Qompendium [kəm-ˈpen-dē-əm] derived from compendium
Function: noun. 1: a brief summary of a larger work
or of a field of knowledge: abstract
2 a: a list of a number of items
b: collection, compilation

What people say

What a beautiful, intelligent, unexpected feast for the senses Qompendium is, with it’s sensitive typography, immaculate imagery and paper stocks to die for – it is a designer’s dream – I love it.

Tony Brook
Creative Director, Spin
Publisher, Unit Editions

Qompendium is the result of one very particular person’s vision, and it mixes the pros and cons of such an uninhibited approach. The magazine is not perfect, but the world of publishing is richer for its presence.

Jeremy Leslie
Designer and Author, MagCulture

Qompendium Print Publication is a selective journey through the multiverse of intentional and unintentional time capsules featuring an array of exceptional pictorial essays, unabridged interviews and supplementary brand editorials.

So, now what exactly is this publication about, one may inquire. “A valid question in an over-published magazine market that needs serious attention”, says the creative director and editor in chief Kimberly Lloyd. The renowned publisher of award-winning magazines, books and curator of print culture festivals has quite some plans for her latest project, Qompendium.

The name of the magazine derives from Latin “compendium” and offers a summary of subjects from the fields of philosophy, art, culture and science. This magazine is set for the lovers of natural curiosity and rational amusement with a keen eye for photography, delicate graphic design, typography and in-depth discussions of metaphysical issues. While opening history chapters and science laboratories, rediscovering iconographic masterpieces and pop culture ephemera, the content is a savory blend of contagious nostalgia and accentuated contemporary material. The reader will find himself amidst vivid short anecdotes on Apollo and Hermes, Hot-Jupiters, Martians, robot wars, celluloid beauties and beaus like Morgan Fairchild, Brooke Shields, Dolph Lundgren and Bill Gates, while stumbling upon Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Tim Burton, Orson Welles and Hypatia of Alexandria, herself.

When it comes to production and printing, the magazine is proudly produced in Germany – a demonstration of premium print culture at its finest in utilizing various paper qualities, numerous custom colors and finishing techniques.

Qompendium Print Publication Volume 1 features a number of pictorial essays bringing to light six decades of history, composed and compiled from masterpieces captured by Douglas Kirkland and Deborah Feingold. Other artists range from Lyn Balzer, Tony Perkins to Valérie Belim, Aubrey de Grey, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Todd DiCiurcio, Laurence Ellis, Emir Eralp, Clinton Friedman, Dominik Gigler, David Lees, Siems Luckwaldt, Paul Pope, Nick Sagan, Daniel Stier, Ben Watts, Martynka Wawrzyniak, Christian Weber, Doug Wilson, Per Zennström and abundant others – all work designed and placed in a strikingly unusual and unpredictable editorial design environment. In this volume, the editorial board commemorates the 40th anniversary of Man’s Moon Landing Apollo 11 Mission by analyzing the rich diversity of the NASA and Hasselblad iconic archives. One can dip into unabridged interviews of more than 20 pages each, with Nick Sagan, as the dystopia creator and intellectual heir to Carl Sagan gives genuine answers on science, religion and artificial intelligence. America’s most sexiest and opinionated astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson urges the Qompendium readers to check their premises and follow him by what he calls “the cosmic perspective”.

While Darren Julien, the exclusive auctioneer gives lessons on collecting Michael Jackson memorabilia. Even the English gerontologist Aubrey de Grey tackles one of the most significant subjects mankind has tested since the origin of the human race and the discovery of the DNA string. Artists Bjørn Melhus, Hyungkoo Lee and Troels Carlsen take the reader into their Universes of animations, drawings and taxidermies. The brand editorial section of the magazine is overindulged with creations by Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan, Jil Sander, Jean Paul Gaultier, Narciso Rodriguez, Prada, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Yves Saint Laurent, Kiehl’s, Omega Watches and Lee Jeans, taking a short cut to the Bauhaus giant László Moholy-Nagy. Once again, the NASA has proved itself a huge source of inspiration for the editorial board and has brought forth 16 of colorful blue pages, a fusion of 3D-modelling and finest photography for the brand Lee Jeans; an homage to the first manned landing on the Moon which took place on July 20, 1969 at the “Sea of Tranquility”.

Certainly, Qompendium is a well-curated, timeless, highly collectible book-like read for the disillusioned rational yet aesthetically intrigued fountainhead, who is at all times in search of fertile thinking ground.