the "New" issue of Garage...

Just curious, so I bought my first copy of Garage yesterday. Was somewhat surprised to find so many interesting short articles in there. Yes, the pullout/insert was a surprise.........but I will buy another edition.
M.

 

i've picked it up a few times here and there in the past but mostly just scanned through. i never REALY read it till a few issues ago and ive read the couple since and i gotta say that i am realy lovin this magazine. i plan to get a subscription in fact. i don't want to miss a single issue. i think it's a great mag and unlike anything else i've read before.


...OH, and i kinda dug the little WCC mini mag inside.

 

Yo. Thats cool you are on here, and defend your product, gotta give it to you for that. I wasn't bashing it so much as a person who gave it just time to read it, just as someone who looked through it for a min or two and saw more "Kustom Kulture Kar" stuff.

But since you mentioned it, I took a swing by your page. First thing I notice is that two of the pics have tattood up Rockabilly chicks adorning the cars. Thats cool if thats what you're into, and to each their own...but I would buy (and do) for the cars. If I want to buy Hustler I'll buy Hustler. That for me is the first seperation between a silly Kustom magazine and a good car magazine. Again, only my opinion, but leave that stuff for the Import V-techers and the Lowriders. I would rather look at Kustoms Illustrated, Rod n Custom, and (in its day) even Custom Rodder, although I would say I only dig 50% of the cars featured in the last mentioned. Next I notice the link for becoming a "Garage Gal". Finally I head over to the links page, usually get a feel for what a site is about by the links. By far the biggest category you have there is "shopping". All kustom kulture klothes, hairgrease and whatnot.

Look, Im not trying to be a bad guy or anything, but your own site on the home page says "In each issue, you'll get a full dose of the souls, the art, the styles and the machines influenced by a truly Full Custom Way Of Life." So, its a lifestyle magazine. Nothing wrong with that, just not my gig.

Check this out if you havent already.

http://jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=201735

Its a thread about if hot rodding is a lifestyle or not. Out of 171 voters, 63% say no, and I definitely stand with that majority.

Next time I see the mag Ill give it a look through, hell, maybe even buy it. But from what I saw on your site and a cursory read through, I gotta call a spade a spade.

 

I think Garage is a killer mag!!
It has a good peppering of 2 and 4 wheel history we need and want to know about.
Chickies here and there.
Fresh advertising.
Primo pics!
Face it... you will never make a mag everyone will be happy with.
So.. to all involved... KEEP UP THE HARD WORK!!! You will get my $!!

 

Ahhh, UnIOnViLLE...
You think this isn't a lifestyle? For just about everyone who contributes to this board, custom cars and bikes are more than a passing fancy--they're a way of life. A way of defining themselves. A style of living. A lifestyle.

The images on the front page of our site? They're all people we've covered in the magazine:

Rich Guasco's "Pure Hell" rampaged across the Fuel Altered scene in the late Sixties--not only winning races and carrying on the rich tradition of drag racing's Glory Days, but improving tire technology, racing safety, engine development and track conditions with every race, crash and lesson learned from them.

Jason Jessee--a pro skater and custom/chopper builder--was the first (and I think only) white guy to ever join one of the most well known lowrider clubs ever, single-handedly bringing two formerly separate worlds together.

Mark Mahoney, one of the best tattoo artists to ever sling irons, was tattooing in New York back in the early Seventies when it was still illegal. He was driving customs in Boston in the early Sixties and built the bikes you see in Dice magazine back in the early Eighties before they "caught on." He's not only one of the best tattoo artists alive, but he's an historian, collector and honors the past while inspiring the young.

Kelli Brandt not only helps keep one of the most influential bike/custom shops in the world running smoothly, but works behind the scenes to make sure much of what you see on TV and the rest of the "outside" world sees of our culture is respected.

Steve Caballero--a pro skater, 'zine publisher, musician and hotrodder--uses his vast influence to make not only the HAMB a better place, but spreads our gospel to the minions in ways neither you, I or anyone ever could. He also contributes to more than a few shops' success and makes sure some very talented car builders get their due praise.

Erykah, one of our favorite covermodels, has contributed mightily to the very first all-girl issue of any car-related magazine in our corner of the world. That issue featured girls who build, drive, pinstripe, paint and love their own customs, hot rods and bikes--a long-overdue tribute to women who do alot more than just sit in the A/C at a car show while their men are out in the parking lot.

And Tim Conder--a one-man show who designs, builds, paints and drives some of the most important customs, diggers, bikes and hot rods you'll ever see--is constantly evolving what we do by pushing the limits of our industry and himself to do things you've never even imagined. Usually, sacrificing much to do it.

So, you see, this magazine--full of people, art, fashion, cars, bikes, music and even a few indirectly related things--is made up of the very people who made it possible for you to be here in the first place. These people made decisions to pursue certain goals so that they not only fulfilled a need of their own, but they made advancements in technology, paint, tires, engines, glass, safety, fuels, racing and many other things so that you can do what you do in your garage on the weekends, surrounded by posters you've hung on the wall and the music coming out of the stereo you've rigged up to listen to while you work on your current project.

Everything you rightfully enjoy about building your car or even being a part of this board was given to you by these people who gave of themselves generations ago, years ago, days ago.

So, while you think this magazine has nothing to do with you, you are influenced every day by the very people who have dedicated their entire lives to make it something you just casually pick up at a 7-11 and flip through in under a minute and blow off as an inaccurately-described "greaser-meets-goth" rag.

Just wanted to clear that up.

STONER

 

Here's my take on it................

IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE MAG, DON'T BUY IT!!!!

 

Hey Stoner, I dig your Garage magazine. What more needs to be said.

 

The guy complaining DIDN'T buy it! I guess he wants a refund of his time spent thumbing through it at the magazine rack. A refund for wasted time? Now, there's a concept to wrap the mind around, eh? Sounds like a good topic for Dr Phil in the Oprah magazine. Maybe he should thumb through that one next time…

I'd like to believe that magazines aren't important, but, obviously they are. Magazine threads always develop such passion and drama that they invariably get closed by the moderators.

 

Still waiting for mine to arrive...

 

Very interesting magazine,definetly "one of a kind".Keep up the good work.

 

this magazine is very well put together....the story on "broadway" freddy was RAD....what a gnarly-ass motherfucker!!! my only complaint....and it's nothing serious.....is that the magazine has a certain 70's element to it.....i fuckin' hate the 70's.....then again at least they show the "cool" side of that time period. Has GARAGE ever done a story on dick kraft and crew? if not that would be a cool read!! GARAGE is definitely one of the better "culture" mags out right now......WHERE THE HELL IS BARRACUDA?!!! that was THE BEST MAG!!! STAG TIME!!!

 

Hey Stoner, I think it's great that you defend you magazine the way you do but you'll never be able to make every body happy, some people will always find something to bitch about! I think you do a great job, keep up the good work!!

 

Very well said, and I totally see your point. So much so that I think I'll get it next time Im out and give it the proper read it warrants.

To clear one thing up though, in your first paragraph you argue the lifestyle point. I totally get where you are coming from with that, and have a few friends that might fit that bill, but I think by and large it is a current misconception of magazine staff to assume that if you are of the younger crowd and, let's say have a chopped 49 Ford, you are into the "lifestyle" and all it has to offer across the board. In a lot of cases this just isn't true.

Let me use myself as an example. Im in the under 30 crowd, diehard 49-51 Merc fan, have a few tattoos. My dad has a Harley Road King and loves it, and when I stop by my parents place with a friend or two they oogle over it...very cool. I have little to no desire to own a bike.

I have a few tattoos, got the Mercury logo on my arm (getting 2 more Mercury logos next to it), got me a Clay Smith logo, and some other work that would look at home on a greaser type, but I have yet to buy a tattoo mag and invariably when there is a feature on something of the sort in a car magazine, I couldnt care less. It gets thumbed through and read, if at all, months later when recirculating old magazines.

The art aspect. Sure, I dig photography and spend a ton of time flipping lenses looking for the "perfect shot" and photoshopping it until its par or better, but when an art segment comes up in a car magazine, it will usually get bypassed as well.

Lastly, music. Sure I love music. As a longtime musician that was able to take my dreams of touring, making money, and living the dream as far as I wanted and around the world two times, Id say that and my 10k or so MP3s on my Mac might fancy me a music lover. But I dont think I would say that really defines my build, or moreso, don't think I'll open up a magazine and see a writeup about The Paragons meet The Jesters. I guess between big band and that, isnt that the music that was most likely being played when this whole game was forged? Id have to bet it was. And between that and talk radio, one of the two is invariably what comes from my stereo when Im working. Neither of which influence anything on or around my car. Nor does the one poster in my garage, which I think is an old Misfits poster I got somewhere.

My point is that I think the magazines these days seem to think that everyone into a custom is also into motorcycles and tattoos. The person with a motorcycle is into hotrods, pinups, and wears Lucky 13. The car guy likes car art and car music, accompanied by car chicks.

What does inspire and/or influence me and my cars? Simple. Cars. Pictures of cars. Stories of cars. I love to read about cars, how they got the look on this roof, how they lowered that, the stock tail lights look great because of a homemade bodyline or paint fade that is so subtle you don't notice it until you read it...which engine they used and why...you get the point. Other than that it is just a generalization and a mass grouping, and I'd bet I'm not the only one with that point of view.

Anywho, this got way off topic, just figured maybe Id write back as a little person on the other end of the press, purely for what it's worth as an opinion only. Good luck with the magazine!

 

I've been reading it since issue #1, and while I miss that "zine" feel, the content more than make up for it.

 

if you want a mag that deals STRICTLY with the cars and all the tech that comes with it.....you should pretty much stick to the old 'zines. They have all the cool styles & tips but without all the "billy-badass" culture bullshit. Wait a minute....rodders journal & hop-up are modern mags that are 95% about cars....check them out. when i first got into this "period correct/era specific" scene, the only magazines i could find were HRdeluxe, grindstone, barracuda, and Atomic. Now it seems like there are a shitload...so i just went back to the old mags (50's).

 

The thing that I like about Garage is they bring you back to the days and era' of the car-bike-van-music-lowrider-drag racing and all that happened in what era or decade of what I witnessed growing up and brought alot of memories back, good memories be it that. Stoner and crew also cover stuff that I had no idea about being that I spent some of my life (early) growing up in Ontario, Canada. Stuff that happened out here in the west coast. Articles and stories that they have covered have always caught my attention and mind you I am not a big reader and I have read through every issue that they have put out. Keep up the great work and interesting articles and I think the mini insert magazine (wcc) was a kool little xtra something that at no xtra charge that you and Jesse had thrown in for all of us to have. KNUX!

 

...RYAN IT ONLY "belittles" YOU BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU WILL NEVER OWN A BIKE AS COOL AS A WEST COAST CHOPPER....THATS WHY YOU ARE INTO CARS!.....YOU TRIED THE WHOLE "Early 90's" BIKER THING AND PROBABLY SCARED YOURSELF? OR GOT SCARED SAW SOME REAL "BIKERS" AT THE SWAP MEET AND NOW YOU HAVE SET YOUR AIM A LITTLE LOWER AND MORE ACHIEVABLE!..!..YOU DO KNOW ANYONE CAN DRIVE A CAR?...THEY EVEN TEACH YOU HOW TO DRIVE THEM IN HIGH SCHOOL!.......




...Note to DAN STONER

HEY DAN
LETS TONE DOWN THE "BIKER" STUFF IN GARAGE I THINK ITS HAVING A NEGITIVE EFFECT ON RYAN.....THANKS...YOUR PAL....jesse....

 

Uh oh! I don't think any man likes another man to talk s#!t to them in their OWN "Garage". This would be what the PM function was made for.

 

i have no comment on the subject!





ahhhh....fuck!

 

....THIS IS THE "internet" YOU CAN SAY ANYTING YOU WANT!...

 

I've been told different- MANY TIMES! Seriously been told what I can't say more times than I can remember.

 

HAHA!! thats funny shit!!! Here is MY take on GARAGE!!
I have been reading it for a long time, don't have a sub. 'cause I got fucked when CKD went out of business! So I spend the extra fedia,at the store, and I KNOW I get my RAG!!!, Even before "MR. Wonderfull", as someone else said...bought it out, and yeah I don't jock on dicks but He is 1 guy I have respect for!!! I like the style and effort he puts into it! and fuckin' come on... how can you NOT like a rag headed up by a dude named "STONER"??? thats the shit right there!!! I like the way the pages feel, which seem to be a bitch from most, but when you are in the shiter all hunched over and "concentrating" that rough copy makes it easier to hold on to, kinda like 40 grit on some steel to make the bondo stick!!! oh yeah, plus my boy GOOZ from Los Boulevardos, will be pretty happy real soon!!! Thats just my fuckin' opinion, if you don't like it move on and go read some other fukin' shit!!!

 

....DON'T WORRY....I NEVER SAY ANYTING ON THE "internet" THAT I WOULDN'T SAY RIGHT TO SOMBODYS FACE!......

 

Me too.

 

if i was in adult films i think i'd like my name to be "johnny deep".
i'd do nothing but pirate-themed fuck flicks.....i'd yell "Arrrrrrg!!" while i was shooting ropes all over flower tucci's face........yeah....johnny deep!!!

 

I like Garage Magazine but what's with all the 70's crap mixed in , kidding of course.
I thought the WCC mini mag was ok, not unfurtunate. If I owned Garage, my mini mag would have been a maxi mag.
Your lucky, he does not put himself on the cover, like Oprah does/did in every issue, of O.
That beeing said, I wish we would have seen more of Aarons coupe.

 

Looks to me like someone intentionally wants this thread closed. And to think, we started off saying what a good job Garage was doing and all....... KNUX! kid berzerker, totally off topic and un-called for!!!

 

lets all take a midal shall we! wtf is with everyone and there..."fuck this person, he made some coin" ,thing lately?
fuck, like 2 days ago i get on here and everyone is railin against skratch, cause he might make coin from a show!....why the fuck you people gotta make it so personal?
i think its all just retarded! grow the fuck up!

 

Jesse,
you are a fag and that magazine is being ruined by you and you alone.

 

i hear that!!! garage is a good magazine......some will like it....some won't....
-JOHNNY DEEP!!!!