The surprising (re)rebirth of The Chicagoan magazine
I knew that 22nd Century Media, a newspaper company that I've done some freelancing for this summer, was planning to launch a magazine, for quite a few months. Ads asking for contributors started showing up in some Chicago are journalism mailing lists and journalism job sites around June. I figured 22nd Century Media was looking to put together something like Shaw Media's Lake County Magazine - a lifestyle magazine covering things and places throughout their coverage area.
But when I read a recent issue of Winnetka Current, there was a small, blink-and-you-miss-it reference to new magazine. It had a name. A name that would be familiar to quite a few people in the field.
The Chicagoan.
The original version of The Chicagoan launched back in 1926, a year after the iconic New Yorker. It was meant fill the similar niche, covering culture, society and arts. But while New Yorker became one of the most respected magazines in North America, The Chicagoan didn't last, publishing the last issue in April 1935.
There have been sporatic attempts to revive it, but the one people remember most is the most recent one. In 2012, J.C. Gabel, former publisher of Stop Smiling magazine, set out to create a place where Chicago area journalists could publish longform, in-depth articles and get paid decently in the process. The first issue wound up clocking at 194 pages, featuring some in-depth articles about Chicago, a pretty sizable fiction section (featuring fiction and poetry) and a smaller sections for writers with shorter (but just as good) articles covering other parts of the Midwest. The critical response was pretty positive, and everybody started looking forward to the next issue.
First issue (via The Chicagoan's facebook page)
Except the next issue never came out. There were occasional whispers of another issue, maybe something online-only, but nothing really came of it. By 2014, even the whispers stopped.
So when 22nd Century Media announced that it would be publishing The Chicagoan, you bet your unmentionables I took notice.
A simple Google search revealed a website for the 22nd Century Media version of the magazine. The editorial statement described its thusly:
The Chicagoan,
the newest voice of America’s greatest city,
provides a compelling monthly vehicle for residents to consume in-depth storytelling, unique commentary and inspiring narratives from the top new and seasoned writers in Chicagoland. A dedication to the written word and innovative ideas allow the magazine to explore the topics, people and places most important to its readers: Chicagoans. Hear from Chicago’s most prominent natives; read about our politics, society and perspective; and learn about the events, literature, arts and entertainment available to you.
The page then went into a bit more detail about what to expect - and what it was describing sounds something like Chicago magazine with a bit more emphasis on culture and nostalgia. here would probably more focus on the suburbs than its immediate predecessor - the website talks about "prominent Chicago natives-like Winnetka’s Chris O’Donnell, Glenview’s Emily Bergl and Chicago’s Joe Mantegna" without a trace of irony. And there's definitely nothing about fiction or poetry.
The moment I saw the page, I realized that 22nd Century Media knew exactly what they were doing by picking that name. The title font of Gabel's version and 22nd Century Media version are... okay, on closer examination, they are not quite identical. But they are close.
Gabel's version (top), 22nd Century Media version (bottom)
I speculated on Twitter whether 22nd Century Media bought the rights from Gabel, and this morning, the company's official Twitter account came back with an affirmative.
As I was writing this post, I got a tip that Crain's Chicago Business just posted an article about the newest version of The Chicagoan on its website. The article says that the magazine will launch in November. Publisher Joe Coughlin went into a bit more detail about what to expect from the magazine.
“A lot of the writing that we're going to feature is going to be in the literary style . . . but it is not a traditional literary magazine,” Coughlin said in an interview. “We think we have what it takes to make our own name with it.”
[...]
Coughlin is planning long-form features, many written by current or former writers for the 22nd Century chain of 15 papers, which include the Wilmette Beacon, Lake Forest Leader, Tinley Junction and New Lenox Patriot.
"In the first issue, there will be a centerpiece story about the running culture and “how it's really a lifestyle and not just an exercise,” Coughlin said. Another upcoming story will focus on the decline of organizations like the Kiwanis club and how some are trying to survive, he said.
Which certainly seems interesting - though I'll withhold final judgement until I see the end results.
(Side note - according to Crain's, one of the reasons why there was never another issue of Gabel's version of The Chicagoan is that he wasn't able to raise enough money without being able to pay people decently. Which is actually pretty admirable.)
This fall is poised to be a fall of Chicago area magazine revivals. Time Out Chicago is releasing a print issue for the first time since April 2013 - though it isn't clear if it's going to be a regular thing and, if so, how regular. Chicago Scene magazine, out of all things, is coming back in print and online. And now, The Chicagoan is making yet another comeback.
One thing for sure is that it won't be like Gabel's ambitious, probably too ambitious for its own good version. That Chicagoan's website is gone, and all that remains are copies people bought. I think City Newsstand and Evanston's Chicago-Main Newsstand might have a few copies, but don't hold me to that.
If 22nd Century Media's version of Chicagoan takes off, Galeb's version would remain one of those odd footnotes in Chicago media history. Just one of the many what-might-have-beens.
But when I read a recent issue of Winnetka Current, there was a small, blink-and-you-miss-it reference to new magazine. It had a name. A name that would be familiar to quite a few people in the field.
The Chicagoan.
The original version of The Chicagoan launched back in 1926, a year after the iconic New Yorker. It was meant fill the similar niche, covering culture, society and arts. But while New Yorker became one of the most respected magazines in North America, The Chicagoan didn't last, publishing the last issue in April 1935.
There have been sporatic attempts to revive it, but the one people remember most is the most recent one. In 2012, J.C. Gabel, former publisher of Stop Smiling magazine, set out to create a place where Chicago area journalists could publish longform, in-depth articles and get paid decently in the process. The first issue wound up clocking at 194 pages, featuring some in-depth articles about Chicago, a pretty sizable fiction section (featuring fiction and poetry) and a smaller sections for writers with shorter (but just as good) articles covering other parts of the Midwest. The critical response was pretty positive, and everybody started looking forward to the next issue.
First issue (via The Chicagoan's facebook page)
Except the next issue never came out. There were occasional whispers of another issue, maybe something online-only, but nothing really came of it. By 2014, even the whispers stopped.
So when 22nd Century Media announced that it would be publishing The Chicagoan, you bet your unmentionables I took notice.
A simple Google search revealed a website for the 22nd Century Media version of the magazine. The editorial statement described its thusly:
The Chicagoan,
the newest voice of America’s greatest city,
provides a compelling monthly vehicle for residents to consume in-depth storytelling, unique commentary and inspiring narratives from the top new and seasoned writers in Chicagoland. A dedication to the written word and innovative ideas allow the magazine to explore the topics, people and places most important to its readers: Chicagoans. Hear from Chicago’s most prominent natives; read about our politics, society and perspective; and learn about the events, literature, arts and entertainment available to you.
The page then went into a bit more detail about what to expect - and what it was describing sounds something like Chicago magazine with a bit more emphasis on culture and nostalgia. here would probably more focus on the suburbs than its immediate predecessor - the website talks about "prominent Chicago natives-like Winnetka’s Chris O’Donnell, Glenview’s Emily Bergl and Chicago’s Joe Mantegna" without a trace of irony. And there's definitely nothing about fiction or poetry.
The moment I saw the page, I realized that 22nd Century Media knew exactly what they were doing by picking that name. The title font of Gabel's version and 22nd Century Media version are... okay, on closer examination, they are not quite identical. But they are close.
Gabel's version (top), 22nd Century Media version (bottom)
I speculated on Twitter whether 22nd Century Media bought the rights from Gabel, and this morning, the company's official Twitter account came back with an affirmative.
As I was writing this post, I got a tip that Crain's Chicago Business just posted an article about the newest version of The Chicagoan on its website. The article says that the magazine will launch in November. Publisher Joe Coughlin went into a bit more detail about what to expect from the magazine.
“A lot of the writing that we're going to feature is going to be in the literary style . . . but it is not a traditional literary magazine,” Coughlin said in an interview. “We think we have what it takes to make our own name with it.”
[...]
Coughlin is planning long-form features, many written by current or former writers for the 22nd Century chain of 15 papers, which include the Wilmette Beacon, Lake Forest Leader, Tinley Junction and New Lenox Patriot.
"In the first issue, there will be a centerpiece story about the running culture and “how it's really a lifestyle and not just an exercise,” Coughlin said. Another upcoming story will focus on the decline of organizations like the Kiwanis club and how some are trying to survive, he said.
Which certainly seems interesting - though I'll withhold final judgement until I see the end results.
(Side note - according to Crain's, one of the reasons why there was never another issue of Gabel's version of The Chicagoan is that he wasn't able to raise enough money without being able to pay people decently. Which is actually pretty admirable.)
This fall is poised to be a fall of Chicago area magazine revivals. Time Out Chicago is releasing a print issue for the first time since April 2013 - though it isn't clear if it's going to be a regular thing and, if so, how regular. Chicago Scene magazine, out of all things, is coming back in print and online. And now, The Chicagoan is making yet another comeback.
One thing for sure is that it won't be like Gabel's ambitious, probably too ambitious for its own good version. That Chicagoan's website is gone, and all that remains are copies people bought. I think City Newsstand and Evanston's Chicago-Main Newsstand might have a few copies, but don't hold me to that.
If 22nd Century Media's version of Chicagoan takes off, Galeb's version would remain one of those odd footnotes in Chicago media history. Just one of the many what-might-have-beens.