Music, art and writing have always been enormous influences in Gail Flug’s life. During her childhood, her paintings, photography and writing revolved around musicians she enjoyed and she turned this hobby into a lifestyle early on. She began by writing a “music news” column for her junior high school newspaper, and included original concert photographs of Queen and Cheap Trick in her Regents Art portfolio. It was only natural that she would combine these passions into a career.

 

While in college, Gail dove into the music industry as an intern at WBAB, and her experience with radio and reporting landed her a job at CMJ as their first Hard Rock editor. She hooked up with Fingers Metal Shop within months of its start, and became a major part of the show behind the scenes; compiling the weekly news segment, Scrap Metal, answering the ‘headbanger hotline’ and often arranging interviews and contests for the show.

 

As a respected internationally known music journalist, Gail has had articles, reviews, and columns published in countless publications including RAW, Hit Parader, Creem, FMQB, Rip, Faces, Metal Hammer and Metal Maniacs. Many of these contributions included her own photography – a talent she had developed since getting her first professional Nikon SLR at age 13 – giving her another area to work with.

 

While working in the marketing department at Berger Bros. Camera, Gail applied her interest in art and advertising to newly acquired computer graphic design skills. Now as a triple threat, she can not only write copy for an advertisement, brochure, or website, she can provide the photographs and create the layout as well. This did not end her writing career; she had a monthly column in Metal Edge and contributed features and reviews to Cat Fancy, Goldmine, KNAC, and Amazon.com.

 

As the Creative Director at Long Island Merchants Magazine, she assisted the publisher to conceive, produce and launch a high-end seasonal consumer magazine. It also required her to learn – the hard way – print production including pre-flight formatting, file processing, and FTP transfer. This was in addition to creating most of the magazine’s advertisements and writing advertorials. She continued to perform these duties when LIMM was acquired by Gannet Publishing and assisted her supervisor to reinvent Clipper North Shore. It was an instant hit; the revamped publication increased its customer base by 60% and advertising revenue by 70% within six months.

 

When Clipper North Shore dissolved in 2012, Gail was promoted to full-time status at All Island Media, where she had worked part-time/on-call since 2003.

 

Gail worked as a Marketing Coordinator for Family Residences Essential Enterprises, a non-profit organization supporting individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, mental illness, and traumatic brain injury. Gail performed day-to-day administration of marketing materials and duties as needed for the main agency and its family of nonprofit partners and applied her Graphic Artist, Copywriter, and Photographer skills within the company’s Development and Mission Advancement division. She went back to graphic design at Anton Community Newspapers as a page designer. The new role merited a new skill to collaborate with the editorial department to design content, edit digital images, and place advertisement assets for 17 weekly publications! Her design for the October 2nd, 2019 won Best Newspaper Front Page Design in the 2020 Press Club of Long Island Media Awards.

During the covid pandemic, she kept her creative juices active designing protective gear and basic necessities to help retailers reopen their establishments. And, was named the 'official' graphic designer for the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation! Her first job came in redesigning their newsletter - see the print section of this site -  and will continue creating other graphics and merchandise. 

 

"I feel that with every project, or job I do, it is a great opportunity to learn a different skill or something new about my craft," she says. "And sometimes I learn something about myself. Nothing is impossible."