Pelo magazine logo and covers (1970–2001)
Vol. 1, No. 9, announcing the premature death of Jimi Hendrix. Cover typography in Thorowgood Sans Shaded.
Pelo (“Hair”) was the first Argentine magazine dedicated entirely to rock music, with a special emphasis on the local scene. Founded by Osvaldo Daniel Ripoll in Buenos Aires in 1970, it soon was distributed across Latin America, and became especially popular in Peru and Uruguay.
The logo features lowercase letters from Art Tone. The bottom-heavy face was designed by Seymour Chwast in 1964 and subsequently added to Photo-Lettering’s library. Pelo used this logo from the first issue in February 1970, made under the art direction of Juan Bernardo Arruabarrena, to the very last one in September 2001. The wordmark was shown in all kinds of colors, in various sizes and alignments, occasionally rotated, on an angle, partly obscured, and sometimes illustrated. The only major change was introduced in No. 95 from 1978 when the letterforms were embellished with a bombastic chrome effect. In this issue, Juan Carlos Piña is credited as jefe de arte.
The National University of Quilmes is carrying out a complete digitization of the magazine and is making the issues available online in the Archivo Histórico Digital de la Revista Pelo. This post shows a few selected covers.
Vol. 1, No. 1 (February 1970), ft. Mike and Paul McCartney and the first appearance of the Pelo logo in Chwast Art Tone. The cover typeface is Cooper Black.
Vol. 1, No. 6, ft. Paul McCartney. “Letras del LP …” uses letterforms from an unidentified source (possibly a dry-transfer face?). “Super Poster” is in Columbus, “Exclusivo desde Londres” uses PLINC’s Staudel Xenotype J or Roberta III, while “Los Beatles” features Siegfried.
Vol. V, No. 49 (1974) about the “decadence of rock”, ft. David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Marc Bolan, Ringo Starr, Cooper Black Italic, and Tip-Top.
Vol. V, No. 51 (1974), ft. Elkie Brooks. The main cover typeface is Tip-Top.
Vol. IX, No. 105, with a review of the year 1978, ft. Queen and Kushell.
Vol. XIII, No. 158 (1982), ft. Debbie Harry, caps from Flash Bold, and some ITC Souvenir.
Vol. XXXI, No. 505 (2001), ft. Kurt Cobain, Helvetica, and ITC Garamond.
3 Comments on “Pelo magazine logo and covers (1970–2001)”
“Exclusivo desde Londres” looks like it’s done in Roberta (the Lancelot Link typeface).
Did you see the caption? I believe it’s Staudel Xenotype J, PLINC’s precursor – or follower? – of Roberta.
[translated by moderator]
Hi, I’m looking for photos, articles, debate about the rock group Opus Alfa from Uruguay 1969–70s. In concert in Salto, Uruguay.
[original comment]
Hola, estoy buscando fotos articulos debate Rock grup Opus Alfa de Uruguay 1969–70s. De concierto en departamento de Salto, Uruguay.