Swindle 9: Miss Van (Swindle Quarterly, 9)

Swindle is the definitive popular culture and lifestyle publication for women and men of ages 18 to 34. More than just reporting on culture, Swindle is dedicated to influencing culture through content unlike anything else on newsstands. It aims to be a magazine that readers will want to read over and over; a magazine that's truly a cultural almanac, full of stories that will captivate anyone and everyone; a magazine that can be treasured as a work of art in itself. Swindle fills a void for readers who desire a well-balanced periodical, one that is sophisticated but not too serious, intelligent and whimsical, progressive yet timeless, all at once. As both a product of the times and a documentation of them, Swindle manages to stay modern and culturally relevant without falling into the endless recycling bin of trendiness. Instead of reporting on the biggest stories of the day, it digs deeper, bringing new stories to the forefront. Covering a vast assortment of topics, from the core areas of music, art, and fashion to eclectic pop culture tidbits ranging from paranormal research to political activism to Lego toys. This issue features an exclusive interview with Banksy, plus articles on Boxing, Art of Noise and Cherry Bombs! 01 Miss Van INTERVIEW BY CALEB NEELON When the Toulouse native and current Barcelona resident MISS VAN's sultry female characters began to pop up on city center walls in the mid 1990s, they instantly possessed a timeless quality, as if women had always painted such graffiti in the streets. Her wide-eyed female characters-whom she calls Les poupees de MISS VAN-have a rare appeal that transcends genders. 02 ROCKIN' STEADY: THE LEGENDS OF SKA BY DAVID JIRO, INTERVIEWS BY JOEY ALTRUDA The year was 1956, and Jamaica's DJs-turned-producers Prince Buster, Clement Sir Coxsone Dodd, and Duke Reid took it upon themselves to develop a sincerely Jamaican style of music that captured the essence of R & B. They ditched the steel drums of calypso for electric guitars and horns. To them it was the new sound of the island, informally known as ska. 03 WEST SIDE STORY PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH PERRIN, STYLING BY PALOMA The pathos and ecstasy of New York's teenage gangsters, epitomized by the classic musical West Side Story, is the inspiration for this breathtaking spread. Lushly layered fashions in eye-popping colors burst from a gritty backdrop of fire escapes and urban backstreets.