August 20, 2008

Dear MODELx reader,

It is with great pleasure that we are able to announce that production of MODELx has resumed once again. There is now a lot to discuss with regards to the future direction the publication will now take. In truth, we are tremendously excited at what the future has in store for MODELx and its readers.

Over the past few months there have been a whirlwind of discussions and planning to reestablish the production of the publication. Many questions were asked and as a result a lot of new ideas have sprung forth to recreate a new format and presentation ethos that will, we hope, provide each reader with a ton of inspiration, education and entertainment value within the pages of the new MODELx.

First and foremost is the revised layout size and page count. Having analyzed our staff production capabilities at length, we found the best solution was to reduce the frequency of the printing while greatly increasing the page count. Simply put, it is easier for us to create large single volumes over a longer production schedule than it is to create smaller ones at a greater bi-monthly frequency. Producing on time is of the utmost importance to us and with that in mind MODELx is now moving to a biannual schedule that will see issues produced in the late-fall and spring of each year, approximately 6 months apart. Hard dates will be forthcoming, but only when we are positive those dates will be met.

With this new premise in place, a very noticeable area of change is the new footprint of the publication. The previous size was A4, the standard international newsstand magazine size, but to take advantage of the biannual printing schedule and to create a more unique presence within the hobby, we are switching to an 11”x11” size. This new size will allow for an even greater emphasis on photography and graphic presentation. Opening to a wide 11”x22” layout will be a truly exciting way to view world-class modeling. From that we have set a minimum page count of 208, with future issues possibly having as many as 288 pages. Article length will no longer be a compromise and we predict an average article length to be 20 pages or more! Many authors contacted were very excited and impressed by this. With only two issues per year to present, it was felt any discomfort within the bookshelf because of the wide 11” size, would be tempered by the incredible content within.

As to that content, we are very pleased to bring you an updated, and dare we say, brilliant list of contributing authors. But before we divulge more info on who these guys are, a note on the subject breakdown is prudent. The previous issues followed a structured breakdown of subjects, however the new MODELx will be required to be more flexible. Future issues will contain a greater number of one subject type than others. Why? Well MX has taken the stance that the authors will be choosing their subject much more often than us telling them what to build. MX is not going to be a new product review publication, industry news headquarters, or anything of the sort. The Internet and niche market magazines perform this function so much better than we ever could. Thus the models inside the covers of MODELx will be from the heart and minds of the best modelers around the world--nothing more and certainly nothing less. Think about that for a minute, now the opportunity is present for us to go after some truly amazing pieces and not be restricted by the necessity to fill pages with peripheral hobby news. It’s truly liberating!

The new MX is going to be the type of publication that hopefully remains in your possession for years to come, some might even say a “collectible.” The modeling to take place within its pages will elevate your own skills to much greater heights and tickle a modeling nerve you may never know you had, while at the same time make you take pause at the incredible skills of each author. This is about the gut feeling you see when you look upon a Gold Medal piece or a fully scratchbuilt model created entirely from the author’s ambitious mind, but with the veil of secrecy removed. MODELx will be about the passions of the author, the inspiration they used to create their own work, and then the effort they put forth to extrapolate the utmost from their skills--all passed along to you in HD color and quality. Success and failure are always present and will be covered within the pages of MX, the inner core of the best modelers on the planet will be open for inspection and this is going to be a real pleasure to share with our readers.

That is probably enough overload of info for now. We realize that we cannot please everyone, but feel very strongly our new endeavor will cultivate a tremendously positive feeling within the modeling community. So please stay tuned for more frequent news updates on our site. We will work to maintain a steady flow of information about the ongoing operations currently taking place in our studios. The next round of updates will include the type of material being submitted and some cool new ideas about how we are going to be presenting techniques and how-to features, and maybe even a few page teasers to really get your juices flowing. We will also speak at length about the authors signed up for the next few issues. Exciting stuff indeed.

We would also like to take a moment to say “thank you!” to all of our patrons and supporters who have stood with us during this long transitional period of time. Starting a new-from-the-ground-up publication was a daunting task and we learned a lot about our own capabilities from that experience. And from that knowledge gained, we are chomping at the bit to be able to show you our new digs. Until then, may your workbenches always be a busy place.

Best,

Michael Rinaldi
Editor, MODELx