One thing we really respect about a business is when the founders saw a void in the marketplace that they believe needed to be filled, and they launched something from scratch that filled that void.

We saw a similar void in Atlanta’s graphic design industry when we launched KEYLAY in 2008. This is the story of how Wussy Magazine came to fruition.

Wussy launched in 2015 with the tagline “Atlanta-based sissies with an eye on queer art and pop culture.”

Atlanta’s LGBTQ media scene at the time was populated by a news-centric publication with occasional arts and entertainment coverage, a news- and nightlife-centric blog and several weekly nightlife rags of which lacked racial and gender diversity).

Enter Wussy Magazine.

Wussy co-founder and publisher Jon Dean talked about the origins of the brand with Project Q Atlanta in 2017.

“Wussy came from talks with friends about creating an outlet to share ideas and amplify voices of southern, queer artists,” Dean said. “Whether that be through our online presence, printed zines, art shows, or nightlife events. The Southeast, and Atlanta specifically, are often overlooked when it comes to our rich and diverse arts scene.”

Austin Frantz, a graphic designer for Wussy when it launched, summed up what the makes the publication different in an interview with Georgia Voice in 2015.

“I’d like to give a platform for people who normally wouldn’t have one in Atlanta— young artists, writers, event organizers, who are doing great things, but haven’t really had enough exposure yet,” Frantz said. “I’d also like to represent a really diverse LGBT Atlanta community, from guys, to girls, to trans people, to non-binary identifying people, instead of just showcasing your typical ‘model type’ muscle-bound jock hotties.”

Sample content from Wussy includes “Lasting Legacy: What Stonewall means in the South,” “What the yeehaw agenda does for queer black people,” “’So that I could remember’: Photographer Donna Gottschalk on capturing real, queer life” and “A case for queer Christianity.”

There’s also tons of coverage of the show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and other LGBTQ pop culture nuggets.

Wussy grew their brand smartly, starting with an online magazine in 2015, launching a bi-weekly print edition called Wussy Rag in 2017, then a beautiful quarterly art book that’s available online and in person in Atlanta and around the world. That’s right, Atlanta’s little LGBTQ art and pop culture publication that could went global, with the book gracing shelves from Asheville, Milwaukee and New York City to London, Berlin, Barcelona and Vancouver!

As people who thrive and are inspired by creatives doing insanely creative work, we are big fans of Wussy’s art books. They capture a style of design that’s unique to them. And knowing who you are as a brand is so vitally important. That’s often one of the biggest challenges of our work when we have a client that doesn’t know what their brand is. But it is so incredibly rewarding when we help them figure it out!

If all that wasn’t enough, Wussy also has an event promotion arm that further enriches their brand in the eyes of people throughout the city of Atlanta. They screen iconic camp classic films like “The Craft,” “Mean Girls,” “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” and “Clueless.” They have signature events like Hogtied, Wussy Prom and Powder Room. And they often team up for events with La Choloteca, Atlanta’s popular Latinx party.

Wussy managing editor Barry Brandon talked about creating events where people feel safe, included and welcomed with Paper Magazine in 2018.

“We always want people to express themselves. The most authentically and safely that they can,” Brandon said. “So I think that’s probably the biggest underlying part: It’s finding a space, creating a kind of ambiance, or an event in general that allows people the opportunity to come completely as they are, and not feel that they’re going to be… othered or different.”

Upcoming Wussy events include a screening of sci-fi cult classic “The Fifth Element,” the Shebang! Party, a screening of the iconic documentary “Paris Is Burning,” a night of poetry, stand-up comedy and drag called Femme in Public, and a bluntly titled event called The Fly: Queer Trashy Stories Told Live.

Having people authentically connect with a brand is always a goal — that’s a goal KEYLAY helps our clients achieve on a daily basis. Wussy has managed to connect with people and then some.

Dean talked about what could be considered the Wussy ethos with Project Q Atlanta.

“It’s always been important to us to take an honest look at the issues our communities are facing, while at the same time being a positive voice and resource for change in the city,” he said. “I’ve been afforded a lot of opportunities that other queers don’t have access to, so I hope to share that platform with as many folks as possible.”

Paper Magazine ended its piece on Wussy with a good summary of what helps them connect with people.

“In all its doings, WUSSY is promoting solidarity and inclusion and self-love,” they write. “They aren’t responsible for the queer scene’s creation, obviously, but they’ve definitely elevated and nourished its best qualities — and that helps the entire community flourish.”

We’ll second that notion.

And we’ll continue to tell you all about the hottest brands and design happenings in Atlanta, so keep an eye out!