The stand (and why Giant Robot needs your help)

An award-winning indie comics artist once actually told me with pleasure that he loves our magazine and always reads it at a certain newsstand in Berkeley and then puts it back, as if it were a badge of honor. At the time, I laughed.

Perhaps our growth from a hand-distributed, stapled-and-folded zine to a glossy publication with a few retail shops of the same name has given the wrong idea--that Giant Robot magazine is a big-time operation and will be around forever. We're not: The magazine has had the same editorial staff (Eric and me) since issue 1 and part-time production team (Wendy and Pryor) since issue 18. Everything else is provided by friends and volunteers. And we won't: Shifts in distribution and media are all working against us. In fact, issue 64 is running late right now--not due to lack of incredible content but ever-increasing costs in shipping and the always-shrinking middle class of advertisers.

Of course, that's not all that has changed in the 15 years since our first issue hit the stands; there's also more immediate access to stuff from around the world than ever before. Most of it is still crap, and not only do we provide our readers with the cream of it, but we also pave the way for new, hybrid, and underdog culture as well. There's a reason why GR has lasted so long, inspired so many other magazines with overlapping subject matter, and outlasted an army of Asian American, new art and design, and popular culture publications. Maybe that's why you read our magazine and have read this far into this post...

If Giant Robot magazine has ever turned you on to an artist, filmmaker, band, book, food, or spot; if it's ever provided inspiration, affected your aesthetics, or just made you think; if you believe Asian, Asian American, or popular culture at large benefits from what we do; or even if you or your endeavors have benefited from being featured in the pages of the magazine, I urge you to check out the Giant Robot Needs You link and pass its message along to like-minded friends.

As Eric and I say in the video, we're not looking for a free ride. Other changes are in the works to get help, evolve GR, and secure its place. We have support of our printer, large advertisers, and other plans that are kicking in. But this is something to provide stability while they take effect. It's not easy to ask for assistance--and we're not saying that we expect it or necessarily deserve it--but if you can offer help, we can use it.

Finally, don't be that guy who reads the mag and puts it right back on the stands. Next time, it may not be there.