Interview: Anorak Magazine

One of the most recent additions to the Monkeytail & Wellington virtual shelves is Anorak Magazine - The Happy Magazine for Kids.

I know from all the wonderful feedback we've been getting just how much everyone is loving Anorak and I've been eagerly awaiting a parcel that has recently arrived with some back issues from the early days of Anorak's inception. We now have the latest issue Volume 12 in stock a plenty and also back issues of issues 11, 10, 7, 6, 5 and 2... everything I could get my mitts on to be honest!


I've had some lovely echats with Anorak's co-creator Cathy Olmedillas. Cathy so kindly agreed to a little blog interview so I could get to know the mind behind my latest obsession.


Who are the faces behind Anorak?
Lots of lovely artists, doodlers & writers from around the world and Rob (aka artist Supermundane) our creative director & myself, Cathy.

How did you get started?
I had the idea floating in my head for a while but it’s when I met Rob that it became a reality. Because of our previous lives in publishing, we understood the ropes of independent magazine making so we had contact with printers and distributors. Rob started with creating the logo and doing sketches of Anorak, our blue fellow. Once we had an idea of a theme and content for our first issue, he commissioned other illustrators to help us bring our stories to life.

Why is it called anorak? (Makes me think of train spotters)
Trainspotters are a constant source of inspiration!
It just came in a flash of inspiration, when we were looking for words relating to fashion & collecting stuff. We wanted Anorak to be something people collect and cherish, just like trainspotters collect and cherish… err.. train time tables!! And let’s face it for those of us brought up in the 70s and 80s we all had to wear an anorak at one point hence the perfect connection with childhood..

Which is your favourite issue so far and why?

Argh that’s a tough one: every issue is themed and we have really loved working on all our themes. The one I have most enjoyed writing is the WORDS issue. Rob’s favourite issue is the CHOCOLATE one.



What do you see in the crystal ball for Anorak's future?
Lots! We have an issue coming out Mid September with a BUGS theme. We have just launched a design competition amongst art students from around the world. (Details here)
We have made some Anorak tote bags, which are now available in our shop. We have a colouring book coming out soon too. We are a small business so we still get mega excited about everything we achieve.


How do you find your contributors and artists? Anyone you'd love to work with?
Rob finds them all, he is a well connected chap! We would love to work with more kids, we have lots of little editors in the UK but would love to involve more kids from around the world. Lately, we did a project with the Akshara in India (http://www.aksharafoundation.org/), they did some wonderful drawings for us, it almost made us weep. (Drawings will feature in our Winter 09 edition)

Where do you look for inspiration for Anorak?
Thoughts just pop in our heads. For me, being a mum helps! It’s a weird process but it seems to work. Two major things that have inspired me are the Pink Panther and Yellow Submarine cartoon by the Beatles.

What is on your style radar for kids fashion/toys/art or other.
I fell in love with a lovely & new British label called Let Them Eat Cake. It uses vintage fabrics to create dreamy dresses. Gorgeous. Recently discovered Edwina Simone, she makes wonderful hand-drawn plates with owl motifs. And Chloe Owens is another favourite, she uses vintage fabrics to make lovely purses and cushions. We will be introducing these last two in our shop next month.

Thanks Cathy :o) Make sure you check out the Anorak Blog here too!

You can find all the latest issues of Anorak in store at Monkeytail & Wellington here