Quark (@quarklovesyou) is guest editor for UNO’s March ’10 issue (@unomag). Here’s his note. It’s a love letter to Cebu.
Fina-fuckin-lly.
I never purposely meant for it to happen, but I realize that in the past ten years I’ve written for almost every men’s magazine (except ones like Red, but they don’t really count do they?)– Manual circa 2004, then Maxim around 2006; Rogue 2007 and FHM 2008. The only one I haven’t written for is UNO.
Which is a shame, really. Right now, as a male magazine fan, I can say with absolute confidence that UNO is the best men’s mag we have. It’s young, it’s tuned in, it’s beautiful, the writing is exquisite, and it’s got Shawn Yao. Also, and I’m both ashamed and proud to admit this, my best friend Mikey once pointed out that every time he turns a page he knows at least one person featured or involved. Erwin joked that it’s the most expensive barkada newsletter around.
Dear blogging community! You are all invited to the launch of my newest humor compilation, “I Do or I Die! RJ Ledesma’s Imaginary Guide to Getting Married and Other Man-made Disasters (As told to him by his Yaya)†on October 22 (Thursday) 6pm@National Bookstore, Glorietta 5, Makati City. Please feel free to bring your friends, buy several signed copies of the book, and help me pay for my baby’s diapers! Thanks for the support. [source]
A good friend and colleague, RJ Ledesma will be launching his second book this coming Thursday at 6:00PM at National Bookstore in Glorietta. You’re all invited. He told me to invite everyone. Please go. No sign up required. Just go. Bring your yaya.
——
It’s so intimidating. A good number of my colleagues in UNO have books and / or have won Palanca awards. Me, I just have this cute blog with a lot of bugs.
On page twelve of the magazine, there is a short manifesto tha describes the heart of the publication I work for. Let me write it down for you.
UNO is a monthly magazine for the discerning man (and woman). There are features on women we admire, occurrences worth covering, art forms we appreciate, objects that inspire acquisitiveness, and ideas that deserve attention, among other things.
There are also jokes, which may or may not always be in good taste. We value writing and images that are extraordinary. We love women. It is our belife that digital tools should be used to emphasize natural beauty and/or enhance a specific aesthetic– not for turning people into wax models.
Again, we love women.
We think that there’s more to men (and women) than their surfaces.
UNO: Dispatches for the Discerning Man
As serendipitous as it may be, I find myself knee deep into something that I truly love doing, becoming a cyborg of sorts combining the very best talent in local glossy with the journey of the Internet. It is no secret that the blogosphere has been more than interesting for us as a community mechanism, which is why we want to push that even further. Starting with this:
So here’s the deal. Let’s take a break from the usual clubbing routine for something different. On July 29 at 7:00PM we’re holding an informal meet up with our blogger friends and contributors at the Fully Booked FORUM (4th floor!) at Bonifacio High Street. What’s going to happen? Well we’re going to bare all and answer all the questions you may have and perhaps have you going home with a little bit more knowledge about the publishing industry, marketing print, and how print transitions to the Internet locally. We’ll talk about why we revamped UNO, how exactly we did it, and the new design philosophy behind the new and improved magazine. Let’s talk paper stock. Cover shoots. Refocus on our events. Our blog and the community behind it. [read more here]
If you’ve seen the issue up front, you’ll notice the cover lines that don’t appear on the online version. It’s almost like a hologram. With David Bowie references all over.
Hey, first off thanks for coming to Capone’s last month. This weekend, we’re doing it again but this time we’re officially welcoming RJ Ledesma as the new editor in chief. You might have seen a sneak peek last month, but it is true — UNO is heading towards a new direction with a completely new team. This month we’re having cocktails at the Martini’s this weekend, the 21st of March 9:00 PM.
If you wish to RSVP, you can fill out the form below:
