When I arrived in the US last September, one of the first things I did was look for the Esquire 75th Anniversary issue. Being a fan of magazines, and having worked for a magazine publishing company, seeing a moving cover (holograms don’t count) is a big step for the industry, both local and foreign.
With that being said, the magazines they come up with here in the US are nothing short of amazing. Don’t get me wrong, I sincerely believe that the talent we have here is at par, or even better than those in most parts of the world. It’s just that the business model is different in the US.
Roles are more properly defined, and thus, more attention is given to the smallest of details. Just compare the staff box of a Pinoy magazine with a foreign one’s, and you’ll know what I mean. Even the culture is different (but […]
From ALvs
In an article published in The Economist roughly a year ago, the author gave us a clear picture of the current state of the magazine industry.
In America and Europe magazine publishers have a common lament: total circulation is either flat or declining slightly as people devote more time to the internet, and an ever greater share of advertising spending is going online. Magazine units are mostly a drag on growth for their parents.
As people make the move towards online, and take baby steps to make this information available at a press of a button through their mobile phones, quite a concern is understandable. This drives magazine publishers to move towards beefing up their subscription base to battle this growing concern.
Alas, with a non existent e-commerce industry, bad courier system, and increasing gas prices (yes, this affects everything), getting people to pay for 12 issues up front is very difficult in […]
From ALvs
This day last week, me and a few friends participated in the Men’s Health Miracle Run (my influence obviously). You see, if there’s one other lesson I’ve learned from my stint as publisher of Men’s Health, it’s that you can never be too paranoid when it comes to your health.
To a lot of people, it may seem boring blah blah blah… or the whole health is wealth thing is overrated. But if you think about it even more, do you really want to worry about your health several years down the line?
Not all doctors look like Meredith Grey, unfortunately.
You see, I grew up in a household where there was food was food on the table 24/7. There was too much of it in fact, that even if I was a very active kid growing up, I never got to experience how it felt to have a flat midsection. My mom […]
From ALvs
Literally.
The September* issue of will have an e-ink cover. 100,000 of the total 720,000 print run will be assembled by hand, with parts criss-crossing the globe before ending up newsstands, jumping out at your eyes with shifting images.
Link to full news item here.
While obviously another way to go when it comes to standing out on the newsstand, we just have to wonder if such a move is just a way for the print industry to desperately cope with the fast changing times. As the business model for magazines in the US is more geared towards subscription than newsstand sales, there is really no need for publishing companies to stick their necks out for the price of evolution.
Of course, there are some notable exceptions.
Take the July issue of FHM Philippines, for example, which came arrived in the local industry’s first ever foil package. The thing you have to take note of […]
From ALvs
Literally.
The September* issue of will have an e-ink cover. 100,000 of the total 720,000 print run will be assembled by hand, with parts criss-crossing the globe before ending up newsstands, jumping out at your eyes with shifting images.
Link to full news item here.
While obviously another way to go when it comes to standing out on the newsstand, we just have to wonder if such a move is just a way for the print industry to desperately cope with the fast changing times. As the business model for magazines in the US is more geared towards subscription than newsstand sales, there is really no need for publishing companies to stick their necks out for the price of evolution.
Of course, there are some notable exceptions.
Take the July issue of FHM Philippines, for example, which came arrived in the local industry’s first ever foil package. The thing you have to take note […]
From ALvs
Literally. Well, for Esquire at least.
The September* issue of will have an e-ink cover. 100,000 of the total 720,000 print run will be assembled by hand, with parts criss-crossing the globe before ending up newsstands, jumping out at your eyes with shifting images.
Link to full news item here.
While obviously another way to go when it comes to standing out on the newsstand, we just have to wonder if such a move is just a way for the print industry to desperately cope with the fast changing times. As the business model for magazines in the US is more geared towards subscription than newsstand sales, there is really no need for publishing companies to stick their necks out for the price of evolution.
Of course, locally, it’s an entirely different story.
Take the July issue of FHM Philippines, for example, which came arrived in the local industry’s first ever foil package. The […]
From ALvs
The August issue of Playboy Philippines greets us with Miriam Quiambao on the cover. Though I’ve always believed that there is absolutely no way for a magazine to change overnight, Playboy has finally taken the first steps towards meaningful (and necessary) change by getting rid of Beting Laygo Dolor. Good riddance.
Here are a few things about the cover.
White text on white background in some parts of the cover.
They may have overdone the accessories a bit with those gigantic earrings. They take too much attention away from Miriam’s eyes and body.
Miriam Quiambao falls into the “Cindy Kurleto” category. They’re both tall and sexy, but lack the top heaviness to warrant a two piece outfit. It would have made more sense for her to assume a full body stance so she could showcase those long limbs of hers.
Also Regarding Miriam Quiambao, her name should have been placed at the top left instead […]
From ALvs
I know this is 2 months overdue, but I just had to say something about this magnificent cover. It seems that Rogue caused quite an outrage when they painted the Philippine flag on Joey Mead’s body.
My take on the cover — this particular cover was done tastefully in my opinion. And no, I don’t think the people behind Rogue had intentions of desecrating our Philippine flag.
Why so? Read the cover lines people.
THE STATE OF THE NATION: The naked truth about who we are and where we’re going.
ROGUE’S HONOR ROLL: Nine Portraits of Philippine Pride
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE?
Nowadays, people tend to think that stunts like this are only pulled off to get more media attention. Maybe so, but it takes more from a person to actually look past the cover and see what’s inside the magazine (or book). More than that, the people from Rogue got millions of […]
From ALvs