Grand Royal Magazine Issue #2

Beastie Boys / Grand Royal / 1995

GOAL: Deliver a visually and editorially compelling magazine for the Beastie Boys' global fan community, maintain its irreverent tone while improving legibility and layout consistency, and contribute original cultural commentary that resonated beyond music.

Challenges

  • Managing high-volume layout work with tight production timelines

  • Maintaining visual energy without sacrificing clarity or flow

  • Balancing fan service, inside jokes, and broad editorial relevance

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Approach

  • Led graphic design and layout production for the entire issue, from spreads to final files

  • Executed image retouching, photo manipulation, and typographic cleanup across dozens of pages

  • Cut out hundreds of mullet-wearing heads for one of the issue’s most iconic features.

  • Made editorial recommendations to improve pacing, relevance, and accessibility

  • Collaborated with writers, editors, and in-house team to deliver an issue that is equal parts zine, journal, and cultural artifact

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Outcomes

  • Played a pivotal role in cementing the magazine’s cult status

  • Contributed to the first printed use of “mullet” as a hairstyle term, later recognized by the Oxford English Dictionary

  • Helped shape the creative identity of Grand Royal as a one-of-a-kind cultural platform