Soumkine’s “My Weekly Atlas, Marine” is a winner. First, the tactile feel of the paper is great, it is not cheap and flimsy, so that more pages can be accommodated in a smaller space. Second, it works great for fountain pens. There is absolutely no bleed through so that important dates, times, etc., aren’t obscured. Third, the larger A4-like size allows enough space to write more than one appointment for a particular day and the month is laid out on one page and is undated so you can use this for any particular month/year. Although the other page has a large block of space where you can take notes, sketch, etc., isn’t as important to me—I would rather have lines to take notes, or the two pages could have been used to allow for a full 12-16 hour day with the time pre-printed—I can see the versatility for artists, designers, etc. Fourth, I absolutely loved the threaded pages (? Saddle-like stitch) between the pages. It gives it a small press, chapbook feel. The only criticism I have is that the Atlas only had about 2-3 months worth of design. Not sure if this is intentional to make it less bulky or if was a test design before going to larger production, but, personally, I would rather have a year’s worth of material, even if it comes at the expense of being thicker. Additionally, the marine graphic on the front cover is well-designed and not overdone. In conclusion, I can honestly say that for creatives who still use paper, Soumkine’s Weekly Atlas is a functional, well-designed calendar, appointment, reminder, to-do, brief note-sketch that deserves your attention.
