Slug #218 / Free / 1:10 / 68M / http://www.slugmag.com /
Slug is one of those scene magazines that has information about what is happening in the local scene. Slug’s focus is on the Salt Lake City area, and the zine itself is miles beyond many of the other scene magazines that are on the market. That is to say that Slug is much more of a melding of magazines like The New Scheme with the traditional local scene magazines; where there are a lot of advertisements for local ventures, there are also a lot of feature articles and reviews that will make reading this magazine somewhat heavy. Something that is shocking is tat the entirety of Slug is in color; while the paper stock may only be a step above newsprint, individuals can feel as if they are holding a magazine that cost them $3 or $4. There are also a number of ties that the zine has to the snowboarding scene, which increases the possible fan base for Slug. I was not quite as interested in these pieces, but the writing style has the same hard-hitting and easy to read feel as the rest of the zine. Apparently, Slug does send copies of this zine out to individuals that do not live in SLC, so contact them and see exactly what costs one would incur if they would like a copy of this zine. One can only wish that scene magazines and other high-print run magazines (Punk Rock Confidential, anyone) could take notes from Slug and learn how to make a solid zine that won’t drain your wallet.
Rating: 7.0/10
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
Contact: editor@neufutur.com