Karen’s post yesterday about periodical postage rate increases reminded me of a Bulletin I wrote on my MySpace page last week. It went something like this:

And so it goes…

I just got an email announcing that the last issue of Punk Planet magazine is on the way to my house. I knew they were on hard times recently, but I can’t explain how much this news sucks. Punk Planet is/was one of the best magazines ever published. Period.

Since I picked up my first issue of Punk Planet back in 1998, I’ve not missed an issue. The magazine is/was so much more than just a magazine on and about punk rock. In the words of the magazine itself: “Over the last 80 issues and 13 years, we’ve covered every aspect of the financially independent, emotionally autonomous, free culture we refer to as “the underground.” In that time we’ve sounded many alarms from our editorial offices: about threats of co-optation, big-media emulation, and unseen corporate sponsorship. We’ve also done everything in our power to create a support network for independent media, experiment with revenue streams, and correct the distribution issues that have increasingly plagued independent magazines.”

But there was also the music. The band interviews, stories and record reviews in Punk Planet have turned me on to a mountain of music I would have otherwise missed. Again…it’s going to suck not having Punk Planet to have with me when I need it most.

Oddly enough, I JUST started subscribing to Punk Planet. But for the previous 9 years, I bought single copies off the magazine rack at the local, independent record store, and then…gasp…even the evil Border’s Book Store after the record store went out of business.

And like my father before me, I’m a magazine junkie. I get at least 8 subscriptions delivered to the house. And…As many of you know, I’ve worked for an independent magazine for over ten years now. The magazine is successful, but it’s not always easy. It’s disturbing on several levels when I hear that a similar, cool, awesome magazine decides to pull the plug.

For all that is holy…like the sticker says…support your local independent everything.