Interview (magazine)

American pop culture magazine

Interview

Cover of the Spring 2024 issue, featuring Rihanna by Nadia Lee Cohen

Editor in Chief| Mel Ottenberg[1]
Editorial & Design Director| Richard Turley
Editor at Large| Christopher Bollen
Categories| Pop culture
Frequency| Bimonthly
Founder| Andy Warhol, John Wilcock
First issue| October 1969 (1969-10)
Company| Crystal Ball Media
Country| United States
Based in| New York City
Website| interviewmagazine.com
ISSN| 0149-8932

Interview is an American magazine founded by pop artist Andy Warhol and journalist John Wilcock in 1969.[2] The magazine, nicknamed "The Crystal Ball of Pop,"[3][4] features interviews of and by celebrities.

## Background

[edit]

In 1965, pop artist Andy Warhol announced his retirement from painting to focus on filmmaking.[5] After he survived an assassination attempt in 1968, he began to concentrate on building a business enterprise.[5] When Warhol tried to obtain press permits for the New York Film Festival, he was denied.[6] Therefore, having a formal method for obtaining press passes was one of the reasons he founded inter/VIEW: A Monthly Film Journal with British journalist John Wilcock in 1969.[2][6]

The magazine, which was headquartered at Warhol's Factory, started as a film review before shifting its emphasis to pop culture. "I felt there was a need for an easygoing, conversational magazine,' said Warhol.[7] "Every other paper is full of bad news, but we publish only good."[7]

Interview was published monthly, but is now published six times per year (March, Spring, Summer, September, Fall, Winter).

## History

[edit]

Covers displayed in the Andy Warhol Museum

### Andy Warhol period

[edit]

The magazine was launched in October 1969 with a cover featuring a still from the experimental film Lions Love…(and Lies), which starred Warhol superstar Viva.[8][9][10] Initially, the magazine was merely a film critique spread published under the title inter/VIEW: A Monthly Film Journal, with the word "view" paying homage to poet Charles Henri Ford, the publisher of the influential literary magazine View in the 1940s.[6]

Gerard Malanga, Paul Morrissey, John Wilcock and Andy Warhol served as editors of Interview's inaugural issue.[11] By the fourth issue, Morrissey was the top editor since Malanga had left for Europe, and Soren Agenoux was hired as the managing editor.[11]

Bob Colacello was taking a film course at Columbia University when he began writing film reviews for Interview in 1970. By the fall of 1970, Colacello was hired as the managing editor at a salary of $50 ($400 in 2024[12]) a week.[11] He brought in his friend and classmate Glenn O'Brien as an associate editor.[13] Colacello's first issue featured film 1940s-era stills of actress Rita Hayworth on the cover and on every page. The idea came from Morrissey, who told Colacello, "Just put one on every page and it'll be funny."[14]

In 1970, film director Jerome Hill and Charles Rydell became part-owners of Interview.[11] Their share was sold to Peter Brant and his cousin Joe Allen in 1971.[15]

By 1972, Interview had a circulation of 30,000, mostly subscriptions.[16] O'Brien worked with artist Richard Bernstein to create the new cursive Interview logo, which is still used today.[13] The magazine increased size, started printing color covers, and was distributed regularly for 50 cents ($4 in 2024[12]) per copy.[16] Interview was transformed to become a "reflection of Andy’s social life" said Colacello.[17] "We wanted every issue of Interview to be like a great dinner party, where you have a grande dame, an important political figure, a rock star, an up-and-coming actress, and some model."[14]

O'Brien and his wife Jude Jade sold advertising for the magazine before Sandy Brant became the director of advertising in 1972.[18] O'Brien succeeded Colacello as managing editor of Interview in 1972 and continued in that capacity until 1973.[11] In 1973, Rosemary Kent, an editor from WWD magazine, became the editor-in-chief of Interview, which at that point had a circulation of almost 70,000.[19] In 1974, Colacello took over as editor-in-chief and remained in that position until 1983.[18]

Warhol hosted parties for the magazine at New York hotspots such as Studio 54 and Regine's. He used a tape recorder he had in his pocket to capture content for Interview.[17] The interviews were taped conversations of well-known eclectic people usually at a restaurant and published as a literal transcription. Another trademark of the magazine were full-page photographs of "beautiful people."[20]

By 1981, Interview was priced at $2 ($10 in 2024[12]) a copy and had a circulation of 90,000.[21] The magazine was described as a "hybrid of People and Vogue on elongated newsprint."[21]

From 1972 to 1989, the artist Richard Bernstein created the covers for Interview, giving the publication its bold and colorful signature style.[22] Photographers Robert Mapplethorpe and Christopher Makos took pictures for the magazine. Writer Fran Lebowitz was paid $10 ($40 in 2024[12]) a review for her film column. Fashion journalist André Leon Talley answered the phones and styled shoots.[14]

Over time, Warhol withdrew from everyday oversight of Interview but he continued to act as an ambassador for the magazine, distributing issues in the street to passersby and promoting the magazine at events.[21]

### Brant Publications period

[edit]

In 1989, Brant Publications Inc. acquired Interview magazine from the estate of Andy Warhol for $10 million.[23] Businessman Peter Brant and his then-wife Sandra Brant were friends of Warhol, who died in 1987, and they had briefly invested in Interview in the 1970s.[23]

April 2011 cover, featuring Lil Wayne

From 1989 to 2008, Sandra Brant ran the business and her longtime partner Ingrid Sischy was the editor-in-chief.[24][25] The magazine's format remained consistent at 60% features and 40% glossy advertising. In 2008, Sischy resigned from Interview when Brant sold her 50 percent stake.[24]

### 2008 to 2018

[edit]

For a year and a half the magazine was in flux, edited by Christopher Bollen.[26] Interview restarted under co-editorial directors Fabien Baron and Glenn O'Brien in September 2008, with a cover featuring Kate Moss. Stephen Mooallem and Christopher Bollen served as the working editor-in-chief and editor-at-large, respectively. The publication's content can be found online and via an app, Other Edition, available on iTunes.

As of 2017, Fabien Baron was the editorial director, Karl Templer was the creative director, and Nick Haramis was the editor-in-chief. In December 2013, Stephen Mooallem left Interview to join Harper's Bazaar as its executive editor. Keith Pollock served as editor-in-chief from 2014 to 2016.[27]

It was announced on May 21, 2018, that the publication 'folded' and would end both its print and web publications by the end of 2018. The publication also filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and liquidation.[28][29][30][31]

### Relaunch

[edit]

In August 2018, it was reported that a company owned by Peter Brant, Singleton LLC, purchased Interview out of bankruptcy for $1.5 million.[32]

On September 6, 2018, Interview announced the launch of its 521st issue.[33][34] The magazine was purchased by Kelly Brant and Jason Nikic,[35] with some reports suggesting that the title's intellectual property will be returned to Peter Brant.[36][37]

## Editors

[edit]

Managing Editor / Executive Editor / Editor-in-Chief

Editor  | Start year  | End year  | Ref.

|
|
|

Gerard Malanga | 1969  | 1970  | [11]
Soren Agenoux  | 1970  | 1970  | [11]
Kenneth Geist  | 1970  | 1970  | [38]
Bob Colacello | 1970  | 1971  | [18]
Glenn O'Brien | 1972  | 1973  | [11]
Rosemary Kent  | 1973  | 1974  | [19]
Bob Colacello  | 1974  | 1983  | [18]
Robert Hayes  | 1983  | 1984  | [39]
Gael Love  | 1985  | 1987  | [40]
Kevin Sessums | 1987  | 1989  | [41]
Shelley Wanger  | 1988  | 1990  | [40]
Ingrid Sischy | 1990  | 2008  | [25]
Christopher Bollen | 2008  | 2009  | [42]
Nick Haramis | 2017  | 2021  | [43]
Mel Ottenberg | 2021  | present  | [44]

## Editions

[edit]

Country  | Circulation Dates  | Editor-in-Chief  | Star year  | End year

|
|
|
|

United States (Interview)  | 1969–2018  | See above
2018–present
Russia (Interview Russia)  | 2011–  | Aliona Doletskaya | 2011  | 2017
Germany (Interview Germany)  | 2012–2020  | Joerg Koch[45] | 2012  | 2013
Lisa Feldmann[45][46] | 2013  | 2014
Brazil [47] | 1980s-1990s  |  |  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hastreiter, Kim (August 27, 2021). "Mel Ottenberg Takes Over Interview Magazine As Top Editor". The New York Times. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
2. ^ a b "The 20 Best Magazines of the Decade (2000-2009)". Paste Magazine. November 26, 2009. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
3. ^ Kevin Howell (December 13, 2004). "The Crystal Ball of Pop Culture". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
4. ^ Anna Wilson (July 17, 2014). "Ten Things You Never Knew About Andy Warhol". Clash Music. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
5. ^ a b Warhol, Andy (1980). POPism: The Warhol '60s. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. pp. 115, 221. ISBN 978-0-15-173095-7.
6. ^ a b c Nevins, Jake (May 9, 2025). "Founding Editor Gerard Malanga Takes Us Back to the Early Days of Interview". Interview Magazine. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
7. ^ a b Sheppard, Eugenia (May 28, 1974). "Warhol Factory Houses All Of His Projects". The Lexington Herald. p. 9. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
8. ^ "Agnes Varda on the first cover of Interview Magazine, 1969". East of Borneo. November 12, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
9. ^ Pemberton, Nathan Taylor (September 6, 2018). "The Last Living Dinosaur of the New Wave, Agnès Varda". Interview Magazine. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
10. ^ "Viva Zoom! A to Z!: The evolution of our revolutionary feature section". Interview. 24 (10): 134. October 1994.
11. ^ a b c d e f g h Colacello, Bob (1990). Holy Terror: Andy Warhol Close Up. New York, NY: HarperCollins. pp. 6–7, 38, 41, 138. ISBN 978-0-06-016419-5.
12. ^ a b c d 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
13. ^ a b Colacello, Bob (April 10, 2017). "Remembering Glenn O'Brien, Before and After Andy Warhol". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
14. ^ a b c Whittle, Andrea (September 4, 2020). "My Life in Parties: Bob Colacello's Off-Kilter Views of New York Society". W Magazine.
15. ^ Friedman, Vanessa (December 30, 2011). "Lunch with the FT: Peter Brant". Financial Times. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
16. ^ a b Kushner, Trucia D. (April 6, 1972). "Dirty Movies Just Part of Andy Warhol's Strange Life". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 68. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
17. ^ a b Bernstein, Jacob (June 16, 2018). "The Great Interview Magazine Caper". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
18. ^ a b c d Colacello, Bob (December 1989). "Interview—Back To The Future?". Vanity Fair. Vol. 52, no. 12\. pp. 134, 140.
19. ^ a b Frizzelle, Nancy (September 27, 1973). "'Little Girl' With Big Pencil". San Francisco Examiner. p. 26.
20. ^ Ross, Michele (June 24, 1981). "Interviewing Interview". The Atlanta Journal: Section B.
21. ^ a b c Weil, Debbie (June 26, 1981). "Andy Warhol In Fantasyland: Somehow Smaller Than Life". The Atlanta Constitution. pp. 1-B, 3-B. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
22. ^ Rosen, Miss (March 27, 2024). "How Richard Bernstein Created Interview Magazine's Iconic 1980s Covers". AnOther. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
23. ^ a b "Interview Magazine Is Sold". The New York Times. May 9, 1989. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
24. ^ a b "Ingrid Sischy and Sandra Brant to Helm 'Vanity Fair' Abroad". New York Magazine. March 17, 2008. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
25. ^ a b "Remembering Ingrid Sischy". Interview Magazine. July 27, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
26. ^ "Management Changes at Interview Magazine". The New York Times. July 19, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
27. ^ Steigrad, Alexandra (January 28, 2014). "Keith Pollock Named Editor in Chief of Interview". WWD. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
28. ^ Helmore, Edward (May 21, 2018). "Interview magazine closes, ending a 50-year survey of Manhattan cool". The Guardian. New York. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
29. ^ Santoni, Matthew (May 24, 2018). "Interview Magazine folds, but archive will live on at Pittsburgh's Andy Warhol Museum". TribLive. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
30. ^ Serota, Maggie (May 23, 2018). "Interview Magazine Ceases Publication". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
31. ^ Kludt, Tom (May 21, 2018). "Interview Magazine, founded by Andy Warhol, shuts down". CNN. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
32. ^ Jonathan, Randles (August 29, 2018). "Publisher Peter Brant Buys Interview Magazine Out Of Bankruptcy". Wall Street Journal.
33. ^ "Interview Magazine on Instagram: "Our 1st cover star is now our 521st! @agnes.varda interviewed by @hansulrichobrist, with love notes to Agnès from @ava, Angelina Jolie,…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
34. ^ "Interview Magazine on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
35. ^ "How Interview Magazine Came Back From the Dead". The Business of Fashion. September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
36. ^ "'Interview' Magazine Will Relaunch in September After Peter Brant Essentially Repurchased It From Himself | artnet News". artnet News. August 30, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
37. ^ Kimball, Whitney. "Report: Interview Magazine Sidesteps 300 Unpaid Creditors and Relaunches". Jezebel. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
38. ^ "Andy Warhol's Interview Magazine | Volume 1, No. 6 | 1970". Roses & Rue Antiques. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
39. ^ Yarbrough, Jeff (May 23, 2018). "Interview Magazine: A View on the Inside". www.advocate.com. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
40. ^ a b Taylor, John (February 22, 1988). "Andy's Empire". New York Magazine. 21 (8): 32–39.
41. ^ "Kevin Sessums: Meet The Best Celebrity Interviewer Ever". HuffPost. February 4, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
42. ^ "Bollen Named Editor in Chief of Interview". Artforum. March 7, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
43. ^ Hays, Kali (April 1, 2021). "Nick Haramis Out as Editor of Interview Magazine". WWD. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
44. ^ "System Magazine". System Magazine. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
45. ^ a b Drier, Melissa (February 20, 2013). "Editor in Chief Joerg Koch Stepping Down at Interview Germany". WWD. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
46. ^ "Kündigung: Lisa Feldmann hört bei "Interview" auf - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved March 30, 2025.
47. ^ "Revista Interview, fundada por Andy Warhol, fecha após 50 anos". Folha de São Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). May 22, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* "INTERVIEW MAGAZINE GERMANY". Archived from the original on May 10, 2013.

* v
* t
* e

Andy Warhol

Artworks|

* 129 Die in Jet! (1962)
* Campbell's Soup Cans (1962)
* Coca-Cola (3) (1962)
* Coca-Cola (4) (1962)
* Marilyn Diptych (1962)
* Men in Her Life (1962)
* 3 Coke Bottles (1962)
* Gold Marilyn Monroe (1962)
* Green Coca-Cola Bottles (1962)
* Eight Elvises (1963)
* Colored Mona Lisa (1963)
* Ethel Scull 36 Times (1963)
* Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) (1963)
* Green Car Crash (1963)
* Triple Elvis (1963)
* Suicide (Purple Jumping Man) (1963)
* Thirteen Most Wanted Men (1964)
* Shot Marilyns (1964)
* Race Riot (1964)
* Exploding Plastic Inevitable (1966)
* Cow Wallpaper (1966)
* Big Electric Chair (1967)
* Marilyn Monroe portfolio (1967)
* Campbell's Soup I (1968)
* Campbell's Soup Cans II (1969)
* Vote McGovern (1972)
* Ladies and Gentlemen (1975)
* Athletes (1977)
* Shadows (1978–79)
* Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century (1980)
* Crosses (1981)
* Jean-Michel Basquiat  (1982)
* Magazine and History (1983)
* Speed Skater (1983)
* Orange Prince (1984)
* Olympics (1984)
* Taxi, 45th/Broadway (1984–85)
* The Last Supper (1984–86)
* Zenith (1985)
* Portrait of Seymour H. Knox (1985)
* Reigning Queens (1985)
* Camouflage Self-Portrait (1986)
* Cars (1986)

Films|

* Sleep (1964)
* Kiss (1964)
* Eat (1964)
* Blow Job (1964)
* Batman Dracula (1964)
* Soap Opera (1964)
* Couch (1964)
* Taylor Mead's Ass (1964)
* Henry Geldzahler (1964)
* Harlot (1964)
* Screen Tests (1964–66)
* Empire (1965)
* Vinyl (1965)
* Horse (1965)
* Space (1965)
* Camp (1965)
* Poor Little Rich Girl (1965)
* Beauty No. 1 (1965)
* Beauty No. 2 (1965)
* More Milk, Yvette (1965)
* The Life of Juanita Castro (1965)
* My Hustler (1965)
* Kitchen (1966)
* Eating Too Fast (1966)
* The Velvet Underground and Nico: A Symphony of Sound (1966)
* Salvador Dalí (1966)
* Chelsea Girls (1966)
* Since (1966)
* The Andy Warhol Story (1966)
* I, a Man (1967)
* Bike Boy (1967)
* Four Stars**** (1967)
* Imitation of Christ (1967)
* Tub Girls (1967)
* The Nude Restaurant (1967)
* Lonesome Cowboys (1968)
* San Diego Surf (1968)
* Flesh (1968)
* Blue Movie (1969)
* Trash (1970)
* Women in Revolt (1971)
* Heat (1972)
* L'Amour (1972)
* Flesh for Frankenstein (1973)
* Blood for Dracula (1974)
* Bad (1977)

Books|

* 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy (1954)
* a, A Novel (1968)
* Blue Movie (1970)
* The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (1975)
* Exposures (1979)
* POPism: The Warhol '60s (1980)
* The Andy Warhol Diaries (1989)

Media|

* Andy Warhol's Pork (1971)
* Interview
* You Are the One (1985)
* Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes (1985–87)
* "Misfit" (1986)

Museums|

* The Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh)
* Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art (Medzilaborce)

Depictions|

* "Andy Warhol" (1971)
* Dos Cabezas (1982)
* Andy Mouse (1986)
* Songs for Drella (1990)
* Basquiat (1996)
* I Shot Andy Warhol (1996)
* Factory Girl (2006)
* Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film (2006)
* Warhol (2020)
* The Andy Warhol Diaries (2022)

Family|

* Julia Warhola (mother)
* John Warhola (brother)
* James Warhola (nephew)
* Jed Johnson (partner)
* Archie (pet dog)

Related|

* The Factory
* Factory Additions
* The Druds
* The Velvet Underground
* Warhol Superstars
* New Andy Warhol Garrick Theatre
* 55th Street Playhouse
* Eothen
* Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board
* The Autobiography and Sex Life of Andy Warhol (1971)
* Absolut Warhola  (2001)
* Brillo Box (3 ¢ Off) (2016)
* Andy Warhol Bridge
* "15 minutes of fame"

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Brant Publications, Inc.

* Interview
* Art in America
* ARTnews
* Antiques
* Modern

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