Here's some crappy news for Sci-Fi fans everywhere. Starlog, the number one publication in the Sci-Fi / Fantasy community has announced they will cease publication of the fan favorite magazine after 33 great years. According to the news release on their website, considering the present state of the economy, the publishers feel its time for a major revamp and will be temporarily discontinuing publication while the model and redesign of the magazine are contemplated and executed. The last print issue available for the time being is #374, while issue #375 will be available exclusively as a digital edition in the very near future.I grew up with this magazine and back in the days were we had no internet to research every single detail about our favorite films Starlog was there to deliver the goods. Their articles were in depth, seriously written, and they were always accompanied by great behind the scenes pictures as well as conceptual art, and sometimes even storyboards or blueprints.
I still go back and browse my back issues from time to time, always discovering something I might have missed in the past and finding myself surprised over and over at the quality and wide range of articles they published. The internet sites are great at spoilers, script reviews, gossip, and news updates, but there has never been an online outlet that can deliver the top notch writing, in depth articles, and interviews Starlog in known for. The magazine will be sorely missed.
Every time my brother and I would go to a bookstore together the first thing we'd do is seek out the magazines section and fish for the latest issue of Starlog. Afterward once we'd get home we'd read the magazine and begin our in depth debates and discussions about the films we just got to read about -- which were always the film we were looking forward to seeing in the near future. I'll miss our little ritual too.
This is rather unfortunate, but not totally unexpected. Now more than ever I will continue my quest to complete my Starlog collection once and for all by seeking out the back issues I've yet to add to my collection. Check back tomorrow for a look at some of my favorite Starlog covers devoted to "Star Trek".
