jeffb Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 i usually dont get involved with this type of thread, but... mcm to me,seems more into this hobby of ours. if you go to any of the larger model shows, its very posible that you will see the editor of mcm actually interacting with people! ive had a beer or two with gregg. never seen the other editor interact with us common folk. plus, try starting a thread like this on the other forum.. bet it wont stay up 4 pages... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Flowers Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I think we are just like the kids and their games and such. We come to this form because we want information now. We get instant results and information. Magazines you have to wait for and you are at the mercy of the content of said magazine. Then if you do not like what the content is in it you feel cheated. When the magazines go away so will the sites unless they start charging for them. Would you pay for this site now ? Many of you would not as you do not even support the magazine that brings it to you. I think that is strange thing. Take the milk and honey for free and diss the magazine. Nice of you folks to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 ... try starting a thread like this on the other forum.. bet it wont stay up 4 pages... Uh, it wouldn't stay up 4 posts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 try starting a thread like this on the other forum.. bet it wont stay up 4 pages... As long as everyone keeps their cool, there's no reason to close this thread down. Giving our opinions, going back and forth on a topic... that's what a forum is supposed to be! I think one of the things that makes this forum "user friendly" is the fact that we actually allow debate and discussion here... even if it's not always complimentary to us. Everyone's opinion is valid (even when they are hopelessly wrong, like a certain member whose name I won't mention but whose initials are Mark Moore! :) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Harry, you are ABSOLUTELY right on this! The OTHER mag is so repetitive that it hurts the eyes. It takes no chances. I mean, what are you going to do with all the cutting-edge builds out there, that happens on forums like this one, that would NEVER find a home on either that forum or its magazine. If it isn't run of the mill, they won't even look at it. Name your "risky" (or never mind "risque") build and it will never show up. Here's a personal story. Last year I took about 20 models (what I thought people would like and be wowed by) to the Alabama show, and not one got a photo invite, EXCEPT for the one I had put aside on another table on purpose just to see . . . the model I put on the other table was a glossy, flamed 41 Willys (which I love, don't get me wrong), but my crazy-stand-out work was totally ignored. I respect all the different reasons why people build, and I certainly respect why they build what they build, but my personal tastes are all about pushing the envelope. BUILD A MODEL NOBODY HAS SEEN BEFORE!!! It might or might not make it into the limelight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 The other magazine is what it is, and MCM is what it is. Two very different philosophies. So I guess we're lucky to have the choice of which we prefer. Some prefer the editorial style of SA, some prefer MCM. Choice is good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 (edited) One valid difference between MCM and the competition - how long do you think a similar discussion would have been allowed at the "other place's" forum??? The discussion at hand isnt the forum, it's the magazine. In fact, I do enjoy both mags for diffrent reasons. I just tire of lateness and damaged goods. If I had to choose 1, it would be SA. Edited January 25, 2011 by midnightprowler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I agree 100% with all of you who are tired of the magazine always being late. You have a completely legitimate complaint... but the fact is that I can't do anything about it. On that issue the ball is in Gregg's court... and I won't speak for him, or make excuses or try to give "reasons" why the magazine is always late. Whether or not Gregg wants to address that issue with you guys is up to him. Ultimately it's his magazine to do with as he pleases, and it's your choice as to whether or not to buy the product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 limiting your readership to subscribers only, or, as Mark out, forcing your rack sales customers to "jump through hoops" to obtain your publication isn't exactly a recipe for growth. Remember, though... getting a magazine on the rack at the local Barnes and Noble is up to the publisher. Gregg alone can't make that happen, GBP has to want to make that happen, and for reasons unknown to me, they haven't done that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricky moore Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 One valid difference between MCM and the competition - how long do you think a similar discussion would have been allowed at the "other place's" forum??? alot that was said in the section would not be alowed in other forums and dued to the fact this post has some bating brought on by a fool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whale392 Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Ok; as a magazine, I find MCM to be a broader coverage publication than SA(E) WHEN I can find it. SA(E) seems to me to have gotton thinner with more ads than it used to be. While SA(E) does have the tips and tricks section (I do like this feature of the magazine), MCM goes into areas that SA(E) wont go. I have both, and I pick both up when I hit the Hobby Shop and they have both in stock (I also pick up certain issues of MAX Modeller as well). Which do I prefer............MCM wins by a nose. While SA(E) does have some usable content that MCM doesn't have (and sometimes it is the other way around), the political tilt (read, WAAYYY too P.C and 'let's not possibly offend anyone) of SA(E) is a massive turn-off for me. If I want politics and touchy-feely B.S, I will watch TNN. MCM is a lot more gritty with an 'in your face' feel sometimes......something that is needed to keep the hobby retailers/producers honest. If your product sucks, you will more than likely find out in MCM, not in SA(E) where it gets glossed over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samdiego Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 but why does Morgan Freeman have a kitten on his head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darin Bastedo Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I am probably in the minority here as I like MCM better than Scale Auto mainly because of the fact that it has the enthusiasm that Scale Auto used to. If you want to see better content in the magazine feel free to write an article and submit it? I've got a couple submitted and a few more in the works. If you don't feel like writing, or are not knowledgable on the subject you want to see, how about contacting one of the people one the forum who write articles and suggest it. one of the problems with writing a model car magazines is coming up with fresh new content. Many of the great models they would feature have been seen on several forums and multiple shows before it hits print, How-to articles are great but you have to find a builder/writer who can do the how-to and has the time to photograph and write about it. The one I did on wheels took about a week because I had to stop at each and wvery step, take several photos, and then go on to the next step. The wheel that would usually take an evening to build took a week. Kit reviews are great, but again, these days the manufacturers are handing out review samples to be reviewed on the forums months before the can go to print. I have to hand it to Gregg though, he managed to get the Kurtis Midget into the mag, a full month before SA. I subscribe to Model Cars mainly because I have to drive an hour round trip to get it on the stands. I don't subscibe to Scale auto because; a. there is no discout for subscribing. b. they often include bonus material in newstand copies that aren't available to subsribers. c. too many of my friends and fellow modelers have been snubbed by it's editor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 but why does Morgan Freeman have a kitten on his head Because the iguana was out sick that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samdiego Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 (edited) Because the iguana was out sick that day. Oh. Well, what about the cotton candy How could the majority here possibly prefer Brand X? I'm not believing that Edited January 25, 2011 by samdiego Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Oh. Well, what about the cotton candy I can't explain that one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Well, wow, this thread caught on fire real fast! The discussion is lively, and sonorous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Well, count me firmly in the minority, too: by and large, I prefer MCM. For many of the same reasons already mentioned, MCM just carries a character that seems more adult, more serious, more avant-garde (gawd, did I say that?). It has a cachet that just seems more 'real modeler's magazine' than the SA/E of many recent years. I just find MCM's content more consistently better. (I just wish I could find MCM more consistently. ) That homogenized corporate newsletter from Wisconsin just seems to dumb-down nearly everything to the beginner level to the point that nearly every issue is predictable and ... bland. Seldom does anything ... different or intriguing come from the paper-thin pages. Admittedly, when it does, it is usually pretty good ~ but still a little like sifting through a lot of coal to find the occasional diamond (usually Boyd or Hamilton or Hermel). And, it just seems like the mag keeps recycling a lot of the same 'back to basics' stuff every few months. Having said that, I admit ~ I buy every issue of both. I just won't have any gaps in my library until one or the other stops publishing. Long live MCM ~~~ whenever it shows up, it's a guaranteed treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMc Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I get them both...The main reason is simple..Bob Downie doesn't write for MCM....gotta have my painting fix... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Kron Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 (edited) IMHO, content in both publications is exceedingly thin. I regularly buy both at my LHS as a means of support of the hobby in general. Edited January 25, 2011 by gbk1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ra7c7er Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I don't know the exact numbers MCM or GBP has but I doubt they have enough to qualify for either Borders or Barnes & Noble shelf space. I think Donnie has it right MCM does feel so much more like a modelers magazine that's why many of you think it feels fanziney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samdiego Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Dr. Cranky said sonorous, how orotund Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 My last two pennies on this topic.... For me the problem has always been the inconsistency of MCM ship date. Each issue of BOTH magazines have had items of little or no interest to me but hasn't prevented me from buying it. Like others have stated, I have subscribed to both magazines for years as a means to support the hobby and to learn as much as I can about it. Neither magazine is perfect and each has room for improvement. From the discussion here, it seems that SA needs to broaden their horizons and MCM needs to get on a set schedule. If/how/when that happens is not up to us forum members but thankfully we can have that discussion here and for that I am thankful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Lombardo Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Guys, I am a little confused by all of this comparison of the magazine format stuff. Really, why bother? We, (all of us on the forum) obviously prefer MCM, and for a variety of solid reasons. Obviously, Gregg and Harry get it!!!! They know what we want and do their best to provide it. Any successful business operates in that way…..â€Give the people what they wantâ€â€¦..and from what I see, these guys do their best to accomplish that. But we all like different aspects of the hobby, so pleasing all, all of the time is impossible. Back in the day, I used to get the “Brand X†publication, but quite frankly, after the sale to Kalmbach Publishing, I felt that the publication began a long slow slide downward. It got thinner, less relevant and more repetitive in my eyes and I stopped reading it. I get my MCM from my local hobby shop in an effort to keep him in business. I buy as much from them as I can because I see them also falling victim to the electronic media (Internet stores, with lower overhead and wider selection). I see no reason for us to be complaining here about Brand X. Gregg and Harry do their thing, Kalmbach does theirs. The last time I checked, this was still a free country where we have the pleasure of choosing what we want to read and buy. I, for one, am thankful for whatever I can get in the way of model building content that is different and new. Guys, if we spent as much time creating and planning our next build, as we spend complaining about things we can’t control, we would all increase our completed model output exponentially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Like others have stated, I have subscribed to both magazines for years as a means to support the hobby and to learn as much as I can about it. Neither magazine is perfect and each has room for improvement. From the discussion here, it seems that SA needs to broaden their horizons and MCM needs to get on a set schedule. If/how/when that happens is not up to us forum members but thankfully we can have that discussion here and for that I am thankful. On that we can certainly agree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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