WHO ARE YOU?

Janai Robinson, founder and creative director of Underbelly Magazine.


HOW DID UNDERBELLY START?

I started Underbelly, I think, if I remember correctly, the winter of freshman year of college, which was remote. I didn't know anyone at school, and I didn't have a lot of friends.

E: Oh, for real? Did not knowing anyone make creating the magazine difficult?

The magazine was terrible then. That's not to deny the work that got put into it, but it was pretty bad—but I remember thinking I should create a magazine and put my friends' work in it. And I was, yeah, I just did it. I made an Instagram.


HOW DID THE IDEA COME ABOUT? EVEN THE NAME UNDERBELLY?

Originally, it was called Whiplash. I had no followers. I only told two people about it and didn't do anything with it because I had no plan. Then I was listening to music. And at the time, I was really into the Riot grrrl music, and I still am, but I was listening to that. And Bikini Kill has a song called “Carnival”. And then they just said, “the seedy Underbelly of the Carnival,” and I made it Underbelly. I feel as if I'm kind of tired of the name.

E: Do you feel you have a personal connection to the name, or was it just a randomly chosen name?

I literally heard it in a song. I was told, "Oh, this is cool.”



TALK ABOUT THE FIRST ISSUE OF UNDERBELLY.

No one has seen the first issue. Yeah, but it exists. My friend Anna was one of the main people helping me, and she still is. I didn't have any friends at FIT, so I couldn't just showcase my friends' work because I didn't have any friends to showcase their work other than Anna. We posted on our TikTok that we were looking for submissions from people, and it blew up. So I got so many emails from people just as random-ass people online wanting to showcase their work. That was cool to me. It was just a digital copy of these strangers, artwork, and nothing more than that. But there was nothing significant or memorable about it. But it was very stressful.

C: That concept is hella cool. If you adjust it now, you could still do something like that. Considering your primary audience is FIT students and the people you are showcasing are most likely within those circles already, it would be cool to see someone completely different.

E: You could even do a mixture of half people you know and half digital.

Yeah, it still has that element because I'm making friends by posting, “Who wants to help?” And people are like, “me.” I still do want to post. Maybe I would say our TikTok or Instagram, so random people can submit their work. I want to do that for this next issue, but I haven't thought about how that will work. But a good bulk of the people that have helped me I never met before until they started helping me with the zine.


WALK US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THE SECOND ISSUE: “DOOMSDAY.”

E: Also, just as a disclaimer, I was on Janai's layout team for the second issue. There were a lot of things that did not go super smoothly, at least in the layout department.

“DOOMSDAY” was so stressful. I never want to do it like that again. Everything I've done is such trial and error. I have no method, which is not a bad thing. But when you're surrounded by all these people with their creative ventures, who are trying to blow up, and, I guess, gain recognition for their projects, you feel pressured. The whole process was stressful. From the beginning, when I got to school post-covid, I moved in and was so excited. I said, "Okay, now I want to do this, make a physical thing, and work with a team of people." I wanted to execute the original plan I couldn't execute before due to the pandemic.

FRONT AND BACK COVER of UNDERBELLY ISSUE 2 “DOOMSDAY”

HOW DID YOU SELECT THE TEAM?

So for selecting the team, I tried to mirror the structure I had from the digital-first copy. So I had a visual arts team, a social media team, a fashion team, and people who were physically creating the layout because I have no skill within that. I'm terrible at that. Honestly, I don't have any artistic talent. I can't do anything you see on Underbelly except write. So I get other people to do everything you see for me. Is that good or bad?

C: That's a skill within itself; you took up more of a manager-type of role. Creative direction is not something just anyone can do. It takes a special vision to create what you create.

I like working with people who are knowledgeable or know more than me because I don't want the end result to look bad. But, yeah, I posted online because I had made a few friends around the school, and I posted, “Who wants to help?” And once again, Anna helped me. We just posted a Google form as an application. A lot of people applied, and we interviewed them.

C: You interviewed everyone?

Everyone that I liked from the submission. I don't know how to say no to people, so I feel I let too many people in. Almost 30 people were working on this, which was super stressful. I don't know how I thought I could do a team of thirty people. I thought the more hands, the better.

C: Do you think having so many people on the team dilutes the original idea of the issue?

I lost sight of the aesthetic or what I planned to do with the magazine because I had so many people in my ear telling me what direction to go. I hired all these people. I was super nervous because I didn't think I could lead or direct a team, and these people just kept looking for me and asking me what to do. I didn't even come up with the theme for the second issue—my friend Destiny did.


HOW WAS IT WORKING WITH THE TEAM?

A very small number of people were convinced by Underbelly or by my plan, but they were willing to help and fully devote themselves to it. The rest forgot about it or didn't care. So even simple things like team meetings, which I hosted to immerse the team more and have them discuss ideas, would have a low attendance rate. I do not think people realize the full extent of joining a creative project.

E: Do you think it is because you overhired? Would a smaller team be more manageable for you?

Yea, a small team of ten would make sense, but a team of thirty is unrealistic when we all have different responsibilities. As I said, I had a lot of people in my ear telling me what to do with Underbelly—monetize it, or whatever—and I think I had less fun than I thought I would. So, yeah, working with the team, although everyone was super creative and cool, and I appreciate them putting in whatever effort they could, overall, it was overwhelming.

C: Also, the difficult thing about working with students and people around your age is that when you suggest a new idea, they will automatically assume you are calling their idea bad. Every artist has a sense of ego, but they have to understand they are part of your team and working on your project.

Yeah, it is; as I said before, I am bad at saying no to things. So instead of arguing with someone about their idea, I edit it best to make it fit my vision.


WILL YOU BE MORE RESTRICTIVE IN SELECTING THE TEAM NEXT ISSUE?

I don't have a team. Or, I am not planning on creating one. Honestly, I wouldn't say I liked guiding a team. If people want to help out, they can help out. I just didn't like guiding a team, so I do not think I will recruit the same way I did before.

C: That's good that you realize you aren't cut out for leading a team with the second issue, though. It's all trial and error; you are finding out what works for you.

E: So, are you going to have people continue to freelance? Or will you maybe try hiring people for the next issue?

If people want to help, they can help. People like Anna are always going to be integral to it. I value her ideas and her input. People like Onasis, Anna, Jenny, and Lucy—they're always going to help and put in as much as possible, and I appreciate them for that.



SO THE NEXT ISSUE WILL BE LESS FORMAL?

I don't like it being serious at all. A lot of the people I originally had on my team were thinking of the zine of something to put on their resume or list as experience. However, I was just thinking of it as something to play around with. I wanted to just have fun, which caused a clash.

E: The idea of taking yourself super seriously can be damaging for a predominantly visual zine because it is hard to have a cohesive visual style if you are going to juxtapose it with a think piece that doesn't fit a theme.

Yea, with this next issue, I just want to create something that looks cool! I want to focus on visual cohesion with less emphasis on writing.


HOW DID IT FEEL TO RELEASE THE ISSUES?

  I'm a huge perfectionist. I would give copies of “Doomsday” and see people's reactions, which were all positive. People said, "Wow, this is cool." But I couldn't resonate with that. Every time I put something out, I'm just pointing out everything lacking, and I feel that a lot. I remember that I was crying—crying in public about this shit, and I'm like, this is not worth it. I'm losing. I'm not making money from this. I'm technically not gaining anything from this. It doesn't have to be. It's never that serious. I just realized that my mindset of being perfect or putting work out beyond my skill is ingrained in my head and stressing me out. And I think in the summer, I was like, “Fuck it. It's not that serious.”

IT'S OUT THERE!


DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING PLANNED FOR THE NEXT ISSUE?

I don't have to put out anything impressive. I don't have to put out anything at all. This is just because I want to do it. I don't gain anything from it. So I don't have to be consistent. I don't have to follow anyone else's guidelines. I don't have a plan. I'm taking it one concept at a time. I have a bunch of stuff I want to execute, but I don't want it to be serious. That's the only thing in my head. I can come back to this when I want, and I can drop it when I want.

E: From how you spoke about past issues and the trials and hardships you faced in creating this, there's growth in all failures. Right. And before, you talked about something that stuck out to me. In the beginning, you were told, "Oh, I think we had two followers. Now you have almost 600." Is Underbelly something you stick by in the long run and keep growing?

I definitely don't want to drop it after I transition out of this part of my life because up until now, with Underbelly, I've had so much. As I said, I don't have any skills. I'm not an artist.

C: Why do you say that?

Well, I don't know. I'm still not pushing anything that's just me or mine. And I've had this mindset for a long time. So this is the time or the platform that I get to express my ideas because I've had a lot. And I guess I have hobbies or passions and ideas I want to execute, but I've always been a bit too scared to do it because I know I'm not the greatest at it. Underbelly allows me to push out my ideas; I want to show off my friends and their cool work.




HOW DOES HAVING A DIGITAL AUDIENCE AFFECT YOU?

When one of our TikTok first blew up a while back, it felt good for me. To know that there are people out there that consume and resonate with my work is comforting. There are people out there I do not know personally who are interested in my ideas.

C: Do you think having people consume your work digitally motivates you to create more?

Honestly, it does the opposite. It takes a weight off my shoulder, per se. I feel less in my head about debating if what I am putting out is good or not.

E: It feels good knowing that at least someone out there enjoys your work.


AFROFUTURISM SHOOT

I'm excited about that. I'm not going to give away what it will look like. But when I put out, “Who wants to help me work on this?” I was hoping that more people of color would. But we go to a PWI, so it was hard filtering through that. A lot of the responses that I got or the people that want to contribute are from our school, and a lot of them are white. I was thinking, "Okay, but I'm Black," and there is something you're lacking. You're just lacking in something.

C: So, moving forward, do you predominantly want to work with people of color?

I do. I still think a good number of white people have responded, "I want to model." I don't want white people to model. That's my main thing; it goes down from just the people you see on the paper. It goes from the people doing the hair to taking the pictures. That whole process needs to have more Black people in it. I'm tired of seeing white people. I grew up with predominantly white people. And I feel excited when I see people of color and talk to them, and they believe in what I want to put out. I just want to be immersed with Black people and put out something cool; our school has many talented Black people. There are many talented people out there, but the whites usually overshadow them. I really want to work with a bunch of Black people and be in a comfortable space. I want to highlight the people around us.

C: That look like you, and that can relate to you.

Yeah, exactly; that's my main reason for an afrofuturism shoot. I love the concept of afrofuturism, but more importantly, I want to showcase my people.


HOW WOULD YOU GET PEOPLE EXCITED FOR THE NEXT ISSUE?

I would call it airtight. I am getting better at saying no to people and no to ideas I don't want. I can confidently say that I will have more control over this next issue. So you will get something closer to the vision I intended, as opposed to one influenced by others.

E: Also, the ACEDIA BOYS are going to have a spread in this next issue; you definitely need to see it.

They are. They really are, though.

C: So make sure to buy the next issue. Even if it is thirty, forty, or fifty dollars. Whatever the cost, it will be worth it. All for the ACEDIA BOYS.

UNDERBELLY ISSUE TWO IS OUT! LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT ISSUE OF UNDERBELLY WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS.

@underbellymagazine

CREDITS

SUBJECT/BRAND : UNDERBELLY MAGAZINE @underbellymagazine

PHOTOGRAPHER : E&C*

MODEL : JANAI ROBINSON @comradedesgarcons

TEXT : E&C* @acediastudios