Editorial and Publication Design for SLAM

Objective + Results

For years T/A Martin Studio has been a publication design partner to SLAM, the magazine of basketball culture. The work spans feature design in SLAM’s numbered issues and whole special issues produced with some of the biggest names in the game: SLAM & Kith Present: Knicks, SLAM Presents Kobe: The Kicks, SLAM Presents Tracy McGrady, SLAM Presents ’96 Draft, the Curry Brand launch magazine with Under Armour, Nike’s NY vs NY tournament publication and the annual KICKS sneaker magazine.

Every publication carries its own voice inside SLAM’s. A brand launch has to feel like the brand before it fully exists in the world; a tribute issue gives each chapter its own typographic identity; a feature well gives every story a different temperature. The range across issues is the job: one magazine, a different voice for every story.

credits

CLIENT
SLAM
Susan Price Thomas, Managing Editor
Lester Padilla, Creative Director

PARTNERS
Kith, New York Knicks, Under Armour (Curry Brand), Nike

DESIGNER + ART DIRECTOR
T. Adam Martin, T/A Martin Studio

GRAPHIC DESIGNER (SELECT KOBE SPREADS)
Mike Baldwin

Services Provided

›› Publication Design
›› Editorial Design
›› Cover Design
›› Art Direction
›› Typography
›› Layout & Template Systems

Digital cover series

SLAM 75 Before ’94

For 75 Before ’94, SLAM made 75 digital covers celebrating the legends who played between the NBA’s birth in the ’40s and 1994, the year SLAM was founded. T/A Martin Studio designed 24 of them as one set.
A wall of 24 SLAM 75 Before ’94 covers: Bird and Magic, Jordan, Barkley, Dr. J, Isiah Thomas and more
The studio’s 24 covers for the series.
Old-school SLAM cover: Bernard King in a crown and robe under blackletter type: King’s County
Bernard King: King’s County.
Old-school SLAM cover: Michael Jordan with three fingers up beside giant lowercase type: bulls on parade
Bulls on Parade: the first three-peat.
Old-school SLAM cover: Clyde Drexler dunking over red, with outlined Up, Up & Away type
Clyde Drexler: Up, Up & Away.
Old-school SLAM cover: Isiah Thomas in a Pistons jersey under brush-script type: The Baddest
Isiah Thomas: The Baddest.
Old-school SLAM cover: Alex English in a Nuggets jersey with hand-lettered Thriller type
Alex English Is a Thriller.
Old-school SLAM cover: Larry Bird and Magic Johnson with green and gold Magic v. Bird type
Magic v. Bird: Nature’s Great Balance.
Old-school SLAM cover: Pete Maravich on purple with outlined Pistol Pete type
Pistol Pete Maravich.
Old-school SLAM cover: Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond in Warriors jerseys over Always on the Run type
Run TMC: Always on the Run.

2022 · 100-page special issue

SLAM & Kith Present: Knicks

A 100-page issue marking Ronnie Fieg’s appointment as Creative Director of the New York Knicks, gifted at Kith Night at Madison Square Garden and sold through Kith and SLAM. See the issue on SLAM Goods ›
Kith & SLAM Present KNICKS cover: Derrick Rose and Jalen Brunson in Kith Knicks varsity jackets under a blue KNICKS logotype, For New York
The printed cover, with final edits by SLAM Creative Director Lester Padilla.
Six cover directions for SLAM & Kith Present: Knicks, Derrick Rose and Jalen Brunson in Kith varsity jackets under orange and blue KNICKS mastheads
Cover directions explored for the issue.
Knicks issue contents spread: Derrick Rose and Jalen Brunson portraits framing an orange contents column
The contents, framed by the cover story.
Cover story spread with Derrick Rose and Jalen Brunson portraits and the headline The Magic is in the Work
Cover story: Derrick Rose and Jalen Brunson.
Feature opener with Ronnie Fieg standing at center court of Madison Square Garden under the headline Next Level
Ronnie Fieg interview opener.
Just Us spread introducing the new Kith Knicks collection: a black crewneck and a grid of product shots
Just Us: the new Kith collection.
Kith & Kin collection spread: a number 11 jersey graphic and a cream New York varsity jacket
Kith & Kin, from the same collection.
Reprint of the John Starks feature from SLAM 4 with orange and black Knicks treatment
Classic Knicks features from the SLAM archive, re-set inside one consistent frame: Starks’ Reality, from SLAM 4 (1995).
...And How the NBA Saved Him: Latrell Sprewell in a Knicks jersey beside a heavy condensed headline on orange
...And How the NBA Saved Him: Latrell Sprewell, from SLAM 36 (1999).
The Garden Blooms: two Knicks players in blue beside a condensed headline on orange
The Garden Blooms, from SLAM 232.
Frozen Moment: Patrick Ewing with his arms raised at Madison Square Garden
Frozen Moment: Patrick Ewing.

2022 · special issue

SLAM Presents Kobe: The Kicks

Spread styled as a Sneaker Freaker magazine cover with Kobe in Lakers gold
Kobe Bryant’s sneaker legacy, with its own typographic identity for every chapter. Free agent season, given the Sneaker Freaker treatment.
Myth Buster spread: a Kobe 4 low-top across giant condensed type, with Kobe 6 details on the facing page
Myth Buster: the low-top revolution chapter, opened by the Kobe 4.
Kickstart contents spread: chapter list with oversized condensed page numbers on gold, beside Kobe sneakers in a locker
Kickstart: the contents, with oversized page numbers.
Mind Games opener: Kobe Bryant in a black jersey with thin gold display type
Mind Games: the innovation chapter opener.
Spread titled Easy as 1, 2, 3 with Kobe dunking in the 1997 dunk contest beside adidas three-stripe graphics
The adidas era opener: condensed type against three-stripe geometry.
Spread titled Under the Sun with Kobe walking off court in Lakers gold, vertical headline over the crowd
The Nike era opener: vertical type over full-bleed photography.
The Definition of Innovation: serif headline beside a close-up of Zoom cushioning
The Definition of Innovation: Nike Zoom technology.
Beyond the Eye Can See: collage spread of NBA players and their Kobe sneakers
Beyond the Eye Can See: today’s players on wearing Kobes. Designed by Mike Baldwin, art directed by T. Adam Martin.
MVP spread: Kobe Bryant at five All-Star Games, each with the sneaker he wore
MVP: the sneakers he wore at the All-Star Game. Designed by Mike Baldwin, art directed by T. Adam Martin.
Spread titled PE Class showing a grid of player edition Kobe sneakers photographed on court
PE Class: the product chapters switch to a dense, gridded catalog.
Night at the Museum: a collector’s Kobe sneaker close-up with bold stacked type
Night at the Museum: the collectors’ chapter.
Job’s Not Finished: two men holding Kobe sneakers in a studio portrait
Job’s Not Finished: the new deal with Nike.

2022 · special issue

SLAM Presents Tracy McGrady

The 1: Tracy McGrady in a dark gym beside a large serif numeral 1
The interview opener: The 1.
In the Paint contents page: Tracy McGrady holding a T-Mac sneaker beside a condensed blue contents list
In the Paint: the contents.
Ready or Not: young Tracy McGrady on a gym floor with lowercase display type
Ready or Not: the ABCD Camp chapter.
Total Impact: Tracy McGrady crouching with a basketball beside a condensed headline
Total Impact: signing with adidas.
From the Jump: Tracy McGrady at the draft against a magenta gradient
From the Jump: the Raptors years.
Worldwide: Tracy McGrady on court in China beside a globe graphic
Worldwide: his international impact.
Greatest Hits: navy spread with condensed headlines over on-court photos
Greatest Hits: on-court moments, one headline per play.
Play Ball: a Tracy McGrady pitcher trading card beside a script headline
Play Ball: his run at pro baseball, opened with a trading card.
Free Game: Tracy McGrady signing a sneaker beside a condensed headline
Free Game: the legacy of the T-Mac line.

Special issue

SLAM Presents ’96 Draft

Can’t Knock the Hustle: distressed headline on blue beside a red panel of Rookie Game photos
Can’t Knock the Hustle: the 1997 Rookie Game, led by Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant.
The Tipping Point: Kobe Bryant dunking in front of an American flag, with stacked type on red
The Tipping Point: Kobe Bryant, straight from high school to the draft.

2021 · 32-page mini magazine with Under Armour

SLAM Presents Curry Brand

The Change Agent spread with Stephen Curry photo and bold black headline on gold
The launch magazine for Curry Brand, credited in print to T/A Martin Studio. Lead feature: The Change Agent.
Spread titled Game Changer with Curry Flow colorways including the gold championship pair
Game Changer: the Curry Flow colorways.

2023 · Nike tournament publication

SLAM Presents NY vs NY

Full NY vs NY 2023 cover
The official publication for Nike’s summer tournament across New York’s parks. On the cover, the swoosh becomes the VS.
Dyckman team feature spread
Park feature: Dyckman.
Love & Basketball: players posed courtside with red blackletter type
Love & Basketball: the photo essay.
Summer Styles: tournament team jerseys on hangers against gold satin
Summer Styles: the team jerseys.
Summer Styles: red Nike sneakers shot on gold satin
Summer Styles: the sneakers.

2021 · annual sneaker magazine, 100 pages

SLAM Presents KICKS 24

KICKS 24 open to the Deafening spread with Trae Young
The hundred-page edition of SLAM’s annual sneaker magazine, led by the Trae Young 1.
Kickstart table of contents: vertical red headline beside a player and his dog
Kickstart: the table of contents.
KICKS Awards 1st Team: five players in a row with large surnames
The KICKS Awards: 1st Team.
Rising One: Devin Booker lying on a bench in gray sweats
Rising One: Devin Booker.
Spread titled Light Work with the Air Jordan XXXVI photographed under a spotlight on black and pink
Light Work: the Air Jordan XXXVI.
Spread titled Royal Things in hairline serif type with the Nike LeBron 19 on a red gradient
Royal Things: the Nike LeBron 19, set in hairline serifs.
Donovan Is for the Children: playful orange type on purple beside a sneaker
Donovan Is for the Children: Donovan Mitchell’s signature line.
What a Girl Wants: orange headline on navy beside a white sneaker
What a Girl Wants: a sneaker built for women who hoop.
Not the Norm: thin type over a black and white portrait of Norman Powell
Not the Norm: Norman Powell.
Memory Lane: yellow spread with a WNBA player and a grid of game photos
Memory Lane.
Hall of Fame: vertical green headline beside the adidas Forum
The Hall of Fame: the adidas Forum.

Issues 197–331 · 2015–21

SLAM Magazine Features

The Te’a Show opening spread with Te’a Cooper seated in a Mercedes G wagon
The Te’a Show, from SLAM 330.
From Canada with Love: red stacked headline over a Montreal prep school team
From Canada with Love: a Montreal prep program, from SLAM 330.
Collin Sexton feature opener titled Bullish Market with stacked gradient type on black
Bullish Market: Collin Sexton, from SLAM 331.
Real Friends opener with vintage green and gold treatment of LeBron's Akron teammates
Real Friends: LeBron’s Akron circle, from SLAM 197.