Founded by Editor-In-Chief Shawn Ghassemitari, SPIRAL is a print publication that bridges the gap between football and culture. Printed annually, each issue explores a theme that connects the culture surrounding the game through the worlds of sport, art, design, music and fashion.
The inaugural issue aimed to tackle the theme of 'Tribalism.' The issue both celebrated and challenged the diverse world of football by highlighting the game’s storied yet troublesome history, observing the many relics and traditions shared by fans, discussing the players and ’superfans’ who have rose to mythic proportions, along with speaking to an array of creatives, athletes, and individuals who are all pushing to elevate the game. Contributors from the first issue featured names such as the artist and illustrator Steven Harrington, the NFL's Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion Samantha Rapoport, defensive lineman Ryan Russell, reporter and sportscaster Ben Lyons, celebrated sports writer Michael MacCambridge, fine artist Devin Troy Strother, and artist and illustrator Nathan Bell.
Our studio created the name and visual identity for the Journal and provided art direction and editorial design for both the first and second issues. We also designed a capsule collection of promotional goods and clothing for the premier release with this issue’s Halftime artist Nathan Bell.
