8 Questions and 2 Imperatives for Cole Johnston

Why yes, that is Mitzi Gaynor. Why do you ask?

Who are you?

I’m Cole Johnston. I’m the publisher and editor of V-Rag Magazine, Vancouver’s gay & lesbian arts and culture rag. I also run a freelance graphic design firm, Cole Johnston Design. Clever name, huh?

Who is your role model?

Marian Bantjes. She’s an amazing graphic designer and taught me typography and editorial design. She’s the reason V-Rag exists and I still look to her for inspiration. Whenever I design a spread, I always think “would Marian give me a good mark for this?” Buy her book ‘I Wonder‘, it’s beautiful!

Describe your management style.
Someone once told me I was like the gay Devil Wears Prada, which I found hilarious since most people tell me I’m TOO nice as an editor. I wish I could be as cut throat as Miranda Priestly! But alas, I think my management style is the nicer you are, the more people want to work for you. Plus I can’t get my hair to do that wave thingy.

What is your biggest professional accomplishment?
Hmmm, can I say all of 2011 so far? It’s been an amazing year and I’d be hard pressed to choose between chatting on the phone with Grace Jones, having Simone Denny sing me “Broken Bones” at V-Rag’s 2 Year Anniversary Party, telling Bruce LaBruce he corrupted me as a child, or getting an email from CeCe Peniston saying “Hey sweetie, here’s my new track but don’t share it with anyone!”. They’ve all been pretty fantastic and I can’t wait to see what 2012 has in store. Aside from the end of the world.

What was your first job?
I was a bag boy at Extra Foods in Nelson B.C. I was 14 and I was SO excited to be working with the boy I had a crush on in grade 9. Who incidentally still works as a bag boy at Extra Foods.

What are you reading right now?
‘Bike Boys, Drag Queens and Superstars‘. It’s this really cool examination of the gay underground cinema movement in the 1960s focusing mostly on Kenneth Anger, Jack Smith and Andy Warhol.

Tell us one thing about yourself that might surprise people.
I’m a total horror movie buff. The weirder and scarier the more I love it. It’s why October is always my favourite issue to put out, we get to talk to people like David DeCoteau, Peaches Christ and Elvira Mistress of the Dark. I’d LOVE to interview Clive Barker, so if anyone knows him…

What is the last conference you attended?
Yeesh, it’s been a while actually. I guess it was the Seattle Typography Conference a couple years ago. I went with Marian Bantjes and nerded it up over letter forms and kerning.

Blackberry or iPhone?
iPhone. I’m a Mac addict.

What’s your internet guilty pleasure?
www.zombiesarecoming.com. Because you always need to be prepared.

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Cole Johnston is the publisher and editor of V-Rag Magazine. He parties with Mitzi Gaynor, which is totally awesome.