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.
With so many great photos, it was a challenge to choose a sampling to tell the story of the band’s last 22 years in 48 pages. In the end it was an appropriate way to wrap up the lifespan of this publication. Sadly, Metallica has decided this issue of So What! will be the last. The magazine’s content will be streamlined for presentation in a blog on the band’s web site.
It’s been 16 years since I took over as art director for So What!, and I’d like to thank the band, the fan club, Club president Vickie Strate, and especially the magazine’s editor Steffan Chirazi, for their collaboration and support. It was a fun ride, and the best project I’ve been involved with as a designer.
