History of Gay and Lesbian Life in Wisconsin - Media - Print

 
Outbound magazine

First Issue:
Last Issue:

 August 2002
December 2011
Target:

"Bar rag"/ Activity & News Magazine (male and female)

Based in:

Brookfield, Wis.

Format:

5.5"w x 8.5"h, glossy magazine

 
       
 

View the Outbound web site at this link (will open in a separate browser window).

Cover Galleries:
        Volumes 1 thru 3 (Aug. 2002-Dec. 2004)
        Volume 4 thru 6 (Jan. 2005-Dec. 2007)
        Volume 7 and 8 (Jan. 2008-Dec. 2009)
        Volume 9 and 10 (Jan. 2010-Dec. 2011)

The first issue of Outbound Magazine appeared in August 2002 printed on glossy magazine stock and in convenient pocket size. While some refered to it as the new "bar rag" (a term based on a long-ago Milwaukee activity guide called RAGG), the magazine featured articles, news, and activity calendars. The magazine was a much needed venue for businesses to run glossy color advertisements, a capability never previously available to LGBT businesses in Wisconsin. The magazine was the brainchild of lovers Jim Dawson and James.

Outbound magazine had an excellent regular feature, in virtually every article, which focused on a particular organization or business (usually bars)- typically featuring same on the cover, and having a brief article inside about that organization or business. This had the effect of giving various groups and businesses exposure they might not otherwsie have.

Starting with volume 3 issue 8, the magazine's name printed on the cover was changed from "OutBound Wisconsin" to "OutBound Midwest", reflecting their desire to also cover bar activities in northern Illinois and especially Chicago. Starting with volume 4 issue 1, the magazine was named simply "OutBound Magazine" on the covers.

The publishers of Outbound briefly also published a monthly newspaper, Outbound News, to attempt to fill the gap left with the demise of the In Step newspaper a few years before. Unfortunately, in the same month they launched that paper, another newspaper also started up. Outbound News was folded one year later, to allow the staff to focus on maintaining the high quality of the monthly magazine and web site.

In 2006, the publishers of OutBound moved out of state. They sold the magazine to Mark Mariucci, owner and publisher of Quest Magazine, which continued to publish OutBound as a separate publication complementing 'Quest' magazine: OutBound continued its role primarily as an advertising vehicle for bars, while Quest was able to focus more on news and interest stories.

Publishing of those two separate magazines ended in December 2011. Beginning with the January 2012 issues of Quest, OutBound Magazine was merged into that publication, with Quest converting from a combination of matte and glossy pages and becoming 100% glossy pages, and incorporating the various OutBound features as well. OutBound ceased to exist as a separate publication.

 


First Issue: Volume 1, No. 1


Volume 6, No. 3
March, 2007


Last Issue: Volume 10, No. 12
December, 2011

Credits: All cover images and text from Outbound magazine copyrighted;
Thanks to original publisher Jim Dawson for cooperation in creating this Cover Gallery, and
Thanks to later owner Mark Mariucci for permission to display Cover Galleries and full issues.
(OutBound Magazine copyright reserved to Mark Mariucci, not for re-use elsewhere)
Web page design and format by Don Schwamb.
Last updated: April-2020.

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