2. Masthead covers top third. Masthead in top left corner.
Main image is a medium shot
Front Cover Differences
Main image is a close up
Cover
lines
going
down
the
right
side as
well as
the left.
Issue number in
top right corner
Price is
underneath
masthead
House colour scheme is
red and white
House colour scheme is gold and
white
Flashing off
gold
jewellery
such as his
teeth and
chain
Buzz words in bold/enlarged
Included a
selling line
3. Front Cover Similarities
Main images both use direct
address Bar codes are both in the bottom right
Both have
cover lines
going down
left hand side
Main headlines
are both
middle/bottom
left third
Both have
white
backgrounds
Both images
are centralized
4. On my front cover I have decided to stick to codes and conventions in terms of the industry but defied codes
and conventions in terms of my genre. What I mean by this is that the hip-hop genre doesn’t need much
‘fancy’ stuff on the cover or too much information, it’s just straight to the point. I have included more cover
lines than the XXL has. My cover lines also have titles in relation to the article to draw in the reader with a
small persuasive description. Whereas XXL literally just have the names of artists features with no description
or sort of title. Also I have included a selling line, which defies the hip-hop genre but also defies the
industry’s codes and conventions as I have put it on top of my masthead rather than underneath. Due to this
being the first edition I wanted to highlight the issue number which is defying codes and conventions. I have
placed this in the top right. Plus I have included cover lines going down the right side as well as the left side.
This isn’t necessarily defying codes and conventions but it’s a difference my cover has to this particular cover
of XXL. Sticking to codes and conventions, my masthead is big and going across the top third of my magazine,
this is different to XXL as they are defying codes and conventions. Again defying codes and conventions of a
hip-hop magazine I have enlarged some buzz words. I have done this to try and persuade people to read on
as this is the first issue and haven’t gained any fan loyalty. What I should’ve added like XXL have is maybe
some jewellery as this really shows this clearly belongs in the hip-hop genre. I was told I should’ve added this
in my focus group that was done afterwards. My image is a medium shot whereas XXL’s is a close up. This
isn’t defying any codes and conventions but is a difference between the two magazines. However similarly
we have both centralized our image, this is sticking to codes and conventions both in terms of industry and
genre. In addition, the image on my cover and on XXL’s cover both use direct address to address the reader.
We both also have cover lines going down the left side and our main headlines in the middle/left third area.
It’s hard to compare similarities to this cover due to the lack of features/colours on it.
5. Contents Page Differences
Articles going down
left side
Articles spread out and
not structured
Name of magazine in
top left Name of magazine
on he top/middle
right sideDoesn’t specifically
tell the reader it’s
the contents page
Urban
background
Plain white
background
Date of issueEditorial column
Social Media
Title takes up top third
7. The contents pages have quite look quite different. It’s difficult to compare contents pages with XXL because
they actually have two parts to their contents page, A-Side and B-Side. There are quite a few differences but
not necessarily major differences. For example XXL have included the issue date on their contents whereas I
haven’t, XXL also didn’t put their social media on their contents which I have and their logo isn’t in the top
left like mine. These are minor differences which is good as I’m not really following or defying codes and
conventions but make mine look different to competitors. Where I have followed codes and conventions
though is by placing all of my articles down the left side. XXL are defying codes and conventions as they have
their articles scattered about and not in a structured order. Another example of me following industry's
codes and conventions and XXL defying them is the fact they haven’t stated this is the contents page like I
have (top left). On XXL their whole top third is taken up by ‘B-side’ whereas mine is taken up by the logo,
‘contents’ in bold and an editorial column. XXL has a plain white background, really sticking to their colour
scheme but I have an urban graffiti background to try and give it a more hip-hop feel. I do however have my
editorial column and box going down the sides with my articles in white and gold which is my colour scheme.
So I do follow my colour scheme, not as much as XXL do however. This is a similarity. Another similarity s that
our pictures are quite scattered about and in different sizes to other pictures on our contents. The articles
that the reader would be more interested in also have a bigger image attached to it on both mine and XXL.
Again, XXL are quite unusual and different so it can be hard to compare, but they are the biggest hip-hop
magazine which is why I want to compare mine and theirs.
8. Double Page Spread Differences
I’ve included two images
Image on one page and
content on the other
Content and images on both
No logo
Quote as heading
Drop Cap
Only two columns
This image is a low angle shot
Gold box containing an
introduction/preview of
article
Heading in bold
Not much colour
9. Double Page Spread Similarities
Both continuing to use house style and colour scheme
Long shot and direct address
with this image and XXL’s
Both have page numbers in corner
Both sans serif font for text
10. Some differences of the double page spread are once again, not very major such as XXL doesn’t include a
logo on their double page spread like I do, XXL don’t use a drop cap and XXL use two columns and I use three.
Some more significant differences are that XXL have used one whole page for the image and one whole page
for the content. Many magazines do this so I am defying codes and conventions by including two smaller
images and putting them on both pages and some of my article on both pages. Quite strangely XXL in this
article haven’t used a proper heading, they’ve just quoted a tweet from 50 Cent and kind of used that as
their heading. Whereas I have put a stand out and interging heading along with a short preview/introduction
underneath in a gold box (which XXL have not included). One of my images is also a low angle shot compared
to XXL’s long shot. However the other image I have is a long shot like XXL’s and again similar to theirs is
lacking colour (despite the red jacket and cap). A theme for XXL and their house style is minimal colour which
is sticking to codes and conventions of the genre. My magazine is colourful with the white and gold and
urban graffiti but this represents a more dated style of hip-hop magazines, it’s quite retro. So I can’t say I’m
necessarily defying the genre of hip-hop magazines in terms of colour. But the similarity there is that we both
stick to our house style and colour scheme. We both also have page numbers in the corner. My long shot
image and XXL’s image both also use direct address to engage with the reader and draw their attention. The
font we both use is also sans serif which is sticking to codes and conventions of hip-hop, due to the genre
being very modern and increasingly popular.
