Since he took over Port City Life -- and renamed in Maine. The Magazine -- publisher Kevin E. Thomas has turned it into an extremely attractive catalog. Modeled on the lines of his other magazine, Maine Home + Design, it runs lots of nice pictures and soft features on advertisers, painting an image of an alternate Maine where the upper middle class has finally purged the state of poverty, politics, and unethical behavior, or at least have the good sense not to write about them. But if Angela Adams ever puts out a $400 skin for your iPod, you can can count on Maine. The Magazine to break the news, and even give you the URL to order one.Check out their "profile" of Roxanne Quimby in the new issue. Here's a piece on one of the state's most divisive figures, without the slightest hint that her enormous land purchases (and draconian management approach) have upset half the people living in the northern half of the state. (It certainly didn't ask why a person who advocates for earth-friendly living and who gave large sums to defeat Maine casino proposals would allow her non-profit land holding foundation to invest in Harrah's Entertainment, Avon Products, Wal-Mart, ExxonMobil, and Dow Chemical.) But when I happened to turn to page four, the editorial reasoning became clear: the entire page is taken up by an ad from, yes, Roxanne Quimby. Hard to trust the editors have the reader's interests in mind when features and adverts appear to be sold as a bundle.
But integrity aside, something appears to be going on over there. Senior editor Peter A. Smith and Art Director Jennifer S. Muller just vanished from the editorial box and have presumably been let go or replaced. The "editor's notes" feature in the front of the new magazine has been occupied by an oddly pleading note from the advertising account manager, accompanied by unaudited circulation figures.
Meanwhile, publisher Kevin Thomas appears to have troubles of his own. In December, his name appeared in the police blotter at the Forecaster (reportedly arrested on a warrant for domestic violence), and then again in March in the Lewiston Sun-Journal (for drunk driving, a violation of previous bail.) Rumor has it that the swift-footed Press Herald is on the story, though I'll believe that when I see it.
It's not clear what all this means for the magazine, whose latest issue was thick with ads, but I wouldn't be shocked if more changes are coming up.
[Update, 6/30/2010: Some further developments included in this news roundup.]
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These two people are the last of the talented group that put Port City Life together. Rather than capitalizing on the knowledge and experience of that staff and the positive reputation of that publication, these people join a trail of dismissed employees. Not the best management style, but perhaps his judgement is clouded by these other distractions.
ReplyDelete"A trail of dismissed employees" is too polite. This man uses Maine talent and spits them up. While professing to be a supporter of Maine's creative economy in public, he bullies and uses creative people in private.
ReplyDeleteToo bad. I was just looking over the current issue and thinking wow -- a magazine about Maine that's not all lobsters and blueberries. And whoever does the layout and edits the photographs seems to have a pretty good eye. It would be nice if "Maine. The Magazine" could clean up its act, because the other big Maine rag really needs some competition.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the person who was doing such great layout work and editing the photographs was just let go...
ReplyDeleteI'm also suspect of any magazine that is full of advertorials. The profiles and articles are puff pieces. I admit I like the photography, but that doesn't make up for the lack of worthwhile content.
ReplyDeleteThat column by the 70-year old ad guy (in the "editor's box" section) was just bizarre.
ReplyDeleteAm I to understand that we finally HAVE found the fountain of youth, and all I have to do is shell out five bucks and read this magazine to live forever??..
Great piece and great line about the Angela Adams iPod cover. I guess the idea of Maine Mag is to portray the "new Maine." What I found was a very white magazine (both aesthetically and thematically) that isn't sophisticated enough for Maine-based New Yorker/NY Times subscribers but isn't hip enough for the 18-25 set. And that editor/publisher! Never trust anyone in Maine who wears a suit gratuitously.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, they're definitely going for the "new, sophisticated Maine" but I also find their conception of what that is rather constrained. They reinforce that sad tendency of the Maine psyche to discount anything homegrown as second rate, at least until New York and Boston have endorsed it.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that so many people who've "made it out there" chose to live here, but I would hope a Maine-based magazine would do better at recognizing what's being built from scratch right in front of them. (Or maybe that's a demographic can't afford to buy their ads?)
And then there were two ...
ReplyDeleteCompare the July masthead with the debut issue if you can find it. Who is left?
integrity. you are full of it colin woodard. publicizing mr thomas's trouble with the law and criticizing maine magazine as nothing but a catalog. we need more folks like you protecting all the is good and right in the world.
ReplyDeleteand you're right. maine mag is nothing but a rag now that the pcl crew is gone. that really was a prize publication.
@Anonymous (of the 25th of July): Assuming you're being sarcastic, I stand by my critique. The magazine's photography is great, the editorial integrity less so, and its handling of personnel issues appears rather cavalier for a place as small as Maine.
ReplyDeleteIf you're not being sarcastic, thanks for the praise. I'll try to clone myself and usher in an era of milk, honey, and righteous goodness.
Maine mag makes me say "oooo!" and "ick!" at the same time. So very pretty, so very shallow.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteA housekeeping note: I don't much like anonymous posting -- I think in most situations people should own their words and opinions -- but I've allowed it on World Wide Woodard to facilitate discussion of the issues and criticism or responses to my work (I fear ye not, Trolls.)
ReplyDeleteMaking anonymous allegations of criminal wrongdoing by others is crossing the line, however, thus the removal of a recent comment above.
Colin, as a business owner who was approached to be included in one of the Maine mags guides, I thought you might be interested to know that each guide listing comes at the cost of about $1200. They don't actually state that the guides are purely advertisements, or at least they're not upfront about it. This kind of thing is infuriating. Consumers buy guides thinking their getting useful editorial content and critique, and all their getting is a watered down list of businesses willing to shell out to a vacuous glossy magazine. You should write a piece on this for the bollard ;)
ReplyDelete@Anonymous of Feb. 25: Yeah, I tend to agree with you on "guidebook" ethics and they should apply to the magazine as well. I think one's ultimate customer is the reader, not the advertiser, and you forget that at your [brand's] peril.
ReplyDelete"I think one's ultimate customer is the reader, not the advertiser, and you forget that at your [brand's] peril."
ReplyDeletewww.thebrandcompany.me
What IS Maine.?
The problem with the advertising is it perpetuates the rich getting richer in Maine. There is a HUGE divide between the upper crust, middle class, and the rest of us. The ones profiled can afford the $. Their biz grows. The rest of us are really trying to get there.
ReplyDeleteCorrection it is $1300.
ReplyDeleteAnd you will never see a non advertiser profiled/published. It's INSANE.