Interview with Adam Pasulka of Frank 151
Posted by Gabriel| Filed under Interviews, Magazines
Frank151 is a small sized quarterly book / magazine for today’s trendsetting youths and hipsters. Frank151 features great coverage of the underground rap, graffiti, art, and fashion scenes. I have found so many great artist thanks to frank151. Frank features host contributing artist such as Shepard Fairey, Lenny Kravitz, Jason Lee, Mister Cartoon & Estevan Orio and more! Frank151 really gives the meaning to “big things come in small packages”. Adam Pasulka is the managing editor of Frank151 and he was nice enough to allow me to interview him. Check out this interview below.
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1. Thank you for this interview. So tell me a little about your self how did you become the Managing Editor for frank151?
I moved to New York from Chicago in 2003 to do undergrad at NYU. Late in my Junior year a friend who was interning for Frank151 introduced me to then-Editor Jesse Nicely. He brought me on as an intern, working on the blog and other odds and ends. Jesse did some incredible things with the Frank Book during his tenure, and he really took me under his wing and showed me the ins and outs of putting a publication together. Immediately after college I was fortunate enough to land a job with Frank151′s sister company—malbon Brothers Farms (mBF)—where we do a lot of non-traditional marketing for brands like Toyota Scion, Sailor Jerry Rum, Casio G-Shock, Burton Snowboards, and others. After a year of that, Jesse had moved on, and I stepped up to Managing Editor. I’ve been overseeing the Frank Book for about a year and a half now—soon to be 6 Chapters.
2. How did frank151 begin its life and how has the magazine developed over the years?
Stephen Malbon started Frank in Atlanta ten years ago as a college design project . The first Chapters were more ATL-centric, and a lot thinner, but had the same aesthetic. Stephen and brother / Co-Founder Mike Malbon know a tremendous amount of people and really have that hustler mentality, so they were able to take this unique, cutting-edge project, get it out to people, and get some ad dollars behind it.
About five years ago Frank headquarters relocated from Atlanta to NYC, where we are now. We also have satellite offices in LA, Tokyo, and Barcelona.
3. Frank151 is unique in its style, as I dont know to call it a book or a magazine, for the sake of the interview I will call it a magazine. How did the final size come into play?
We like to call it a Book, and each release is a Chapter.
Frank has always been close to those dimensions. The idea was that it travels well; fits right in the pocket. People really treat it like a collector’s item—almost an art object—as opposed to a traditional periodical.
4. Being a designer there is something I have been curious about. The frank151 logo where did the “fat guy” reading the book come from?
Haha. That fat guy is our namesake and main inspiration, Benjamin Franklin. He was a true polymath—inventor, diplomat, writer, printer, “man about town.” Read up on him. We really like his adages, too. The most pertinent to our brand is, “If you would not be forgotten, As soon as you are dead and rotten, Either write things worth reading, Or do things worth the writing.” That gem adorns the underbill of all our classic Frank151 “F” New Era hats.
5. Frank151 in my eyes is an underground magazine only to be found at certain locations. Do you guys at frank151 plan on making this magazine more available for the public?
In a way we just did with the launch of the brand new www.Frank151.com. The archives section includes digital back Chapters from the last five years of the Frank Book.
6. Frank151 is such a fun little magazine, it must be fun working at frank151, do you have any fun stories to share during your time with frank151?
I certainly am privileged to be doing what I’m doing. I get to work with a lot of incredible people and I’m constantly learning.
I’d say so far the highlight of my time here was doing the De La Soul Chapter. I grew up listening to De La, and collaborating with them was a great experience. They really are hard working, down to earth, creative juggernauts, and that absolutely came through in their Chapter.
A few other things I want to mention: We recently launched our very own record label, FRANKRADIO. Our first two releases were solo records from Wu-Tang’s U-GOD (Dopium) and Brand Nubian’s Grand Puba (Retro Active). Our next drop is Enter The Dubstep: Wu-Tang Meets Indie Culture V2, out November 10th. After that we’re excited to be releasing Deal Or No Deal by a Pittsburgh PA rapper named Wiz Khalifa, who’s making a ton of noise right now. That’s in stores November 24th, but you can download his mixtape, Flight School, free on our site, here.
Lastly, I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Frank’s Chop Shop. We opened a flagship store and barbershop “For the Modern Gentleman of Leisure” a few years ago in New York’s Lower East Side. We sell all our Frank- and Frank Distro League-branded New Era hats there. The Chop Shop has three vintage 1930s barber chairs. We do cuts, straight razor shaves, the whole nine.
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