Sunday, January 5, 2025
“Quantity was down, but quality was up,” Samir “Mr. Magazine™” Husni
The aforementioned statement sums up the status of new magazine launches in 2024. Thirty-nine new launches and nine re-launches arrived on the marketplace together with more than 1,000 bookazines and mini-zines.
Leading the launches was Hiii, For People Who Partake, magazine, the brainchild of Rob Hill and Pam Patterson. Hiii floated to the top of the pack deserving the title the New Magazine Launch of the Year. It is one of the best new magazines to come to the marketplace in a long time. “Simply put, the weed genie will never be put back in the bong,” Rob wrote in the first issue’s introduction. Pam wrote, “This magazine is not just about marijuana. It’s about freedom, creativity, exploration, and supporting those who truly honor cannabis for its power and potential.” Hiii is excellent on all fronts: content, design, and photography.
Another great new magazine is Ori. The brainchild of Kade Krichko is a travel magazine from the source. Slow journalism at its best. Definitely a different, much needed, travel magazine that depends on writers and photographers from the countries it covers. “Travel is a form of connection,” reads the intro to the magazine, “not only with places and experiences, but with friends around the world.” Ori deserves to be the First Runner Up of New Magazine Launches.
The Second Runner Up of New Magazine Launches is RISE from A360 Media. The “Women in Sports” magazine adds a much needed platform for a sports platform dedicated to a large population of female sports players, led by Caitlin Clark, and spectators, both women and men. The magazine’s motto is a quote from Serena Williams, “The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: Be strong, be extremely kind and above all, be humble.”
There are two other magazines worthy of note. Christian New Makers, a museum in a magazine, featuring the work of Christan makers from all fronts of life. “New Christian Makers is an in-print juried exhibition featuring the best in contemporary Christian making.” Highlights for Children continued its belief that children, even the under-two children, still enjoy a print magazine, thus they introduced their newest monthly mini magazine: Highlights CoComelon, “packed with all the CoComelon charm your little one adores, plus a sprinkle of extra learning fun.”
As for those magazines who opted to return to print after halting publication for few years, Field & Stream led the pack and earns the title the Re-Launch Magazine of the Year. Hands down, it is the best relaunch I have seen in my years of following and tracking the magazine industry. The magazine, established in1871 (yes, you read that right, 1871), is back in print through two “Legacy Stewards”: Country music superstars, Eric Church and Morgan Wallen. Editor-in-Chief Colin Kearns writes in the first relaunch issue, “One of the things I’ve missed most about producing a print edition of F&S has been the connection to you, our readers. Back in our print-magazine days, I’d get notes from readers all the time. But during these past few years, when there wasn’t a physical magazine, I never heard from you.”
Having said that, there were also two re-launches that were very well done, both in terms of content and design: SAVEUR and Spin. SAVEUR with its tag line, “Eat the World,” is back. “ It’s been four years since, remotely and in masks, we printed our last issue,” wrote EIC and CEO Kat Craddock in the return to print issue. She added, “But while corporate boardrooms posit print is dead, SAVEUR is one of a growing number of publications that have decided to prove them wrong.”
SPIN, “Well, it’s been a while,” writes editor Bob Guccione, Jr. in the relaunch issue, “A while since SPIN last printed an issue (12 years) and it’s then owner – I had no idea who that was, this magazine, like a haunted house, has changed hands a lot…” He added, “Then along came Jimmy Hutcheson and his Next Management Partners and they bought SPIN from its last owner, and set about revitalizing it…” This SPIN, writes Bob, is “the Phoeix-like rise from long cold magazine ashes.”
I started this blog by saying the quality was up and the aforementioned magazines are a testament for this.
Two other re-launches are worthy of note: Flow and Nylon. The Dutch import, Flow “The Magazine That Takes Its Time. Celebrating A Conscious, Slow And Creative Life,” is back on the newsstands. Nylon celebrated its 25th Anniversary by returning to print. “ I like to think of this 25th anniversary issue, our triumphant return to print…” ,” writes editor-in-chief Lauren McCarthy.
As long as there are new magazines launched and relaunched, regardless of the numbers, print is alive and well… Here’s to a healthy and wealthy print 2025. Cheers.
Samir “Mr. Magazine™” Husni, Ph.D.
P.S.: Thinking of launching or relaunching a magazine? Be sure to send me a copy to include the crop of 2025. Samir “Mr. Magazine™” Husni, 776 Shady Oaks Circle, Oxford, MS 38655. Thank you.