Yesterday marked the end of the SNOW Magazine Cafe, and we’d like to thank everyone who made it out to Cafe Pause to have a look at all of the magazines on display — and big thanks to the publishers as well. Although this marks the official end of the event, anyone who missed out will get a reprieve in the form of next week’s PauseTalk Vol. 44 (Monday, September 6), for which the participating titles again be put out for everyone to browse through.

But this doesn’t mark the true end either. One of the reasons we didn’t put as much info about the participating magazines and their creators here on this site as originally planned is because there are plans for an eventual publication/report on the event. Although no release date has been set, we’ll start releasing more info about the project — including its form — once things get finalized.

Again, thank you all for sharing your magazine love by attending the SNOW Magazine Cafe, and here’s looking forward to an even bigger showing in 2011!

Pictured is the poster that greeted everyone at the entrance of Cafe Pause during the event, designed for the event by Luis Mendo (GOOD Inc.) — the flyer design was adapted by Hiyoko Imai.

Below are larger versions of the poster and both sides of the flyer.

Behind the glass showcase display we featured the entire run (10 issues) of the now defunct Tokyo-based independent culture magazine OK Fred. The magazine’s founders, Yoshi Tsujimura and Audrey Fondecave, are getting ready to launch a new title called TOO MUCH, with the first issue set to come out this fall.

This year marks the 15 anniversary of Tokyo-based independent magazine publisher Knee High Media — behind titles such as Tokion, Mammoth, Planted, and Papersky — and so a special collection of 15 titles was on display, featuring one issue for each year of existence.

We include here an essay from Knee High Media founder Lucas Badtke-Berkow on why he makes magazines.

Magazine = MOVEment

I’ve always loved magazines. I used to not just read magazines, but study the paper they were printed on, the illustrations, designs, photographs, concepts and presentations behind each story. The more I did, the more I wanted to make and create magazines. I made my first magazine in 6th grade and it went on to win two prizes- Best School magazine in California and Best Designed magazine in the district.

Ever since, I’ve never stopped making magazines. To me magazines are ART, LITERATURE, CULTURE and HISTORY all wrapped and sandwiched between two covers. They are to me what a canvas is to a painter, or an instrument to a musician, magazines are my artistic medium. Magazines, for me, are a medium in which I can contribute my part to making the world a better place by presenting ideas, emotions, people and places that will hopefully become seeds for a new WIDESCREEN way of thinking.

In short, magazines at their best are MOVEment makers, and at their very best they create change for the better. Since arriving in Japan in 1993, I thought about the magazine’s I’ve made and what they MOVED: TOKION (Japanese youth MOVEment), MAMMOTH (kids culture MOVEment), PAPER SKY (travel MOVEment), METRO MIN. (the free magazine MOVEment) and PLANTED & PLANTS + (plant MOVEment). Today, I look forward to participating in the next MOVEment that will make our world a better and more peaceful place for everyone.

Lucas Badtke-Berkow
Knee High Media, Creative & Editorial Director

When you give an exhibition a name like SNOW Magazine Cafe, even if it is about magazines, it makes sense to include some sort of menu to go with event, which is what we did. The special menu — which is available for the duration of the event — includes three items, all following the theme of “white,” which is in keeping with the “SNOW” name.

SNOW LASSI
Peach Lassi
￥600

SNOW COCKTAIL
Malibu Rum and Milk
￥700

SNOW PUDDING
Annin Tofu and Tapioca
￥500

Pictured above, the SNOW PUDDING, which we can assure you is as delicious and cool as it looks.