Rolling Stone is an American monthly magazine founded by Jann Wenner, a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, in collaboration with Ralph Gleason, a music critic from the San Francisco Chronicle. The magazine debuted in 1967 with John Winston Ono Lennon, the king of rock, on the cover of the first issue. To fund his passion for music and make the project a reality, Jann borrowed money from family and friends. Rolling Stone has since become a legendary publication in the music industry.
Jann Wenner adored rock and roll and dreamed of it, so he decided to compensate with his music-themed magazine for his love for it. He chose a significant title, using the English proverb “A Rolling Stone gathers no moss.” It elevated the print edition to a high level and served as the source for the song “Like A Rolling Stone” by Muddy Waters for Bob Dylan. The logo for the first issue was drawn by Rick Griffin, a famous artist and author of underground comics and psychedelic posters, whose works adorned all of San Francisco in the 60s.
It was a hand-drawn sketch in the art nouveau style, used as it was – without post-processing. Inner and outer shadows, many curls, smooth contours, and the effect of engraving characterized it. It set the beginning of a multi-year evolution of the visual identity of the glossy magazine, suggesting the path for subsequent emblems. A few years later, other well-known figures added their hand to it: John Pistilli, Jon Valk, and Jim Parkinson.