The perfect magazine?

December 2, 2004 3:33 PM

[MagazineFilter] Say, oh, you were to start your dream magazine, what would you fill it with? (more inside)

More specifically, I am launching a very different type of magazine in Mid 2005, and I am very interested in hearing from fellow MeFi'ers. I am very curious as to any departments or features that you feel take a unique approach to delivering information and engaging readers, or are able to successfully communicate a distinct other reality across the medium of print. Thinking along the lines of the NYtimes Ethicist, Vice's Do's and Dont's, the Harpers Index, or whole magazines such as Readymade or Wallpaper navigator, what makes you go out of your way to read these things, and doing it consistently?

Going one step further, what would you like to see in magazines that you feel is currently lacking? Any burning ideas that you would love to see implemented? Anything that you have wished would be published?

Full disclosure that responses may be discussed in future editorial meetings. Sorry for the rant! Really look forward to hearing from some of you.

posted by LongDrive to media & arts (32 comments total)

I'd like to see wackier Gadget reviews. I mean, this day and age anybody can look up the tech specs or a blog review online for an iPod.

I would like to see field tests on how the iPod does in a drop test, or how much damage it exerts when you're beating someone with it. Or a car road test written by a James Bond secret agent, where he tests how big the air pocket it underwater and notes, "Can only be modified to hold 4 SAMs."

Basically Maxim, yeah.
posted by Stan Chin at 3:37 PM on December 2, 2004

Whenever Entertainment Weekly, Maxim, FHM, or Blender publishes a list of something (Greatest Movies and the like), it's usually an entertaining read, which usually leads to some great debates among friends.

Oh, and not seeing a picture of Paris Hilton on every other page is a plus nowadays too.
posted by icontemplate at 3:55 PM on December 2, 2004

Like Wired, only much, much better, with little hacking articles and tips, as well as the social/technology articles. And it would only have google ads, but print form.

Wired + Mondo + McSweeney's + that new Oreilly hacking mag, + best stuff from blogs. And some New Yorker level writing. And free software with every issue. And a back rub.
posted by mecran01 at 4:02 PM on December 2, 2004

examples of classic source code, with an informative discussion. i've discussed this with various people over the years - there's a bunch of sources, including lion's unix, norvig's ai, and some more ideas here (self link, to a summary of other people's ideas from usenet).
posted by andrew cooke at 4:06 PM on December 2, 2004

Stan, Maxim has wacky gadget reviews? I really should read more of them laddie mags.

LongDrive, naturally launching a new zine is a risky proposition, in light of all the business as well as creative challenges. (I'm sure you know the stats re new rags that fail -- and some fairly decent U.S. magazines have folded of late, including Brill's Content, The Industry Standard, Talk, George, even Rosie.)

May I ask: Who is your target audience? Where will you be publishing/distributing to start? I assume it won't be a mass market type of venture. What's your niche?

In any event, I think the short answer, as always, is, more sex.

On preview: skwm beat me to that.
posted by jellybuzz at 4:10 PM on December 2, 2004

look to english lad magazines.

the american knockoffs largely suck.

sleaze nation in it's heyday, for example (1998ish).

or on the american side, xlr8r when they were swapping up layouts every month and had the most bitter old ravers writing for them (around the same time).

what's the difference? smart and snappy writing. none of this dumbed down crap that the american boy magazines seem to put out. vice also occasionally has this skill to some degree, although it often seems like they're just trying too hard.
posted by fishfucker at 4:12 PM on December 2, 2004

A malleable format. I'd like to see a magazine with a strong enough vision that each issue could be radically different than the last while still allowing me to recognize it as a single publication. Mixed media as well, fiction, essays, creative non-fiction, journalism. Little or no poetry. Basically, like Harper's, but with a sharper issue-specific theme. By in large I find Harper's to be too thematically weak, aside from the theme of "hey aren't we smart."

Think what McSweeney's does with short fiction, reinventing itself every release, but with content that is more, um, periodical. Fiction like that found on the Fray, creative non-fiction like This American Life, unconventional, interesting journalism (or opinion, depending on how you define your terms) like this piece about Pitchfork, or the longer pieces published by Wired about four or five years ago.

Basically, I'd like to see some editors/publishers who are willing to find quality writing (or photography) and make it fit into a cohesive whole in a new and original way every few months.

Unfortunately, I think this idea is almost entirely unmarketable. My apologies.
posted by mmcg at 4:20 PM on December 2, 2004

what would you like to see in magazines that you feel is currently lacking?

Recipes that aren't stupid. Have just one recipe, but make it good. And it doesn't matter if I probably have a similar recipe in a cookbook in my kitchen. I want to be reminded that the dish exists, see a photo of it and say "Oh, yeah. I like that."

Most magazine recipes try very hard to add something new to a dish, whether it needs it or not. Or they just make shit up. The title is always something like "Warm Up Cold Winter Nights With Spicy Lichee-Cheddar Pie!" I'd rather read rather traditional recipes for chili and cornbread and feel inspired to make chili and cornbread.

And don't have any prepared foods in your recipes beyond canned beans and tomatoes and frozen vegetables. And don't make your readers buy an exotic pan or spice that they will only ever use for that recipe.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:21 PM on December 2, 2004

The best magazine feature I've ever seen was the 'Idea Exchange' that ran in the first half-dozen or so issues of The Believer. They've since abandoned it. Basically, they asked bright, creative people if they had any ridiculous / spectacular ideas for projects they knew they'd never get around to, and published the results. Always inspiring.

My ideal mix would be:

1 part readymade
1 part chunklet
1 part wired
1 part new yorker

Good luck!
posted by adamkempa at 4:25 PM on December 2, 2004

I would like to see a magazine filled with great non-fiction writing that is NOT political. The "New Yorker" once filled this need, but it's changed. It's become very political and very topical. And, as a result, its circulation has gone up. The moral is: if you want to sell your magazine, don't listen to me. I used to count on the old New Yorker to be filled with articles on subjects that would make me think, "why would I want to read THAT?" -- articles on zinc or stamp collections. Then I would read the articles, and I'd be sucked into all sorts of fascinating worlds.

My other favorite magazine was "Open Letters." You can still read all the back issues on www.openletters.org . I would LOVE a print magazine like this.

Where can one go to read well-written non-fiction that isn't topical?
posted by grumblebee at 4:31 PM on December 2, 2004

The mini drawings in the margins that Mad Magazine used to have, I think they were by Sergio Aragones or something like that. They were cool.

Another thing I've always wanted to see in a men's mag, removable outfits on the models. Like scratch away bikinis or the like. Do that and I'll subscribe!
posted by fenriq at 4:33 PM on December 2, 2004

Say, oh, you were to start your dream magazine, what would you fill it with?

Tissues.
posted by yerfatma at 4:38 PM on December 2, 2004

Look to the recent past and aspire to be Might Magazine (Eggers pre-McSweeneys)
posted by ColdChef at 4:39 PM on December 2, 2004

Don't forget to include a minimum of 5-7 of those inserted subscription cards that either force you to open the magazine to a certain page, or fall all over the place when you open the book. Add even more to issues being mailed to people who already have a subscription.
posted by robbie01 at 4:43 PM on December 2, 2004

I'd like to take the design and photography chops from CMYK and National Geographic and attach them to something I'm really interested in reading (probably something political/topical, but maybe not.) Maybe combine those two with The New Yorker and The City-Journal and create a monstrous, frankenstein-like super-magazine.
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 4:43 PM on December 2, 2004

grumblebee - you might try the london review of books. it does have some political articles (which you would find very biased, i think, given your previous askme post on politics), but it also has articles on various other subjects. check their site for some examples.
posted by andrew cooke at 4:49 PM on December 2, 2004

I like the ideas listed above, I would subscribe to a magazine filled with inspired randomness. Good writing is key. Some of my favorite columnists or essayists: Ian Frazier, Martin Amis, George Saunders (I enjoy satire, what can I say?)

Otherwise, a day-in-the-life section would be cool, where someone I envy or admire or who has an unusual job is profiled and I get to see what a typical day for them is. Like a print version of Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control.
posted by cali at 4:53 PM on December 2, 2004

A magazine of photo essays documenting just the material aspect of peoples' lives--their stuff. With elaborations and stories provided by the subjects featured.

Not high design, Architectural Digest/Dwell--but a cereal cupboard laid bare, photos from the fridge, the bowl of bottlecaps or sparkplugs or what have you on the mantle.

The NYT magazine sometimes will inventory a celebrity's apartment.

And Flickr features What's In Your Bag? and What's In Your Fridge?, answering just those questions.
posted by Tufa at 5:03 PM on December 2, 2004

something like this.
posted by juv3nal at 5:07 PM on December 2, 2004

Also, something featuring scannable QR-codes, as seen in Japanese newspapers.
posted by Tufa at 5:15 PM on December 2, 2004

Don't forget to include a minimum of 5-7 of those inserted subscription cards that either force you to open the magazine to a certain page, or fall all over the place when you open the book.

See...that's another reason I loved Might Magazine: on the other side of the stapled in subscription card found in Might(the tail part that is usually found towards the back of the mag and usually blank) was a picture of a lightbulb and the instructions: Keep this. It is very important.

I kept it.

More about Might.
posted by ColdChef at 5:20 PM on December 2, 2004

Oh, and I would also like the bottom half of the magazine to be narrow and ridged, while the top half be punctured with many, many holes.

Then I would roll it up to make the dream magazine fly swatter.

I don't know why I'm not in a think tank making dollars off my ideas yet.
posted by Stan Chin at 5:32 PM on December 2, 2004

I'd like a slightly wider format (or larger internal margins) with lots of sidenotes regarding the content. If a non-fiction author states a fact, give a little reference. If a name (person, place) is used, give a little history. Have pictures of devices or objects named in the text. What I'm picturing is like that stuff that Holling Clancy Holling does in the margin of his books, but unforunately Amazon's search-inside-the-book isn't showing me any good examples.
posted by j.edwards at 5:54 PM on December 2, 2004

Reason meets 1970's National Lampoon, with more of the latter than the former. I'm also thinking here of how much I enjoy P. J. O'Rourke's post-NatLamp writings. While I'm not a Republican, his brand of reportage manages to be both more funny and more informative in many ways, for me at least, than, say, Michael Moore's output. Also, Hunter Thompson when he's more coherent (ie the past). I'm not particular about the political slant: come up with any magazine of witty, semi-gonzo, semi-polemic, investigative non-fiction and I'll eat it up with a spoon.

OR

A magazine that combines a wide variety of Found Magazine and Duplex Planet-esque techniques to capture the odd side of life.

OR

Seed meets Wired. Where technology and culture intersect.

OR

A journal of Fantastic/Symbolist/Decadent fiction that's neither retro, behind-the-times, nor self-consciously hip, mixed in perhaps with nonfiction articles on sleep and parasites.
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:09 PM on December 2, 2004

I use to love (I think it was called) The continuum pages of Omni magazine-- it was the silver part in the middle of the magazine that was filled with fascinating scientific breakthroughs or weird little facts. Having a different color like that was very inspiring-- a magazine within a magazine or even a treasure box insert.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:14 PM on December 2, 2004

Hi everyone,

I am totally blown away by the amount of responses coming in in the short time this thread has been up. You have all been very helpful, and I might even publish this whole thread. You guys rock.

To JellyBuzz:
I don't want to give anything away, but I assure you that when this launches (with hopefully a link to some press in the blue side of things) it will be unlike any other magazine you are familiar with. Sorry to be so secretive, but it would be hard to answer your other questions without divulging everything. There is no real niche though. Right now I am just looking for good ideas, and hearing what people like.

To everybody else:
Thank you so much, and keep em coming!
posted by LongDrive at 7:41 PM on December 2, 2004

On the musical side of things, Wire mag. does it for me. It's always filled with articles that make me go "I had no idea people did this!" It's wanky at times (all the time?) but I like that it's a music magazine that doesn't churn out reviews of all the same stuff everyone else is reviewing.

My dream music magazine is one in which there would only be articles about things that one could write a good article about. We would not interview The Strokes. We would not tell you about the newest garage-rock band, no matter how good we think they are, unless we can write something more than "this is another garage-rock band, but really good (for real)." I'd review bands that sucked, but had an organ-grinder and sang about sub-saharan politics.

Venus I like, too. They make a point to interview bands that have women in them, see, and they'll interview the one woman (if there is one woman). It's a nice corrective to the supposed-gender-neutral mags that center men men men. And there's actually something interesting to talk/write about, usually.
posted by drewbeck at 8:22 PM on December 2, 2004

My other favorite magazine was "Open Letters."

Oh my god -- grumblebee, this is my all-time favorite online magazine. I'm still sad it's defunct.
posted by mothershock at 8:25 PM on December 2, 2004

Open Letters was wonderful. Might was great as well. And I think there's a real niche for a Brill's Content-type magazine that would cast a critical eye on media issues, (but for a mass-market audience instead of a specialized one like the AJR or CJR.)

My dream magazine, though, would be if Lawrence Weschler could get Omnivore off the ground. The prototype is amazing. (and available here.)
posted by Vidiot at 11:06 PM on December 2, 2004

Hm. Interesting question and answers. I don't know if this helps you at all, but when I used to get magazines (when still in the U.S., in other words) by subscription and just picking them up from the book stores, I always bought very focused, specific-interest magazines (with the exception of Harpers). I subscribed to two cooking magazines, Psychology Today, Communication Arts, Games, Wine Spectator, Harpers, Omni, and Granta, and would often pick up literary magazines, Nat. Geographic, Discovery, etc. Basically, my situation is that I am interested in a number of things, and I'm never generally bored, so I'm never really looking for random information (plus I always had the Sunday NYT for that, anyway, and if I just want to be transported and swept away, I go for novels). I usually want to look at something that has information about whatever is on my mind at that very moment, whether it's design, board games, or dessert.

Harper's index, though, is a great example of something you didn't know that you wanted to know until they showed it to you. It's instantly addicting. Along those lines, the top 10 facts that you didn't know about X subject would be interesting to me. I would like to know about everybody's favorite secret techniques for doing X. I like things that show parallels and connections - anything Glass Bead-like. I like the whole idea of Exquisite Corpse (not talking of the mag. here) applied in new and surprising ways. I also think that people like to see the contents of things that are generally not open to plain view - all the contents of a variety of people's purses or pockets, what's on their task bar or desk top, etc. That's why people like to look into other people's medicine chests when they visit their bathroom... We are always curious about very ordinary things that for whatever reason we don't usually know about, or finding interesting associations between otherwise ordinary facts or items. To me this is far more fascinating than another person's wildest sex fantasy.

Finally (*gasps for air*), I think that creating a good, popular, successful magazine is so difficult because what people want from it is very much like what they want in a perfect relationship: They want to be surprised and challenged, yet they want to be safe and home-comfy. They don't want their loved one to change dramatically in appearance from one day to the next, yet they don't want them to seem stale. They want regularity - to be gratified in the ways they expect and are looking forward to, but they also want to be shown love in new and unexpected ways. They don't want to be underestimated, but neither do they want to be made to feel stupid. And they never want to feel that their loved one is just going through the motions, or "calling it in". It's a very difficult balance.
posted by taz at 1:29 AM on December 3, 2004

A second vote here for Omnivore: it sounds great. A North American equivalent of the British Word magazine would be good (maybe there is one already, I don't know). And I don't know if it would be possible to combine the look & feel of something like Details with some of the kind of writing one sees in The Spectator, but I'd probably read it if it could be done. And I'd subscribe to something that crossed a less pretentious Modern Painters type rag with a less stuffy FMR, while keeping the latter's production-values.
posted by misteraitch at 1:48 AM on December 3, 2004

People writing with enthusiasm about subject they love, but are not necessarily identified with. Think Stephen King writing about baseball. It would require a lot of guest authors, which could be a downer (I know nothing of the publishing world), but it could be pretty interesting and set a unifying theme.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 7:31 AM on December 3, 2004