All things bound and beautiful: it’s October Things!

October is the year’s spookiest month and this one got the It’s Nice That team particularly excited – see our published findings on this year’s best Halloween snacks. In keeping with this theme, we received some terrifying parcels through our letterbox… Terrifying only in that they were so frightfully good, of course! Here’s the rundown of our top ten featuring a host of publications.

Clog Magazine: Guns

Clog Magazine was founded in 2011 and the arrival of Guns through our letterbox marks its 15th issue. Clog is an international publication that critically explores one topic at a time, from a multitude of viewpoints with the aim to slow things down in a world that’s forever speeding up.

This latest issue focusses on the topic of guns as an object that has played a key role in shaping histories. “Today it is estimated there are approximately 875 million small arms throughout the world. As this number continues to climb and the surrounding debate only grows more polarised, it is time to holistically examine the past, present and future of the gun,” reads the end of Clog’s opening statement. The publication is largely text led, however, it features a host of infographics as well as a photographic section of gloss pages at its centre.

The Kinfolk Entrepreneur

Join Nathan Williams and the Kinfolk team as they visit more than 40 creative entrepreneurs from around the world who are “making business personal”. The book explores how each of their visionary ideas take root and develop into careers, as well as the myriad of ways in which “the pursuit of meaning and passion, and the experiences of disappointment and defeat, can motivate both professional success and a balanced quality of life.”

The book features the classic pared-back design we’ve come to expect from Kinfolk, making use of neutral tones and top-notch portraiture photography all printed on its signature matte paper. Through a series of profiles and interviews, the publication offers tips, advice and inspiration for anyone looking to follow in these successful creatives’ footsteps.

Stephen Ormandy: Only Dancing

Next up is Only Dancing by Stephen Ormandy, the first publication dedicated to surveying the Australian artist and designer’s vibrant, large scale oil paintings. Having spent decades as one half of Dinosaur Designs, Stephen has spent the last 15 years furthering his practice which is documented in this publication. The paintings included reflect Stephen’s fascination with Australian flora and fauna and its “unique natural topographies such as those found in the Great Barrier Reef and the outback,” writes New York-based curator Lilly Wei.

The publication also features a custom typeface, Formist Physical, based on the intersections and modularity that occurs in Stephen’s work.

Counterpoint

Counterpoint is a magazine dedicated to “original writing and beautiful illustration,” edited by illustrator and printmaker Bethany Thompson and journalist Sam Bradley. Each issue has a different theme with contributors being asked to respond accordingly. Issue 14, featured here, is focussed on eating. Yum! The publication is designed, Risograph-printed and hand-bound in Edinburgh using a three-colour palette of yellow, blue and pink.

Mutzine

Mutzine is a Korean fashion and culture magazine created by a network of Korean and international collaborators and spearheaded by editor-in-chief Gissella Ramirez-Valle. It’s both a print and digital platform exploring Korea’s shifting socio-political landscape and issue two explores ideas of identity, liberty and development. The zine is largely a compilation of features highlighting Korean creatives, including Shrimp Chung who was featured on It’s Nice That earlier this month. With fashion editorials, longer reads, illustrations and a cover that folds out to a poster, Mutzine definitely has something to spark everyone’s interest.

The Unquotable Trump

We think it’s safe to assume many of us aren’t sure whether to laugh or cry under the Trump administration. The Unquotable Trump by R Sikoryak (best known for turning the iTunes terms and conditions into a comic) makes that decision a little easier. With 48 original illustrations, the book recreates some of the world’s most famous comic book covers featuring Donald Trump himself as the super-villain, accompanied by his very own “best words”.

Jilly Edwards: Joy

Joy by Jilly Edwards is a new publication exploring the work of artist tapestry weaver Jilly Edwards and her relationship to the colour yellow. It comes in a custom box with a pin badge, bookmark and flick book highlighting the process of weaving a tapestry. The book features Jilly’s sketches and process work as well as images of her studio and installation views of her exhibitions alongside pieces of writing by artists, poets and designers. Joy was designed by Mark Edwards (the ME of DR.ME) who just so happens to be Jilly’s son!

Patrick Mauriès: Androgyne, Fashion & Gender

Published by Thames & Hudson, Patrick Mauriès’ Androgyne is the first visually-led exploration of androgyny, “from its current prevalence in the fashion world and beyond.” The book compares the recent “trend” of androgyny in fashion campaigns for brands such as Diesel and Calvin Klein with the obsession that existed at the previous turn of the century. It draws attention to the artwork of Edward Burne-Jones and Gustav Moreau as well the writings of Oscar Wilde and Joséphin Péladan in order to track the journey of androgyny throughout this time.

Nicola Laurora

The only non-book of this month’s Things is this vibrant and charming Riso-print from Milan-based illustrator and designer Nicola Laurora. Having worked for brands like Adidas, Ikea and Intel, Nicola has a developed a style, influenced by graffiti, and channelled into the shrewd geometric illustration we see here. It’s a bustling scene of red, white and blue with something new to discover every time you look.

Cats Getting Stuck! Get meowta here!

Finishing strong this month with Cats Getting Stuck!, a book of 125 images of, well, cats getting stuck. Designed by Two Associates, the book documents some of the stickiest situations our feline friends have managed to get themselves into. Each page features a different kitty in a different scrape accompanied by a terribly hilarious pun. Some personal faves include “meow do I look?”; “what am I doing with my lives?”; and “a cautionary tail”.