the story so far
Back in the 90s, kids could send their art and stories to the local paper, or to TV shows like Saturday Disney and Cheez TV. Some of them got picked. Ryan was one. Tam's sister was another. Seeing your creation in print, or on the telly, made you feel like you could actually do this.
Fast forward thirty years. Ryan and Tam had become teachers. Every day they watched kids make incredible things. But there was nowhere for that work to go. The classroom wall. The fridge under a magnet at home. That was it.
So they had a thought. What if we built the thing we wished existed when we were kids? A real magazine, made by Aussie kids, sent all over the country. They started planning. That was three years before the first issue ever printed.
For three years they sat with kids. Asked them what they liked. What they hated. What they'd actually want to read. Then they changed everything. Then they changed it again. theINmag was built by kids long before it was made for them.
Ryan called his cousin Dave. Dave's an illustrator and he loved the idea. He designed the first four issues. Then Lou took over. She's the reason every page has its own pattern, made from real kid artwork. Look closely - those swirls and shapes? All from kids.
Printing a magazine in Australia is expensive. Really expensive. Ryan and Tam needed money to make this real. So they did something a bit wild. They sold their house. Bought a van. Spent three months turning it into a tiny home on wheels.
The van meant two things. Money to print the magazine. And the freedom to drive anywhere in Australia. Beach towns. Bush schools. Big cities. Tiny ones. They could meet real kids, in real places, and find the next round of creators.
Somewhere along the way they had a baby. Her name's Nora. She's been on the road her whole life, watching her parents build a magazine and meeting kids in every state. She's pretty cool. We think so anyway.
theINmag is for you. Real Aussie kids. The stuff you make right now. The ideas you've got brewing. Every page is a reflection of what kids are into - and an invitation for the next kid to give it a go.
1 / 9
...Glad you asked
Here's the big one for us: we want Aussie kids to be more than just 'on task'. We want them IN task. You know that feeling when you look up and half an hour's gone by? That's true ACTIVE engagement and it's when the best learning occurs. theINmag can be the driver and inspiration of these types of tasks.
Grab a membershipThese are the friendly faces behind every issue.
See if you can match the image of them as a kid to them grown-up.
Grown-ups
Kids
Co-founders
theINmag started as an idea Ryan and Tam had to give Aussie kids a voice. Both former teachers, they were inspired every day by the creativity walking through their classrooms. They now travel Australia in a van with their daughter Nora, meeting the kids whose creations end up on the page.
Fun fact: Tam once rode her bike into a creek on the way to school. She still blames the bike.
Lead designer & layout
Lou is the designer who turns every issue into the magazine you hold. Layout, type, colour, the whole feel - it's her. She's been at this for over a decade, she's a night owl, and she's hopelessly obsessed with the artwork Aussie kids send in. Without Lou, theINmag wouldn't look like theINmag.
Fun fact: Lou's husband Alex owns a coffee shop, but Lou doesn't drink coffee. It makes her go a little crazy.
Original designer (issues 1-4)
Award-nominated picture book illustrator (look up The Nerdy Birdy). He laid out the first four issues of theINmag and set the visual feel for everything that came after.
Fun fact: Dave now runs a cafe called Earlybird Espresso. Check out their logo - it's very cool.
Proofreader & former magazine editor
Dee was the kid who wrote to the local paper so often they gave her a job. True story. She's now an author, a mum, and the proofreading brain that makes sure every issue reads beautifully.
Fun fact: She was the editor of Loop magazine before theINmag existed. We got lucky.
Proofreader & classroom legend
Twenty years in the classroom. Nina's the teacher every kid remembers - the one who actually listened. She catches the typos, the missing full stops, and the things only a great teacher would notice.
Fun fact: Nina is the kind of friend who shows up. That's not really a fun fact. It's just true.
Accountant
Adam keeps the numbers in line. Without him, we'd have had to sell the van by now. It's thanks to him we managed to print every magazine.
Fun fact: A great guy and an okay footy player.
Designer & image editor
Chloe is the magic behind every kid creation that ends up on the page. She tweaks shadows, fixes lighting, brightens colours - so the artwork looks as good in print as it did on the kitchen table.
Fun fact: Chloe's an animal lover and is obsessed with the pet shop section in the magazine.
Media & marketing
Kylie makes sure theINmag reaches the right eyeballs. Social-savvy, data-driven, always five steps ahead. Also a fab mum to two little legends.
Fun fact: Find her digital studio at @halobendigo.
Web designers
These two designed our original website. Vanlife and web design at the same time. Wild.
Fun fact: A huge chunk of theINmag's look online started with them. We owe them big time.
Nice work, you've met the whole team.
Meet Zanda, Ned and Gus. They're Tam's nephews. They pack every single order of theINmag with serious care.
If you look hard at the magazine, you'll spot some of their creations in there too.
Pretty cool, right?
Adventures from the road.
branching out is our YouTube channel where we share our travels, the places we land, and what Nora's up to.
Visit channel on YouTube
Behind every page.
Sneak peeks of upcoming issues, kid creations, and the messy bits between. If you want the day-to-day, this is where it lives.
Follow on Instagram
Drawings, stories, photos, jokes, maths puzzles, anything. If they made it and they're proud of it, send it IN.
Send IN a creation
