I can't believe it has been four years since my magazine started its second volume and ended that summer of 2009. It was the autumn of 2008 when the bottom fell out of the economy and the presidential election became everyone's obsession, thus destroying a fair percentage of the marketing momentum for a lot of stuff. Since that point in recent history, classic adventure and pulp have declined in public interest. Diehards will disagree, but that's why they're diehards -- and thank God they are there. Still, I went from ten thousand or more downloads every monthly issue to a few hundred in the course of three months. It was dismal and depressing and has disappointed me in the public. If you're not selling vampires, zombies or political paranoia, you've been marginalized. Hopefully that will change soon, but until then I'm posting the covers of my magazine for a rejuvenating trip down memory lane, since my company is in its eleventh year.
This magazine was my life for over a year. It was launched with great passion and was a lot of work three weeks every month. It brought attention to my label in a way like nothing else I had done up to that time and I'm proud of it. It also brought me to the attention of the e-zine/fanzine/micropress world and, I was told by others in that world and saw for myself how, it made an impact, changing the way others produced their magazines. LCL Magazine brought more color and content variety to the field. For a while, we were the hot shooting star and that felt good. I would like to do that again, but our society is hypnotized by other things right now and the market has been demolished. The magazine was free, but it was a LOT of work for one person to do -- and I did it all, even coming up with pseudonyms for myself so that it would appear I had a staff of writers, LOL. Occasionally, others would contribute, but LCL Magazine was brought to you by me and William Michael Mott. In the past few years, several people have asked if I'd ever do it again or release a printed version. I would if I thought it would sell, but I'm not doing that much work to give it away again.
Anyway, enjoy the archive of covers which I created from photos, public domain art and photoshopped images each month...
The Premier Issue! I was so proud of myself for doing my part to spread the word about Secret of the Incas, offering an exclusive interview with Fraser Heston about his dad's experience making the film. The interview was intended to be with Charlton Heston, but Fraser graciously agreed to do it. The cover art featured Debbie Teeters photographed by Douglas Nason. Jan 2008
The second issue was very exciting because it was the first with the new title banner. Featuring both the art of Bob Aul and my photography (photoshopped here) of model Lindy Greene, this was the issue that came out two weeks after the premier issue and really caught the attention of the pulp micropress world. Feb 2008
The third issue was one of my favorites. By this issue, certain regular features were beginning to take shape. But the cover I really loved. I was fueled by the massive response we were getting so I put this issue together still in the heady days of the response to the debut of the magazine with the first two issues.
March 2008
Another of my favorite covers. If you look closely, you'll see the tip of the Matterhorn obscuring the title banner. This was the first issue in which I played with the visual dimension in that manner. Apr 2008
This is one of the weak covers, in my opinion. It wasn't that I suddenly got lazy, it was that I really wanted to use the leopard image. Regardless, our reader downloads were going strong! May 2008
Definitely one of the best covers of all the issues. I was really pleased with how this one turned out. June 2008
Another of my favorite covers. Featuring the art of Bob Aul and Muscha, this was my fun summer cover. I recall doing this one in the weeks leading up our annual pilgrimage to the San Diego Comic Con. Those were the days. July 2008.
This cover is awesome -- except for the text. It doesn't jump the page clearly enough. However, it does feature the Comic Con of that year, so the issue was another goodie. Our numbers were continuing strong. August 2008.
This was a good cover -- except for the text. Again, I blew it there. Other than that, though, I really like the graphic, photoshopped entirely from my own collection. Sep 2008
Ah! A personal favorite! The Halloween issue! I photoshopped Lindy Greene onto a now very popular pulp era piece. This one was simple but just right. I recall this issue was among the first to start including promo ads flavored with my twisted sense of humor. Oct 2008.
This issue featured awesome cover art by Leo Leibelman whom I met at the Comic Con. I later found out the issue wasn't too appreciated by some pulp gurus (greybeards) because of those colorful promo ads I started running. Because a few guys didn't approve, our distribution situation changed. Honestly, fuck those guys. More people loved my funny ads than said they did not. Unfortunately, this was the month of the presidential election and the economy was about to take a dump. Nov 2008
The Christmas issue! I absolutely love this cover! Believe it or not, it's a total composite. And I got to interview a really cute actress with an adorable British accent. This was the first issue we didn't have even a thousand downloads.
Volume 2, Issue 1: Jan 2009. Another low month. The issue was fine, but America was gripped in either their euphoria or shock, political obsession remaining at a high point. Our lowest download numbers since the magazine debuted and it never did much better. I was not happy. The cover was another using old pulp era art.
Feb 2009. This was the beginning of the end. After the dismal numbers for the January issue, I decided to make the magazine bi-monthly. It was just too much work for a few hundred downloads. I really liked this cover art, too.
I was very pleased with this cover! Another composite from old pulp era art, I thought it really popped. I still thought I'd be able to get the numbers up, though the Feb issue had not done any better than January.
The final issue of LCL Magazine, it turned out. The cover art was all composite and photoshopped, of course. Not bad, and kinda sad doing this one. I recall I was thinking up another magazine during this period, something that would feature classic adventure and steampunk. Released Summer 2009.
This magazine was my life for over a year. It was launched with great passion and was a lot of work three weeks every month. It brought attention to my label in a way like nothing else I had done up to that time and I'm proud of it. It also brought me to the attention of the e-zine/fanzine/micropress world and, I was told by others in that world and saw for myself how, it made an impact, changing the way others produced their magazines. LCL Magazine brought more color and content variety to the field. For a while, we were the hot shooting star and that felt good. I would like to do that again, but our society is hypnotized by other things right now and the market has been demolished. The magazine was free, but it was a LOT of work for one person to do -- and I did it all, even coming up with pseudonyms for myself so that it would appear I had a staff of writers, LOL. Occasionally, others would contribute, but LCL Magazine was brought to you by me and William Michael Mott. In the past few years, several people have asked if I'd ever do it again or release a printed version. I would if I thought it would sell, but I'm not doing that much work to give it away again.
Anyway, enjoy the archive of covers which I created from photos, public domain art and photoshopped images each month...
The second issue was very exciting because it was the first with the new title banner. Featuring both the art of Bob Aul and my photography (photoshopped here) of model Lindy Greene, this was the issue that came out two weeks after the premier issue and really caught the attention of the pulp micropress world. Feb 2008
The third issue was one of my favorites. By this issue, certain regular features were beginning to take shape. But the cover I really loved. I was fueled by the massive response we were getting so I put this issue together still in the heady days of the response to the debut of the magazine with the first two issues.
March 2008
Another of my favorite covers. If you look closely, you'll see the tip of the Matterhorn obscuring the title banner. This was the first issue in which I played with the visual dimension in that manner. Apr 2008
This is one of the weak covers, in my opinion. It wasn't that I suddenly got lazy, it was that I really wanted to use the leopard image. Regardless, our reader downloads were going strong! May 2008
Definitely one of the best covers of all the issues. I was really pleased with how this one turned out. June 2008
Another of my favorite covers. Featuring the art of Bob Aul and Muscha, this was my fun summer cover. I recall doing this one in the weeks leading up our annual pilgrimage to the San Diego Comic Con. Those were the days. July 2008.
This cover is awesome -- except for the text. It doesn't jump the page clearly enough. However, it does feature the Comic Con of that year, so the issue was another goodie. Our numbers were continuing strong. August 2008.
This was a good cover -- except for the text. Again, I blew it there. Other than that, though, I really like the graphic, photoshopped entirely from my own collection. Sep 2008
Ah! A personal favorite! The Halloween issue! I photoshopped Lindy Greene onto a now very popular pulp era piece. This one was simple but just right. I recall this issue was among the first to start including promo ads flavored with my twisted sense of humor. Oct 2008.
This issue featured awesome cover art by Leo Leibelman whom I met at the Comic Con. I later found out the issue wasn't too appreciated by some pulp gurus (greybeards) because of those colorful promo ads I started running. Because a few guys didn't approve, our distribution situation changed. Honestly, fuck those guys. More people loved my funny ads than said they did not. Unfortunately, this was the month of the presidential election and the economy was about to take a dump. Nov 2008
The Christmas issue! I absolutely love this cover! Believe it or not, it's a total composite. And I got to interview a really cute actress with an adorable British accent. This was the first issue we didn't have even a thousand downloads.
Volume 2, Issue 1: Jan 2009. Another low month. The issue was fine, but America was gripped in either their euphoria or shock, political obsession remaining at a high point. Our lowest download numbers since the magazine debuted and it never did much better. I was not happy. The cover was another using old pulp era art.
Feb 2009. This was the beginning of the end. After the dismal numbers for the January issue, I decided to make the magazine bi-monthly. It was just too much work for a few hundred downloads. I really liked this cover art, too.
I was very pleased with this cover! Another composite from old pulp era art, I thought it really popped. I still thought I'd be able to get the numbers up, though the Feb issue had not done any better than January.
The final issue of LCL Magazine, it turned out. The cover art was all composite and photoshopped, of course. Not bad, and kinda sad doing this one. I recall I was thinking up another magazine during this period, something that would feature classic adventure and steampunk. Released Summer 2009.
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