Paris Match. How did you come up with the idea for this magazine?Alister. 13 years ago, I was on the terrace with a journalist, I was a singer. We were a little bored in our respective disciplines and we talked about the state of the cultural press in France at the time. We found that the Parisian cultural media were not up to par. At the same time, the magazine XXI appeared, a new format, the mook (review at the crossroads of magazine and book Editor’s note) as they used to say at the time. We combined the two and created Schnock. The idea was to talk about French artists that we considered underestimated. We were thinking of Jean-Pierre Marielle, Jean Yanne, Pierre Richard… So, they were in the first issues that we published. Afterwards, we had to expand, obviously, because it worked right away. We were all a little taken aback and we had to feed the beast.
The flashy cover and the title might suggest a magazine that is one hundred percent humorous, but in reality it is much deeper and more diverse. Was this one of your concerns?
It was one of the challenges, but it reflects our personalities, mine in particular. We present an ironic form but behind it, on the other hand, it works. We wanted a creative object that is not in the media conformism usual from the French press. Initially we were looking for photos for the cover but Erwann Terrier offered us a drawing. And he’s the one who did all 51 issues. Then came the title which is a kind of harmless insult. It was all a lighthearted thing, but inside, it didn’t have to be a gag. It is not a traditional literary magazine. From the start, we tried to contact, for example, Alain Delon who already at the time was surrounded by an armada of advisors, lawyers and managers. There was an iron barrier and, just introducing yourself as Schnock magazine, people took it as a joke. We have a bit of the same problems with the “divas” (He laughs). It can be scary but each time, we repeat that we are not going to make fun of them and that you just have to read us to understand it.
I can live fully from Schnock’s activity without living in Monte-Carlo
Alister
Was there really a desire to move away from German-speaking culture to reach a less urban audience?
Yes, for example Pierre Richard had millions of admissions at the time and yet from a cultural, literary and even journalistic point of view he was never considered at his true value. I always felt that behind the clown who crashes through doors and falls to the ground, there was much more. He’s an interesting guy, you just have to scratch a little to see that. We are bringing popular art back to Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Schnock proof can be found at the Deux Magots kiosk (He’s laughing ).
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Can you say today that your magazine is viable?
We’re around 10,000 copies per issue, that means we have a fanbase of 10,000 people. When it doesn’t work, it’s 6,000 and when it works really well, it’s 15,000. On the other hand, I never launch into themes that are too inconsiderate and which are less likely to bring people together. Today I can make a full living from Schnock’s activity without living in Monte-Carlo.
Our readers ask us to treat Dorothée, Garcimore, Bernard Blier…
Alister
Why did you choose Françoise Sagan as your first literary character?
I’m not a huge fan and I’ve always been quite critical of his literature. But I wrote a book about dandy women six years ago, of which she was one. Sagan, it’s interesting, because the feminist wave, whether radical or bourgeois, has infiltrated everywhere. Sagan is recovered today because she was independent, bisexual, snacker, drinker, cocaine addict, gambler, car lover… She has this side one again, thoroughly and always chic. In this case, in this issue I am well surrounded, I do not launch into subjects that are too foreign to me, I asked a real specialist Sophie Delassein to support me.
Do you have any feedback from your readership?
Most of the time, we receive handwritten letters. The only complaint is the font size, some wish it was written bigger, that’s about the only thing. And the other remark is the suggestions “you must do this or that, that you treat Dorothée, Garcimore, Bernard Blier…”.
The next issue will be yet another new experience with a politician
Alister
How did you manage to find a publisher to follow you in this crazy idea?
We tried all the big publishers like Robert Laffont, Gallimard… but each time we didn’t have total freedom. With suggestions that we didn’t like, by imposing this or that thing, this or that editor-in-chief. It was the publishing house La Tengo, which did not yet have many things in its catalog, apart from rock’n’roll thrillers, which had the audacity of its youth and gave us carte blanche. In Schnock there are no ads inside, no posters, no promotions. This is also one of the reasons why the project has been economically viable for thirteen years, is that the guys haven’t gone crazy and haven’t made crazy investments.
A word on the next issue?
I can give a hint: the next issue will be yet another experiment with a politician, in addition. Now it’s up to your readers to guess. I don’t know what will happen in a few days, but it will be the September issue, so we’ll see what will have happened in France by then. But there will be a political figure and there aren’t ten of them of the stature of De Gaulle, Chirac, Mitterrand or Giscard. Surprise!
