The magazine front cover denotes a medium close-up shot of Pinhead, the main antagonist from the (1987) horror film ‘Hell Raiser ‘written and directed by Clive Barker. The image shows pinhead looking downwards, whilst behind him hangs multiple links of chains; moreover the antagonists head is in focus whilst the chains are out of focus. Low-key lighting is used as half of the antagonists face is secluded by intense shadow.
The masthead – the mast head is distinctive by its dog paw logo positioned on the left of text. The font of the text is in capital letters and has no flick ups which suggests the text is modern sans serif style. The colour of the text has a gradient of baby blue and blue which has connotations of loyalty, strength and faith which is interesting as it may suggest that Horror Hound magazine is a strong Horror platform that is loyal and faithful to its customers. In addition, the white shadow gives the text a 3 dimensional effect which helps the text to stand out and suggests boldness and power.
The dateline is positioned in the top right hand corner of the magazine above the masthead; although the text size is small the composition of the text ensures that the text is still visible. The dateline also reveals that the release date of this magazine is January/February 2009- this is the season of winter and explains why colours such as blue and white are used as they are associated with the season. Blue connotes the coldness and white can be associated with the colour of snow.
Main image is of a protagonist from the film Hell raiser. The Non-Verbal Communication that can be derived from this character is quite mysterious; his face is blank and emotionless like the face of a cold blooded killer. His costume is hidden, yet the only costume that is revealed is the acupuncture on the antagonists face. This costume is effective as it helps the antagonist to be distinctive. The props in this image are chains hanging vertically behind the antagonist. Interestingly, the chains could connote danger, fear or a chain of events arising from the role of the antagonist. The composition of the antagonist in this image is symmetrical; he is directly positioned in the centre of the shot. This makes the half face covered with shadow more effective implying that the antagonist has two sides of his character, specifically a dark side. The symmetrical shot denotes organisation, from this it can be implied that the antagonist is also organised and premeditates evil cunning plans to kill its prey. Sequentially, the setting of the main image demands a sense of fear as the chains resemble torture.
The font of the text is a modern sans serif type text, there are no flick ups and the text is in capital letters. This connotes the idea of horror hound being a modern magazine. The cover lines are blue whilst the small text is white. Blue and white are complimentary colours, additionally they ensures that the text is bold and that it stands out from the black background. Interestingly, black is the colour of mourning, its worn in traditional Christian funerals. Black also had connotations of sophistication and mystery; this is relevant as we are not exposed to the antagonist’s character.
The magazine contains a standard barcode used by most retailers. The additional features of the magazine i.e. featuring movies are positioned on the left third of the cover. It contains smaller images of top selling movies and as the magazine does not have a selling line, the magazines content is what the seller will rely on in order to sell. This section of the cover also contains a cover line named (plus), which shows additional features of the magazine, in particular the titles of more movie names and a free ‘Clive Barker’ poster included inside the product. In terms of exchange, this is effective as it creates the illusion that the customer is getting more content for their money.
The magazine issue is displayed on the magazine logo (dog paw) on the left of the masthead. The magazine cover subverts from the usual characteristics of a magazine cover as it does not have a selling line however, positioned horizontally at the top of the magazine is a list of the magazines content which directly communicates to the target audience the content of their product.
To conclude, this magazine cover may be seen as effective. It is evident that the main focal point of this magazine is commercial films, in this edition, it features films such as ‘Sweeny Todd’, ‘Alien Vs Predator’ and ‘London After Moonlight’, all top blockbuster films. The commercial film industry targets a wide spectrum of film consumers and so theoretically this magazine appeals to a wide audience. However, to improve the magazine an eye catching puff would be essential as the magazine consists of many dark colours, which blend and the puff would help to grab the attention of passers by. Additionally, an effective slogan situated under the horror hound masthead would also help to make the product more memorable and engaging for the audience.
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