22. Thrasher Magazine

Thrasher Magazine

Editor-in-chief Jake Phelps

High Speed Productions, Inc.; San Francisco, CA

May 2011: Issue 370

208 p.

Summary

Thrasher is a magazine dedicated to the topic of skateboarding, directed toward a largely male audience.  Throughout the magazine, the reader sees picture after picture of skateboarders and various skate tricks, many times photographed step-by-step.  There is also a collection of several different interviews with skateboarders for readers to browse.  The magazine features advertisements for practically anything skateboard related, from shoes to board parts to clothing; many of the advertisements highlight a professional skateboarder endorsed by the brand.  There is even an index toward the back of the magazine that lists skate shops throughout the country, broken down by state.  Even though skateboarding is obviously the main focus, the magazine also features a section of articles about music, including interviews with bands.  The music seems to be primarily rock and punk, likely the most popular music amongst skaters.  In sum, the magazine caters to an older teenage male population that identify with skater culture.

Critical Evaluation

Right from the cover, Thrasher gives the reader a sense of the tone of the magazine.  On the cover, a skateboarder hovers in the air, just having launched off of a staircase handrail.  The title, Thrasher, is written in bright yellow, but it is the blues and grays of the cement that draws the reader’s attention.  Without knowing how well the skater is going to land, it forces the reader to imagine not only the landing, but also the way in which the skater got in the air in the first place.  This focus on the tricks is mimicked throughout the magazine, placing a much greater emphasis on the images than on the words in the articles.  The pictures each stick with a similar color palette of grays and blues, serving to give the magazine a gritty feeling that resembles the skate parks and streets where skaters spend their time trying out new tricks.  Having very little knowledge of the skater culture (aside from a couple of movies about its beginning), I was most drawn to the photographs that featured skaters attempting tricks in a step-by-step sequence.  These sequences give skaters ideas for tricks to try and how to go about them, helping to improve their skills.  Overall, Thrasher gives teen skaters a magazine to turn to for practically anything they would want to read about skating, as well as advice on where to shop for the best skating apparel and supplies.

Reader's Annotation

Thrasher provides a thorough look inside the skating world, incorporating interviews with skaters, skateboard photography, and articles on music trends that will interest those interested in skater culture.

 

Information About the Founder

Founder of Thrasher, Fausto Vitello was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but his family left when he was 9 to escape the political terror of the Revolución Libertadora.  His family moved to San Francisco, in the U.S. state of California, and he was raised on Frederick Street in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood.  In the late 1970s skateboarding's popularity was waning.  Vitello and business partner Eric Swenson along with Richard Novak and Jay Shuirman who owned Santa Cruz Skateboards saw an opportunity to work together, subsequently founding Independent Truck Company.  Independent Trucks quickly became an industry leader and the group saw the opportunity to expand and capitalize upon the rediscovery of skateboarding in America.

In 1981, Vitello co-Founded Thrasher Magazine.  The photos and articles brought the latest tricks, fashions, and gear to the attention of the youth of America, contributing to rise of the skateboard culture in America.  The advertisements also helped push the success of Independent Trucks, which was quickly becoming one of the largest names in skateboarding.  While many were still dismissing skateboarding as a fad, Thrasher helped establish it as a dominant subculture that has evolved into the billion dollar industry it is today.  (information from founder’s Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fausto_Vitello)

Genre

Young Adult – Skateboarding

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1. Discuss the focus on skateboard photography.

2. Identify popular skateboarders interviewed in the issue.

3. Focus on the music section of the magazine.

4. Point out the ways the magazine appeals to teen skaters.

Reading Level/Interest Age

15+

Challenge Issues

There is some profanity in the magazine, as well as a couple mentions of drug use and sexual imagery.

When confronted with complaints about this magazine, librarians should become familiar with the material and its content.  Turn to reviews listed on Amazon.com, as well as reviews from teens that have read the magazine.  Also, it is beneficial for librarians to present reasons backed by the ALA in support of intellectual freedom.  As stated in the Library Bill of Rights:

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Magazine in Selection? 

After reviewing a magazine directed toward teen girls, I wanted to include one that focused on an interest of teen boys and the title and cover of this one intrigued me.