RayGun Graphology & Pragmatics

A style of music magazine that I really like and have an interest in is David Carson's RayGun. I really like it because it is so unique and arty in that no two covers are identical in any way and it doesn't conform to the tradition of magazine layout, plus the bands and musicians it covers are of the genre that I take particular interest in. Another reason I love RayGun is because the graphology and pragmatics of it are very interesting and different.


Graphology is the layout of the magazine cover. It includes the image; proportion of text and images; colours; font; and the overall feel and style of the piece.

The graphology of RayGun is very random and never conforms to the traditional layout of magazines or regularity of multiple issues- ie no issue is the same. Each issue has a different graphology.

The two covers below are both from RayGun magazine, however the graphology of them contrasts greatly; the background colours are different; the masthead is in a different font and also layout; the text is also in a different font for each and it is laid out completely differently; multiple images are used as the background of the issue on the right but the left copy does actually use the traditional poster style seen in most other magazines- it's just everything else that doesn't fit in with the 'norm'. The overall style of the piece is very arty and doesn't really look like a magazine- and only the coverline listing the musicians identify it as a music magazine.

The graphology of RayGun is very unusual and unique.







Pragmatics is the relationship between the reader and the magazine and also what uses and gratification the magazine provides for the reader. The pragmatics of RayGun magazine is very different and unusual compared to what readers would expect from an average music magazine. As RayGun is very artily designed and unique, it is expected that someone who both has an interest in music and is arty would be more inclined to read RayGun than any other magazine, so the pragmatics of it is due to particular interest that both David Carson and the reader has. The same goes for gratification- it is more likely that a reader would appreciate the uniqueness of RayGun in comparison to other magazines if the reader is artistic and/or appreciates art combined with music because that is the outlook of the magazine.