Metallica

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20 Jan: So What! Issue 22.4

Last week we finished printing the latest So What! magazine, issue 22.4. The issue features a cover illustration by Tony Squindo. Editor, Steffan Chirazi, conducted a round table interview with the band, and wrote and edited an article for this issue, but the band decided against publishing it. The decision was made to produce a photographic retrospective, using choice photos encompassing the entire run of the magazine, from 1994 to the present…
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17 Oct: So What! Issue 22.3

Yesterday, we finished printing the latest issue of So What!, the quarterly magazine of Metallica. We print So What! in Los Angeles, at Color Graphics, just across the LA river from the Japan-town neighborhood next to downtown LA. Their plant is really well situated, not least because of the proximity to some world-class ramen spots in J-town. But most importantly, the guys and gals at Color Graphics do a great job for us, and for Metallica and their fans…
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21 Aug: So What! Issue 22.2

The latest issue of So What!, the quarterly magazine of the mega-metal band Metallica, is now complete and in the mailboxes of the band's myriad devotees around the planet. This particular issue gives fans a closer look at lead guitarist Kirk Hammet's penchant for collecting horror movie memorabilia. Kirk discusses how sharing his interest in these artifacts has brought like-minded hobbyists out of the woodwork. We also included 8 pages of outtakes…
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19 Jun: First So What! Issue of 2015

So What! is a quarterly magazine published by the fan club of the mega-metal band Metallica. I design and produce the magazine for them. Unsurprisingly, the magazine is all about the doings, on and off the stage, of the band and it's members individually. The special thing about this magazine is the ease with which the band can communicate, without the stress and facade of the rock star hype machine. Yes, So What! is a PR vehicle for the band. But it allows them
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11 Feb: So What! Issue 21.4

Last month, Metallica’s fan club publication, So What!, finally printed the last issue of 2014. It's not an unusual situation for us – things being what they are in the world of rock 'n' roll, it can take a while to wrap up all the details. The band members are pretty hands-on with the content of the magazine, and they are very busy, so our biggest challenge for our editor is getting the face time he needs with them to verify…
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13 Dec: So What! Issue 21.3

The third issue of 2014 of Metallica's fan club publication So What! has finally been printed and is winging it's way to metal fans around the globe. The issue was out a bit late, as can happen every once in a while in the "we're-not-in-Kansas-anymore" twirling tornado of the top tier music world. We here at Zen Jam have learned to roll with it. The main focus of this issue was on the experiences of Metallica's drummer, Lars Ulrich, at last summer's Glastonbury Festival…
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20 Aug: So What! 21.2 Released

Issue 21.2 of So What! magazine, Metallica's fan club publication, reached the mailboxes of eager Metallica fans this week. The main story in this issue was a behind-the-scenes look at the preparation and activities for the now-annual Metallica Day at AT&T Park here in San Francisco. The San Francisco Giants baseball team and Metallica have now collaborated on two of these events. Photos of the Giants slugger Michael Morse and pitcher Ryan Vogelsong…
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16 Jun: So What! 21.1 Released

Issue 21.1 of So What! magazine was finished in early May. The story of the moment was clearly the band trip to Antarctica. Metallica and a small crew entourage made the journey to play a show for 19 fan club contest winners, while taping a commercial for Coke Zero to be aired in Latin America. The bemused scientists, workers, whales, seals and penguins of Carlini Base, on what Google Earth tells me are the Bridgeman Islands, off the coast of Antarctica, witnessed…
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01 Mar: So What! 20.4 Released

Issue 20.4 of So What! magazine, Metallica's fan club publication, was finally released at the beginning of February, 2014. The release of last year's final issue was delayed by the band for a couple of months, in order to confirm some of the juicy details on their upcoming activities. Better that than a retraction. They were also busy in December, as they and their entourage travelled down to Antarctica to shoot a commercial for Coke Zero…
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05 Nov: So What! 20.3 Released

In mid-September, only a few weeks after printing issue 20.2, we slammed out issue 20.3 of this year's series of So What! magazines. The issue was fast-tracked so that its release could be timed with the release of Metallica's new movie, Through The Never. It was a crazy deadline, but all concerned – editorial staff, design and production, pre-press and printing – rallied to get the job done. The issue was entirely devoted to movie-related content…