Front

overCOVER

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1. 2.3.

4. 5.

6.

These six front covers are taken

from the ‘Fangoria’ horror

magazine, and have been

chosen because I feel they

relate closely to my own

magazine. Unlike more

established magazines such as

Empire and Total Film, these

magazines appreciate horror as

an important genre, and are

able to advertise it through a

more unique, tailored aesthetic

that appeals directly to the

horror movie fan.

In order to reflect this love of

the genre on to my own work,

the typical conventions of

movie magazines that are

altered and applied to these

front covers must be analysed.

The symbiosis recurrent on

each of the front covers must

also be noted, as it is of

paramount importance that

symbiosis is maintained

throughout my own

promotional package.

CONVENTIONSEach of these six front covers abides strictly by all variants of conventions within the horror genre, but alter or ignore the conventions of

most magazine covers in general. Regarding the conventions of the genre itself, the magazines subject matter means that the editors can

fully embrace the theatricality and imagery that fans will come to expect from horror. They do this through using colours on each front

cover that are very suggestive of the genre, and this can be seen in the recurrent red masthead across all six images, as well as the

prominent uses of black and blue through darkness and fog seen especially on covers 2-6. Furthermore, the editors have opted to place the

antagonist instead of the protagonist on every front cover – and although this is unconventional in terms of the magazine layout, this fits in

perfectly with all forms of horror film promotion, as the majority of posters and trailers always focus on the evil in the film. Graphic and

violent imagery is used on the majority of the front covers, with the exception of 3, which further roots the magazine into the conventions

of the horror genre, and all its relevant subgenres as well. Evidently, this is a magazine that embraces horror and all that is used to promote

it, as the editors are fully aware that it is this that will entice their selective target audience of horror fans to buy the magazine.

Embracing the horror genre is an obvious

necessity for a horror film magazine. Layout-

wise, however, Fangoria has the potential to

alter conventions of most magazines in order

to create a unique aesthetic that will resonate

more with what horror fans will expect, and it

does just this. Although it abides to certain

principles of other magazines, it mainly

retains its own brand identity through it’s

recurrent alteration of conventions.

Regarding the masthead of the magazine, Fangoria

generally places it conventionally at the top of the

frame – although this is altered for front cover 3 to

divert attention to the image. This alteration suggests

that if the editors and reviewers are very enthusiastic

about a new film, they are willing to forsake the

prominence of their masthead in order to display said

film in greater clarity. Generally, this is a break of

conventions that established magazines would never

commit, and highlights how Fangoria is truly made

by fans of the horror genre. The creators are willing

to forsake their dominant masthead in order to share

their enthusiasm regarding this film with the target

audience, and it is likely that this audience will

appreciate this and be able to relate to this sense of

enthusiasm.

Similarly to most film front covers, Fangoria litters

their front covers with feature article photographs and

film titles in the place of sell lines. Evidently, the

content of such images and titles differ notably to

magazines like Total Film – but this is due to the

more focused target audience that Fangoria are

appealing to. Elsewise, the FAPs and sell lines are

mostly placed conventionally upon the front covers,

and although front cover 1 places them at the bottom

of the image as opposed to the side, this is not

unusual amongst film magazines and allows for a

greater variety and depth of construction to be shown

(if each front cover looked exactly the same within an

institution, fans would easily bore and look elsewhere

for variety). The placement of the cover image is also

similar in this regard – front covers 2 – 6 place it to

the more conventional right hand

side, whereas front cover 1 places it in the

centre of the magazine. Again, this only

allows for variation and the chance to create

exciting new aesthetics without changing any

of the features that fans love. On the other

hand, unlike most magazines, Fangoria’s

uppermost slogan changes depending on the

content within each edition of the magazine,

from 1’s ‘Darren Aronofsky’s Dance of

Death’ to 6’s ‘Hottest Horror Previews’. Some

magazines, such as Empire, alter their slogans

in a similar way, but still mainly use a

recurrent slogan to enforce the brand identity.

Due to Fangoria being a lesser-known

magazine, the select few who buy it are likely

to be more satisfied by the witty, catchy

summarisation of the magazine that they

provide. It is still effective in summarising the

brand identity, as it allows new viewers to

instantly familiarise themselves with the

chatty, excitable mode of address that

Fangoria encapsulates, but it is achieved

through other means.

Unconventionally, the barcode is also placed

in the bottom left hand third, when it would

usually be placed in the bottom right.

Although this creates less space for the textual

information on the left – demonstrated by front

covers 4, 5 and 6 especially – it creates more

visual space for the cover image. This implies

that the editors are Fangoria realise that the

die-hard fans of horror who buy their

magazine will be more interested in the

content of the images themselves,

presuming that they already have

sufficient knowledge of what films are

currently in cinemas. The inclusion of

the barcode within the text appears to

cheapen and roughen the aesthetic of

the magazine, but the Fangoria editors

will see this as an advantage as it is

more befitting of the cheap scares and

mix of new and old films that are

being covered. It further emphasises

Fangoria’s success as an old-

fashioned, fanmade style of magazine,

and consolidates why the editors have

chosen to make the convention-

defying decisions that are evident on

their front covers.

The unique mode of address itself is

easily visible on the magazine front

cover, and this in itself is a convention

of all magazines. Puns such as 3’s

‘Scarlett Johansson gets under the

skin’ and alliteration such as 5’s

‘Supernatural boys vs. Slashers’

enforce the witty, enthusiastic

approach of the writers, and these

language devices are common across

other film magazines as well. This

shows how Fangoria recognises the

importance of their mode of address as

a convention, and how they want to

relate to the target audience as much as

possible.

Layout and textInterestingly, the layout and text used on each front cover varies in order to fit the secular identity of the cover film being promoted. Front cover 3

exemplifies this notion, as the entire layout is adjusted in favour of ‘Under the Skin’ – a sub-horror science fiction arthouse film. The amount of text

is substantially reduced and appropriated to the bottom third of the magazine, and in the usual place of the left hand strip, the masthead is

unconventionally placed. Effectively, this draws more attention to the unique aesthetic and individuality of the cover image in an unconventional

way, which in turn reflects the ‘unconventional’ nature of the film and it’s differentiation from other films of the horror genre. Moreover, the mode of

address that enforces the brand identity is altered in a similar way, as the more plosive, fanboy-esque words seen on covers 5 and 6 are less prominent

here. This further reflects the sophistication of Under The Skin, and a similar approach is used in front cover 1 is used to mirror this ‘alternative’ style

of horror film, this time with Black Swan. Here, the usual ‘film reel’ of FAPs is allocated to the bottom third, again to generate a greater sense of

focus for the cover image and reflect the individuality of ‘Darren Aronofsky’s Dance of Death’. As the directors’ name is used for the slogan here, it

will reinforce audience’s presumptions about the film, especially as the target audience for Fangoria mostly consists of dedicated horror fans who will

be familiar with his style and understand why the magazine has shaped itself to fit Black Swan’s identity. However, the fact that a mainly

conventional structure is still used does suggest that Black Swan, although evidently revered by the editors, still contains many conventions of a

typical psychological horror.

Ultimately, the other front covers are the more ‘typical’ of the Fangoria magazine, as they generally follow a repeated structural layout with similar

methods of address. Once again, however, this is largely due to the films being promoted on the cover image – and these are notably more

‘conventional’ than the ones used on front covers 1 and 3. This means they contain more elements of violence/supernatural threat/danger, relevant to

their subgenres of slasher and supernatural. Furthermore, front covers 5 and 6 represent this notion, as the films being promoted are clearly violent,

gore-infested horrors that fall within the slasher and monster subgenre. Ultimately, this allows for a more ‘cheesy’ approach to their text style, and

this is reflected in the use of rhetorical questions (‘Can YOU take a donkey punch?’) and extended use of informal imperatives (‘Get down with

2006’s scariest film!’). This insinuates that fans more interested in these type of films are likely to be younger than those interested in ‘highbrow’

horrors such as Under The Skin, and therefore shows how Fangoria consistently alters its mode of address to fit the audience relevant to each front

cover. Alliteration is used more commonly in front covers 2-6 as well, such as the ‘special summer previews’ of front cover 4, and this enforces the

younger, more quirky/comical mode of address associated with younger fans of the genre – teenagers are more likely to be interested in slashers, for

example. Moreover, front covers 2, 4, 5 and 6 generally retain the same structural layout, consolidating how they are firmly rooted in appealing to the

same kinds of audience. The font is also the same on these front covers, as opposed to the leaner, more supernatural-orientated font of front covers 1

and 3.

IMAGE ANDSimilarly, the image and colours used

throughout each front cover varies

depending on the genres being covered

in that particular issue. For front cover

2, for example, washed out blacks and

blues are emulative of the

supernatural/gothic subgenre that Dark

Shadows belongs to, and these colours

are mainly repeated in the FAPs placed

correspondingly to the image. This

creates a sense of flow and visual

continuity across the front cover,

allowing the well-familiarised audience

to immediately make assumptions

based on the subgenres covered in that

particular issue and see whether they

appeal to their desires. In addition to

this, the mise-en-scene of each

particular image will be the next logical

indication of this, and Fangoria utilises

this across each of its front covers here

– in front cover 2’s case, the period

clothing, pale skin, and blood allow

them to see Barnabas is a vampire and

therefore belongs to a gothic horror

film. Similarly, front cover 5 depicts a

masked figure armed with the prop of a

machete – both conventions of a slasher

film. This is further

COLOURSenforced by the heavily emphasised use of

red through blood spatters and general

colour scheme on this front cover, a

colour mainly found in slasher films due

to their violent nature. The content of the

FAPs on this front cover also mirror this,

as they display two other leering masked

figures directly addressing the audience.

This represents how slasher films are

more visually explicit than other

subgenres and often force the audience

into being scared as opposed to creating a

tension-inducing atmosphere. With the

exception of 1 and 3 – which appear

almost modern in their minimalism and

sophistication - Fangoria often uses a

juxtaposition of faded out colours

associated with age and vibrant, bold reds

and blacks that suggest the ‘in-your-face’

effect so symbolic of the genre. For

example, front cover 6 uses scratched out

purples and yellows to emphasise the

amateurish ‘homemade’ effect that

symbolises the editors’ love for the genre.

However, it is contrasted with the stark

darkness and yellow lighting of the

antagonist on the cover image, creating a

bold visual identity that could only be

associated with a magazine such as

Fangoria.

Overall, these six front covers will influence my own in a

variety of ways. The deliberately amateurish effect highlighted

on most of the front covers will be replicated in its own

individual style on my own front cover. However, my masthead

will be placed at the left hand side in a similar fashion to front

cover 3, although I will substitute text for FAPs and sell lines in

the bottom third. This is because, to me, front cover 3 is the

most visually striking of all the ones analysed, and the film

being promoted resonates more with the unique aesthetic and

premise of my own supernatural horror.