STARLOG R.I.P.

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rapidheart	STARLOG R.I.P.	Lead	[-]
(04/13/09 8:03 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	http://popwatch.ew.com/po.../04/starlog-magazin.html Thanks for posting that Rapid One. Taraco here (Butting in to get news about this at the top of this thread): And here's what Starlog says about 'temporarily' suspending publication. STARLOG.com has relaunched in beta! As a part of our massive digital initiative, STARLOG.com has returned to the web to bring you the best original content pertaining to the worlds of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Comic Entertainment. With daily news, reviews, features, and more, STARLOG.com is your home for sci-fi on the web. In addition, our new Digital store (launching next month), available on our network of online sites including STARLOG and FANGORIA, will soon feature beautifully restored digital editions of the entire run of STARLOG magazine. We feel that these new technological ventures are very much in step with the futuristic concept of STARLOG, and will carry the brand forward into the new ideology of the 21st century and beyond. It is also at this time that we announce the temporary cessation of the current run of STARLOG as a print magazine. After 33 years, and considering the present state of the economy, we feel its time for a major revamp and will be temporarily discontinuing publication while the model and redesign of the magazine are contemplated and executed. The last print issue available for the time being is #374, while issue #375 will be available exclusively as a digital edition on the network in the very near future. We're looking forward to bringing you more of the best of sci-fi in the months ahead. Thank you for your continued support and your understanding in this matter. Last Edited By: taraco 04/14/09 8:51 AM. Edited 3 times.
Rakshasa		#1	[-]
(04/13/09 8:12 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Bummer! I always looked out for Tom Weaver's interviews in Starlog. Here's the article linked above: 'Starlog' magazine: R.I.P., and thanks for all the geekery Apr 13, 2009, 12:30 PM \| by Marc Bernardin Categories: I'm Just a Geek, Sci-Fi, Star Trek, Star Wars, Things that are sad Long before Entertainment Weekly, or Aintitcoolnews.com, or podcasts, Twitter feeds, blogs or THE INTERNET ITSELF, Starlog Magazine was in the business of covering all things geek. Spurred on by the popularity of the Star Trek conventions that cropped up in the wake of the classic series' cancellation, editor Kerry O'Quinn and publisher Norman Jacobs launched Starlog in August of 1976. And after 33 years and 374 issues, Starlog is officially calling it quits, continuing for the time being as an online-only publication. I'm sure many of you didn't read Starlog, given that much of what constituted the magazine's bread and butter -- interviews with the people behind genre TV, film, and literature; casting and development news; photo galleries; reviews -- is picked over a thousand different ways online before a monthly magazine could get to it. But in its heyday -- the late '70s through the early '90s -- Starlog was a vital part of the geek conversation. Starlog's writers and reporters were on the scene for the beginning of the Star Wars phenomenon, the continuation of Trek as a franchise; there to break news on Raiders of the Lost Ark, Back to the Future, Terminator, Alien, and RoboCop; and documenting for future generations the classic wonders of Ray Harryhausen and Willis O'Brien, Richard Matheson and Robert E. Howard, Fay Wray and Charlton Heston. Cheesy as it may be, here's a 1984 TV ad for Starlog. What other sci-fi magazine can you think of that took out TV ads? Starlog holds a special place in my heart because editor David McDonnell gave me my first job right out of college. Compared to the vastness of Time Inc. -- which publishes EW -- Starlog was a small operation: three editors (who also served as photo editors and copy readers), a handful of designers and typesetters, and a cadre of trusted freelancers. But I learned an immense amount from my three years on staff, as much about shoestring, guerilla journalism as about science fiction itself. And that crash course in geekery has served me in good stead -- I wouldn't be working at a massive magazine, writing comics, selling movies, and moderating San Diego Comic Con panels with Kevin Smith and Zack Snyder on them if Starlog hadn't set me so firmly on the path. So, for that, I'm both sad to see it's pages disappear from shelves and eternally grateful that it lasted as long as it did. Anyone want to join me in paying tribute to Starlog today? Share in the comments below.
leopardpride.filmlandclassics		#2	[-]
(04/13/09 8:18 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	How very sad! I read Starlog for many years. It was the only way I could find out info on Star Trek. Even though I stopped reading it years ago, it has always held a special place in my heart. I'm sure it will be missed. (I know that it will still be seen online, but I am a "holder of the paper". I want to feel the magazines in my hands.)
GhostofChaneysLiver		#3	[-]
(04/13/09 8:49 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	If Famous Monsters was partly responsible for shaping my childhood, then Starlog clearly helped mold my formative teen years. I bought each and every issue for well over a decade, as I did all my favorite genre mags. As the prices for of all of them continued to rise, my purchasing of them continued to dwindle. I know the high prices weren't governed by greed, but necessity -- still I couldn't justify spending $7.00 or more an issue of any magazine. So, perhaps I was part of the problem for the demise of many of my old favorite mags. I will mourn the loss regardless. It is always sad when you lose a piece of yout past. Cromwell
kevin g shinnick		#4	[-]
(04/14/09 6:37 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Has FANGORIA split off from STARLOG ?
thegraveyardtramp		#5	[-]
(04/14/09 6:59 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Even though it's been over 20 years since I last bought/read an issue of Starlog, it's still sad the see the hard copy of the magazine go. When I first started developing a real love for horror and sci-fi cinema as a kid in the late seventies, FM and Starlog were my bibles, and I have fond memories of reading Starlog with friends at school (who'd been bitten by the Star Wars sci-fi bug) and in the lobby of many Melbourne cinemas....can't recall the number off-hand, but the first issue i bought was the one with Battlestar Galactica on the cover,a nd I probably read it religiously until about 1982, when my interest in sci-fi started to drop off as I developed a taste for more seedier exploitation fare. Some of the earlier issues I managed to track down back then were great too....fantastic color cover features on classics like This Island Earth and Destination Moon, etc. I also remember buying an issue off the stands in San Francisco when I went to the USA for the second time...it was the Darth Vader issue for Empire Strikes Back, and it was a thrill getting an issue hot off the press as I was used to waiting two or three months for the mags to make their way over to Australia.... http://john-harrison.blogspot.com/ http://www.myspace.com/graveyard_tramp
BijouBob8mm		#6	[-]
(04/14/09 8:07 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	If Famous Monsters was partly responsible for shaping my childhood, then Starlog clearly helped mold my formative teen years. Well said. (And certainly true of myself, as well, with Castle of Frankenstein kind of bridging the two.) Issue one hit the stands while I was in Driver's Ed. A handful of us spotted it during lunch break at a downtown drugstore/soda shop, and quickly snatched it up.
dynafan.filmlandclassics		#7	[-]
(04/14/09 8:15 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	This is NOT good news. Mmany of the early print issues of Starlog were outstanding.
taraco		#8	[-]
(04/14/09 8:57 AM) Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	STARLOG was (and is), a refreshingly smart and well-edited publication. Despite its emphasis on the new, it had a reverence for the old as its many Rondo nominations, and win (for a Tom Weaver/Bob Burns article about the new KING KONG),can attest. The magazine's reputation for telling it straight got it access to almost every scifi blockbuster's set, top stars cooperate and the preview stories always targeted what fans wanted to know. Its WATCHMEN coverage most recently is a prime example. We do hope this is only 'temporary.' Seeing Tom Weaver's DVD updates in a blog format is a barrier-breaking moment, to be sure, but ... david
Carl Eyesnheart		#9	[-]
(04/14/09 9:08 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	This is a shame. As a kid, Starlog was first, then I found Famous Monsters and then Fango showed up on the scene. I remember buying issue 1 of Fango, and the main selling points to me were the Godzilla cover and the "Starlog" logo in the corner. I haven't bought a Starlog for YEARS, but this is a depressing bit of news for sure. My fanzine all about Rock N Roll: www.sonicruin.com
HammerFilmFan		#10	[-]
(04/14/09 11:14 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	It just seems STRANGE that Fango and Starlog would get sold to new owners, about, what, a year ago? Only to have them stop publishing Starlog. And starting Gorezone and TMT again. Hey, I prefer TMT of all of them, but it just seems strange! Ray Steele Check out the current incarnation of Cinefantastique Magazine: CFQ Online
BijouBob8mm		#11	[-]
(04/14/09 12:56 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	I had the first few issues of Gorezone, but it quickly became only an occasional purchase. Didn't it originally get dropped due to poor sales, or am I misremembering?
tv horror		#12	[-]
(04/14/09 2:28 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	I must be one of the few that has every issue from number 1 right up to date, I will miss it if it goes under. Will the same be happening to Fangoria I really hope not.
HammerFilmFan		#13	[-]
(04/14/09 2:57 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	tv horror wrote: I must be one of the few that has every issue from number 1 right up to date, I will miss it if it goes under. Will the same be happening to Fangoria I really hope not. The current owners said no. And that Fango subs are WAY up. Ray Steele Check out the current incarnation of Cinefantastique Magazine: CFQ Online
taraco		#14	[-]
(04/14/09 6:00 PM) Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	>>The current owners said no. And that Fango subs are WAY up... There seems no doubt that modern horror is very popular and the no-holds-barred approach, image-wise, of FANGORIA and RUE MORGUE have given those magazines a growing readership. It's also why, I think, magazines like HORROR HOUND, SCREEM and others are finding new newsstand traction, catering to the entirely new generation of monster fans. I view it all as a sign that there is still room for intelligent film appreciation in printed form, if things are packaged right.
creepycrawley		#15	[-]
(04/14/09 6:10 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Mna, that stinks. I remember the day I walked into the corner candy store in Jersey City and bought the first issue off the rack. I knew it was something special at the time. It was my greatest source of new movies, books, models, toys. I still occassionally pick one up and breeze through it. I will miss seeing it on the magazine rack.
chris schillig		#16	[-]
(04/14/09 8:41 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	First MAD going quarterly, now this. Old business models really aren't working any longer, are they? I read a lot of Starlog as a teen, not so much in the last 20 years, but it is another familiar logo on the magazine stand that won't be there any longer. A shame.
Mike Metzler		#17	[-]
(04/15/09 8:59 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	It's funny how so many sentiments echo mine. "It used to be essential in the '70s/'80s but I haven't' purchased it in X amount of years". I have just about every issue from 1-200 or so. Same with Fangoria. Starlog started to annoy me with their "highly collectible" issues with lenticular or foil doodads all over the covers (just like the comic industry was doing at the same time). Like others, I can't justify the price on Starlog or Fangoria anymore. If it was still $5.00 an issue (and it really should be with as much advertising as they have), it'd be a no-brainer. With the free (and faster) information on the internet, the messed-up economy and the lack of good films coming out these days, it's no wonder the magazine is biting the dust. I'll miss seeing it on the racks, as it was part of my childhood, but my money still goes to more heartfelt magazines like Video Watchdog. Keep on rockin' in the free world with Just Off Turner! http://justoffturner.com/
Joe Karlosi		#18	[-]
(04/15/09 9:12 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Boy, is it Over. "It's MORE ... than a Hobby"
dracsback		#19	[-]
(04/15/09 3:49 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Print can't compete in the online space these days. There's too much readily available for free. Think back when you purchased a Starlog or FM to find out what was coming soon in the Sci-fi and Horror film world. By the time a monthly magazine like that goes to print - all the information is outdated to some extent. Sad. "I saw what I saw when I saw it!"
Corloff		#20	[-]
(04/18/09 9:13 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Count me among those who bought and read Starlog regularly from the late-70s to mid-80s, but not at all in the decades since. I'm certainly sorry to see any genre magazine cease print publication, but Starlog wore out its welcome long ago. The Internet did not kill my interest in the magazine; its content did. Every piece was a puffy "celebrity profile" type interview, and after a while they all sounded the same. The information content was negligible. The lack of a critical or analytical point of view became downright galling. Again, while I am reluctant to speak ill of the departed, I often wished Starlog had aimed higher. It could have been so much better than it usually was.

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'Starlog' magazine: R.I.P., and thanks for all the geekery

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