I read today that one of my favorite magazines,
KING, is folding!
I remember when KING dropped I said "Thank GOD!" a magazine that portrayed our beautiful Black and Latina women in a sexy/classy way, and held the interest of young, Black, college age men. I loved it for its women, plus design and photography, though I did notice the decline when Editor-in-Chief Datwon Thomas left a couple years ago; suspect cover models, the overall feel of the magazine, etc. That, plus the internet, changed the game for print in ways only a few of us realize, and even fewer are unprepared for. Even media giants like the Washington Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer are having layoffs and circulation problems.
An excerpt from the guys at ASR who summed up a few of my thoughts about the subject. Props to Gunshow and RED
RED
Sad to see KING go but they and everyone knew it was gonna go downhill after Datwon left. When that dude Sean Malcolm had more say in what women were in it then it was just doomed for sure. He is like the cat that didn't get no play in high school or college and uses his position of power in that mag to talk to and befriend girls. Overall the quality of that mag just dropped because they made poor choices and didn't have original content like they used to have under Datwon's reign.
As for the Magazine market in general, Im a mad surprised that BlackMens wasn't the first to go because their mag is absolute garbage and printed on toilet paper...the quality of that magazine physically is the worst but is also the cheapest which is maybe why they are still around. The internet IS killing the game for print publications but I think SHOW Magazine is the strongest and most prepared to handle it because they have original content with girls you probably wont see on the net until after they drop in the mag, plus they got their websites with pics and videos that seems to be doing quite well. So if anything they can trim back their distribution to bi-monthly like they originally started or completely turn into an online mag via their site. Smooth and Blackmens have never taken advantage of the web to diversify their publications, thus they rely on "outside" influences and donations via sponsors, advertisements and such. Which is why we get these wack girls force fed down our throats, and why cats stop buying the mags.
Like someone else said in this thread its the concept of original content that will keep a publication afloat and the ability for them to give the viewers what they want. I was never one to read any of the mags for the articles unless it was an editorial or interview about an actress or model. People are not trying to read unless its about women, making money, or getting in shape. If its not about those things dudes are not gonna read. So in order for these mags to stay alive they need to come with exclusive content and articles that people will actually read!!
Gunshow
The economy is bad and folks aren't doing what they used to as far as having "extra cash".
The Washington Post, Chicago sun times and the Seattle news papers all are in financial trouble and may close. Are they not giving people what they want? News?
The Urban mags made way more in the beginning, with a good economy, and more commercial looking models than they ever made with the big booty chicks. They had better advertisers and everything.
Sincerely Ward, Skanes, etc. had the mags poppin.
The big booty movement hit 1 niche, and that was it, cut off all the other men in the world that like "variety" Keyword: Variety.
Tunnel vision cats can't understand, that we all like a big ass, but, sometimes we like big tits, sometimes slim with a cute face. You can have a big assed girlfriend, and run off and fuck a big titty bow legged chick.
'cause we like variety as a whole.
Soon as the mags went Big Booty, They lost ads.
Obviously, you can't build a urban mag to the highest level, with "kinda cute" chicks with big asses, airbrushed, or not. The only niggahs that support it are niggahs thats OBSESSED with asses. It's not enough of those types to support the biz. they all wait for free drops.."
Its a shame to see it go. I had almost every issue, and I haven't read the Christina Millian issue I just bought. Hopefully it will convert to be an online mag.
