It's great to live in a country where there's a magazine for every possible interest and/or fetish. (Google "balloon fetish" sometime if you don't believe us.) But in today's economy, it's a wonder that a lot of these publications are still churning out issues. (If Rolling Stone is in trouble, how can Strings magazine survive?)
Who buys these sometimes bizarre, occasionally creepy, and oddly specific publications? Who publishes them? Do they have columnists and staff cartoonists like other magazines? And are there weird dentists out there who stock their waiting rooms with them?
Keep reading to see our selection of some of our favorite magazines still somehow in publication. Stay here tosee them now, before the printed word disappears entirely.
Crappie World Magazine
Yes, we know a crappie is a type of freshwater fish highly sought after by sportsmen. But come on. Crappie World? What is this, Depressed Emo Teen Monthly?
I Love Cats
I Love Cats is yet another mag devoted to cat obsession, which in itself isn't a problem. No, the issue here is the title. Cat Fancy is catchy, while I Love Cats is just plain lazy. Of course you love cats. Why else would you buy this magazine? It's certainly not for the nuanced writing or stylish cover layouts. If you're going to give it such a bluntly obvious title that so clearly panders to its desired demo, might as well just go with I Am Lonely.
Student Group Tour
In case the vague title confuses you, Student Group Tour is the "publication for individuals, educators and organizers actively planning trips for student group travel in the U.S. and Canada." So if you need information about how to get your group out of an international incident in Taiwan, you're sh*t out of luck.
Bacon Busters
Australia's top hog-hunting magazine offers how-to articles, fan fiction, and the famous Babes and Boars section. Really though, is that any different than your average issue of Playboy?
The Bark
Forget stuffy old Dog Fancy. That's the New Yorker of dog-lifestyle mags. The Bark is the choice for hip young canines everywhere. With catchy headlines like "Pop Goes the Dog" and a slick layout, it's like Details for dogs. Which would be fine, if dogs had any concept of what a magazine is outside of "that thing that gets rolled up to swat me with when I pee on the floor."
Cowboys and Indians
Ah, nothing like a celebration of the ol' West. Nothing dated or vaguely racist about this magazine, no siree. Pass the chewin' tabaccy, pard'ner. We got a hankerin' to spit and take away some tribal lands.
Model Airplane News
To be fair, this magazine has been published since 1929. Back then, news about model airplanes was the only thing people had to distract themselves from the Great Depression.
Dance Teacher
With respect to overworked, under-appreciated dance teachers the world over, we think even they would agree that they don't need their own magazine. And also that you should work on your grand jeté
Garden and Gun
Perfect for your late afternoon six-gun tea socials, Garden and Gun looks like pretty much every other magazine about Southern living. Oh, except for the genteel Southern dame on the cover who's about to murder a harmless goose with a high-powered weapon. But don't worry, the mag's tips on how to create your own English-style garden should distract you from your bloodthirsty urges.
Sheep!
Published (shockingly) in north-central Wisconsin, the bi-monthly Sheep magazine features such departments as "Wool Gatherings" for sheep-related events and a roundup of sheep in the news called "Newsbleat." To be honest, that's funnier than Mad has been in years.
Y'all
The magazine of Southern people. Not to be confused with sister publications If-N, I Reckon, and You Boys Ain't From Around Here.
OMFG
OMFG! It's the Official Meetings Facilities Guide magazine! It's totes our fave mag after LMAO, aka the Louisiana Motorist Alliance Organization digest!
Miniature Donkey Talk
Now in its 21st year of publication, Miniature Donkey Talk is the guide for new miniature donkey owners. Does it tell you why they look like My Little Ponys? (Honestly, slap some glitter on one those things and they'll be ready to jump over a rainbow in no time.) From the magazine's Web site: "We have never had a complaint about the quality of our publication." That's because the poor little donkeys being forced to carry spoiled little children on their backs do not possess the power of speech.
Girls and Corpses
Finally, a publication for the coveted gravedigger/horny-13-year-old-boy demographic.
Originally from asylum.com, click view for more information.