25 January 2008

New street mag - twenty600

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While having a coffee at a chain coffee shop in a shopping centre the other day, I picked up the launch issue of Canberra’s newest free street mag – “twenty600”.

It looks glossy and stylish, and claims to feature “Canberra’s brightest creative talents in music, dance, fashion and design”. However there are also articles on the porn industry, cosmetic surgery and the environment.

From what I can see, there are about four contributers writing the entire magazine in a satirical style which isn’t quite funny. There are the usual book, CD and movie reviews, but nothing particularly relevant to Canberra (for example Hairspray and James Blunt – I can get these reviews anywhere). However despite my reservations, I’m willing to give it a go and I hope it does well, once it figures out who it’s market is.

Oh, and there’s a website: twenty600.com.au

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Wouldn’t pay for it, but it didn’t seem any worse than the other free mags. Last time I read a movie review in BMA I wanted to strangle the critic for being such an idiot, so the insipid film section here was actually a step up.

At least the graphic design was nice. Hopefully the content will improve.

I have to admit, I saw this mag and it was pretty crappy. As such, I’ll not bother picking up another one.

I’m mostly with Kambah on this one.

Pros: Free, glossy, looks cool, good design nous, feature articles are fairly decent, an alternative to other free press, doing something different, shows promise

Cons: Trying too hard, obnoxious, self-congratulatory tone, attempts at humour embarrassing, attempts at coolness/edginess don’t ring true, mostly feels like filler

It’s just seems to represent a generation who spends way too much time living their lives through MySpace, Facebook and YouTube, and as a result don’t much to say beyond their own self-absorption.

I hope it does grow into something more substantial,as there does seem to be some talent in there. Best of luck to them from here.

West_Kambah_4eva9:06 am 29 Jan 08

Take pathetic swipes at my INTERNET NAME all you like you fat sweaty nerds but the fact remains this magazine contains exceptionally poor writing, pathetic story choice, hideously self-glorifying photos and an overall foul aftertaste that made me want to RETCH!

west_kambahs_mum10:32 pm 28 Jan 08

Here is some inside information: I understand West Kambah WAS rejected from twenty600. Look forward to reading his awesome mag.

Oh, by the way, sweetie, I won’t be home for a couple of days. I’ll be at the Moose, initiating some ADFA boys.

and I’m not that good of a writer. no, west kambah 4eva, you clearly aren’t of, eh.

i rekkun the magazine has legs, rekkun it is a good first edition with a great format and, if marketed correctly (which it seems to be), will clearly stand above anything else canberra offers, like the big, poor value ‘capital’ and the student rags – which could learn a lot, esp ucan’s which has the media school, not that you’d know it…

though the name is still wrong, innit? twenty six 100, not twenty 600 [20-600] which has a nought too many. just being picky, like eva…

Has anyone seen the Queanbeyan version of this?

It is called “Twenny6Twenny” and has incisive articles dealing with issues such as “when is it schnitzel night down the leagues club” and a competition where you can vote for the Allens supermodel of 2007.

;o

p.s. on thinking about it, the fictional version I just invented would be possibly more interesting than the launch (and final?) edition of Twatty600.

I’d read Kambah’s magazine! His rant was a classic and gave me a good 5 minute laugh at work today. Rants from the heart are always good.

As for Hewie’s freebie mag, I haven’t seen it since the one with an xmas tree on the front which was meant to be made of pine needles but on closer inspection was made of rosemary! I think it’s called Aura or something. rather slick for a freebie, I quite like it.

I don’t think it was meant to be balanced and respectable, Thumper. It seemed to send a pretty clear message about that!

Yeah, the first edition was a pretty pointless publication. On the other hand, it’s free and glossy so I can’t see why anyone would get upset about it.

West_Kambah_4eva is just a wannabe who can’t take it that someone’s actually done something new and original in the Canberra publication scene.

I saw it on a table at work, read it, and enjoyed it, although the writing was occasionally a little obnoxious. Enough said.

Jonathon Reynolds4:17 pm 25 Jan 08

@West_Kambah_4eva:

You said – “but I do make a claim right here and now that I would write a far better magazine by myself”

Well I challenge you here and now to write a single decent submission for RiotACT and actually prove your writing capabilities. Based on the critique you gave on the magazine here, you make the missives of Jessica Wright in the CT look like literary prose.

I’d have a chip on my shoulder too if I was raised in West Kambah LOL

West_Kambah_4eva3:22 pm 25 Jan 08

I wasn’t… but I do make a claim right here and now that I would write a far better magazine by myself, and I’m not that good of a writer.

Holden Caulfield2:47 pm 25 Jan 08

Does anyone else think that West_Kambah_4eva was knocked back for a writing gig with twenty600? 😛

West_Kambah_4eva2:25 pm 25 Jan 08

IT IS BAD! Come on people, this is why Canberra is seen as so bogan! You think THIS passes as a street press publication, a fashion publication or even a send-away catalogue? It just complete CRAP!
Have you heard of Vice magazine? That’s a standard we should be aiming for! Not this future landfill…

Ther’s probably oalready a few too many mags floating around, but I liked it when I read it… got it just ebfore chrissy I thnk… I think it’s meant tobe quartely

Twenty600 looks great, but it’s gunna take a LOT of advertising bucks to keep up the very nice print job it has, and I wonder how long it can/will last in a city the size of Canberra? Unfortunately, I’ve seen more of these types of publications come out of nowhere, and disappear just as quickly (Walter mag springs to mind) – there’s just not enough advertising dollars to sustain anything beyond the staple of the Times, Chronicle and City News.

Just took a look at the magazine online.

Very slick looking publication. The design is very pleasing.

I like the format a lot.

There is very little advertising though.

I would assume 2600 relates to the postcode.

was impressed by the amount of big glossy ads they were able to bring in to a new mag

Unless they gave all the advertising away for free (or very cheap), which is the most likely scenario.

I saw it and was impressed by the amount of big glossy ads they were able to bring in to a new mag. There’s some business nous there at least.

The content was a little underdeveloped though – trying a little too hard to be young and funky but coming off like a myspace posting.

Majority view?

So far its been –
People who think its a bad\confusing name, shared with a magazine on phreaking and hacking: 3
People who didn’t like it: 1
People who mentioned Jessica wright but didn’t express an opinion: 2
People who liked it: 1

There is no clear majority, but the closest candidate it “People who think the name is wrong”

What happened to the magazine that John Hewson released here; is it still around?

To risk being hated for going against the majority view – I have to say that I really enjoyed reading it!

Someone from work brought a copy back to the office and I read it over a few lunch times, had a bit of a laugh and was impressed with the quality and variety of articles.

Its nice to have some different street press to read – especially when its something different to the City News…

She’s a ‘journalist’ at the Canberra Times.

She loves us all at RiotACT very much indeed, and we in turn have the utmost respect for her journalistic integrity and ability.

She dun rites a colum in the CT evry Sundee, and she real gud at yousing big wurds, an stuf.

West_Kambah_4eva12:07 pm 25 Jan 08

I’ve been away, whats the deal with this Jessica Wright?

2600 isn’t that associated with phreakers and hackers ?

I can see Charnwood bringing out a similar magazine now calling it 2615 – New season Fashion

“It’s a f****ing piece of s***. I’ve picked it up and it is the worst highschool level dross I have ever read. I can’t believe that someone –anyone- decided to fund the printing of this, which leads me to think that it was the writers themselves…or their rich daddies.”

Jessica Wright’s new gig, maybe?

Sure, the postcode 2600 is Deakin, Barton, Duntroon, Russell, Parkes, Harman, Capital Hill, Parliament House, and Yarralumla…

But wouldn’t 2601 (Canberra, Canberra City, Acton) be more suited to a magazine concerning itself with Canberra culture?

West_Kambah_4eva11:28 am 25 Jan 08

It’s a f****ing piece of s***. I’ve picked it up and it is the worst highschool level dross I have ever read. I can’t believe that someone –anyone- decided to fund the printing of this, which leads me to think that it was the writers themselves…or their rich daddies.

It is yet another pallid, banal appeal for coolness that falls astonishingly far from the mark. It left me fuming at the complete lack of style and sophistication of the writers and the moronically poor choice of articles (Books into movies? You chose ‘About a boy’, ‘Practical Magic’ and ‘Northern Lights’? Am I crazy or are they idiots?). Not to mention the film section (“I hear there are some movies coming out – here’s the titles.” Thanks Mark Russell, you towering pile of arse).

Thanks for all those shots of yourselves throughout, posing like alterna-wankers, dressed like Jamie Oliver and pouting into the camera as if MySpace had turned them away. God I hated this worthless publication and I have a ton of venom left for it, but I’m at work and don’t have the time right now.

I wish I could punch all the writers in the back of the head right now and then burn every issue that was printed.

Senor Roberto11:20 am 25 Jan 08

Strange name for the magazine?
2600 means something quite different to us computer nerds.

I’m guessing that Twenty600 is in no way related to 2600.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2600:_The_Hacker_Quarterly

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