American Business Woman

Too fancy for business, but who says business can't be fashionable? It's a good concept that may need a little bit of toning down. Ironically, a publication that celebrates the emergence of women in the work place and their establishment as professional equals seems to employ the same design and overall style found in the stereotypical women's magazine. However, if you can look past the fancy image, you'll find a wealth of updates and analysis on the comings and goings in the business world, specifically as it relates to the working woman.

ASX

It never ceases to amaze me that in this day and age you still have to explain the name of your magazine. There's good content here, but, again, maybe the folks involved in the X-Games will understand what ASX stands for. If it were up to me, the name of this magazine would be AAL - Action Adventure Lifestyle. That being said, ASX celebrates extreme sports and the culture surrounding this modern day phenomenon. In a way, it's about never growing up in the traditional sense. The old in body can still strive to be young at heart.

Gotham Baseball

Finally the Mets and the Yankees meet head to head on ink and paper rather than at Shea and Yankee Stadium. Gotham Baseball seeks to cover New York's star-crossed franchises in full, offering much more than a few box scores and a couple of blurbs. Bring your attention span (and a love for New York baseball) when perusing these pages. Read about the latest draft, the rising stars of the minors and the future of both the Mets and Yankees. Catch up on the past as well, with stories about the legends who paved the way in New York. As the magazine states, it's about "the past, present and future of the New York game."

His & Hers

This one's confusing for both him and her, so much to the point that my fear is neither "his" nor "her" are going to end up picking it up. While I applaud the concept, I have yet to see a special interest magazine succeed in reaching both sexes, except for the more general interest magazines like Vanity Fair, Time and Newsweek. The concept itself is about the fulfillment that comes from meeting the day's challenges with your better half by your side. His & Hers is divided into five main sections: Day by Day, Relate, Sex, Style and Adventure. Everything from romance to partying, traveling and even managing your finances is covered in this extensive look at man and his mate.

Motorcycle Classics

The staff of Motorcycle Classics have revved up their collective minds and produced a publication heralding the style and appeal of the vintage two-wheeled roadster. All in all, Motorcycle Classics is good, clean fun. In addition to model and gear news, the magazine focuses on the lifestyle that goes hand in hand with being a motorcycle enthusiast. However, these days, the audience of bike lovers is widening to include anywhere from suit and tie businessmen to rough riding loners. Anything and everything involving classic bikes can be found within these pages, from well known companies, to rider profiles and even the most obscure of rides.

OK!

Readers looking to escape reality and visit "planet celebrity" have yet another option. OK! The British import may have more size, but, as of its first issue, lacks the addictive nature of the other celebrity titles on the marketplace. With all due respect, it has some of that "Old English" leisurely approach of the British, but lacks a red, white and blue speed. As far as the content goes, like many celebrity weeklies, OK! takes the reader to another reality, where the lead story of the week is whether or not celebrity A wants to have a baby with celebrity B. Breakups, make-ups and hot gossip are the law of the land for this publication.

Quick & Simple

A weekly with no celebrities, no gossip and all the service you can handle. A first for Hearst and a nice complement to Bauer's Woman's World, which has been the only weekly woman's newsstand magazine since 1980. Built on the mindset of convenience, ease and affordability, the entire magazine is devoted to the average American woman, striving to make her week as simple as possible. Sleep-easy tips, dieting advice, recipes, everyday fashion pointers and money saving tips fill up the pages of this blurb-heavy magazine. The newsstand-only publication kicks off as a bi-weekly, but plans to transition to weekly status by October. The premiere issue is $.25 and the regular cover price is $1.49.

Sunset: Living 101

This is a really good concept. Living 101 should not be just for the West coast, although it comes from Sunset magazine. It's a how-to for avoiding strife in the quarter life. "Generation Y" readers will learn how to find a place to stay on little pay, maintain their home the correct way and even budget their wages accordingly. Living 101 also provides advice on gardening and travel for the newly independent individual. It's a very well done guide for the 20 something audience and takes them way beyond "living 101". It may have a freshman name, but you can tell there are some seniors behind it.