I went to a nearby local comic/magazine/hobby to look for some back issues of Inquest when I noticed “Hobbycraft Magazine”. It was a local publication from PSICOM, was cheap, was new (1st issue just this April), and it seemed to include stuff about Magic: The Gathering. Being on the lookout for good local stuff, I got myself a copy.
“Hobbycraft Magazine” focuses on various on various “hobbies” in the Western geek context, mainly toys, card games, and collectibles. It appears to be InQuest Gamer, Toyfare, and some Magic: The Gathering website articles put together in local (Philippine) context. I don’t read Toyfare, so I can’t comment on how similar the toy related content is, but I have been reading InQuest regularly for a while, and I can see some similarities, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Budget decks, top cards, and playtests of featured decks are some things you’ll find familiar.
What i did like was the local context of it all. Card prices are in Philippine Peso, the lists don’t appear to be taken from other mags but based on local usage (though I don’t know how they come-up with their lists), and the decklists are based on local competitions. They also give you the who’s who on the various tournaments around.
I also give them credit for the general writing quality. I have been reading a local magazine that delves almost exclusively on online games, and though the news is updated, the writing leaves a lot to be desired in terms of content. Needless to say, I stopped reading that mag. The writing in Hobbycraft, however, generally has a good amount of meat per paragraph, which allows the reader to take in quite a bit of information considering the short write-ups. The quips on their pictures are also pretty good.
Issue #1 focused on Transformers, so it isn’t a surprise that most of the mag revolved around everything Autobot and Decepticon (plug: Transformers fans might want to check this out). Their toy reviews are pretty comprehensive, which is quite impressive. I wasn’t too hot on their “Prime rating” (i.e. using Optimus Prime instead of stars), but otherwise, they covered a lot of ground for each item reviewed. The price is also very reasonable, even compared to the new local price for InQuest.
It ain’t all perfect, tho, there are hiccups. For one, I saw some headings that slipped through editing. Also, I can’t seem to tell who wrote which article. Regarding the writing, as much as I praised the density of information, that style is a sort of double edged sword. There were parts where you’d have to be in the know to understand what the author is trying to say. For the most part, this was fine with me, but it may deter some real newbies to the genre.
Given focus, the local flavor, the price, and how much information they provide for your peso, I think “Hobbycraft Magazine” is off to a good start. Aside from the editorial slips (which I hopte won’t be there next time), I don’t have much qualms. I don’t really mind the jargon, but I hope they know which articles are for the newbies and which articles can handle the geek speak. It’s the debut issue, so we’ll have to see how things will be in the future. So far, though, I’m very glad I found something to read aside from InQuest.
If you’re interested in Magic: The Gathering, Word of Warcraft TCG, and toys in the Philippine context, grab a copy of “Hobbycraft Magazine”.
PS:
Given that the issue is about Transformers, if you’re interested in what “alternative Transformers” might be like should check this out.
Tags:
MtG,
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