# Il Male Newspaper-Forgery Satire

> The graphic voice of Il Male, the Roman satirical magazine of 1978-1982: forged front pages of real newspapers, photomontage and cartoons in a dense tabloid layout. It grew out of the left-wing milieu around the Movement of 1977, in the political tension of the late 1970s, and its fakes were sensational media pranks that could pass for the real paper. Unlike an original satirical tabloid such as O Pasquim, its signature is the counterfeit of an existing newspaper.

- Period: 1978–1982
- Where: Southern Europe
- Origin: Rome, Italy; Il Male, a tabloid-format political satire magazine published from February 1978 to 1982, from an idea by cartoonist Pino Zac with Tommaso Chiaretti as first editor, in the wake of the Movement of 1977
- Branch: Counterculture
- Also known as: Il Male, Il Male fake front pages
- Page: https://stylogeny.com/styles/italian-77-movement-graphics/

## How it works

- Counterfeit a real newspaper front page, masthead, columns and headline hierarchy included, then change the story.
- Pack the page with headlines, captions, cartoons and small print, so the joke rewards a second reading.
- Cut and paste press photographs into absurd new scenes, and let the halftone dots show.
- Draw satirical cartoons by hand and run them beside the montage.

## Its design choices

Defining choices make the style, characteristic ones are usual, occasional ones turn up now and then.

### Layout & composition
- [Collage & layering](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/collage-and-layering/) (defining)
- [Column grid](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/column-grid/) (characteristic)
- [Dynamic asymmetry](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/dynamic-asymmetry/) (occasional)

### Space & hierarchy
- [Horror vacui](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/horror-vacui/) (defining)
- [Layered information](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/layered-information/) (defining)
- [Visual tension](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/visual-tension/) (characteristic)
- [Extreme scale contrast](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/extreme-scale-contrast/) (characteristic)
- [Flat hierarchy](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat-hierarchy/) (occasional)

### Typography
- [Hand-lettering](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/hand-lettering/) (characteristic)
- [Eclectic mixing](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/eclectic-mixing/) (characteristic)
- [Tight setting](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/tight-setting/) (occasional)

### Colour
- [Limited spot colours](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/limited-spot-colours/) (defining)
- [Monochrome](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/monochrome/) (characteristic)

### Form & shape
- [Naturalistic depiction](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/naturalistic-depiction/) (characteristic)

### Surface & texture
- [Halftone & Ben-Day dots](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/halftone-and-ben-day-dots/) (defining)
- [Misregistration & overprint](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/misregistration-and-overprint/) (occasional)

### Ornament
- [Rules & bars](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rules-and-bars/) (occasional)

### Imagery
- [Photomontage](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/photomontage/) (defining)
- [Comic & cartoon](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/comic-and-cartoon/) (characteristic)
- [Found & vernacular imagery](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/found-and-vernacular-imagery/) (characteristic)
- [Treated photography](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/treated-photography/) (characteristic)
- [Line illustration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/line-illustration/) (characteristic)

### Medium & production
- [Offset printing](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/offset-printing/) (defining)
- [Pen, brush & ink](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/pen-brush-and-ink/) (characteristic)

### Tone & intent
- [Ironic & self-aware](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/ironic-and-self-aware/) (defining)
- [Rebellious & subversive](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rebellious-and-subversive/) (defining)
- [Playful & witty](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/playful-and-witty/) (characteristic)

Avoids: Modular grid, Central symmetry, Generous white space, Ornament-free, Gloss & highlights, Calm & contemplative, Luxurious & glamorous, Rational & objective

Palette: #e8e0cc, #161616, #c8231e, #7d7a70, #e2b93b

Typefaces: Newspaper mastheads imitated in the forgeries, Newspaper headline lettering imitated in the forgeries

Known for: Il Male (Rome, 1978-1982), conceived by Pino Zac; biweekly at first, later weekly; Il Male's fake Corriere dello Sport front page (1978); Il Male's fake Pravda, distributed in Russia

## Where it comes from, and what it’s close to

- Grew out of: [Situationist Détournement Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/situationist-detournement.md) (1956–1972)
- Influenced by: [Dada](https://stylogeny.com/styles/dada.md) (1916–1924)
- Alike in its design choices: [Cranbrook & Deconstructivist Typography](https://stylogeny.com/styles/deconstructivist-typography.md) (1980–1998), 71% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [O Pasquim Satirical Press](https://stylogeny.com/styles/o-pasquim-press.md) (1969–1991), 67% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Black Panther Party Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/black-panther-graphics.md) (1967–1980), 65% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Swiss Punk / New Wave Typography](https://stylogeny.com/styles/new-wave-typography.md) (1968–1990), 57% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Punk & DIY Zine](https://stylogeny.com/styles/punk-diy.md) (1976–1986), 57% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Drum Magazine & Sophiatown Photojournalism](https://stylogeny.com/styles/drum-magazine.md) (1951–1965), 55% alike

## Sources

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_Male
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_of_1977
- https://www.sbs.com.au/language/italian/en/podcast-episode/il-male-the-most-important-satirical-phenomenon-in-italy-after-the-war/s9zjw701a
- https://books.google.com/books/about/Il_Male.html?id=X3GKGAAACAAJ

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From Stylogeny (https://stylogeny.com/), an atlas of graphic-design styles by Van Riel Online Services. How it is made: https://stylogeny.com/about/. Cite as: Stylogeny, “Il Male Newspaper-Forgery Satire”, https://stylogeny.com/styles/italian-77-movement-graphics/