About Us
Sad Mag is a youth arts and culture magazine based in Vancouver, BC. We accept submissions from writers, photographers, and visual artists under 30. We are a non-profit organization, and entirely volunteer-run.
From the Editor
Welcome to Sad Magazine! We’re glad you’re here.
Actually, we’re totally blown away that you’re here. When Creative Director Brandon Gaukel and I dreamed up a magazine project roughly one year ago over an extravagant pitcher of sangria, we couldn’t have even then — with stars in our eyes! — imagined that Sad Mag would receive the warm welcome it has already.
Sad Magazine was going to be a place where we could publish work we were truly proud of — the kind of stuff we couldn’t pitch to our editors or clients because they just wouldn’t get it. We wanted to tell beautiful stories in rich, vibrant language that made Vancouver’s most interesting personalities come alive; the kind of folks you wouldn’t read about because they’re not hawking goods or winning awards or 50-plus with a chic manor in Kitsilano. We wanted to publish gorgeous, original photography that made the grittiest, most colourful corners of our city come alive.
We soon learned that some of Vancouver’s best emerging writers and visual artists felt just as we did, and wanted to take part. Somewhere along the way, after hundreds of hours of volunteer time from some truly talented and incredible young people, we had a real thing — a magazine at least, and some small indication of an arts and culture movement at best.
Sad Magazine launched its first issue in September, 2009. The Sad Magazine Publications Society is a non-profit and entirely volunteer-run organization with a mandate to publish the magazine four times per year, advance artistic achievement through the promotion of literacy, art, and public discourse, and of course, advance the creative profiles of Vancouver’s artists under 30.
Hope you like it,
Deanne Beattie
Editor
WHO IS SAD?
Deanne Beattie, Editor
Deanne has reported on Vancouver’s vibrant arts and culture for three years at SFU’s student newspaper, The Peak, as well as at The Tyee and Ricepaper magazines.
Brandon Gaukel, Creative Director
Brandon is a Vancouver-based, award-winning photographer who works as an artist and commercial photographer for Xtra West. He runs his own freelance photography business, serving a wide variety of Vancouver clients and publications.
Megan Lau, Production Manager
Megan is a candidate for the Masters of Publishing at SFU. She is the former editor of Ricepaper magazine and a contributor to The Peak, West Coast Line, and the Asian Canadian Cultural Online Project. She writes almost daily on her blog.
Lon Garrick, Lead Designer
Lon is a graphic designer, video artist, children’s book illustrator, and award-winning animator. Australian-born, Lon has designed national Australian journals, countless books, posters, and ad campaigns. Presently, he works at a public relations firm in Vancouver.
Justin Mah, Managing Editor
Justin completed his degree in Art and Culture Studies at SFU. During his studies, he contributed to The Peak, and acted as a research assistant for the SFU Gallery and the West Vancouver Museum. Presently, Justin is working as an editorial intern at Canadian Art magazine.
THE SAD MAGAZINE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Robert Lutener
Robert is a filmmaker, artist, entrepreneur, and musician. He has over seven years experience establishing, owning, and managing several businesses that include a full-service Internet café and a fashion warehouse operation in Montréal. He has acted as the Head of Operational Security for a 1.5 million dollar hedge fund, produced and directed a documentary film, Up North, and has had his artworks exhibited around the globe. Now age 30, he is an undergraduate student at SFU and plays in the political punk band, the AK-747s.
Iris Dias
Iris is a public relations and communications professional with diverse experience in communications for the travel and hospitality industry. Originally from Edmonton, Iris is one half of the dynamic duo behind the Baby Bump Consignment Boutique for fashionable maternity clothing located there.
Hubert Chan
Hubert is the former Art Director of Ricepaper magazine, earning the publication a “Best of” mention in the Georgia Straight for his radical redesign during his time there. Hubert is a graduate of UBC Fine Arts and the Emily Carr/BCIT Design Essentials programs. He currently works as a graphic designer for Admok Creative.
Matthew McGale
Matthew is a painter and visual artist, and graduate of UBC Okanagan. He currently works with the leading Monte Clark Gallery in Vancouver on South Granville.
Additional members:
Deanne Beattie and Brandon Gaukel
To learn more about us, visit us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Emails to info [at] sadmag [dot] ca.