I grabbed a copy last week while I was in the newsagent and it was staring at me. Over all, I like it, and find it to be much higher quality than anything else on the shelf at the moment.
I was a bit hesitant, because although I really like Pat's 4x4 Adventures TV show, I found the last season to be a bit difficult to follow, and the advertorials a bit too intrusive to the show. So it was with that in the back of my mind that I picked up a copy and have been reading through it over the past few days.
My condensed thoughts (rare for me, you'll agree):
* I can't stand the gothic-type font. The same one as on the 4x4 Adventures DVD covers. It looks good (very good, in fact) against a plain background, but with any sort of photo underneath it I just can't read it I'm afraid.
* Love the high-quality paper and the great photos. It's obvious that some really top photographers have been used. To me, the presentation of the book is more "coffee table book" than "magazine". I think the team has really hit their goals here. The front cover is very clean and "wow-inspiring". The photos in the articles take centre stage.
* I'm not sold on the high level of HDR used on some of the photos. It certainly makes them pop, and it's the flavour of the month, but I (personally) would like to see it toned down a bit.
* The contributing authors lineup is very strong. I was pleasantly surprised to see Scott Brady's name on the list, and thoroughly enjoyed his article on the EarthRoamer. His pedigree is unquestionable, and it's great to see his writing being bought to Australia. I see this as a great opportunity to increase ties with our US compatriots, and share some experiences between the two countries.
* I thought the advertising mix was good. I liked the rationale and ethics behind the advertising in Pat's foreward, and welcome the hard line against paid-for advertorials. Another mag has recently started including provided advertorials on their DVDs, and I really dislike the practice. That said, I'm not against ads, it's how the mags make their money and offset the costs of production. I liked the limit on large multipage ads - in other mags it's not uncommon for an advertiser to buy 4 consecutive pages, which I find intrusive. As said, I think the mix is good.
All that said, I think the intention of the magazine (and indeed the TV shows) is admirable. I feel it presents in a similar vein to the old Leyland Bros shows, teaching a new generation of Australians about this wonderful country, and that you can take your family safely to see what's out there. For that, I think both the mag and the TV series succeed strongly. I do still have reservations about the format of the TV show, but am looking forward to the new season starting to see if things have improved.
I've not signed up for a subscription to the mag, I intend to buy a few standalone first. If it continues down the same track as the first edition though, I can see it being very successful - not just to the 4wding community, but to help broaden that community to new people.
If I had launched a new mag, and my first edition came out looking like this one has, I'd be pretty happy with myself.
Personally I'd love to get involved with the new mag somehow, it's exactly my cup of tea. Pity I'm not a writer or a photographer. Ahh well, next time Gadget.
To Pat - good luck with the new mag - I think you're off to a cracking start.
Thanks!
Matto
