Mr. Magazine

As 2018 slipped through the portals of time and high-fived 2019 as they passed each other in the hallway of new magazines, we acknowledge that 2018 was a fantastic year for magazines and feel certain that 2019 will see just as much success. It is with that in mind that we are honored to once again celebrate those new titles that were born this past year. This time “The Launch of the Year” is being selected from all of the new magazines that were started from January 2018 through December 2018.

To honor and celebrate those new magazines, Mr. Magazine™ and MPA: The Association of Magazine Media will come together to pay tribute to “The Launch of the Year” during the American Magazine Media Conference in New York City on February 5, 2019.

There were 191 new magazine titles that arrived on the scene with the intent to publish on a regular frequency in 2018, and you can add to that another 600+ bookazines and specials that are not included in this selection. You can view all the new titles with frequency at the Mr. Magazine™ Launch Monitor here.

The criteria for the selection process is as follows:

• We must have actual physical copies of them.
• The number one criteria point is the audience’s reaction to that magazine. How did the overall marketplace react and how did its intended audience respond to it? And just as important; how did the industry behave toward it? These questions are the first thing I ask upon selection of “The Launch of the Year.”
• Major industry leaders’ launching new print magazines certainly is something that must be recognized because it speaks of the power of the medium. These people aren’t in the business of wasting dollars on something that has no value. In the past there have been new offerings from publishing giants such as Hearst, Condé Nast, Meredith and the southern-born Hoffman Media. For companies as distinguished and successful as these to create and bring new titles into this digital world signifies the good health and power of print.
• And then there are the entrepreneurs, with their vision and determination to launch their magazine no matter the cost to their wallets and their emotions; they are no less amazing. Some of the best titles we’ve seen in a long time have been from relatively unknown publishers who are not without experience, just without the stolid names that audiences know so well.
• The criteria for selection is based on factors that include creativity and audience reaction first and foremost, and then industry trends and as always, those rogue wildcards out there that just won’t be denied and seem to make some of the best magazines around.
• Also, something has to grab our attention to be selected as “The Launch of the Year,” based on the comparative analysis.

Top 13 Launches for 2018 (in alphabetical order)

1. Compulsive
2. Ember
3. Fleishigs
4. Good Company
5. Hungry Girl
6. Jez
7. Jugular
8. Kitchen Toke
9. L’Officiel USA
10. Outboard
11. Retro Fan
12. Western Hunting Journal
13. Where Women Create, Where Women Create Work, What Women Create, Where Women Cook

Compulsive

Are you interested in exploring captivating, compelling conversations? Then welcome to Compulsive Magazine. According to the title’s tagline, captivating and compelling is exactly how they create a comfortable space for their readers to enjoy the magazine. From beauty to health, inspirational articles to fashion and style, Compulsive is enthusiastic, passionate, and irresistible. And Mr. Magazine™ says welcome to the Top 13!

Ember

Born from a collaboration between the folks at Paper and a growing marijuana dispensary chain in Los Angeles called MedMen, Ember is one of the latest cannabis and cannabis culture magazines to hit newsstands. With the goal of destigmatizing and bringing marijuana into the everyday culture more and more, the magazine is a heady dose of all things cannabis, with ads that are as informative and compelling as the articles. Mr. Magazine™ thinks Ember burns brightly among the other weed-based titles and enjoyed the read “highly.” (Joking, of course).

Fleishigs

The word Fleishig means meat, pure and simple. From beef to poultry and the fat in between, kosher culinary culture involves keeping certain foods, such as meat, away from other certain foods, such as Milchigs, or dairy. Hence, a new food magazine all about the meat-centric point of view, without diluting the content away from the main vein: the meat. From the team behind Bitayavon and Joy of Kosher, this new kosher food magazine is brilliant. Recipes abound and the articles are as rich as the protein-filled subject matter. What a refreshing change of pace and an awesome way to explore the kosher lifestyle or enrich it!

Good Company

Inspired by the success of her latest book, “In the Company of Women” (now a New York Times Best Seller), Grace Bonney’s new print magazine, Good Company, provides motivation, inspiration, practical advice, and a vital sense of connection and community for women and non-binary creatives at every stage of their lives. Each issue of Good Company focuses on one overarching theme, including Change, Fear, Community, Mentors, and much more. It’s a magazine, but more than that, it’s a conversation and one that beckons you (the reader) to jump right into. And if you do – there’s no doubt you’ll be in Good Company!

Hungry Girl

Lisa Lillien is the Hungry Girl and she is this new magazine published through a partnership with the Meredith Corp. Lisa is the New York Times bestselling author and the creator of the Hungry Girl brand. She is the founder of http://www.hungry-girl.com, the free daily email service that entertains and informs hungry people everywhere. Complementing her brand nicely is this great new print magazine that adds another dimension to her digital platforms. It’s exciting and intriguing and inspires all of us to realize that just because we’re “hungry” doesn’t mean we can’t make smart food choices and determine creative ways to eat the foods that we love and still fit into our pants!

Jez

Jez is a new quarterly magazine, which highlights what’s new and best in fashion, beauty, culture and entertainment, but also has a special focus on philanthropy. In fact, the magazine’s tagline is fashion, culture, philanthropy. Founder and editor in chief, Ezequiel De La Rosa, has been a designer, store owner, makeup artist, photographer (which he still is, photographing many of the images between the covers of the magazine) and now a magazine creator. The magazine is artistic, beautiful,  and has that strong entrepreneurial spirit that makes it stand out above many of its peers. Welcome to the finals, Jez!

Jugular

An antidote for boredom, indeed. This new title’s tagline is certainly one that fits as the oversized, brilliantly-done magazine was born out of the desire to tell real and uncontaminated stories filtered through one of the keywords of the 21st century: DESIGN, To hold this new publication in one’s hands is to understand the meaning of the phrase: tactile experience. It’s an unbelievably exciting project that was born out of the passion of people who wanted to go deeper into the story, deeper into the design, and hit that “jugular” where the blood flows passionately between the brain and heart. And it definitely affects the main arterial flow of emotions.

Kitchen Toke

Kitchen Toke is the first magazine about cooking with cannabis. It focuses on exploring and understanding cannabis for recreational and medicinal use, covering cooking and entertaining seasonally with cannabis along with the chefs and individuals who are advancing marijuana in food and health. It’s a fantastic magazine whose founder and president, Joline Rivera, said has recipes and stories that help people to understand all of the misinformation that’s out there about the plant, causing unnecessary and misplaced fear for many people when it comes to using it in food or at all. An amazing offering from the cannabis world that seems to be exploding!

L’Officiel USA

A European title that now lives in the USA too, this big, bold magazine aims to merge the century-long traditions of its predecessor with a modern approach. L’Officiel, the 96-year-old French luxury fashion and lifestyle magazine owned by the Jalou family offers fashion, beauty, music, film, literature, culture, lifestyle, wellness, politics and more with an emphasis on telling stories that matter. And its American counterpart is glorious  and marks a new chapter for L’Officiel. Welcome to America!

Outboard

A new magazine dedicated to outboards, this title offers the immediate rush of a speedboat. It’s sleek, shiny and as addictive as the adrenaline that flows through one’s body as you skim the surface of some smooth waters at the clipped speed of sound! The photos are bold and splashed across print pages that feel like the salty silk of the ocean beneath your fingers. Outboard is a new title that Mr. Magazine™ can’t wait to see more of!

Retro Fan

Retro Fan magazine, published by TwoMorrows Publishing, is an ultimate handbook for all things retro and fun. From tattoos in bubble gum packs to your favorite Saturday morning cartoons, this magazine takes you back to the past with an exuberance that is reminiscent of childhood. It’s filled with things that still play an important part in many of our lives: The Andy Griffith Show, Star Trek (how many of us grew up on Captain Kirk and Spock), articles, such as one with Lou Ferrigno (TV’s Hulk), and fun sitcom quotes, along with much, much more. Mr. Magazine™ was so excited to discover this title that he had to include in our 2018 Baker’s Dozen!

Western Hunting Journal

A magazine produced by a team who are self-proclaimed passionate hunters dedicated to publishing the best information for hunters in the West with in-depth gear reviews, world-class hunts, expert shooting advice, industry news, and hunting information that is relevant to hunters who chase big game, waterfowl and upland gamebirds. It features excellent photography, great writing and smart design. And Mr. Magazine™ for one says welcome to this passionate and bold hunting experience!

Where Women Create, Where Women Create Work, What Women Create, Where Women Cook

Jo Packham believes we all have a story to tell and she also believes it is her job to give a venue to those ideas; hence, the four titles that she created and formerly published (three of them anyway) with Stampington & Company by her side. But no longer is she affiliated with the giant crafting publisher. Today, she is following through with her own vision, through her partnership with Disticor, and has decided there is more to tell than just “where,” we also need to know “what.” And for the beauty, content, and magnificent design of these magazines, Mr. Magazine™ has included all four of the titles (counted as one entry) into this Baker’s Dozen of fantastic new publications. 2018 was a great year for Jo Packham! Welcome to the fold!