First Magazine is back.
Here’s the introduction from at its new website which has just gone
live : http://www.first-magazine.net
It wasn’t an easy decision to resurrect First Magazine.
Many things have changed since 2005 when the 7 x 7 inch magazine first (and last) appeared, and for a long time it was my opinion that First was better off having done something well and left as a proud collection of work, as opposed to forcing out another issue which wouldn’t have been on par with its predecessors.
To be sure, First Magazine was a labour of love.
An odd little publication that grew into something quite other than what it was initially intended; that is, a’where-to-go-what-to-buy-guide’ which would create another place for local advertisers to spend their money and for consumers to, well, consume.
The problem with this model, however, was that the ideas of First’s creators quickly conflicted with the notion of creating yet another advertorial-type ’magazine’, and soon, the editorial staff (which consisted of three people) began to cut a new path. This had both a good and a bad effect. Indeed, while First was critically acclaimed, it initially proved difficult to sell ads in a free publication that was more concerned with the character and life of Kingston, than the latest party snapshots or what was on Elephant Man’s speed-dial.
To make matters worse, the very expensive production values of First were created on a grand monetary budget of zero. All the players who participated did so at their own expense. The writing, the photography, the illustration, layout and even the selling of ads was done by a total of four people.
By the time the editorial team had begun creating the final issue, First had become nearly impossible to maintain as a free publication, and for brief moment, the idea of increasing the number of pages and charging a sticker price was considered.
But again, First needed a bigger workforce, and four people just wasn’t going to cut it. By Summer of 2005, after printing nearly 30,000 copies, the magazine released its last issue and First was put on indefinite hold. Its participants returned to their respective areas of work and First’s website went static.
Then something interesting happened.
Months after the last copies of First disappeared from sight, an increasing number of people began to enquire about the little magazine’s whereabouts. Potential advertisers appeared in emails, and inevitably, discussions of First returning became more and more frequent.
Adding to the persuasion was the fact that by 2007, many of the world’s magazines and newspapers had begun the general move from paper to the Internet; albeit with some protest by those of us who still preferred the feeling of reading from something that you didn’t have to switch on.
Nearly four years after its last printing, First was possible again and in early 2008, a compromise was struck. First would return, primarily as a product of the Internet, but with an accompanying print version which would look much more like a collectible coffee-table book than a magazine.
Like its first four issues, the magazine would remain true to its original structure - which was - as a matter of fact, structure-less; dependent on the unique and unpredictable nature of daily life as opposed to themes or subjects aimed at target groups.
Also added to the new First would be a host of new contributors drawn from around the world but all leading back to the foundation in Kingston. Like before, the magazine would reflect upon modern life in Jamaica, and like Jamaicans themselves, it would continually look outward - observing, absorbing and reinventing the world surrounding it.
A good compromise, we thought, minus the cost of printing 10,000 copies per month and the confinement of 36 pages.
We hope you enjoy it.