A visually energized publication, a highly successful website, weekly podcasts, curated series of talks, and a studio based in London, no we’re not talking about Monocle but the incredibly talented duo behind It’s Nice That. Just shy of three years, Will Hudson, Alex Bec and the team have created something wonderful, a reservoir of information from a heard of creatives covering different industries. It’s Nice That publishes its magazine twice a year featuring interviews and works from designers, photographers, and artists. They recently announced the contents of issue three. Contributions from Geoff McFetridge, Interviews with Tom Dixon, Milton Glazer, and Paul Smith and works from Charley Harper, A2/SW/HK, and many others. One of the best parts of it is the 128 page magazine is completely ad free. Issue three won’t be out until April 1st but if you pre-order before the launch, you’ll receive an original large-scale print from Parra. Pre-order here. See what’s inside after the jump.

Denim Legends, a book published by WeAr Global Magazine, might possibly be the most important book on denim history. Coming in at over 400 pages, the tome starts from the beginning with the oldest pair of jeans in existence, the Levis 1870 jeans, and runs through to the present. It’s all in the details from the buttons and labels to the stitching, as jeans, jackets, vests, overalls, and even dresses are treated like splayed specimens through its photographs. Denim Legends is separated into five periods, 1870 – 1929, 1930 – 1959, 1960 – 1979, 1980 – 1999 and 2000+, and consists of minimal text. Before you head over to Amazon to add a copy to your cart, consider that only 2,500 copies are made with no intentions of it ever being reprinted. That being said, the book comes with a hefty price tag of 890 Euros, approximately $1,200. Though it is almost impossible to justify paying so much for a book, it can be an incredible resource for some professionals. (via Anothersomething)

There is a lost art in book binding, very few people appreciate the intricacies that go behind its creation. Pepper’s Projects, a gallery based in Tokyo is attempting to spotlight this art form by sponsoring its fourth annual Japanese Young Artists’ Book Fair. It will take place for the next two weeks in three of New York’s best bookstores, Printed Matter, St. Mark’s Books, and Kinokuniya. The exhibition will feature different handmade books from over 100 artists with an additional exhibition that will coincide with the fair at Williamsburg Art & Historical Center. The book fair is on view now until March 7th while the art exhibit starts on the 27th and runs through March 7th.

Last week saw the demise of I.D. magazine, a 55 year old design publication that fought hard to survive after seven consecutive years of lost profits. Despite the challenges many print publication face today, primarily from the web, magazines continue to endure. There’s no sense in arguing that print will perish, because it won’t. Of course we will continue to see its decline in 2010 and beyond, but it will never go away. There’s nothing like receiving an issue of Monocle in the mail and flipping through it as the scent of paper and ink wafts through the air. Photography will always look better on print.

No, print will never die, it will only become a premium and with it a new found respect for the medium will emerge. Some magazines that we often find ourselves reading include Apartamento, Fantastic Man, Me, and of course Monocle. Some magazines that we like to get more acquainted with are Inventory, It’s Nice That, Remedy Quarterly, and Untitled.

Chris Ware is an oddity. Many label him as a comic book artist but his ability to handle type with the utmost care and knowledge in layout and design sets him aside from his peers. This ability is most apparent in the covers he’s designed for the Acme Novelty Library series. Ware’s choice of storytelling is also unique. Some may consider his characters as underdogs while others may perceive them as losers. Ware chooses to take his readers to the uncomfortable places, exploring loneliness, isolation, and rejection. Unmasked is Chris Ware’s latest contribution to the New Yorker. A story told from the point of view of a mother with her daughter, spending a lonely Halloween evening together.

Apartamento Issue #4
Featuring: Grillo Demo, Philip Crangi, Mark & Garrick, Chloe Sevigny, Sonic Youth, Bertjan Pot, Under the sky, China apartments, Family tales “Made in Italy,” Stella Sabin, Neverland, Gustavo Di Mario, Collage, Whole Earth, Plant portrait, Sonya Park, Jan Lindenbert, Post-sex and relaxation, Light/chaos & collecting, Meaningless borders, Growning in the wrong place, Cyril Duval. Plus everyday life kids supplement with: Andy Rementer, Geoff McFetridge, Enzo Mari and Jordi Ferreiro. Release date: October 28.