Cathy Olmedillas is the inspirational founder behind Anorak an independent kids publisher established in 2006 and Studio Anorak a creative studio with clients including Airbnb, The Scouts Association and Made.com. Successfully pioneering a new aesthetic and approach to children’s magazine creation, the studio’s ethos is to bring joy to childhood through creativity.
We talked with Cathy to find out more about why she decided to publish uni-sex children’s magazines, Anorak and DOT, where she finds inspiration and contributing illustrators for each issue and her plans for the future of the Studio Anorak.
Where did the idea behind publishing The Happy Mags come from?
The Happy Mags idea was prompted by a real need—I became a Mum in 2002 and realised the children’s magazine market was poorly served. It was Barbie Weekly on one side and Batman Monthly on the other and in between a sea of throw-away magazines carrying plastic toys. They felt so pointless to me! I had fond memories of the (mostly unisex) annuals I grew up with as a child. I remembered how they sparked my imagination and entertained me for weeks on end during the holidays. So, I set about doing something similar, which would have high production values and could be passed on to siblings, cousins or even neighbours. The first magazine we launched was Anorak, which celebrated its 15th anniversary last year!
“The Happy Mags idea was prompted by a real need—I became a Mum in 2002 and realised the children’s magazine market was poorly served.”
You now have two magazines – Anorak and DOT – how did this come about?
Anorak came first. It is aimed at 6 to 12 year-olds. It was roughly the age bracket my son was in at the time, so it felt like a natural thing to do. Also, I had first-hand experience on how creativity in schools seemed to be pushed to the side so it felt crucial to make a magazine that could get my son and readers using their imagination and natural creativity. Something they could get inspiration from, too. I worked in publishing before so had some idea of how to launch a magazine and who to approach from a distribution point of view.
DOT followed a few years later when parents were writing to ask for a magazine for their younger children. It follows the same principles as Anorak of creative fun, sparking imaginations, curiosity about the world but in a more visual format as most preschoolers are still learning to read.
Can you tell us a bit about the story behind starting Studio Anorak?
Studio Anorak is the publishing house/creative studio behind the Happy Mags for Kids, Anorak and DOT. I first launched both titles and then brought them both into our studio umbrella because brands and cultural associations were approaching us to do work for them.
Illustration credits: Left: Yvonne Keesman Right: Anna Dunn
Where did the names for Anorak and DOT come from?
An anorak is a rain jacket but also in British English slang means a nerd or someone obsessive about something. It is used to describe trainspotters (like Francis Bourgeois)! I wore an anorak as a kid a lot and loved the duality of the meaning of the word, as all kids love to collect and obsess over certain things.
DOT also has a dual meaning: it’s short for Dorothy and it’s also a small circle. DOT’s head is basically a small circle, so it works!!
“I wore an anorak as a kid a lot and loved the duality of the meaning of the word, as all kids love to collect and obsess over certain things.”
Where do you find inspiration for each issue and why did you choose the theme ‘The Kingdom of Kitchens’ for this year’s summer issue?
Inspiration comes from many places, from watching documentaries to walking, from chatting to friends to reading books. I have this thing that I call the ‘Anorak Radar’ which is like seeing the world through the eyes of a child and being in a state of wonder. So, I may see a leaf on the floor and wonder how it got here and whether it could make a good story.
The Kitchen theme was inspired by the various lockdowns we’ve had. I realised we spent most of our time in our kitchen which is also our lounge and our office space. Most Zoom calls seemed to happen in kitchens too. When restaurants started re-opening, I was so elated to eat something that had been cooked by a chef, in a professional kitchen. So, the two fused and I started thinking about how kitchens have evolved and how they have been and still are so central to any types of homes and to the lives of many families.
“I have this thing that I call the ‘Anorak Radar’ which is like seeing the world through the eyes of a child and being in a state of wonder.”
Illustration credits: Weronika Lis
How do you go about selecting contributing illustrators for each issue?
I now have a huge network, which has been acquired over the years. I keep adding to this ever-increasing pool of talent by either going on an ‘explore’ on Instagram or doing lectures at universities. The Kitchen edition, for example, carries tons of stories that were born out of a couple of live briefs for the excellent Milan-based illustration school Mimaster and the University of Nottingham. I asked the students to come up with a fictional story or a game based on the theme of Kitchens and ended up selecting and publishing around six incredible stories.
Often the process of selecting a style starts when I write a story or a feature as I tend to visualise it all as I am writing it.
Where is Studio Anorak going in the next few years?
Our mission is to put creativity and joy in the heart of childhood, so we always try to find new opportunities to keep that going!
We launched during Lockdown 1 The Happy Podcast for Kids which sees our Little Editors asking questions to experts on various themes, from Mountains to Food. Season 2 is out now and we have hit 10,000 downloads, which is incredible!
This year we partnered with a Korean publisher to translate and distribute Anorak in South Korea, which is a real joy to see and a massive step for us.
Aside from magazines, we have also launched a book imprint called Paper Turtle and have just published two titles, The Book of Laughs and The Book of Makes.
Finally, in 2023, we are looking to expand beyond children’s publishing and will be launching our very own talent agency, representing illustrators and photographers from around the world.
Not bad for a magazine that some distributors thought would never work because it is unisex!!
“Our mission is to put creativity and joy in the heart of childhood, so we always try to find new opportunities to keep that going!”
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of starting their own magazine?
Have a single-minded and unique vision and be prepared to dip into your savings!! Magazine-making brings a lot of joy but it is also labour-intensive, and that can only be offset if you are massively passionate about what you do (and have some savings!!)
Illustration credits: Left: Sara Arosio Right: Ben Javens
Purchase the lastest issues of Anorak and DOT:
- Anorak Mushrooms – anorakmagazine.com/products/anorak-mushrooms-vol-62
- DOT Sports – anorakmagazine.com/products/dot-sports-volume-28