Respect Authority

Back in the day, when my faith in the magazine industry was not yet lost, I made the massive mistake of subscribing to Radar. I say this was both a mistake, and massive, not because I don’t enjoy Radar — rather, it was and is one of my two favorite magazines — but because the process of subscribing to a dying media is trying, frustrating and ultimately heartbreaking.

You see, in a way this was my fault. Being something of a nerd for media gossip, I knew Radar’s unfortunate history: the magazine had already started and folded several times before its latest incarnation, sort of like a determined toddler whose attempts at walking keep ending with crashes into the coffee table.

Moreover, Radar’s latest foray into the great big world of publishing came at a time when magazines were already on the decline: some of the country’s more stalwart titles — Time, Newsweek, Men’s Vogue — were already seeing storm clouds on the horizon, so for a magazine devoted to the very celebrity gossip and snarky commentary reinvented by the mag-killing blogosphere to attempt a print revival — well it was sort of like glossy suicide. Read More ›

Blame the economy, blame the urgent nature of news on the Internet, blame that burrito you ate last night that’s still acting out John Bonham drum solos in your intestinal tract, just blame somebody — George W. Bush is a popular choice as well. Long-running and well-respected skate magazine SLAP will be folding after its December 2008 issue. The final issue happens to be on stands now, and will no doubt be a collector’s item, so hit up your local news stand soon, you soulless eBay jackals.

The photo above describes SLAP’s approach to skating and also seemed like a fitting tribute to its legacy. Skateboarders everywhere came to the magazine for its artful photography and focus on skateboarding’s full spectrum — the fact that the lifestyle and culture go considerably deeper than heroin-addled-punk-woodsman chic, jumping huge stair sets, and Mountain Dew. I know right? I didn’t even realize there was anything else to skateboarding. What else are you supposed to drink anyway? Fucking… water? Is that anything like beer? I can’t remember. Read More ›