Event Coverage RIP: Rod & Custom Magazine

Greetings! I dropped my subscription to R&C earlier this year. On an ironic note, I'm still getting renewal notices.

 

This may be a bit off topic, but I sat down tonight to crack open TRJ #63 and opened it up my eyes landed on this: printed in Hong Kong. Really? Guess I just never noticed that before.

 

WOW, A sign of the times unfortunately.

 

Thanks for the inspiring thoughts. We actually have top notch writing, photography and design. Some of the points you bring up are what is so problematic for many things to come in the technological age we are living in. Everybody wants everything for free. I have no idea what the solution is at the moment, but it is getting hard to make a living doing what you love to do. You are right about the paper though.

 

Goes to show if you try building a business by the old rules new rules will ignore you!

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It's a sign of our times and interests. This damn world whine web changed rod culture and made print media irrelevant to many (not all mind you) young guys. We all bought mags starting when we were kids. Remember the thrill of a crisp newsstand purchase or the excitement of getting one in the mail? Sad day.

 

Thanks Ryan. Pretty weird day today to say the least. My son graduated middle school so I was off work. While celebrating at lunch I started to get the news. I went to a funeral for a legendary old biker friend after that. Lot's of ups and downs in not so many hours. I still have a job, but not sure what I will be working on yet.
It's ironic that I was talking to Bud Bryan last night about his tenure at R&C and his times with Medley. He was telling me how much he loved what we have been doing with the mag. It's been an honor to work with the best bunch of people I've ever worked with at one time.
-Aaron

 

You did a great job at the magazine as did everyone involved...its shocking that a mag with well over 100,000 copies a month isn't viable anymore....one question is August issue the last one or is there another one in the can?

 

Not happy here. My fave mag for years. Been subscribing since 1956, and a smile came to my face every time I saw it in the mailbox. MB! (major bummer)

 

I have digital copy's on my tablet I was wondering if they are going by by too.


Posted from Austinrod

 

Blame the guys and girls that stopped buying the mags and went digital! Now when your phone or computer crashes or there is a power outage, deep down inside you'll wish for a hard copy.

DIGITAL SUCKS!

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I guess I'm getting old, or maybe I don't like changes
but I like thumbing through a magazine at my leisure when
watching TV, sitting on the can, working in my shop, etc
Can't handle to many hours sitting in front of a computer with my right hand on a mouse falling asleep.

Everywhere you go you see people "fixed" on their I-phone texting or what ever
without a glue of their surroundings
Face book, twitter, social media's, instant communication,
I understand the computer & I-phones are useful tools,,,BUT
people are "married" to their electronic devices way to much I think

I subscribe to many hot rod magazines, including Rod & Custom
and I will continue until the very last magazine dies I guess

 

Check out post #164 for the answer to your question.

 

Kev Elliott here, R&C's last editor. The last issue of R&C will be the October issue. Horrible day today, we had no idea until we went in to work this morning. Yes, the websites for the 'merged' magazines are still up, but it's being 'looked into'. R&C is gone, there'll be no online version without a print version. Everything happened very quickly. I'm gutted to see R&C go, I regret not being given the chance or time to make my mark on the magazine, though I'm stoked the latest issue has received great reviews! I'm lucky, I still have a job at the re-branded company, but would have liked to edit R&C for more than a few scant months. Aaron and myself put a lot of love and time into R&C (as did the freelancers and Source Interlink Media staff involved). Hopefully we'll get a chance to one day do it again.


Kev

 

I, like Devilrod was a magazine junky with at least half a dozen subscriptions. Due to being online a lot (HAMB, etc.) and the challenge of storage, I let them slowly expire. R&C was the last. From that point back to the 1st issue in '53, I have just about every R&C issue. Always my fav. The Bryan/Medley/Jacobs, etc era was iconic.
Like Aaron said, everyone wants something free. The internet is a biggie-killed the newspaper industry. Hope he and the folks can make another run at it for R&C. Possibly a quarterly?

 

Rod & Custom is gone!!!!! but sh!tty Rebel Rodz is still around!?!?!?! Really!?!??!

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Really! ? ! ? ! ? !

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damn. now one less print rag will be coming to the house... bummed to hear this.

 

How are they coming out with all these new, excuse my french "Rat Rod" mags & Rod & Custom is shutting down. This really pisses me off. I'm a sit down & read a magazine guy when I have free time (odd because I'm 27). Rod& Custom was one of the last of about 4 or 5 magazines that'd I still bought. It's a dang shame.

 

I subscribed out few years too. Hope my subscription money goes toward severance pay to the magazine's employees.

 

Hey Ryan, we're a small independent publisher so thanks for reaching out with your kind offer. We have two titles in our line-up, Rodding USA and NZ Hot Rod mag, both are primarily print...any support from the HAMB and/or it's members would be very much appreciated and I'd be happy to talk further if you're willing. Publisher - Paul Grace.

 

This really is sad news. Rod & Custom is a magazine that we’ve all grown up with, and it has a rich and long-lasting legacy that will not disappear. I’m in agreement with what Ryan has said. Although all of us that earn a living in the hot rod media business are to some degree competitors, this isn’t news that brings a smile to our faces. I still enjoy R&C as an enthusiast. In addition some of our friends and colleagues are losing their livelihood, and that is always sad to see.

Steve Coonan
The Rodder’s Journal

 

I've been a reader and subscriber since issue #1, "Rods & Customs", in 1953; through the several cancellations and restarts of the magazines. It remains my sentimental favorite, and I'm sad to see it go away. Again.

 

Seems like my subscription to a mag is the kiss of death-I liked R&C and Garage (when it did occasionally appear) but good news if Car Crap dies.....

 

Hard times. No money. Haven't bought one for many months.

 

EVERYTHING GOES FULL CIRCLE FOLKS, IT WILL BE BACK,JUST WAIT!!

 

Still waiting for colored toilet paper to make a comeback, along with the rotary dial phone, leaded gas and Elvis.

 

Class act.

 

Kind of a bummer but not surprising in the least.