| Frequency | monthly |
|---|---|
| First issue | Fall 1998 |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Website | www.themagazine.ca |
The Magazine is a monthly digest entertainment magazine targeted for youth and published in Canada. In addition to music, movies, television, and contests, it features a variety of articles on social issues such as the environment, healthy eating habits, and self-help in cooperation with Kids Help Phone.
On November 1, 2010, The Magazine celebrated its tenth anniversary as a monthly publication.
Contents |
In 1990, Community Programs Group (parent company to The Magazine) published Spider-Man comics with drug awareness and safety messages. This was a series of five comics published with Marvel for distribution across Canada by police officers visiting elementary schools whilst on their safety talks.
In 1993, CPG began a publication called The New Jr. Jays Magazine. The Jr. Jays magazines were given away at Blue Jays games and in schools by police officers. This magazine was packed full of lifestyle tips, Blue Jays facts and a comic strip that represented the diverse culture of the new generation of Canadian kids.
The Jr Jays magazine ran from Spring 1993 right up until Fall 1998, at which point it became known as The Magazine - Not For Adults. The Jr. Jays comic strip continued to run, even though The Mag began to focus more on music, movies, TV and other popular entertainment. The Jr. Jays strip ran until the Fall 2000 edition of The Mag.
In November 2000, The Mag started to be published on a monthly basis. It was then, as it is now, sold directly over the check-out counters at every A&P and Dominion store in Ontario. The company's mission was to give back to the community. The entire cover price of The Mag was donated to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police for youth programming and Kids Help Phone. Literacy and charity remains to be an important part of The Mag's program.
A portion of the cover price is regularly donated to Kids Help Phone and various community programs aimed at youth.[1]
The September/October 2009 edition marked The Mag's 100th issue.
In April 2011, The Magazine updated its website with a brand new look and archived content. Comics and old articles are in the process of being uploaded.
The Magazine has a long history of original comic strips which have come and gone over the years. Some of these include:
As of February 2010, The Magazine does not print any comics. Instead, comics are available for reading on themagazine.ca
The Magazine's official website includes many features for its readers, most notably the MagBoard and the Blog. The MagBoard is a message board where members (there are currently over 900 members registered) can post about a variety of topics. The MagBoard has a total of over 140,000 posts.[3] On the website you can also find online videos called Magisodes, Comics, Games, Wallpapers, and the abilities to renew, subscribe, and buy back issues. The MAGiSODES were cancelled as of the latest Christmas episode. The board's most popular topic, TPAM, reached its 1000th page on February 24, 2010. The MagBoard currently has 991 registered users since April 2011.