It was a surprise to me to find that the Chicago Tribune's website listed G-FAN magazine as one of their fifty favorite magazines. In the introduction of the list, they wrote:
Once again we've gathered around the magazine racks in our minds and pulled out our favorites. We are a mixed bag of folks, and the list reflects that, ranging from the inevitability of the New Yorker to the surprise of G-Fan, a magazine for Godzilla aficionados. We like magazines that instruct, entertain, take us places we'd otherwise never know.
To see the G-FAN listing, go here:
50 Magazines Page 2
Some may think their comments on G-FAN are condescending, I don't agree. Heck, if they bothered to list it as a favorite, then we must be doing something right!
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You beat me to the punch on this one Armand. I was just about to post an article on this one.
ReplyDeleteI really find it interesting that they listed G-Fan in their top-50 list and then proceeded to bash the magzines content. Honestly they seemed to bash the entire genre with phrases like "D-list actors who barely remember the movies they're being interviewed for", "unintentionally hilarious" and "A towering act of stretching next to nothing across 15 years--and 83 issues" Seems like some sort of insult to me. I can only assume that the writer was given the list by his editor and forced to write about about each magazine.
I think we need to flood the Chicago Tribune with some nasty letters! Anyone with me?!
They just don't get the writing style of the magazine. What they thought was "unintentional," was actually intentional humor. J.D. purposely tries to make the magazine as a milder version of Famous Monsters of Filmland of the 1960s and 1970s. I don't find it insulting, maybe ignorant. Consider the fact that we're dealing with over fifty years of giant monsters (and a finite number of movies to discuss), to survive, we also expanded to include American (Kong, Cloverfield, etc.) and European giants (Gorgo, Reptilicus, etc.). We're always finding new things to discuss. Despite some comments that some find insulting, I still consider it an honor to be even named. I'd let it be.
ReplyDeleteKen, James Babbo of Lindenhurst, New Jersey took care of it for you. Here's his comments:
ReplyDelete"re: G-Fan magazine
Kudos to whoever sellecting this specialty magazine among your 50 Favorites but a thumbs-down to whoever wrote that extremely condescending review. Sorry if G-Fan is not your cup of tea but it deserves the same deference your article applied to Backstreets.
How do you think Springsteen fans would react to the same belittlement you applied to Godzilla fans? The original 1954 Godzilla is acknowledged as a masterpiece in Japanese cinema with a strong anti-nuclear message. The rest of the series is pure entertainment and has lasted over 50 years and Godzilla is as recognizable internationally as Superman or Mickey Mouse. G-Fan is a fun magazine devoted to that genre and is clearly a labor of love. If you're going to place it on a favorites list you should write why it's so appealing. Do a better job."