The Toronto editorial industry is introduced to Issues – Nicola Hamiltons bridge between what is wanted from a commercial standpoint, and what is desired when in the process of creating
Nicola Hamilton – designer, creator, and artist
Having acquired experience from a variety of spaces in the creative realm, Nicola Hamilton’s adoration for art and design created a butterfly effect. Creating a congregation space for peers and like-minded folk in the arts, Issues, a literary concept store, born in July 2022. Situated in a nook of Dundas West in Toronto, Issues is a disseminator for hard-to-find and recondite magazines with a pivot towards design and editorial centric works.
Brought together by a Toronto based design and fabrication company called, Company Company, Issues was a realization made by custom pieces sought from the environs. As for its owner who began her career in editorial design and art direction for renowned publications in the greater Canada area, Hamilton’s know-how is shown in the space.
«I began my tenure as a designer in the creative industry with a magazine that stemmed from the locale of Toronto. Titled ‘The Grid’, a city-weekly newspaper that acted as a magazine, I dedicated three years of my time here before uprooting myself to other creative ventures. The newspaper-magazine hybrid shut down in 2014,. During my time here, I gained the necessary know-how to edit, design, and craft a publication».
Hamiltons road to the bookstore Issues
Hamilton took on freelancing jobs as a designer within the greater Toronto area and on an international scale for the span of a year. Her time at The Grid was one that Hamilton regards to have been rewarding, citing that due to its admiration and adoration from readers in the area and its connection to designers abroad, the founder of Issues was able to obtain access to those in the design community to build her repertoire and secure jobs. A year into her venture as a self-employed designer, Hamilton returned to the editorial scene where she took the role as designer for a heritage Canadian women’s magazine, which was transformative for her.
Hamilton explicates that her time at Chatelain allowed her to interact with more creatives – one being the formation of a boutique design agency that is built on the ethos of curating magazines in Toronto. «The name of the design agency was Studio Wyse. I designed content for university-based magazines in Toronto. We had collaborated with other creatives and were employed by a number of newspapers from the locale and a renowned Canadian airline, where we were in charge of designing their in-flight magazine».
In 2020, Hamilton quit from Studio Wyse as a means to explore her individual creativity
Hamilton explains that upon her decision to leave, the world was met with a halting stop and many restrictions due to the pandemic. Taking on freelance roles as a means to support herself through this time, Hamilton shares that it was fulfilling to be self-employed and working for oneself – allowing her time and space to ideate her visions into a reality.
Issues as a proxy for design and literature
Hamilton explains that her time spent in the realm of media of commercial and renowned stature, nurtured her interest in design. The idea behind Issues was born. In Canada, Hamilton highlights the dichotomy between what is wanted from a commercial standpoint, and what is desired when in the process of creating. «Canada is known to be risk averse in the content that is created. This leads legacy publications to being boxed into what sells, as opposed to the freedom of creativity and curation that sets works apart». In regard to independent publications, Hamilton elucidates that there is a luxury in taking creative risks.
Hamilton states that in addition to the possibilities of creative freedom, the efforts needed to offer supply of recondite publications in Canada. «Along with the circulation and price points of these publications, Canada as a country is vast in size. A fact that a number of individuals seem to be unaware of. This stifles circulation, availability, and the exploration of certain titles».
To enrich her knowledge of publications, Hamilton seeks out independent retailers who cater to esoteric publications and purchase them for her personal library collection. To this, she cites stores like magCulture in London and Undercover in Lisbon from her time abroad as an inspirational establishment that urged Issues into a realization.
A supplier and motivator for design
In its infancy, Hamilton listed a series of names that she reviewed later on amongst her peers. She states that for an extended period of time, the store was regarded simply as ‘The Magazine Store’. There were over one hundred names considered and Hamilton leaned the list and proceeded to do a review amongst her peers. «I had certain favorites and was surprised when some names scored low on the list – one of them being ‘Issues’».
Undeterred, Hamilton signified her business under the name, licensing it alongside two others as a safe bet. «When my lawyer contacted me after the consolidation, the name that got the greenlight from the three suggestions I made was ‘Issues’. The rest was history».
Built on the ethos of sharing – where design and editorial forward works are featured, Issues’ focus is pivoted towards offering magazines in its forms and exposing audiences to a wider net of materials. Hamilton adds that Issues will be catering magazines as their primary offering for the time being.
Independent magazines as the highlight of Issues
Open to the possibilities of carrying varied literary goods and a number of concept items, Hamilton explains that magazines will be the spotlight feature leading into the new year. As for carrying and selling recondite materials like Buffalo Zine, MacGuffin, Gal-Dem, The Gentlewoman and Lampoon to name a few, Hamilton believes in there being a possibility of up-and-coming creators to becoming inspired and create works that are varied, as opposed to what is expected and seen again and again across Canada. «There is a lag in the rate of expansion amongst creatives as compared to places in Europe and the United States. My intent was to support and foster curiosity in creatives».
Hamilton explains that the beginning of issues was done through minimal operations. Carrying select titles and a handful of copies of each publication acted as a litmus test towards buyers. The owner adds that over time, she has increased titles and copies to cater to buyers but have been met with challenges like duties and shipment issues.
Editorial designs and fostering connections
Magazines and periodicals that are sold in Issues hold relevance towards detail and curation. Hamilton seeks out quality in design, print and curation. She shares that readers who seek out varied print matters are steering away from commercial pieces due to its degrading quality. «Print media, in Canada and in general, have been losing its sense of self over the last decade. The quality of the paper and printing of each issue has atrophied over time. The same can be said for the matter of discussion, design language as well as the decline in the page count».
Selling recondite periodicals opens discussions between customers and the creators of such magazines and Hamilton explains that the need to create a healthy offering in the creative pool of consumption prompts ideas and conversations within creatives in the area and abroad. They take time and space to create a relationship between independent business owners like Hamilton and her store, Issues.
Stating that she has offered Issues for book and magazine launches over the last few months, Issues has become a congregation space for many – be it creators or consumers of the arts. In their near future, Hamilton is seeking out measures to solidify the means of function at the store. Managing titles, consumers’ recommendations, and a means to navigate all of the caveats in magazine distribution all while remaining design centered, thoughtful and community based.
Issues, Toronto
1489 Dundas St. W., Toronto, Ontario, M6K 1T6. Issues is a magazine shop that carries hard-to-find, independent magazines from around the world. They celebrate the people and projects keeping print alive.
