The New Little Pages

[Ryan]

There's a lot of irony to this post. For one, I have a reputation for ruthlessly and unfairly attacking just about anything that Source Interlink (Is that who owns R&C and SR this year?) puts out. Although I don't believe I've been unfair or that ...

To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

[nowaxn5]

I'm excited about this. I'm willing to pay the higher price for an unbiased, genuine article. I've been doing it with theTRJ since the begining. That being said I've also subscribed to R&C and the others all along, but just because it's sooo cheap.

[tommy]

I sure hope so!!

I doubt that many really care about the amount of the ads. Don't we all love to go back and read the ads in the original little books? I sure do.

I just balk at the "tech" articles that just list the web site for the expensive pre-assemble kits. That's not the hotrodding magazines that I grew up with.

I hate the fact that money has replaced the passion. I'm probably too sappy about this stuff.

I've built complete frames from magazine blueprints, wood rimmed banjo wheels from ideas garnered from a magazine. Now it's just addresses to send the check for store bought frames and steering wheels.

I really hope that I am wrong, but it just reeks of a marketing ploy to sell more magazines. We'll see.

[Noland]

Yea, I sure hope it has cool tech articles.

[mrpontiac]

"I don’t have a whole lot of buddies. The ones that I do have, I am fiercely loyal to. All of the nonsense kind of ends there." That says a lot about you right there. I like it.

[FritzTownFord]

I think "Janet" just spilled his coffee all over his desk. ;-)

Naturally, I hope the little pages revival succeeds.

BTW, Dave Frieburger has mentions the JJ and the HAMB in Hot Rod.

[Nads]

Aaron Kahan, not Khan, that's my name. Good luck to the boys.

[kisam]

Yes, I was shocked that not one picture or mention of The Hot Rod Revolution was in Rod and Custom. I do subscribe to R &C and have been looking every month for coverage. For those people who were not present at HRR, let me add this - it was "Hands Down" the best group of traditional hot rods that I have ever witnessed. It was a missed opportunity for any magazine. At least an Itailian magazine was paying attention - too bad I can't translate what it says. I really don't care if Source Interlink has a beef with Ryan's opinions, they denied their subscribers coverage of a great event. Shame on them! That being said, will I check out The New Little Pages - Hell yeah!

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by kisam

Yes, I was shocked that not one picture or mention of The Hot Rod Revolution was in Rod and Custom. I do subscribe to R &C and have been looking every month for coverage. For those people who were not present at HRR, let me add this - it was "Hands Down" the best group of traditional hot rods that I have ever witnessed. It was a missed opportunity for any magazine. At least an Itailian magazine was paying attention - too bad I can't translate what it says. I really don't care if Source Interlink has a beef with Ryan's opinions, they denied their subscribers coverage of a great event. Shame on them! That being said, will I check out The New Little Pages - Hell yeah!

The show got more coverage here (as far as eyeballs seeing it) than it could have gotten in any magazine in the market. This sounds shitty and pompous, but the truth is - we are no longer the little guys. We are considerably bigger than any of the print magazines that serve this market.

But all of that is really beside the point. For years, I have bagged on these magazines produced by the man. I've done so for a reason... It looks like this little book could very well be a change. And, if it is, I'm gonna support it because I think it's good for all us.

[sodbuster]

And it was "live" coverage that evening on the HAMB & on Facebook. I wondered why they have never shown the HAMB Drag Nationals in the magazines and alot of local "streetrod" guys have mentioned the same thing. Hmm......interesting.

Chris

Originally Posted by Ryan

The show got more coverage here (as far as eyeballs seeing it) than it could have gotten in any magazine in the market. This sounds shitty and pompous, but the truth is - we are no longer the little guys. We are considerably bigger than any of the print magazines that serve this market.

[Brad54]

Originally Posted by sodbuster

And it was "live" coverage that evening on the HAMB & on Facebook. I wondered why they have never shown the HAMB Drag Nationals in the magazines and alot of local "streetrod" guys have mentioned the same thing. Hmm......interesting.

Chris

I've covered the HAMB drags twice in Hot Rod Deluxe. Having it limited to such a small number of cars, at such a small facility, may be cool for participants, but a magazine can't keep showing the same cars year after year, so I took last year off.

I've also mentioned the HAMB in several tech and feature articles I've done in Deluxe.

I do find it interesting that Deluxe is a content-driven (versus ad driven) magazine, light on ads, survives because of the news stand price and the subscription price, and people bitch about the high news stand price and now the high subscription price.

I'd love for the R&C little pages to thrive. It sounds like they're going to run it on the business model they've surprised themselves with for Hot Rod Deluxe. But that's gonna mean stepping up and shelling out more than $3.99 at the news stand, and .97 per issue for a subscription.

You guys have the power to make the Little Pages succeed. Don't fuck it up by bitching about not getting something for nothing. YOU are the ones that will be supporting it, financially, as opposed to the advertisers. Because it's geared toward YOU, not advertisers. And for that, YOU will need to foot the bill, not advertisers.

I'm heading to Barnes and Noble today to see if they've got a copy.
Happy motoring.

-Brad

[autobilly]

Originally Posted by Ryan

For years, I have bagged on these magazines produced by the man. I've done so for a reason... It looks like this little book could very well be a change. And, if it is, I'm gonna support it because I think it's good for all us.

I'm sure that their rationale is along the lines of "If ya can't beet 'em, join 'em" and cash in along the way. It's just lucky for the Janets that they have the right people on hand to pull it off properly. That said, I agree that anything of quality along these lines is good for us all. I'll be looking out for a copy.

[RF]

Originally Posted by autobilly

I'm sure that their rationale is along the lines of "If ya can't beet 'em, join 'em" and cash in along the way.

So just who is that we're supposedly joining? And for that sake, who are we trying to beat? Not bashing you, just curious what your basis for that statement is. I've noticed quite a few references to the Hot Rod/Hot Rod Deluxe scenario, which on the surface is similar to what we've done in some ways, but the rationale is not. Hot Rod provided an outlet for accessing and bringing its massive archives (along with R&C's, I might add) back to life in print. R&C's current format already allows that on a more widespread/regular basis. The Little Pages was simply an opportunity bestowed from above (believe it or not, the initial push came from upper management, but we pee-ons took the push and ran with it) to revisit the smaller format in a somewhat modern way, which I think we did. The content is 100% mine and Aaron's decision, as is the layout and design--there was no corporate model used, and for that matter, no official gameplan other than, "make a cool little magazine."

There's definitely more irony to this whole deal than Ryan mentioned, that's for sure.

[Abomination]

Holy shit! That's awesome!!

Originally Posted by RF

The Little Pages was simply an opportunity bestowed from above (believe it or not, the initial push came from upper management, but we pee-ons took the push and ran with it) to revisit the smaller format in a somewhat modern way, which I think we did.

Double Holy Shit! That's even more awesome!!!

Originally Posted by RF

The content is 100% mine and Aaron's decision, as is the layout and design--there was no corporate model used, and for that matter, no official gameplan other than, "make a cool little magazine."

Knowing these little tidbits just might get you guys cannonized for Hot Rod Sainthood, guys.

~Jason

[Sando]

I have worked in the publishing world for many years and know the b.s. that editors and designers have to go through. Owners (publishers) who are so unconnected to the magazines they produce. They rely on ad count to determine how many pages the issue will be, thus cutting pages and features (which seem to never get in the mag) They dont seem to understand that more pages, less ads can still work.
Its great to see this issue come out. Congrats Rob and Aaron...keep up the fight

[BURN OUT BOB]

Years ago I subscribed to (Ithink)Hop Up pocket size mag. I also took a bunch of car mags thru the years. When They started advertising viagra & other B S I cancelled everyone of them. I'll check this little mag out & if it's any good I'll subscribe. You can get way more car info here than any mag. Thanks again Ryan.

[JackieTreehorn]

Originally Posted by Sando

I have worked in the publishing world for many years and know the b.s. that editors and designers have to go through. Owners (publishers) who are so unconnected to the magazines they produce. They rely on ad count to determine how many pages the issue will be, thus cutting pages and features (which seem to never get in the mag) They dont seem to understand that more pages, less ads can still work.
Its great to see this issue come out. Congrats Rob and Aaron...keep up the fight

You hit the nail square on the head my friend. I've spent 6 years of my life working in the Petersen/Emap/Primedia/Source media coal mine and in my experience is this is how it works in a nutshell.

The problem with a publicly-traded media company like Source is the powers that be care more about pleasing stock holders than readers. And that means ad revenue is the priority, sadly, over content. That said, I did have the pleasure of working with and meeting a lot of passionate, creative, talented people of high-integrity there as well. Unfortunately all of them weren't in any real position of power.

Let's hope Rob and Aaron mangae to swim upstream and make a go of this new "little" book. It seems to have great potential and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Kudos to you Ryan for giving us all a heads up about it.

And I think JimA is right, publishing does have a future. As great a thing as the HAMB is, it can't do some things that a magazine can do, and vice-versa. There will always be a place for both to flourish, to make "a bigger glass" as Ryan mentioned. As JimA said, there are ways. I just wonder what that future holds for the "big" titles from the Source empire unless there is radical change there....

[the-rodster]

Anybody seen the first issue?

Any HAMBers in it?

Rich

[Gaters]

Originally Posted by the-rodster

Anybody seen the first issue?

Any HAMBers in it?

Rich

Billy Crewl (Hellmet) on the front cover.

Good on Billy, he told me he was in the first issue but didn't know he'd make the cover. Great shot of you and your roadster Billy! Now get it back on the road. We're both going to be burning up some beautiful weather this year if we're not on the road soon.

Congrats Billy and thanks Ryan for announcing the new rag. I'll have to search for a copy or two or three.

[low-n-slo54]

Originally Posted by Gaters

Billy Crewl (Hellmet) on the front cover.

Good on Billy, he told me he was in the first issue but didn't know he'd make the cover. Great shot of you and your roadster Billy! Now get it back on the road. We're both going to be burning up some beautiful weather this year if we're not on the road soon.

Congrats Billy and thanks Ryan for announcing the new rag. I'll have to search for a copy or two or three.

Isn't he the one who built the Jack Calori tribute roadster? That car is friggin sweet.