DeconstructionBy Julia Williams

Front Cover – Kerrang!Key SignifierThe key signifier is Gerard Way, the lad singer of the band My Chemical Romance. He is dressed in blue clothing and his hair is dyed red. The colour red an symbolize danger or warning signs. People will recognize him as he is wearing an outfit from one of their music videos and can instantly see that the magazine is mainly about him. His fingers are also pointed in a gun motion, suggesting rebellion. Guns are usually a sensitive topic to talk about and can occasionally make people uncomfortable but him doing such a motion could result in him appearing alternative and not caring what other people think.

MastheadThe title of he magazine is in white, symbolizing a purity, but the font is cracked meaning something has broken/breaking the pure image. It could also symbolize this magazine is only for people who can break those social norms, stereotypes and the way we are all meant to act pure and innocent. The exclamation point can show this magazine is very loud and outspoken. The background and cracks in the text are all in black which connotes with death and darkness, breaking through the white all caps text of the masthead.

Cover linesThe first cover line that you will probably see due to how large it is, is the one overlapping the key signifier that reads “MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE’. People who are fans of the band will see this first and will immediately want to read it. The “o” in the word “Romance” has a spider in the center meaning even though love and romance has positive connotations with it, it can also represent it is a little bit creepy or you even see it as a pest, like the common household spider. The sub images with captions are of other popular rock/metal artists (iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne and Slash) are all written in yellow, contrasting with the black background it is placed upon.

ColoursThe colour scheme is very basic only using a selection of primary colours. I think they chose this to give a professional yet simple scheme that pops out. The more brighter colours stand out against the simple black and white backgrounds, making certain titles of different bands stand out such as “Limp Bizkit” and ”Bring me the horizon”. They do this so not only do people see the large printed band over the key signifier, they notice the sub articles with other artists they may like.

FontsFonts used on this cover are mainly blocky/thin fonts that have a slight effect to them. This is to give the magazine a professional sleek look whilst looking slightly rebellious, almost like it doesn’t want to damage its own reputation. Most of the fonts are in yellow and white, standing out against the black boxes and the dark blue coat of the key image.

Key SignifierThe key signifier is a popular artist among young girls, Olly Murs. This magazine seems to be seasonal for Christmas, so he is dressed in a brightly coloured jumper which really stands out against his darker complexion and hair. The red/pink of the jumper symbolizes love and innocence and love and the blue shows how boyish and handsome he is. The lighting is very oversaturated and shows his darker skin tone and hair, contrasting with the other bright neon colours of the magazine.

MastheadThe masthead of the magazine is in black, blocky text in a speech bubble. It appears a lot more informal than the rest as instead of using the word ”Love” they chose a more traditional text speech type of language, something that appeals to the target audience as younger females now seem to be dependent on social media and texting as opposed to older audiences who aren’t as interested in childish looking prints.

Cover linesThe cover line are all on a very eye catching bold neon pink with white and black text. The editors chose pink as their main bright colour as I appeals to the target audience. This is because pink is the stereotypical female colour, symbolizing femininity and youth. The first cover line you see is a pun on the key signifiers name from “Merry X-mas” to “Merry X-Murs”. Underneath the sub-title reads “Olly’s secret romance revealed”. Girls who are huge fans of him will want to read who he is in love with and will more than likely compare themselves to them; aspiring to be like that. Another main cover line is smaller than the others but reads “ZIALL: The OTHER 1D Bromance (cuteness overload inside)”. Girls find bromances appealing in boy bands as they make boys appear more soft and innocent, being friendly with their ”bros” as usually some men and boys will not act this way around their peers as it is frowned upon to show any types of emotion due to stereotypes. Another cover lines are in the top right reading “He completely ruined me” followed by in bold capitals “ASTON JLS”. People will want to read about this because Aston has a very good boy reputation and it would be shocking to see him do something such as bad as ruin someone's life.

ColoursThe main colour used is a bright neon pink which is immediately catches the readers eye as it is such a bold and dramatic scheme. The text is all in white and mostly in capitals. This makes the magazine appear informal and for a younger target audience as they use more harsh colours rather than sleeker more formal appearing colours.

Front Cover – We Love Pop.

Contents Page – Kerrang!Key SignifierThe key signifier on the contents page is arguably one of the most well-known rock bands, Metallica. They are presented in black and white mainly, in my opinion, to symbolize the nostalgia of their glory days. The main title is in bright red and block capital text to stand out against the monochrome colour scheme. There is also a competition on the contents page to entice the reader with band merchandise. They will want to enter this as it is a chance to wear something from their favourite band, a chance to make friends and a chance to show that they are proud to like them. The outfits they are wearing are leather jackets and sunglasses. This usually symbolizes the typical “badass” role taken on by rock/metal artists. The sunglasses can symbolize that they want to hide their faces, almost in a restrictive and cool way.

MastheadThe masthead is on a yellow background written in the usual cracked black text, much like the one on the cover. In 1889 famous painter Vincent Van Gogh would eat yellow paint to “have happiness inside of him”. This then made people associate the colour yellow with madness. I think that the skyline of the page is trying to symbolize madness breaking the text apart, loosing its sanity.

Sub ImagesThere are only a few sub images in the article consisting of the authors, the subscription advertisement and the prizes for the competition. The fist sub image seen is the shoes you can win. People of the target audience find this appealing because they re stylish and trendy, meaning they will enter the competition. Another sub image is the creative authors note image, it is a collage of the 2 people who worked on it. This is to symbolize how close they work together as their faces are merged in one.

Colours / FontThe colour scheme is monochrome with brighter colours that pop out against the darker background. The key signifiers band name is in block capitals making it pop out in an in-your-face attitude. It sets the mood that the band is very egotistical and don’t have time for anyone who gets in their way

Key SignifierThe key signifier is popular artist Olly Murs with a smug look on his face. This appears flirty and draws the reader in as they think he fulfills the fantasy of a famous person being in love with you. He is quite small compared to the rest of the article but his colour scheme is very saturated and darker, popping out against he lighter backgrounds. He is dressed in red which symbolizes lust/love and could make the reader feel that they have a chance with someone like him. Olly Murs is the stereotyped ’boyfriend’ figure who seems like a nice partner. The caption of his image has the word ‘cuddle’ which shows hes innocent but then shows the more aggressive word of ‘snog’ which could show he has another side not many people know about.

Masthead/TitleThe title is in a very informal font and in a solid black colour which stands out against the background. The “o” is filled in black which seems quite irregular, implying this isn’t a magazine for people who are serious. It is for people who are not normal. The ellipsis used is to emphasize suspense that there is something big or surprising is about to come.

Sub ImagesThe majority of the sub images are all younger male artists which appeals to the target audience as they are full of young impressionable (predominantly) females who idolize male singers in hope one day they can fulfill their dream of marrying a rich talented man who will care for them no matter what. Their expressions are often comical, showing the intimate relationships through the different friends and band members.

Colours / FontsColours are very cool and saturated. They symbolize masculinity and relates to the images on the page as they are all predominantly males. It gives the feeling of comfort and warmness. The fonts are mostly big and blocky, in black or dark greens often contrasting with the others and standing out more.

Contents Page – We Love Pop.

Double Page Spread – Kerrang!Key SignifierThe key signifier appears to be the stereotypical punk male. He has tattoos and dyed hair which usually has relations to a sub culture of people that are rebellious. However he is dressed in casual dress implying that he is not all what his appearance states. These two contrast as they are two completely different styles.

Masthead/TitleThe title is in white and a magenta pink which contrast with the darker background. The word “casual Friday” is in a less darker font but still stands out as it is a different colour to the main bold word. The word “ABSOLOUTELY” is in all capital letters and white. It is much larger than the other text, implying it is more important and emphasizes the point even further. The exclamation mark shows that he is very enthusiastic and excited about him being casual as it is different from his usual image and he is probably thrilled to finally be able to share it with his fans. The text underneath the large font is a lot smaller than the others. I think the editor chose to do this because it shows that this isn’t as important but is still relevant to the article.

Colour / FontsThe colours mainly used in this article are monochrome. The fuchsia pink text is brighter than the rest, highlighting the importance of certain word and phrases, whereas the other is are in white blank text. The background is a grey colour. The grey could relate to the title as the word ‘casual’ can be considered boring and dull.

Double Page Spread – We Love Pop.Key SignifierThe dominant image is Olly Murs. Along with the sub image. He is dressed in red and nvy blue. Red usually symbolizes love and lust which ties in with the comment on the cover ‘id give her a cuddle’ showing he is a romantic. His facial expression is seemingly smug and suggestive like he is about to say or do something cheesy or romantic. In the other image it shows him dressed to symbolizes festivities. It shows he also has a silly side as opposed to his counterpart in the key signifier.

MastheadThe masthead uses a pun on the singers name ‘Olly Murs’. It uses the same font on the front as it does to the one on the cover to match up with the layout. The ending of ’christMURS’ is in yellow to highlight the humor in the pun.

Colours / FontsThe colours used are black, light blue, white, yellow and red. These colours all contrast against the lighter background as they’re more bright and pop out to the reader. The ‘o’ at the beginning of the article is bigger than the other fonts because it shows this is where you start reading. It can also relate to Olly's name as it begins wit an O too.