Yesterday, on the morning after we sent the SF Bay Guardian's 40th annual Best of the Bay issue to press, staff were informed that the 48-year-old alternative weekly — "raising hell since 1966" — would be shut down effective immediately.
There's still a lot to process. Many things, including how to handle the paper's storied archives —online and in print — still need to be sorted out between the owners, the staff and the community.
I'm sad, obviously. But I'm glad that the SF Bay Guardian's last issue (at least in this incarnation) is a great one.
Publisher/Executive Editor Marke B. and I worked with local legend Jeremy Fish for this year's Best of the Bay artwork. Fish being Fish, I gave him very little art direction aside from the issue's theme (ironically Día de los Muertos, more on that below) and the four categories in which we give awards (City Living, Food+Drink, Arts+Entertainment, and Shopping). Per usual, Fish killed it, making this not only one of the most exciting issues I've worked on, but one of the easiest covers I've ever produced.
The Best of the Bay issue hits stands today, so go to your nearest SFBG newsstand, pick up a copy, admire Jeremy Fish's insane talent, and read about all of the reasons why we love San Francisco and the Bay Area. See Fish's artwork below, and scroll to the bottom to check out the entire paper on ISSUU.
I'll end with some all too relevant words from Marke B.'s introduction to Best of the Bay, on why we chose Día de los Muertos as this year's theme:
Lately when it comes to the Bay Area, "change" has been the dominant subject of conversation — especially in terms of what's been lost in arts, industry, creative types, and overall freak factor. But change can be a great positive motivator, and in celebrating the things no longer with us, we keep their spirits alive — and at the ready to help us embrace new beginnings.
Scroll through the entire 40th annual Best of the Bay edition, the SF Bay Guardian's last issue: