Trying to recal a magazine from late 1980's

July 6, 2006 8:05 AM

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?

posted by Duck_Lips to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

Might Magazine perhaps? It was Eggers' forerunner to McSweeny's.
posted by bendybendy at 8:16 AM on July 6, 2006

There's a "Defunct magazines" page on Wikipedia. You might see if anything on there rings a bell.
posted by Otis at 8:17 AM on July 6, 2006

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.
posted by jessenoonan at 8:32 AM on July 6, 2006

Monk was the RV mag.
posted by jessamyn at 8:46 AM on July 6, 2006

Best answer: WigWag was the one with "Letter from Springfield" - what a great magazine.
posted by judith at 8:59 AM on July 6, 2006

Thanks Jessamyn. That would have driven me crazy.

And boy, was I way off...
posted by jessenoonan at 9:17 AM on July 6, 2006

Yeah. Wigwag. I miss it.
posted by crunchland at 10:04 AM on July 6, 2006

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.
posted by GaelFC at 10:10 AM on July 6, 2006

WigWag -- I interviewed for an associate editor position there in 1990. Didn't get it. Suppose it all worked out for the best, though.
posted by AJaffe at 10:13 AM on July 6, 2006

Response by poster: 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
posted by Duck_Lips at 10:38 AM on July 6, 2006

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)
posted by donnagirl at 2:59 PM on July 6, 2006