LCD Magazine is getting artists out of their bedrooms

Ben and Emerson picked up photography as something to do stave off boredom during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the pair run the LCD Magazine, aiming to platform other artists and build community.

Inspired to shoot on film by RAYSCOURRUPTEDMIND, Travis Scott’s personal photographer, Ben said they would go shoot parties and portraits. Eventually, they wanted to self-platform to present themselves more professionally, and stop ”just posting shit to the void of Instagram,” Emerson said. 

Originally, they planned on doing a small photography zine, but they ended up getting into more visual arts outside of photography like graphic design and 3D modelling. Eventually the project grew into a full magazine to show their full range of artistic ability in mid-2022. The magazine’s first issue released in fall of 2023.

The issues are widely made up of submitted content from collaborators. And the goal is to create a community of artists, and a platform for their art. 

“The people we’ve worked with are very special and near and dear to the heart of the project,” Ben says

They like to have a running theme to help guide submissions and spur some inspiration, but they still take submissions that don’t fit the theme. The main goal of themes is to “give people [a] bouncing off point. It inspires a lot of creativity,” Emerson said. They want people to be authentic more than anything. The only thing they do ask of those who submit work is that it’s timeless. 

“We don’t want people submitting stuff that’s going to be dated in a year,” Emerson said. They want to be able to print older issues and keep platforming artists for as long as they can. 

There is a lot of community between collaborators as well. “The LCD family is really strong. We’ve been really fortunate to meet a lot of the right people in Vancouver who have been able to give us a lot of great opportunities to connect and make really good work. The people we’ve worked with are very special and near and dear to the heart of the project because otherwise, it would be an echo chamber of our own ideas,” Ben said. 

In celebration of their collaborators, they have issue launch parties to get people connected and seen. “We have a lot of appreciation for the people that we work with. When we did our launch party at the beginning of the year we had the opportunity to get a lot of them out to meet each other and talk about the [LCD] and their own projects. We want to give other people the same opportunities we’ve been afforded, like, walking into a room and suddenly being around all these really creative and interesting people, and having a platform to construct their own network,” Ben said. 

Chasing a more collective scene out east

Issue three is going to be their last issue before they relocate to Montreal. With connections already made, the move is set to be an expansion of LCD. “I see it like we’re getting back to our roots. We’re gonna be more willing and more able than ever to produce good work,” Ben said. 

“It’s eye opening to this whole different way of living a creative life,” Emerson added. “Montreal’s a lot friendlier to the young artist community. And we think a lot of people we’ve already met [in Montreal] resonate with what we do,” Emerson said. 

A main aspect of the Montreal art scene that’s pulling them east is its collective nature. “Sometimes it can get to a point where people are absorbed with their own success. They just want to blow up on TikTok in their bedroom and never talk to anybody. Nobody ever wants to actually go outside and meet somebody who can shoot their album cover,” Ben said. 

“It’s the fucking damage Playboi Carti’s done to the community, right?” Emerson joked. 

With Ben and Emerson being photography focused, they aren’t able to stay home. They have to go out, necessitate community, and work together. “And that’s so much of what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to bridge that gap and make people feel like there’s actually a reason to go out and meet people,” Ben explained. 

“We believe that they were just looking for any excuse to destroy them. And so they did,” Ben says

Erv and Kassiel, who’re behind Montreal-based skate brand Solide, put together a charity skate event with Skatepal in Montreal. Ben and Emerson did the board and promo art. “[Erv and Kassiel] did fantastic work doing all the organization and deserve all of the credit,” Emerson said.

They shipped LCD designed skate decks to Gaza as a part of it. There’s a pretty lively skate scene in the midst of the conflict, and the two sent boards to Skatepal to try and get them to the Gaza with the help of Erv and Kassiel. 

“We like what Skatepal is doing because it’s kind of undeniable that skate culture is so entwined with a lot of independent art movements … and especially seeing the photos and videos of the work Skatepal does. Seeing these kids in these horrible war-torn environments having a smile on their face because their friend just landed a fucking kickflip or something, you know?” Emerson said. 

Sadly, the boards never made it to Gaza. Skatepal sent 50 boards to Gaza, and when they touched down in Palestine, Israeli officials were saying the shipment manifest said 500 boards. “[The Israeli officials] were like ‘so where are the other 450 boards? Nobody has this much of anything without commercial intent.’ It is our belief, whether or not this is true is kind of irrelevant because the effect is the same, but we believe that they were just looking for any excuse to destroy them. And so they did,” Ben explained. 

“It sucked because we had a false moment of hope,” Emerson added. While the boards didn’t make it, the event did get people involved with the cause, and they’re glad they did it. “I wouldn’t take any of it back,” Ben said. They’re planning to do more charity events to keep the community growing. 

CORRECTION: A correction was issued on October 10, 2025 at 5:05 p.m. to amend that LCD Magazine didn’t send the skateboards to the Gaza skate team but to Skatepal. The Gateway regrets this error.