[r-man]

Well, seeing as so many people are dissing CLIMB, what would we do differently if we wrote our own magazine? There seem to be enough people with opinions, and if even a small minority of them are any good at writing, we should be sorted for contributors.

So, lets assume we actually started a new magazine, how would it all work?

Commercial and full of ads, but able to have lots of big glossy photos, or underground and aspiring to commerical, or underground and proud of it?

What would the focus of the magazine be? Would there be enough interest in bouldering only, or would we reflect the fact that most climbers on this forum also take an interest in hard sport and trad routes (which I guess stems from an interest in training). One thing people don't tend to talk about on this forum is bumbly trad - though bumbly bouldering is well appreciated on here.

What type of feature? Anyone got any good ideas?

General types would be:
Area reports
Training
Reviews
News
Photography and Filming
Interviews

Any others?

I, for one, would certainly be interested in unsual articles, short stories, well written opinion pieces - the sort of thing the big mags usually neglect. Though is this just me, or are others interested in these things too?

So I guess this a thread for everyone who has ever complained about a climbing mag, or who has ever felt they could contribute something. Now's your chance to create the great hypothetical magazine of dreams.... :

[Graeme]

I can't see how you could have area reports, I think Panton's couple of pages at the back of climber seems to fill that gap, but I do feel a little more space would allow for mor einformation to be given.

I for one would like to know more about photography.
I think news could be pretty irrelevant these days what wi' 'net  an' all.

I think unusal articles short stories and the like do have a place in magazines, I personally just think that the articles in magazines should be written in a manner that all would find interesting.

Not and John fell off and said Fuck again, kind of thing.
I personally thought the Whillans articles were kind of interesting in a way.
But i guess thats really from my dad who used to work with him when he was an apprentice. (My dad btw not Whillans tha'd make dad really old, not just old).

Back to the point, keep the articles interesting and on track, not like the middle of this post.

[account_inactive]

The problem with a magazine is the organisation of writers.......

You need to have at least 6 copies worth of articles before you even launch so that during that time you have chance to edit and re-revise stuff.  If someone had the time to do that it would be great..................


So if someone gets off their arses I will do some training articles (seeing as the climbing lab stuff is on hold at the mo)

....its probably best to just support friction with articles though

[Bubba]

Why bother with a mag? Way easier and cheaper to produce stuff for the internet.

I realise that a website is a poor substiute for that favourite, well-thumbed mag, but I'm happy to sacrifice such aesthetics for high quality content.

[r-man]

If someone had the time to do that it would be great..................

Currently unemployed, sitting on my arse at home every day, trying to write a novel. Writing is about the only thing I'm trained to do, so if anyone is serious about wanting to start a magzine, I'd definitely be up for it...

 

[r-man]

but I'm happy to sacrifice such aesthetics for high quality content.

Well, that was kinda what I was after with this post. What would that high quality content be? What would make it better than the current faire? Surely the writers of those magazines are also passionate about climbing, so is it enough that we are passionate about bouldering - is it the subject of bouldering that would make the difference or would we need some new ideas as well?

If so, anyone got any?  :wink:

[andy_e]

im up for it too

[chappers]

i agree with gruff, if you are interested write something and send it to the boys at friction. they would be keen for it i think. i for one will be sending them some stuff, and ive chatted to a mate who has opened up some new probelms and wants to write them up for friction - particually as with that mag it seems that the visual is as important as the written which i think is a good thing.

bubba is right that quality stuff on the net is well......quality

[r-man]

The romantic ideal of doing it for the love of it is BS, people do it for the love of presenting their thoughts and images for others' appreciation. Payment is a form of appreciation, which - with the backing of decent sponsors - would not be a thorn in anyone's side.

I agree with some of that. It's not entirely true that people wouldn't get involved for the just for the love of it - I've been involved in several underground and student writing magazines where the contributors weren't paid at all, and in one case the even the magazine is distributed free. Admittedly people are less likely to get involved with no financial motivation, however small - but some people still will.

However, I think you're right that with a commercial magazine contibutors should be treated like professionals - they are putting a lot of passion and time into what they do, and they definitely deserve respect and a cut of the profits.

I think talk of bringing out a new mag just as Friction is getting on its feet is a bit unfortunate, and those of you who are interested in setting up yet another new mag should try contributing to Friction first.

No it's not unfortunate, it's only natural. Creativity breeds creativity. Like when (if you're musically inclined) you see a new band doing well and you think hmmm, I'd love to try that.

I should point out though that the original purpose of this thread was to work out what the best possible magazine would consist of, not to actually start one. And any ideas that came out of that might benefit Friction, seeing as that's the only magazine most of us have any serious chance of taking part in.

A bouldering specific mag would bore the pants off me.

So what kind of focus what you want in a mag? Ukbouldering is a bouldering specific forum, though hard trad and sport seem to interest most people.

Personally I'd be interested in something like that - a magazine about pushing limits, about the experience, about the thoughts and philosophies and anecodotes that surround bouldering. Something with a creative, experimental slant. And technical stuff like photography and training, but with interesting examples. Eg, rather than a dry article about photography, use a couple of really excellent photos and break them down; explain the technique, the history of the shot, the goal of the shot... Likewise with training: examples of people who use particular techniques, problems where particular traning will really pay off.

What I'd really get annoyed with are more bloody pictures of people slogging up mountains, or grinning as the camera looks down on them posing at the top of yet another identical snow gully. :x