With the release of their first issue, “The Rage” magazine held a celebratory community event, dubbed “Ragefest,” at The Blue Room on Friday, Jan. 12. The event featured live bands, vendors and the first copies of “The Rage.”
“The Rage” is an art, culture, and vintage fashion magazine that focuses on Bellingham and its community. The first copy is colorful, with large-scale art and photography, both containing lots of contrast. It includes poems, fiction and stories about vinyl and fashion.
Hannah Quinton, creator and chief editor of “The Rage,” said she held the event to show her emphasis on community bonding.
“Our main goal is to create, exchange and connect through art. We want to make a community, engaging not only the readers but also the Bellingham community,” Quinton said.
Quinton transferred to Western Washington University from San Diego State University with the goal of bringing a creative source of community content. When she arrived in Bellingham, she started working to connect with community businesses, bringing Bellingham and Western into one creative space.
Aja Seese, Gorilla Grip Vintage vendor and Senior at Western, expressed her interest in the magazine's exploration of local artists, fashion and community focus. They also make sure to involve Western and students in pieces that don’t involve the school itself, but the community.
“I love how they do the at-school interviews because they are getting perspectives from students. As a student, it is nice to be heard like that,” Seese said.
The first issue contains a story on how to start a vinyl collection, and the design of the story is unique and artistic. There are personal stories about struggling with conformity and identity. It even includes a fictional series with intriguing art. There is a story about one of the performing Bellingham bands at Ragefest, Smithers.
Ragefest featured performances from three Washington rock bands: Smithers and Drayton from Bellingham, and SMAC from Tacoma. Each of them put on energetic performances and brought the rage to Ragefest.
The night of the event, The Blue Room was packed with colorful LED lights, balloons and a crowd of excited people dancing to the live music. While the moshpit raged on, other attendees were reading the new copy of “The Rage” just a few feet away.
Viewers of the first issue said they are looking forward to the vintage style and the excellent art and photography of the magazine. The graphics and style of the first copy had a big impression on first viewers.
“The magazine is very pretty to look at,” said Finn Skye, an event attendee. “I like this article about this local band [Smithers], more stuff about local music is something I’m interested in.”
“The Rage” started off as a small idea in a club at Western, and has turned into a finished product. Quinton expressed her gratitude to “The Rage” team that helped put her vision together.
Ragefest brought the community together and allowed people to appreciate and celebrate this brand new student run magazine. To support “The Rage,” check out their Instagram, and to view the first issue, head to their website.
Nate Landi is a senior at Western Washington University and a campus reporter for The Front. He is a journalism major and is very interested in sports and local news. You can reach him directly at natelandi.thefront@gmail.com.
