Barbara Barreto: Meet the New Hotness!

Graphic Fantastic

Every issue of every magazine can be said to be a celebration of words and images, of ideas and impressions conveyed through unique and powerful combinations of the visual and the verbal. While we’re quite happy to feature the work of amazing writers (both established and up-and-coming) on a regular basis, we’re also second to none in our admiration and appreciation for the art of graphic design and illustration.

This month, we’ve got a lot for you to feast your eyes and minds on. We talk to Graphika Manila lead organizer Aram Beheshti, painter/illustrator Ernest Concepcion, and internationally acclaimed design specialist Brian Tenorio. Tof Zapanta and Ross Locsin Laccay fill us in on the process behind making great magazine illustrations and logos, respectively.

We combined the talents of five artists (Bianca Lesaca, Dave Leo Yogore, Kara de Dios-Villaseran, Rommel Joson, Wiji Lacsamana) and five writers (Charlene Sawit, Francezca Kwe, Luis Katigbak, Neva Kares Talladen, Yvette Tan) to give you five amazing new stories.

Aside from all the graphic goodness, we’ve got: the return of ‘quick brown fox’ Ricky Brown, a talk with Azkals team manager Dan Palami, the inimitable Oliver X.A. Reyes on “The Girl with the Scooter,” new music, tech blogging, graphic fashion, beautiful cars, scoring for movies, and more.

And then of course, the women: dining date Andi Manzano, lovely nerd Jessica Mendoza, and new hotness Barbara Barreto. Beyond being extraordinarily easy on the eyes, there is much more to all of them than their looks.

To quote legendary graphic designer Milton Glaser quoting the Roman philosopher Horace: “The purpose of art is to inform and delight.” We’re not quite sure or big-headed enough to declare that what we do is art, but we’d like to think we fulfill those purposes in our own way.

Every issue of every magazine can be said to be a celebration of words and images. This one is just a little bit more so.

(Very special thanks to our friends Bru and Marcushiro of Electrolychee, who helped us out a lot in putting this issue together. Visit electrolychee.com to gaze at their very wonderful graphic design + illustration goodies.)

Team Manila’s “Sisa” Shirt takes Yahoo! Messenger approach

There’s a rather cool partnership between Yahoo! Philippines and Team Manila. The city-wide Project Purple Hunt that spawns forth kick ass prizes such as mobile phones, purple Krispy Kreme Donuts, and a graffiti-ed Honda Jazz now introduces their latest PR move — fashion.

These are limited edition shirts in two designs, both have cuts for men and women. Shirts sell for P550.00 and are available starting today.

If you’ve been a good grade school student, you probably tackled that required reading from school — your Noli and Fili. Sisa is the mother of Crispin and Basilio who goes bonkers after knowledge of their slaughter, convent walls bloodstained with their blood.

A little dark humor there for Team Manila and Yahoo! Philippines.