Andy Warhol-founded 'Interview' magazine folds amid legal battles with former employees
- by Garry George
- in Health Care
- — May 22, 2018
Founded by Warhol, Village Voice co-founder John Wilcock, and poet/photographer Gerard Malanga in 1969, the fame-focused monthly was best known for its intimate celebrity-on-celebrity interviews accompanied by original portrait photography.
Staffers, both former and recent, shared the news Monday morning on Twitter, but the exact reason for the closure is still murky.
Interview has been embroiled in tabloid drama over the past few weeks, ever since former editorial director Fabien Baron sued the magazine for $600,000.
In 1989, billionaire art collector and Warhol admirer Peter Brant purchased the glossy art and culture magazine from Warhol's estate. According to the New York Post, the magazine was evicted from its Soho office in February after Brant Publications apparently stopped paying the landlord.
Longtime employee Deborah Blasucci is suing the company under claims that she was sacked for making too much money, and three other female employees have accused creative director Karl Templer of "overstepping professional lines", though Templer denies these accusations.
Baron resigned from Interview in April after almost 10 years at the glossy publication. A representative of Brant Publications confirmed the closure and that the magazine, along with its two holding companies, has filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. "Baron claims the magazine owes him "over $500,000 from invoices between 2015 and 2018" and owes Poiblanc "$66,000 as a stylist". A source told WWD that Interview "owes everybody money".
“Interview” Magazine, Founded By Andy Warhol, Is Shutting Down After 50 Years
Former associate publisher Jane Katz, who says she was sacked without cause, also charges the publication owes her $230,000 in unpaid wages, while former Interview President Dan Ragone alleges he is owed $170,000.
"Interview was an incredible place to work and I feel lucky to have gotten the chance to take part in Andy Warhol's legacy in some small way", Ezra Marcus, who was the publication's associate online editor when it folded, tells The Art Newspaper over email.
But in its glory days, little conferred sophistication like appearing on the cover of Interview, then named Andy Warhol's InterVIEW.
Baron's lawsuit is not the only one Interview is dealing with.
As the title suggests, the magazine was built upon interviews with various cultural luminaries of the day, from the glitzy patrons of Studio 54 to the punk pioneers of CBGB and the Mud Club.
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