Sassy Magazine
Encyclopedia
Sassy magazine is a defunct teen magazine
, aimed at teenage female fans of alternative
and indie rock
music. It was founded in March 1988 by an Australian feminist, Sandra Yates, CEO of Matilda Publications, who based it on the teen magazine Dolly
, which is still in publication in Australia.
, and it had a half Australian, half American staff. Its original main writers were referred to by Pratt as "Sex" (Karen Catchpole), "Drugs" (Catherine Gysin), and "Rock 'n Roll" (Christina Kelly) because of the topics they covered. The fashion department was headed by Mary Clarke and Andrea Lee Linett, and one of their discoveries was Chloë Sevigny
, whom they spotted on the street and hired as an intern. The Australian half of the staff covered the art & design (Neil McCutcheon) and beauty departments.
. It then stopped publishing as its own title in 1996, when editorial sections (and staff) of Sassy were absorbed into another magazine published by Petersen called `TEEN beginning with the January 1997 issue.
Dirt Magazine In 1992, Sassy spun off a short-lived title for teen boys called Dirt: Son of Sassy, which was edited by Andy Jenkins, Mark Lewman and music video director Spike Jonze
(collectively known as "the Master Cluster"). It published seven sporadic issues until 1994.
According to Canadian author Douglas Coupland
, "Dirt was a funny and smart magazine for young people".
was named after the Chia Pet
, with various members from the editorial staff, including Jane Pratt on violin
, Christina Kelly on vocals
, her then-husband Robert Weeks on guitar
, her then-sister-in-law (and Sassy writer) Jessica Vitkus Weeks on bass guitar
, Mary Ann Marshall (also a Sassy scribe) on drums
. Karen Catchpole also lent co-lead vocals to some songs.
16. "Don't You Want Me Baby"
released a tribute to and history of Sassy by former Teen Vogue
editor Kara Jesella and Marisa Meltzer called How Sassy Changed My Life: A Love Letter To The Greatest Teen Magazine Of All Time. The book recounts the magazine's rise and fall; its unusual appeal to both men and women, teenagers and adults; and its influence on mainstream as well as alternative women's magazines. It includes interviews with staffers and fans.
Teen magazine
Teen magazines are magazines aimed at female teenage readers. They usually consist of gossip, news, fashion tips and interviews and may include posters, stickers, small samples of cosmetics or other products and inserts. Magazines targeting teenage boys are not often called teen...
, aimed at teenage female fans of alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
and indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
music. It was founded in March 1988 by an Australian feminist, Sandra Yates, CEO of Matilda Publications, who based it on the teen magazine Dolly
Dolly Magazine
Dolly is a monthly teen magazine started in 1970 by Fairfax Ltd. in Australia, and purchased by ACP in 1988. The current editor is Gemma Crisp, former features editor at Cleo, who was made editor of Dolly magazine in September 2007...
, which is still in publication in Australia.
Editorial staff
Sassys founding editor was Jane PrattJane Pratt
Jane Pratt is the founding editor of Sassy and Jane. She currently hosts the talk show Jane Radio on Sirius XM Radio.-Early life:...
, and it had a half Australian, half American staff. Its original main writers were referred to by Pratt as "Sex" (Karen Catchpole), "Drugs" (Catherine Gysin), and "Rock 'n Roll" (Christina Kelly) because of the topics they covered. The fashion department was headed by Mary Clarke and Andrea Lee Linett, and one of their discoveries was Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American film actress, fashion designer and former model. Sevigny gained reputation for her eclectic fashion sense and developed a broad career in the fashion industry in the mid 1990s, both for modeling and for her work at New York's Sassy magazine, which labeled her...
, whom they spotted on the street and hired as an intern. The Australian half of the staff covered the art & design (Neil McCutcheon) and beauty departments.
Publishers
Sassy was originally published in March 1988 in the United States by Matilda Publications with a circulation of 250,000. It was acquired by Lang Communications in October 1989, at which point its circulation was 450,000. Petersen Publishing officially took over with the February – March 1995 issue, and its editorial offices were moved to Los Angeles from ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. It then stopped publishing as its own title in 1996, when editorial sections (and staff) of Sassy were absorbed into another magazine published by Petersen called `TEEN beginning with the January 1997 issue.
Dirt Magazine In 1992, Sassy spun off a short-lived title for teen boys called Dirt: Son of Sassy, which was edited by Andy Jenkins, Mark Lewman and music video director Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
(collectively known as "the Master Cluster"). It published seven sporadic issues until 1994.
According to Canadian author Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularized terms such as McJob and...
, "Dirt was a funny and smart magazine for young people".
Chia Pet
Sassys in-house bandHouse band
For the British band that existed from 1984-2001, see The House BandA house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to...
was named after the Chia Pet
Chia Pet
Chia Pets are American styled animal-shaped terracotta figurines used to sprout chia, where the chia sprouts grow within a couple of weeks to resemble the animal's fur or hair...
, with various members from the editorial staff, including Jane Pratt on violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, Christina Kelly on vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, her then-husband Robert Weeks on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, her then-sister-in-law (and Sassy writer) Jessica Vitkus Weeks on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Mary Ann Marshall (also a Sassy scribe) on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Karen Catchpole also lent co-lead vocals to some songs.
Releases
- Hey Baby -- CD single of original songs
- "Hey Baby"
- "Lunch"
- "Blind Date"
- Tannis Root Presents: Freedom Of Choice -- various-artists pro-choice fundraising CD of cover songs
16. "Don't You Want Me Baby"
Book: How Sassy Changed My Life
In April 2007, Faber and FaberFaber and Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. Faber has a rich tradition of publishing a wide range of fiction, non fiction, drama, film and music...
released a tribute to and history of Sassy by former Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue magazine began as a version of Vogue magazine for teenage girls. This US magazine focuses on fashion and celebrities and offers information about the latest entertainment and feature stories on current issues and events.- Description :...
editor Kara Jesella and Marisa Meltzer called How Sassy Changed My Life: A Love Letter To The Greatest Teen Magazine Of All Time. The book recounts the magazine's rise and fall; its unusual appeal to both men and women, teenagers and adults; and its influence on mainstream as well as alternative women's magazines. It includes interviews with staffers and fans.
See also
- Jane MagazineJane (magazine)Jane was an American magazine created to appeal to the women who grew up reading Sassy Magazine, both of which had Jane Pratt as founding editor. Its original target audience was aged 18–34, and was designed to appeal to women who are irreverent...
- Dolly MagazineDolly MagazineDolly is a monthly teen magazine started in 1970 by Fairfax Ltd. in Australia, and purchased by ACP in 1988. The current editor is Gemma Crisp, former features editor at Cleo, who was made editor of Dolly magazine in September 2007...
External links
- The Sassy Era at WWDWomen's Wear DailyWomen's Wear Daily is a fashion-industry trade journal sometimes called "the bible of fashion." WWD delivers information and intelligence on changing trends and breaking news in the fashion, beauty and retail industries with a readership composed largely of retailers, designers, manufacturers,...
(subscription required) - Sissy Magazine at Blairmag: the lost December 1994 issue -- Sassy's Last Issue Ever
- Too Young to Know: The Selling of Sassy
- KICKING SASS -- sassy's dead. R.I.P. Sassy. And it's about damn time.
- Why Jane Pratt's "Jane" never quite lived up to Jane Pratt's "Sassy"
- The New York Review of Magazines: We Still Love Sassy
- Interview with Jane Pratt in The Oberlin Review
- Cute Band Alert: How Sassy magazine created a new sex object.
- Sonic Youth 7" info
- Issue 8 of Dirt, never published (archived site that went offline in 2006; may contain dead links and broken images)
- Wired.com article on Dirt
- Hawaiian youth magazine also entitled Sassy
- Some of the articles Marjorie Ingall wrote for Sassy (as Margie Ingall)
- Recent articles by ex-Sassy writer/editor Marjorie Ingall
- Confessions of a Sassy Girl article by writer Mengly Taing
- NPR's Talk of the Nation on Sassy, April 25, 2007
- February 1990 cover: The Sassiest Girl in America
- Sassy Magazine's Role as a Pioneer of Social Media/