EDITORIAL 2022
COSMOS
OVERVIEW
Cosmos is a magazine which centres around Marvel characters, comics and movies, informing audiences and fans about the captivating journey of the characters. The chosen tagline ‘From the Studio to the Screen’ chronicles their evolution from origins to their most recent portrayals. Each issue centres on an individual character from the Marvel universe, showcasing enthralling comic pages, exclusive interviews, striking movie stills, comprehensive reviews, and listings.
Series covers
Cosmos maintains a concise yet comprehensive format, with approximately 70–75 pages per issue, released on a quarterly basis. With a mindful approach to size, the magazine strikes a balance that ensures an engaging reading experience without overwhelming its audience. Given the vast wealth of information spanning several years, the decision was made to cap each issue at 75 pages, guaranteeing both enjoyment and ease of reading for users.
BRANDING
The core branding of Cosmos predominantly revolves around a captivating combination of white and black, while the cover colour varies depending on the image featured. The online presence and websites also adhere to the distinct monochrome palette, which effectively distinguishes Cosmos' overall branding from the individual colour schemes used in each issue. As for the inside pages, a vibrant array of shades including blue, purple, orange, yellow, and red are employed. This deliberate use of multiple colours aligns with the vibrant and vivid appearances of Marvel characters, allowing the magazine to authentically reflect their brightly dressed and coloured nature within its pages.
Prior to delving into content research for the magazine, careful consideration was given to the title, masthead, and tagline. This involved addressing fundamental questions about the magazine's purpose, as well as identifying the target audience. By gaining clarity on these aspects, it became possible to envision the trajectory of each issue and determine the most suitable branding direction. Multiple potential name options were explored, alongside the creation of various taglines, which were then visually represented using different typefaces. This process facilitated a visualisation of the options and aided in determining the most effective choices.
Front cover
Full cover design
To maximise the cover's impact, it was decided that utilising a shattered-glass print finish on the masthead using vinyl would be beneficial. This choice was made because the pattern aligns with the character's costume on the cover and additionally serves as a background on certain inside pages.
Example of inside pages
Example of inside pages
Example of inside pages
SOCIAL MEDIA
Cosmos website
Magculture website
Stack website
Cosmos Instagram page
To complement the magazine, an online presence was established to showcase the advertising approach for each issue to target audiences. Additionally, visuals depicting the promotion of Cosmos on various retailers like Stack and Magculture were created.
