Transworld's Power Cluster Buys Heckler Magazine

Larry Balma, Peggy Cozens, and Brian Sellstrom (a.k.a. TransWorld Publications) quietly announced the deal at the SIA Trade Show in Las Vegas. Peggy Cozens wanted to make sure one thing was clear. "It wasn't purchased by Times-Mirror," she said. "It was purchased by us, TransWorld."

John Baccigaluppi, Heckler's publisher/editor couldn't be more stoked. "We're really excited to be working with TransWorld because it will allow Sonny Mayugba, Chris Carnel, and myself to focus on making Heckler the best we can make it," he says.

TransWorld is pretty happy as well, including Brian Sellstrom, president of both TransWorld Publications and The Skiing Company (Times Mirrors snow sports magazine group). "When they approached us with the idea we thought it was a great opportunity," Sellstrom said. "We really like those guys. They're really honest and straight up. I feel that they are very trust worthy and that they're doing a really good job with Heckler."

Sellstrom see this as a way for TransWorld to offer another segment of the market to readers. "It basically the same thing we did with Snowboard Life," he explained. "Heckler has it's own voice and it reaches a group of readers that we're not currently addressing. That's why it's so important to us that Heckler not change it's focus at all. We like the magazine for the same reason the readers like it and we don't want it to change."

But why would the owners of a successful regional magazine want to sell? Apparently the day-to-day business aspects of running the three-year-old magazine were starting to cut into the fun of making magazines. "Over the last few years, it's been harder and harder to find the time to make the magazine, because we're too busy running the business of the magazine," Baccigaluppi explains. "We were spending more time at the Post Office and UPS than we were on the mountain and skating, and that was really starting to suck."

Through a five year management agreement the editorial offices will remain in Sacramento. That means John, Sonny, and Chris will continue to oversee all editorial and advertising sales, as well as managing the Heckler web site. TransWorld will take over the pre-press, printing, distribution, circulation, retail product production, and most importantly the accounting issues, including signing paychecks for everyone involved.

"TransWorld already has tons of experience in running the business end of a magazine and they've got the people to do it with," John says. "We're gonna let them handle the business aspects."

This deal will give the Heckler crew more time to do what they like to do--skate, snowboard, and build magazines. "At Heckler's core, Chris is a skater/snowboarder who likes to shoot photos and Sonny and I are derelict musicians who like to skate and snowboard and we've figured out how to work a computer," John says. "The deal with TransWorld will allow Heckler and us to grow in a way that will emphasize what's cool about Heckler and to make it even better."

This may be great for the Heckler guys, but how will it change a magazine that Northern California's hardcore have come to depend on for the latest skinny? The first change is that Heckler will no longer be free. It will be sold on newsstands across the country. "That was coming anyway," John says. "We've been trying to be more professional about everything and free distribution just doesn't work as well as paid."

Being on the newsstand will mean a bit of a size change. "Magazine distributors are always complaining about our size, so we're going to bring it down a little to 12 by 10 inches which is about the same size as Rolling Stone and Spin," he says. "That way they'll just whine a little less."

Everything else about Heckler should stay the same. As usual, we'll all just have to wait and see.

For more info on Heckler Magazine send e-mail to [email protected], or visit their web page at: HTTP://www.heckler.com/