Mr. Magazine

A Mr. Magazine™ Musing…

Ten years ago, from both sides of the Atlantic, two new magazines were launched: Monocle and Garden & Gun. At the time, these valiant titles were diminutive compared to the Titan that according to many threatened to vanquish print: digital. The skeptics believed that the online universe would ultimately force all print to disappear, and there would be no room for (or use, for that matter) a heavy-duty, sink-into-your-favorite-easy-chair-to-read-and-flip-the-pages, well-done, well-crafted magazine, except for maybe something based only on sound bites or fluffy, celebrity news.

In the U.K., Tyler Brûlé, founder of Wallpaper* magazine, launched Monocle with much fanfare and press coverage. The same can be said on this side of the Atlantic when Rebecca Darwin, former publisher of The New Yorker and Fortune, launched Garden & Gun in South Carolina, with the support and funding of newspaper magnate, Pierre Manigault.

Today, both magazines are celebrating 10-year anniversaries with two of the most amazing issues that I have ever seen. With Monocle, it may take me the entire month to finish reading all 300+ pages of the enlightening content within this well-crafted, well-designed and very well reinvented and reengineered magazine. In fact, it was the first magazine I ever awarded the International Launch of the Year.

As for Garden & Gun, I can’t speak highly enough about what they have accomplished through all of the peaks and valleys that they’ve had over the years. Many have written the obituary of the magazine, yet it has proven to be as resilient as a cat with nine lives (sorry dogs), and the magazine today is stronger than ever with content second to none. Both magazines have also seen their share of imitators over the years and have become the standard by which others raise their bar.

So, here’s a toast to 10 years of excellent content and to the power and strength of print well done. In honor of magazines matter, print matters, kudos to Monocle and Garden & Gun.

Happy 10th Anniversary!

Until next time…

See you at the newsstand…