has illustration always been used in the New Statesman?
I’ve commissioned illustration on and off for many years. When I first started working for magazines, I commissioned illustrations for food and wine articles mostly so have come a long way since then! I’m really interested in the ways illustration can convey a message, often in a much more direct way than a photograph and that’s something I’ve discovered over many years and through experience. I love photography and illustration equally and I think they can also work brilliantly together – I’m seeing more and more illustrators using photography in their work.
Illustration has always been featured very strongly in New Statesman with Ralph Steadman being a particularly loyal and long-term contributor. We have regularly used illustrators at the beginning of their careers who have gone on to greater things, David Shrigley for example and it’s great to be able to really build up a connection with an artist and work with them regularly. This is tradition at New Statesman!
5. Being in my 2ndyear of my degree, what is the best way for a recent graduate to get themselves out there and their work known?
Degree shows are important. Send your work and ideas out to Creative/Art Directors and try to arrange meetings so that you can show your portfolio. Make the most of your contacts and always stay optimistic! You may experience a few knockbacks but a positive attitude will take you a long way. It’s not just about your talents as an illustrator but also your ability to collaborate with the editor commissioning you.
Good luck and stay in touch!
Contact Report
I decided to get in touch with Gerry Brakus (creative editor for New Statesman) to develop an understanding of how the industry works and how she personally chooses pieces of work/illustrators to create a piece for the magazine.
Asking a number of questions, Gerry responded very quickly and allowed me to have more of an awareness of how I can make it as an editorial illustrator. Knowing that Gerry started off as an editor for mostly food and wine is definite proof that she has had to push and challenge herself to get to where she is today. This is reassuring as a student as before this small interview I wasn’t entirely sure on what I’d be faced with when I graduate next year.
I understand that getting my work known will be important for my professional practice but it’s just a case of how. The last question allowed me to understand that having a positive outlook on my work is extremely important if I want to make it in the future, even when faced with a lot challenge.
New Stateman is a magazine that I would like my work to appear in one day. Now knowing that the best way to grab Gerry’s attention is to use a more unusual method of approach when contacting her or sending work feels like a foot in the door. Also, being a lot surer on reaching the deadline before the magazine goes to the press. This is something I’ll definitely be able to consider more in the future when sending my work to newspapers/magazines.
Gerry also commissions photography and in one of the responses she mentioned that photography is being used more and more in illustration, which is something I’ve noticed slightly myself. Although, when hearing it from a professional, it makes me realise that trends in illustration are moving forward fast especially with advanced technology which made me realise that I need to step my game up and get better at working digitally, even if it’s using an analogue and digital approach combined.
Overall, contacting Gerry has made me a lot more aware of how working as a creative editor is an exciting and extremely busy job, and to get to where you want to be you have to work your way up and get your name out there by contacting professionals, knowing to never feel knocked down if you don’t get a response.
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