Growth Sport

Is XXL magazine the fastest-growing magazine in America? Get thee to a newsstand and see what all the fuss is about.

Life, Back from the Dead

While I'm still not sure whether the new version of Life magazine -- or its new distribution method -- will have a positive impact on publishing, it is interesting to gauge how far formerly hot titles can fall. Though the magazine's storied history and attention to photography are impressive, I can't but wonder what happened.

Luckily, people have captured some of Life's past life. Life in 1962 offers text, images, ads from -- and commentary on -- a single issue. The Smithsonian Institution Press has even published a book about the magazine.

CIO-verfilled Niche?

TechTarget is launching a new magazine targeting CIOs next spring. CIO Decisions, with a controlled circulation of 60,000, will contend with CIO and CIO Insight. The sneaky Petes even registered the domain name cioinsights.com. How many magazines does a chief information officer need?

Quiz Nous

What magazine are you?

What magazine am I? I am Popular Science: The only thing more exciting then the present is the future. I am always the first to hear about whats going on in the realms of human achievement. What magazine am I?

Quotes of Note

"Lots of work goes into Cosmo Girl. Hundreds of talented and bright people put their efforts into getting just the right model and just the right tone of teenage girl happiness. Sure it may not be on the same level as people working in toxic fume filled mines, but they're at least doing something." -- Suburb Squirrel

Nervy, Pervy XXVIII

How embarrassing. You're writing an article about men who like to wear diapers, and you out one of your sources. LiveJournalist ActiveSilence used to write about pornography while he was in college, and a recent blog entry indicates that it's always a good idea to verify first names as well as last when cold-calling a potential interviewee.

The Source of Our Discontent

Michiban may not like Vice, but it appears that Eminem may dislike The Source even more. The hip-hop periodical has been fined for publishing Eminem lyrics -- twice -- challenged for distributing unreleased Eminem recordings in which he makes derogatory remarks about African Americans, and come under fire for other copyright- and ethics-related issues involving the white rapper.

The Daily News reports that Eminem slags The Source in no fewer than three songs on his new record, Encore. One of those songs? "Big Weenie."

Heavy Mental

A LiveJournalist by the handle of GothicChinaDoll is thrilled silly that Metal Edge magazine published a snapshot they sent in in the January issue. Personally, I think Metal Maniacs would be more of a coup, but congratulations, nonetheless. Horns up!

What other magazines publish photographs of readers? I know Mad publishes photos of readers mugging with celebrities. What other titles do this?

Cover Story IX

Erik D, proprietor of They're Coming for You Barbara! recently stumbled across the Lost Comics of Olduvai, a treasure trove of cheesy, vintage comic book covers. Reproducing nine covers, including one from a comic titled Amish Armada, Erik offers some snarky commentary about the highlights -- and lowlights -- of the comics publishing industry. It appears that Erik's drawing on a larger online archive -- he plans to comment on additional titles in the future. Does anyone know the original source for these?

Sustainable Ability

I may have initially thought that Jen was a real magazine, but the Sustainable Style Foundation earns extra credit for designing a Web magazine true to print design principles.

The result, Sass magazine, sports a cover complete with cover lines and a faux UPC, and the Web TOC mirrors that of a print pub, offering cover stories, departments, and other features. While the page design stays true to that of paper-based periodicals, the on-site navigation isn't as easy as that offered by services such as Zinio, NewsStand, and Texterity. Regardless, it's nice to see more hybrid approaches!

Clothes Whore XI

Wait. There's a magazine for teenage Mormon girls? Jen focuses on modest clothes, modest fashion, clean music, and clean entertainment for young women of the Latter Day Saint persuasion -- or LDS, as they proudly proclaim sitewide. The site offers a downloadable letter you can use to persuade clothing stores to sell more modest wares. Wasn't YM's tagline once "young and modern"? Jen targets the young and modest, but not so modest that they shy from calling themselves "LDS girlies."

[Thanks, Feministing!]

Update: It's not a print magazine proper, but one of those "online magazines." Apologies for the confusion. Now, someone go launch a print mag for LDS girlies!

Magazine Me LIV

Not only do cable channels have their own magazines now -- case in point, Sci Fi magazine, which is equal parts program guide and general interest sf mag -- but television shows are following suit.

LAist reports that subscribers to an OC fan site will also receive a subscription to a print magazine that debuts Monday. Word is that the mag will "revolve around the Orange County lifestyle and its residents." I wonder if existing regional titles like Coast magazine feel threatened.

Oh, wait. Coast covers the real SoCal. OC Insider will cover the lifestyle portrayed on TV.