When Issue No. 1 of REVOLV Magazine arrived at our COLLECTIVE doorstep, we watched Cody do a happy dance that lasted no less than 7 minutes. Cale Montrone, Publisher/Editor in Chief, has brought the mag back to life after a bit of a hiatus, and the official launch party was just last week [grand turnout, photos below] in the The Warehouse District's Photo Collective. We'd been in touch with Cale over the last year or so, and we looked forward to any potential collaborative efforts, but the extremely-lengthy-happy-dance-worthy result was a welcome surprise. We're all like, "holy shit".
REVOLV is local, which automatically qualifies it for loads of our COLLECTIVE love. But we don't have to support it because it's local; we're gonna because it's really ace work. Never mind that we're COLLECTIVELY spread across pages 1 and 2, or that our Ron Molen Remodel graces pages 86 through 95 [a billion 'thanks' to goodly Cale], or that our very own Stacey Jo Rabiger's \‘ker-ij\ Jewelry is featured throughout...we're just thrilled to see that the entire issue is a work of creative magic. The front/back cover design, the layouts, the photos, articles, typography, printing; it's all gold. We're particularly pleased with the locals and stories. Corey Bullough/FICE [amazing], the Garage [super], Epic Brewery [delish], Cale Zima [whatever word snow-bros are using to convey awesomeness], -- it's a far-reaching and first-class list.
For now, the mag is free, but we have to assume this won't last long. We'd pay for it. If you don't have a copy already, stop with your inane dilly-dallying. Go immediately to your nearest local boutique [like FICE or Fresh, for two] and get your 110+ pages of proof that local talent is all over this city. Read on to see what Cale had to say about the start, the process, and the stellar final product...
Volume No. 1 is killing us, it's so good. What sparked this? Thanks! It's something that I have always wanted to do for the community, but I knew I wasn't going to be able to do it on my own, so I reached out to some of the most talented people I know and went for it. You really should be interviewing them, not me. I am just the guy who tricked them into working together to make a magazine.
We've chatted with you intermittently regarding some form of collaboration over the last two years. Tell us what's been happening that brought you to launch. Revolv was originally owned by Shane and Justin Gosdis, but they decided to sell it after one issue. I took over about six months ago and totally restructured everything from distribution to branding. It was a total overhaul.
Issue No. 1 is nice and clean, for sure. You've managed to avoid a lot of the ads that clutter up other mags, which is amazing. Do you think you'll be able to stick with that? That is the goal. Everyone at Revolv takes a lot of pride in our design and content, and we don't want to compromise that by slapping ads all over the place. We aren't opposed to advertising, because that is what sustains us, but we are trying to change how it is done. We want the ads inside of our publication to be a part of our content, not just an advertisement. That is why we are selective about who we will become ad partners with. If we don't agree with how they do business, then we won't take their money. We aren't doing this to become monetarily wealthy. We are doing this because we believe that the people of Salt Lake (or Utah, for that matter) who are doing rad shit should be highlighted in a way that rivals national and international publications. Obviously, we have a lot of room for improvement, but that is our overall goal. We are striving to make a local publication that people want to keep and collect.
Is this your gig? I mean, are we talking a one-man show here? God, no! I am lucky to have extremely talented and supportive friends and family to help make this happen. This whole undertaking is totally a group effort. They are all seriously amazing.
We love the layout, the typography, the printing finishes...all of it. Tell us a little about the Revolv creative process. Thank you. That is definitely something that keeps me up at night. We will look at other publications and figure out what we like and what we don't like. Then, we will take a step back and figure out how we can be different from everything else while still being relate-able and up to our own design standards.
Obviously, we're excited about pages 1 and 2, and pages 86 through 95...but every other story in the mag is ripe with incredible, local curiosities and people. Where do you find them? They are everywhere. Salt Lake is full of amazing people doing amazing things, and that is one of the reasons Revolv is around. We want to give these people the attention they deserve.
It's free for now, but we can't imagine that'll be the case forever. Where do you see it going, in terms of price, availability, circulation, frequency, etc.? Actually, we plan on keeping it free. We could probably charge for each magazine, but we don't want to. As of right now, we are having a hard time keeping up with the demand (which is a good thing), so we will definitely be printing a higher volume in our next run. We are currently a quarterly magazine, and are projected to be circulating 40,000 copies annually, but who knows...if the response stays so positive, we might change up our game plan a little. Our distribution points are growing daily, so you can check out our website for an updated list of pickup points.
What else does Cale Montrone do? Well, I am a sheet metal worker by trade, but I do all sorts of stuff. I love playing my drums, hanging out with my two dogs, drinking beer with friends, making people laugh, flirting with foxy babes, eating good food, learning new things, meeting new people, and just living life.
Who should we be watching in Salt Lake City? What's awesome? Who are you stoked on? I am stoked on anyone who is going out and doing stuff in the real world. It seems like more and more, people are wasting their lives on the internet/social media. That shit is brainwashing people. Go out and live! I am also stoked on anyone trying to improve our community. Whether it's a kid trying to start up his or her own business, or a crusty, old man passing on his knowledge to those willing to listen. Those are the people I am most stoked on.
Below is a peek at a few pages from our Eastwood property story, as well as the ad in Revolv. Pretty amazing. To see the full spread, pick up a copy at your local boutique or swing by our COLLECTIVE office.
