Story Lines 11.05.06: The New WWE Magazine
Posted by Mike Hamflett on 11.05.2006
This is brief. All the more reason to read it right?
Couldn't do the roundtable, and I would do some quickie mentions here, but it's a bit of a faf having to predict the matches and the results, so I won't bother. From a bit of a fantasy booking standpoint, I'd have quite liked John Cena to win the ECW Title, then lose it to RVD at December to Dismember in a One Night Stand re-run, but that almost certainly won't happen, so I could care less about the votes and am keen to see how the matches lead us into Survivor Series. I should also say that due to a rather busy week and even busier weekend, this week's column is a little different (and quick….and short), but if anyone asks, it's not a rush job…I'm an innovator. Don't fret though, hopefully all will be made up next week as I kick off a SERIES of reviews. Just ask Ronny Sarnecky how good a series is. Enough about nothing, no prologue this week, on with the column.
WWE Magazine
Subject: The November edition of the NEW AND IMPROVED WWE Magazine Release Date: October 2006
While I can't lie and say that this week's column is a quickie and therefore I needed something to rush one out on, I must also admit that, to be quite honest, I could talk at length about this magazine. I have no idea how it happened, but suddenly, WWE just got really really funny.
Maybe a brief history is in order. The WWF Magazine began as a bi-monthly publication that was perfectly suited to Vince McMahon's Rock-N-Wrestling revolution in the mid-80s. Boasting a glossy, colourful (as opposed to the Apter mags), professional look, and a good relation to what was going on in the WWF at the time, the Magazine was a so successful that it was rapidly made monthly and used as a signpost for all the storylines ongoing on TV. Its success pretty much went hand in hand with the company's, but even following the 89/90 mild slump, the magazine remained commercially and critically popular due to its ruthlessly well-structured format and character-driven articles. Often used a precursor to some upcoming big stories (particularly the split of The Rockers and the Hulk Hogan/Earthquake storyline); it really made its mark as a complementary artefact.
Moving into the 90s, as with the product, the magazine refused to change with the times, and began feeling quite dated until cocky young editor Vince Russo took the magazine by the scruff of the neck and tried to freshen it up. Sadly, garish colours, terrible fonts and cheesy video game reviews did not solve the problem. In May 1996 though, the edgy Raw Magazine was born, fusing worked shoot writing with smart mark journalism, adding major credibility to the flagging publications department of the WWF. This effectively divided the camps; Raw for the Adult fans, WWF/E Magazine for the kids, much like the weekend programming during the Attitude era. This continued until 2003, when Raw magazine became about the Raw brand, and WWE Magazine was renamed Smackdown Magazine, covering the blue side. By this point the magazines were so fluffy and irreverent that many forgot they even existed.
Thus came a long, LONG awaited relaunch, unifying the magazines and the company to be represented under one banner. As it happens, I had yet to check out the new style, as I'd just assumed it would be the same old dated kayfabe that really has no place in the written word anymore. But needs must on long journeys, so I took the chance.
And, amazingly, I was blown away. Clearly lending to the FHM audience, the new WWE Magazine is a breath of fresh air, collating lots of gratuitous Diva stuff for the 14-year olds, short, but really great interviews, and a gonzo approach to the journalism, taking a tongue-in-cheek look at current affairs, lifestyle, and even old WWE characters. For wrestling geeks (which we all are), there are shitloads of things to tweak the nerves. Examples? Razor Ramon beach towels, a profile on Tugboat, Boba Fett vs Max Moon, a Jim Duggan road story retold with action figures, and my personal favourite, Mr Fuji's movie picks.
Cheekily laced with inside references, and a good amount of words wedged into 100 pages, it just about represents value for money, which is a downright shock when it comes to WWE stuff. More importantly, it doesn't take itself seriously, and doesn't ask the reader whether or not they follow kayfabe or not. When analysing injuries, the injuries are real, and well discussed without outright saying, ‘That time I did it, but I didn't move in time and hurt my knee', or whatever. It appears at last, through the medium of his in-house magazine, as if Vince has finally managed to fuse his ‘this is real, this is not real' approach to booking into one part of his product. It's a start at least.
Shorthand
Worst Bit: Me personally, the sports fashion pages. But different strokes for different folks.
Best Bit: Awesome interviews with Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio and Balls Mahoney come close, but I was crying laughing at Ric Flair's guide to picking up women.
Buy It, Borrow It, Bin It: Take a chance and buy it. You probably don't know anyone to borrow it off, so next month roll the dice and see what you think. I can actually see myself buying next month's issue, and it's been a hell of a long time since I've said that.
