do you feel like you have a voice here? What Can I do to Make it Even Louder?

[skategeezer]

One of the things I am really happy to see is lots of folks posting their opinions and ideas...I am also grateful to those of you who are putting up news stories from other places.

I truly want you to feel like this is YOUR home..YOUR COMMUNITY.

sure, the focus is on skateboarding, but I want you to feel like you're a part of the family.

the question is, what else can we do?

stickers - check
patches - check
mags arriving at the right time - working on it
promoting new ideas - check
free beer ? - could work!

[pyrate]

Bree Feer!

oops... i meant Free Beer!!!

[pithaya]

Downloadable Wallpapers!!
I need some of those, if I had some more issues Id scan some pics and add concretewave logos or something pretty... You have a source of untapped workers ready to eschew original media for you!

[Fishguy]

CheerLeaders!!!
...at race events and at local skate parks...
...like the ones in the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video. They cute and peppy from a distance, then when you look a little closer they've got tattoos and Chucks and they're cool!

[Dizi]

Cold hard cash, baby..

[Momona Boe]

if you made blank decks it would be better

[slyfox]

I'm gonna second downloadable wallpapers...that would be awesome. I know there's been some awesome art in the magazine in the past too...I can remember a skate'd up version of "American Gothic" that still hangs above my desk to this day...if some of those got relesased as backgrounds, I'd love you forever.

[SCTR9Gold2]

I agree that some wallpapers would be cool!

[BluegrassSurfer]

Free beer works for me.

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
~ Benjamin Franklin ~

[Mile_High_Mark]

Free Beer?

http://www.freebeer1981.com/about.htm

I used to skate with these guys way back in the day.

[GPymp]

I am sure he was one of the half dozen guys we (my brother and I) saw blasting down 9th st in S.F.

[pirateswin]

if you made blank decks it would be better

Hahahahahaha! Silverfish and Concrete Wave shop decks at half the cost!

[dcphotos]

I'll be honest. I love CW and it's the only mag I subscribe too. It needs no improvement, I love the fact that there are different types of skating including ones I don't do, and pictures of old guys like me.
But what I love most about skate mags is the quality that the images have. Transworld was the leader for a long time, right now I think this "The Skateboard Mag" has it. CW covers the type skating I like, but some of the images could be better. The images in the ads especially! I know that's not you, it's your advertisers but some of them really need help. I dig that you don't run non-skate related ads though. I also know you are smaller than some of those big mags and maybe don't want to hire the likes of Atiba Jefferson, but a few tweaks here are there could really amp it up. You have a LOT of awesome images, just all of them should be awesome. I remember a 2-page shot of a slalom guy a couple months ago that blew me away. This month there is an ad for Revenge, it's a great shot, well composed and all but has lens flare on it.
I used to post some on a now dead forum called agroism or something like that. There were some college age kids with pocket wizards and bags of flashes that could really pull off nice stuff, and I bet you could find some that would shoot for dirt cheap.

So anyhow, my biggest suggestion is to collect the best of the best images and do a photo annual. Run stuff shot with Holgas and 4x5s and have it all well-lit and so-on. I love the Transworld photo annuals.

[xrayvzn]

What makes CW great is that you actually care and want to hear from your readers!!!

I have always enjoyed your interviews with pros such as the Roger Brothers, George Orton etc. Please interview Cliff Coleman.

I also like that when I open up my magazine:

1) 20 reader subscription card forms don't fall off

2) It is easy to differentiate an article from a mulitpage ad. I tried to "read"/flip through a Thrasher & a Blankworld skateboarding magazine at the bookshop today and couldn't get through the tsunami of cookie cutter ads of a skaters in tight pants jumping off rails etc. They should send those mags straight to the recycling bin.

3) The articles are excellent.

Are you selling the CW tshirts with this months cover art? I need to get one.

Thanks Mr Brooke. Yours is the only magazine I keep in my personal office.