The Editors: Jo Walker of frankie on Melbourne & the Future of Print
Jo Walker, editor of Melbourne-based magazine frankie, radiates the kind of vibe that reflects the publication she edits. Her laughter is deep; her passion is evident; and even her profanity ”“ fittingly; in the Australian way ”“ is eloquent.
Starting out as a freelance writer for the magazine in 2004, Walker became editor in 2007. She runs a tight, well-executed, personable ship in the form of a bi-monthly print magazine for women (and, increasingly, men) who want intelligent coverage of art, design, photography, travel, food, and people, as well as smaller print offshoots ”“ cookbooks, craftbooks, and Spaces magazine (which features houses and those who make them homes). Walker admits that she “still doesn’t have the 25-words-or-less for what frankie is about,” but her publication speaks for itself: an intentional, creative composition of content that can’t be found anywhere else.
The pages of frankie are known for a certain aesthetic. The writing style speaks to all the best bits of the Australian attitude, while the design reflects a respect for tea-time and interesting conversation. Frankie speaks less to an age-group or a gender, and more to the character traits of the intrepid intellectual; there’s an unmissable zest for the quirky, indisputable pursuit of the interesting, and a vibrant thirst for long-form stories that matter. “People are still opening magazines,” she says, “but they’re opening magazines that are more thoughtful, intelligent and niche. People, it turns out, love paper.”
Read on for more with Jo Walker, and her favourite highlights in Melbourne.
Riley Wilson: Why is frankie different to other publications?
Jo Walker: In a lot of the kind of reader feedback I get, readers treat frankie like a person. People don’t write to me; they write to frankie. There’s definitely a personality there and I think a lot of people feel like they’re not cool enough, or rich enough, or skinny enough, or whatever for the kind of image that’s given off by a lot of other women’s magazines so we’re very mindful of never telling anybody what to do. We’ll never tell you that you must do something, or must have something, or that ”˜Everyone is doing this thing and you should too!” I don’t want a fucking magazine telling me what to do. We’re very non-judge-y.
RW: How important is the design element of the magazine?
JW: It’s got the point now where people use the word frankie as shorthand for a certain look. People go, “Oh look at that pillow; it’s so frankie.” That very specific kind of look came from a genuine love for the vintage and the quirky; for photography, newer designs, and interesting handmade stuff. But I’m always trying to liven that look up because I don’t want to get stuck in a rut. We introduce new things all the time, but there’s a certain look that people expect and they like.
RW: You came on in 2007. What changes have you seen in your time as editor?
JW: We’re moving more into overseas markets these days. What you would call “the frankie lady” is everywhere. I still get emails from new readers in Australia saying, ”˜Where have you been all my life? I’ve never seen you before!” And increasingly we’re getting those letters from Singapore and the UK and the USA and beyond.
RW: How much of an impact does ”˜the Australian identity,’ if you will, have on the content produced for the magazine?
JW: We probably swear a lot more because, in an Australia cultural landscape, people like to fucking swear. That’s what happens. Funnily enough, our creative director is British; our marketing lady is French; our designer is from New Zealand; and I grew up in Hong Kong. There are a lot of different things that influence us. I have always tried to include Australian and New Zealand stuff. People occasionally pitch stuff to me that’s not local ”“ like an artist or designer doing great things in Brooklyn. But if there’s an equivalent person in Adelaide doing the same thing, I’m going to run a story on them. We’ve always had a ”˜let’s focus on Australia first’ mentality. There’s always going to be an Australian flavour. And I suppose there’s the attitude of not taking yourself too seriously, and being a bit silly with things, and just being a bit down-to-earth. We never strive to be cool, because there’s that Australian thing that as soon as you try to be cool, you start becoming a wanker.
RW: What about Melbourne? How does the coffee-drinking, culture-heavy environment drive the magazine?
JW: I spent half of my life is Brisbane and I hated reading magazines and finding out about things that were going on in Sydney. I was like, “Oh my god, there’s a whole country out there.” So, yeah; we have a fair amount of Melbourne content, but being a second city ”“ behind Sydney ”“ you have a bit more of awareness that you’re not the capital, you’re not the centre of things. We love when we can cover stuff in Adelaide and Perth. There are people doing interesting stuff all over the place. We try increasingly to do things in South-East Asia because I think that’s part of our neighbourhood. And being Melbourne, we think we’re pretty cool but we realise we’re also a weird, little European-looking outpost at the end of the world. So you can’t get too big for your boots in this city.
JO WALKER’S MELBOURNE HIGHLIGHTS
For a great dose of Walker’s essential “Vitamin Rock,” check out The Old Bar
“This spot is tiny, grotty and friendly, with a miniature stage that’s always full of something good.”
Make your way through brekkie at True North
“My local café! The décor is dedicated to post-rock bands, black metal and cats. They’ve just got a liquor license too. Yum.”
http://www.truenortharcher.com/
Or, grab a bite at Welcome to Thornbury
“Melbourne has so many food vans now that they’ve reached a critical mass. Each night there’s a different lot of vendors (and beers).”
http://welcometothornbury.com/
For laughs, she recommends Spotted Mallard
“A swish-looking restaurant/bar/gig venue with Melbourne’s most hilarious weekly trivia night, Fact Hunt.”
http://www.spottedmallard.com/
And for succulents galore, flora-filled Mr Kitly.
“If you like indoor plants in any conceivable way, you will love this store.”
You can find frankie here.
 Riley Wilson is a native Sydney-sider who grew up between Australia and the USA, with extensive travels throughout Europe along the way. She is a freelance writer and editor, contributing to Broadsheet Sydney, The Sydney Morning Herald, and a variety of publications in Australia and overseas. She’s deeply passionate about olives, oysters, postage stamps, and punctuation. |
(Images credited to their respective owners. Photos of Jo Walker and Frankie office by Paul Barbera. Image of The Old Bar by The Old Bar; image of True North by David Kneale; image of Welcome to Thornbury by Welcome to Thornbury/Robbie Coleman/Danielle Chau; image of Spotted Mallard by Spotted Mallard; and image of Mr Kitly by Lauren Bamford.)
Share this
Like this
