Can someone please tell the fuckwits who run Tokion that people don’t care about turning pages on a digital magazine—it’s clumsy and dumb. And forget complaining about permalinks, they don’t even have a website with content anymore, quite possibly making it the most irrelevant magazine on the planet. |Tokion|
Judith Supine is profiled in the latest Reincarnation issue of Tokion magazine—a fitting theme since we thought it died. In addition to some of the methodology and meaning behind the street artist’s subterranean and sky high work, the interview reveals that if not for getting caught masturbating at his museum job in Virginia, and subsequently fired, he may never have wound up in New York. In his own words, the self-gratifying moment that precipitated Judith Supine’s path towards street art stardom: Read more »
Instead of even getting into the alarming levels of irrelevancy Tokion has reached or how they can’t even get permalinks on their website, we’ll just let the attendance numbers for this year’s alleged “Creativity Now Conference” speak for themselves. Out of 2000 forecasted attendees, only 715 actually attended. Ouch! Are they gonna go back now and change this description of the event, used to ensnare advertisers: “Held annually in New York City, Tokion’s Creativity Now Conference assembles the top names in art, design, music, filmmaking, fashion and photography to speak about their work and respective industries before an audience of 2,000.”
In a move that could cause irreparable diplomatic design harm to the Unites States, creatively challenged magazine, Tokion, announced that they’ll be brining their increasingly tiresome “Creativity Now Conference” to Stockholm, Sweden in mid-June. While we’d love to send you a link to more information on their website, there’s still no direct URL or permalinks!
This weekend is Tokion magazine’s so called “Creativity Now Conference.” It’s no secret that the once cool, bastion of Japanese subcultural wonderment was headed for irrelevance right about the time founder Adam Glickman cashed out. The young publisher left at an opportune time, reportedly netting a nice hunk of cash selling most of his interests to Larry Rosenblum. He’s the the fumbling media guy who hasn’t been able to move the dial, which could be due to adopting a strategy that involves pouring more money into the print product than the website at a time when paper based media entities are struggling and ad spending is increasingly moving to online. After a brief shuffle up last year, the magazine has continued to be a non-read among the “tastemaker and “key influencer” demographic they purport to reach. With the magazine’s lackluster content and the conference’s increasingly boring format, it’s not unreasonable to question whether Tokion is even capable of pulling off a conference promoting creativity. Especially when they can’t even implement permalinks on their website, an offense worthy of disqualification—that and inviting David Cross back.
Tokion, the magazine that forgot what it was about—Japanese cool, freaky fashion, and cool art that made it a standout when first published—has a “NEW LOOK” and “NEW FEEL” as the coverlines emphatically states begs. However, after a quick thumb through, you realize quickly that Tokion is still not breaking any NEW ground. Basically, the mag now costs $5.99, is no longer perfect bound, grew to a slightly more awkward size, doesn’t have the editor in chief writing every article, and still maintains the editorial and visual blandness that’s kept it in a perpetual state of irrelevance since investor Larry Rosenblum took the reigns and sent Adam Glickman on his way with a $2 million check a few years ago.
Volume 2, Issue 1 |Tokion|
(re-touched Tokion graphic hijacked from the M.O.B)
When we first heard that Wooster was getting all riled up about Tokion magazine not including any women at this weekend’s ‘Creativity Now’ conference we knew there was gonna be some trouble. And then after Editor in Chief Ken Miller’s extremely weak explanation for its lack of women, we were especially certain it was only a matter of time before the magazine back pedaled and made damn sure it got some ladies to speak. Well the announcement came today, Tokion is officially adding 4 token women to this weekend’s lineup and Wooster is happy again. Lisa Ruyter, Jessica Craig-Martin, Mimi Gross, and Marlene McCarthy will now join the mostly male dominated panel. Oh, and to add some comic relief to the whole matter and downplay the last minute shuffling of females into the event, it was also announced that comedian David Cross will grace the stage.
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