Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: Rod & Custom’s Greatest Covers of the 50s Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Gone but not forgotten. I am reminded of a quote from Alexander Graham Bell," When one door closes, another opens. But we often look so regretfully upon the closed door that we don’t see the one which has opened for us." Think about it,just recently a group of very dedicated and talented group of individuals revived and published a old title many of us remember... "Hop UP" and it is better than ever ! Print is not dead if the editorial content is interesting. Rod & Custom has closed the doors not once but twice,who's to say that the title may someday be resurrected by other intrepid individuals that what to offer a publication that has a targeted subscriber audience and bypass the advertiser fluff that filled the magazine in the past. HRP
since the owners are just business people you would think they would have sold the title to someone who actually likes cars.
@Jive-Bomber Jay - I concur with your list of eight (8) "Greatest '50s ROD&Custom covers" ... but I'd have to add the December 1953 issue to my list: ... maybe not for its "artistic layout" ... or for the bitchin' little "Salt Scorcher" RPU pictured ... but perhaps because the "DESTINATION BONNEVILLE" article within is one of my favorite "little book" reads ... and includes one of my favorite vintage Bonneville images: Lou Bingham's '32 Ford 5wd Coupe on the salt in '53 Remember ... You can't always judge a book by its cover!
I don't miss it at all as I hadn't bought an issue in years... And I think that was the problem generally speaking. Print is dead. It died years ago. It's next to impossible to make a living by publishing magazines... Advertisers won't spend money on print ads that they can't track and it's really tough to get an audience to spend for the difference. Would you have paid $10 or $13 dollars for an issue of R&C? I'd like to think I would, but realistically I wasn't buying it when the cover price was $4. You know what's dying now? Independent publishers of all kinds - both print and online. Why? For lots of reasons I won't bore you with. I feel pretty grateful I don't do this for the money. If I did, I'd be looking to do something else right about now - I'll tell ya that much!
PRINT IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE PRINTED PAGE (on paper)! The day to day printed page and the montly printed page are only in the hands of the dying breed, the Rodder's that are now getting Social Security (or almost). But the art page(s) will continue in the form of Rodders Journal and HOP UP and books like Ryan has produced as it is sometimes easier to find a photo or article in a stack of books or magazine than trying to find it in cyber space, the electrons are getting crowded. Our lowbrow art will rarely be found in a art gallery or museum, so to keep it alive we need the few printed items for our; shelves, walls, and Jakes tub. Everyone has a highend camera in our pockets, but we still have 'Photographers' that give us our art, and even with messages, e mail, and other socal media we still have a few 'Writers' that give us the profound words that still move us to greater things, I hope.
Always my favorite, looked forward to every issue, since the early '90s. my collection goes all the way back to'58- '59. will be missed.
I kinda miss it, but to be honest, the amount of rod OR custom coverage on a per page basis was losing out to ads. I get just as much out of the HAMB and the price is right---so far. Is Ryan listening??
I still like to hold a magazine .Why if print is dead did StreetRodder survive? seems to me they killed the wrong magazine Atleast we still have HotRod Deluxe. Rod&Culture is pretty good.HotRods and Harleys is a good mix Your not going to sell hot rod magazines the way you sell tabloid type. It is special intrest market.
I like to hold the old car magazines. Sometimes I hold my monitor when I read the HAMB! Maybe I should buy a laptop or one of those I-Pod pads.
I don't recall the exact issue(it was 56 or 57) but my favorite was the shot of Bud Parham's red white & blue T roadster pickup;still the neatest T ever built.
News like this makes me think of old videos like "The Cool Hot Rod (1953)" Which makes me wonder how/if there is a good way to involve more kids in what we do. I am not foolish enough to think that we can turn the clock back, but do wonder on ways to continue to spread the wisdom and knowledge we all have. It's a shame to see R&C gone, as that is one more outlet that's gone....
I'm in the same boat. Faithfully subscribed to R&C and a few other rags for years, then just hung it up for the HAMB and other interesting stuff on the internet. This, coming from a guy that has 1000's of car magazine back issues including a nearly complete run of R&C. Here's what younger folks think of "magazines"; Several weeks ago on a Saturday morning, my 16 year old Son was telling me one of his friends was in the hospital and was going to need surgery. I said, "you're driving now. You should jump in your truck and go visit him. He's probably bored out of his mind with limited TV channels and shitty food. Hell, smuggle in a greasy cheeseburger and stop and grab a couple of magazines for him". My Son replied; "magazines? MAGAZINES!!! How old are you!!!??? I said, okay then, bring him a charged ipad? Hell I'm only 54, but replayed the story to a couple of us "old " friends at work. They laughed their asses off...
Yes, print might be dead and as Ryan said even independent online publishing . From a publisher’s and business perspective number of sold copies or number of clicks is what counts. The higher these numbers the more revenue and the more attractive for advertisers. But in most cases there is the other side of the medal/record which is the customer (however with 45rpm records the B side mostly had the worse song). For me as the reader there is nothing more interesting than rummaging in old magazines, photos or reading new publications on real paper (like JJ#3). Maybe the truth is in the middle. If a publisher (print or online) finds his niche on a very diverse market the enthusiastic reader pays a slightly higher price.
My take on paper/print doesn't matter, but the last cover on the list is the best version of the R&C Dream Truck. I never liked the fins.
Younger folks seem to adapt well to electric media and magazines. Older folks, like me, have a harder time reading things on-line and find it easier to read the printed page.
I produce a small nich calendar some of you might have seen. For me, as a publisher, it is so exciting to actually go places and see my calendar hanging on a shop or garage wall. These places are my 'galleries'.
I miss it. I know the internet is suplanting hard copy, but for those who say "no matter", why are you driving a vintage hot rod? The prius is replacing character, so why are hotrods still evident? Some things deserve endurance, Just sayin'
The Jalopy Journal
