Megan Stout
Megan Stout's Hippie Christmas-themed August Isthmus cover illustration.
When Megan Stout decided she was going to do a cover illustration on Madison’s infamous August move-out tradition of, well, leaving a bunch of stuff on the curb, she turned to the Madison Reddit community for ideas. She asked: “People of Madison! What’s the best free curbside you’ve gotten?”
The answers were great. Here are some:
- I'm a habitual curbside picker and Madison has always treated me well. Some of my favorite finds over the years: A Nintendo entertainment system (fully functional), an inflatable kayak (a little musty, but totally functional) a whitewater kayak (separate from the inflatable, totally random) a vintage Pioneer PL115D turntable
- My friend found some (probably fake) Yeezys in his size. My personal best find is an antique plant stand with hand-painted flowers on it. Most serendipitous find is a set of dishware that's the exact same pattern as my existing dishware
- I guess I’m obligated to say my cat is the best curbside find.
- I found a 1960 MCM walnut Bassett lowboy dresser in a pile of discarded furniture by some dumpsters last year. I was out walking my dog, but turned around and walked right home to get my van to bring it home!
- For me, it’s the discarded play kitchen that brought YEARS of entertainment to my toddlers. A scrub down, a couple of “burners” drawn on with permanent marker, and as good as new!
You’ll have to scrutinize the illustration to see if any of these ideas made it into Megan’s illustration. There were many more possibilities on the Reddit thread not cited here.
Megan Stout
Rough drafts of Megan Stout's August Isthmus cover.
Megan Stout's initial composition was mostly unchanged from her first rough draft.
Megan is a Madison-based illustrator and graphic designer with a bachelor of fine arts degree from Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She’s a fan of what is affectionately called “Hippie Christmas.”
“Rather than donating these treasures to resale companies that will mark them up to make a quick buck, they are offered to the community to enjoy for free,” she says.
Megan considered a few different themes for the cover, but Hippie Christmas is the one that stuck. “It’s a challenge to create a busy drawing that remains cohesive,” says Isthmus art director Tommy Washbush. But Megan’s thoughtful organization made this work.
