THE BLOCK MAGAZINE /
ISSUE 20 - JANUARY 2010

"If Lady Gaga's Rilke tattoo wasn't enough to convince you that reading poetry isn't just the domain of intellectually pretentious English Lit students with horn rimmed glasses, you should probably check out Popshot. The British poetry and illustration magazine, now on its second issue, is unique among poetry journals in its fresh, modern, and decidedly unstuffy approach. The poetry in each issue centres around a theme (the current issue is "us and Them"), while illustrators are commissioned to provide a visual interpretation of each poem. The resulting book on black matte paper is probably the coolest marriage of poetry and art we've seen since William Blake's watercolours for Dante."

OBSERVER WOMAN MAGAZINE /
JANUARY 2010

POPSHOT - THE NEW MAG THAT MAKES POETRY READABLE
"Poetry," screams the first page of fanzine Popshot. "It's not just for tweed jackets." Oh yes? This is a sensitively illustrated and thick-paged fanzine of poems to concentrate on. "Do not read this if you need the toilet," advises the 22-year-old editor, Jacob Denno. "Poetry is an art form that needs complete attention."

COMPUTER ARTS MAGAZINE /
ISSUE 169 - DECEMBER 2009

"Once a very fashionable literary form, it's been a while since poetry was widely deemed as being at the cutting edge of creative expression. Jacob Denno has decided to do something about that by enlisting the help of illustrators including Spencer Wilson, Marcin Kuligowski, Valero Doval and City Abyss for his poetry mag Popshot. Aspiring poets are invited to write on a theme and the illustrators take their turn to create an image for each piece. A clean design and great printing round off a beautifully conceived product.
"As soon as people hear the word 'poetry' they tend to glaze over, which makes getting the magazine out there a bit more of a challenge" says Denno. "It warmed the cockles of my kidneys when one of the poets in this issue said that the illustration for their poem was perfect. So I won't argue with that."

BOOK BY ITS COVER /
www.book-by-its-cover.com - NOVEMBER 2009

"As magazine after magazine folds, RIP, I have been noticing a new crop of smaller press magazines thriving. This week I wanted to show my appreciation for all the independent magazines out there who are sharing amazing content on paper and giving us a subscription we look forward to receiving.

Popshot magazine’s aim is to steal back poetry from “the clammy hands of school anthologies and funeral reading.” Each issue has a theme, this one being Us & Them. A series of poems by different writers were created around that theme and illustrations were made by various talented artists (ie. Julia Pott, Valero Doval, Beata Boucht) to accompany the poems. I’ve never been a huge poetry fan but this magazine has less intimidating and less pretentious writing than I am used to. For each poem, I was super interested to read the piece and see how the illustrator interpreted it compared to my own thoughts about it. I may be giving poetry a second thought thanks to this magazine!"

WE HEART STUFF /
www.weheart.co.uk - NOVEMBER 2009

"Poetry. It’s not just for tweed jackets. At least that’s what the guys behind Popshot Magazine tell us, and who are we to argue when it’s this beautifully presented? Each issue centres around a given theme upon which the poets are invited to write about, said poems are then shipped out to select artists who then illustrate based upon their interpretation of the piece… in these times of fast paced digital technology, what could be more refreshing and creative? Bi-annual, the latest, and only second, edition is based around the theme of ‘us and them’, with observations on the likes of prejudice, hierarchy, class, the rat race and the frightening possibility of being replaced by robots, it’s both a literary and visual treat and is a wonderfully designed reminder that poetry is as fresh and relevant today than it ever has been... well done guys!"

KULT MAGAZINE /
NO. 11 - NOVEMBER 2009

"La poesia? Mai così attuale È un magazine dedicato alla poesia e all’illustrazione. Retrò? Niente affatto. Nessun intento di immortalare i grandi poeti del passato perchè l’obiettivo è “mostrare la poesia di oggi e di domani”. Non poteva essere altrimenti, considerato che dietro al magazine si cela il ventiduenne Jacob Denno, che ne è fondatore e direttore. Ogni numero colleziona poesie scritte intorno a un tema, tutte illustrate."

"Poetry? There is no other current magazine like this dedicated to poetry and illustration. Does it look back (into the past)? Not at all. There is no attempt to immortalise the great writers of the past because the aim is to ‘show the poetry of today and tomorrow’. It couldn’t have been otherwise, given that behind the magazine lies 22 year old Jacob Denno, who is founder and editor/director. Each edition collects poetry written about one particular theme, with all poems illustrated."

OPEN MAGAZINE /
www.openmagazine.co.uk - NOVEMBER 2009

"Poetry has been dragged by its tweedy lapels into the 21st century, in no small part by Popshot magazine, a charming, accessible and, moreover, beautiful magazine of original poems brought to life by compelling illustration. We spoke to its young founder, Jacob Denno.

What inspired you to begin Popshot?
The looming gap between poetry and modern civilization as well as the general perception that poetry is an artform of the past. I wanted to try and create a place where the poetry of today and tomorrow could flourish rather than languish.

How do you get poets to contribute?
We do a call for submissions a few months before every issue whereby anyone and everyone can contribute. I love the idea that established poets have an equal chance of getting in as some kid who wrote a beautiful poem and thought they would send it in.

Is there a trend to the type of person who contributes to Popshot?
Alot of people in the education sector seem to be the biggest contributors. We get quite a few submissions from people studying for Creative Writing MA's and creatively frustrated teachers.

How many poems do you receive for consideration for each issue?
For the current issue ( the theme is Us and Them ) I think we had about 300 - 400 poems that we sifted through. Hopefully we'll have a lot more for Issue 3.

How do you decide which ones to publish?
The ones that strike a chord and that you can relate to. A lot of poets get to a point where they start writing about Greek mythology and science which makes it so hard to identify with. The best poetry is the poetry that is applicable. You read it and you can understand it and relate to it on a personal level. This issue one of the poems was about digging a tunnel under your desk and running away from the office. I think most people would understand that feeling.

Why do you think that poetry has a stuffy image?
I think a massive amount of it is to do with design. A lot of poets have no interest in layout or aesthetics so it showcases the work in a pretty dry manner. Also, there's an enormous amount of praise that circulates for poets from days gone by. People usually cite Keats and Auden and Frost as inspiration rather than the poets of today so to someone from the outside, poetry is still pretty much stuck in the 1940's.

Is the poetry scene changing? How?
I certainly think it is. It feels like since the increased publicity that poetry received a few months ago thanks to Carol Ann Duffy and the BBC Poetry Season, it's a little more on the radar. There's loads of poetry nights on across London every week and more and more blogs and small publications seem to be cropping up.

Who would you like to see as the next Poet Laureate?
Murray Lachlan Young. He has the ability to loosen the bladder.

What do you think makes a good poem?
An original, relatable idea articulated with beautiful language and laced together with a strong sense of rhythm and meter.

Do you write poetry yourself?
Yes, but I'm not half as good as the people who make it into the magazine.

How do you fund Popshot?
At the moment, off the back of the day job but hopefully one day soon it'll be Popshot that funds Popshot.

What next for the magazine?
For now I just want to raise the print run every issue and get the magazine to as many people as possible and for them to appreciate it. Also keep raising the standard of both poetry and illustration. Hopefully one day when people think of poetry, they'll think of Popshot, not of old men that smell of electric heaters and write poems about their sexual desires. Also, it would be amazing to start doing events at some point.

What are your three poetry recommendations?
A poetry night called Bang Said the Gun which is definitely the best poetry night I've ever been to. I never knew poetry nights could make my stomach hurt. It's wonderful. An online poetry magazine called Pomegranate which publishes work from young poets. Penned in the Margins who publish books, put on nights and so on."

LEEDS STUDENT NEWSPAPER /
www.leedsstudent.org - OCTOBER 2009

"Denno accurately dubs his zine of poetry and illustration as ‘ruddy pretty’. Popshot documents the disorientation, disillusionment and disappointments our generation feels about our past, present and future, as witty and intelligent, lyrical and visual forms of art. Denno has resurrected poetry’s relevance by collating young people’s poetic thoughts- on reading Popshot, any embers of school anthologies will be long forgotten. This is poetry for hipsters, not tweed elbows patched with leather. The poetry inspires and involves you in the issues of our generation; whether controversial comments on the BNP, illegal immigrants and homelessness, or evaluating our everyday lives like hedonistic sex, academics with Lady Macbeth qualities and alienation at work.

Lose your Head, Teach is a satirical and realistic response to the recruitment campaign which will grace us with their presence at our careers fairs. The Neighbours from Hell displaces our monarchy so that striking and shocking resemblances to the families our society is ashamed of are formed. The standard of poetry inside Popshot excels what is called exceptional. Art wise, Popshot reinvents Blake’s marriage of lyrics and image. Illustrations are insightful, intriguing and just bloody beautiful. The young artists surpass what is deserving of a trendy showcase in Shoreditch.

My only complaint of Popshot is that it is biannual- I am already craving my next fix of angst over the real concerns of our contemporary society. I also think it should be printed as a book, as it should certainly be treasured like one.

You cannot fail to engage with the poetry in Popshot- it is accessible to absolutely anyone. This zine should be read time and time again and then again in ten years time. It deserves nothing less than your full attention."

INTELLIGENT LIFE, THE ECONOMIST /
www.moreintelligentlife.com - OCTOBER 2009

"How can you resist a "poetry and illustration magazine gently intent on hoodwinking poetry back from the clammy hands of tweed jackets and school anthologies"? It's not often that a mission statement–– that rote recycler of wearisome phrases––whets a reader's appetite. Even better, Popshot delivers on its promise.

Jacob Denno, the young founder and editor of this small, Britain-based magazine, wisely chose to set a theme for each issue. Parameters can ease readers into a more unusual reading experience. Popshot also includes a brief primer on how it should be read. Presumptuous? Not really. "Make yourself a cup of tea or find a suitable biscuit," the editors suggest. "This magazine does not benefit from being skim read." In high school it's always the stricter teachers that earn the most attention. Ditto magazines: Popshot's refusal to pander demands a level of alertness that the contemporary magazine-reader is perhaps unaccustomed to giving. Happily, the alertness is earned.

For the second issue, just released and with an "Us & Them" theme, the poems–24 of them–are energetic and smart. A précis follows each one, a patient addendum to illuminate a poet's intentions. If the poems tend to overshadow the illustrations, it is only because this reader happens to be drawn to words over forms (which tend to have a more supportive role here anyway; the poems are selected first, and are then sent to illustrators). Small enough to fit in to a coat pocket, Popshot is a reminder that poetry thrives in the 21st century, if perhaps in unexpected forms."

DAZED & CONFUSED /
ISSUE 177 - SEPTEMBER 2009

"We in the Books Department are wholeheartedly in favour of DIY anthologies of poetry from young and unknown poets and Popshot Magazine is our favourite example of this sort of thing this month. Founded and edited by 22-year-old Jacob Denno, Popshot showcases "the poetry of today and tomorrow with the whimsical arms of illustration wrapped tightly round it".
Denno weeds through the poems submitted to his website, and then arranges marriages for his favourite ones to specially commissioned interpretive illustrations. The results are then printed up in a beautiful zine of new writing and pictures of the sort that hipsters will get a kick out of.
"Theres something about combining a poem and an illustration that brings new dimensions out of both forms," explains Denno. "The poem has a stronger sense of context with the illustration and the illustration has a story behind it with the poem. They both combine to support the other, which in turn makes the whole thing easier to relate to...plus, I think it looks ruddy pretty."
Popshot #1 is certainly a handsome little volume - its jazzy full colour pictures propel it up and away from the stale world of most poetry journals, and Denno's enthusiasm for it all is brilliantly contagious. "Before I started Popshot I thought trying to find young poets was going to be a bit hit and miss," he says. "As it turns out, theres a bubbling scene of young contemporary poets that lies a little under the surface of the poetry mainstream." Everybody's happy, then. A quote from the Popshot website sums up why all this is so great - "We are of the thought that the future of poetry is even more exciting than the past."

VAROOM MAGAZINE /
ISSUE 10 - SUMMER 2009

"Each issue of Varoom showcases a piece of work that explores the creative dynamic between images and words. Popshot is a new magazine of poetry & illustration created by poet Jacob Denno. Each themed issue contains a selection of poems which are sent to illustrators to picture them. The illustrations are like an album cover, the visual language of the illustration shaping the experience of the poem. With a brief account of the poem at the bottom of each page, you wonder if it removes a level of mystery. Yet Popshot does declare that they are intent on "hoodwinking poetry back from the clammy hands of tweed jackets and school anthologies" and the magazine does demystify the poetic form which can seem like a foreign language. As a package, Popshot is a bit of physical poetry itself."

JUXTAPOZ MAGAZINE /
www.juxtapoz.com - MAY 2009

"We don’t often fancy covering poetry, but a little mag by the name of Popshot caught our attention. In short, it’s a publication of poetry and art. But it’s actually a bit deeper than that."

ITS NICE THAT /
www.itsnicethat.com - MAY 2009

"It’s a little known fact that in times of recession the amount of poetry written increases dramatically, and backing up the point nicely is ‘Popshot’. Well collated, interesting writing twinned with some beautiful pieces of artwork make for a very pleasurable read indeed."