Comments on: Trying to recal a magazine from late 1980's

Question: Trying to recal a magazine from late 1980's

Duck_Lips — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 08:05:50 -0800

Magazine Filter: I trying to remember a magazine that was briefly introduced to North America in the late 1980's. As I recall, the magazine was a sort of cross among Spy Magazine, The New Yorker and Harpers (of that era).

I specifically recall one monthly feature that was a report from Springfield. Each month a story from a different Springfield (Illinois, Missouri etc.). The Design, style and editorial predated the Raygun/Wired era, and a lot of Middle-American Folkiness to it. It definitely followed the standard short stories in the front and one big article in the middle.

Any thoughts to the title?

By: bendybendy

bendybendy — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 08:16:08 -0800

Might Magazine perhaps? It was Eggers' forerunner to McSweeny's.

By: Otis

Otis — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 08:17:37 -0800

There's a "Defunct magazines" page on Wikipedia. You might see if anything on there rings a bell.

By: jessenoonan

jessenoonan — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 08:32:46 -0800

I vaguely remember a magazine called The Nose that was around that time, though maybe more early 90s.

Here's some info. Doesn't really sound like your mag, though.

Wait, what was the one produced by the guys in the RV? Um... back in a minute.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 08:46:19 -0800

Monk was the RV mag.

By: judith

judith — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 08:59:57 -0800

WigWag was the one with "Letter from Springfield" - what a great magazine.

By: jessenoonan

jessenoonan — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 09:17:58 -0800

Thanks Jessamyn. That would have driven me crazy.

And boy, was I way off...

By: crunchland

crunchland — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 10:04:35 -0800

Yeah. Wigwag. I miss it.

By: GaelFC

GaelFC — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 10:10:23 -0800

Aw, Wigwag. I still have my copies somewhere. That was a fun magazine, but it even felt from the beginning that it would never make it.

By: AJaffe

AJaffe — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 10:13:18 -0800

WigWag -- I interviewed for an associate editor position there in 1990. Didn't get it. Suppose it all worked out for the best, though.

By: Duck_Lips

Duck_Lips — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 10:38:17 -0800

Wigwag--yes! Yes doomed from the start, but it was fun, now if I can only find the old issues!

thanks all! Metafilter is all-powerful

By: donnagirl

donnagirl — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 14:59:35 -0800

Duck_Lips, if you are still in NYC as your profile says, and don't need to own the magazines, NYPL has copies of Wigwag. The catalog says they're "offsite" and you have to make a request to see them. The School of Visual Arts also has them, if you don't need to be affiliated with the school to use the library. If you're not in NYC, only 11 other libraries (LA Public, LA County, Stanford, Library of Congress, U of Iowa, Southern Illinois, Boston Public, Princeton, Notre Dame, Columbus Metropolitan, Univ of South Carolina) report having copies, so you may be in for a roadtrip.
(librarian on vacation for a week, minor helpfulness withdrawl, thanks for the outlet)