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It's been a busy year of new products, and bringing old products back and we want to celebrate by giving you a crazy gift: 50% off EVERYTHING in the GEARHEAD webstore! But you gotta jump on this now, SALE ENDS TODAY! Click on the photo below to go shopping now, and make sure to enter promo code GEARHEADXMAS2015 at check out for your 50% savings on everything in the store!! Thanks for supporting GEARHEAD!  Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season, filled with the blessings of love and good cheer! From your friends at GEARHEAD!  Hey Team Gearhead! The Holiday Season is upon us now, and things are really revving up! Many thanks to those of you who stepped up and supported GEARHEAD during our Kickstarter Campaign. With your help, the goal was reached and passed! Interested in this story? Read More Here!  Curious about what this new issue of GEARHEAD will look like? It will have a similar look to the previous issues, with black and white insides and a full color cover. It should be back from the printers by the end of the year! This was a learn as I go project, but I think it turned out pretty great. You can read further about this here! To say thank you for hanging in there with me, head over to the GEARHEAD webstore and enter code GEARHEADXMAS2015 for your 50 % discount on everything in the store! All T shirts, vinyl, magazines and everything else in the store is on sale until Dec.26, 2015. Use the code GEARHEADXMAS2015 at check out to get your 50% discount! SHOP NOW!  In honor of the holidays, I’d like to leave you with this cool hot-rod themed classic, written by Ronald L. Cherry & Kelly Cherry ©2005Sidepipes roar, are you listnin’? In the lane, slicks are spinnin’, Ya better hang tight, The rear end is light, Cruisin’ in a Winter Wonderland  From my fuzzy family to yours, may your holiday season be filled with good cheer and lots of rad stuff to celebrate,
Xo Rev. Michelle  The final cover of GEARHEAD #19 I’ve gone round and round about how this issue should look, since it’s the “rebirth” issue, and since I have the privilege of starting from scratch –or the nightmare – it could be viewed either way. I had to look at what it was I really wanted, and how I wanted to express myself. I love what Mike created, it came from a place where we both had roots; MRR, Creem Magazine, 60s & 70s pop culture, and vintage car mags. Trying to find my own voice and vision for this mag has been a challenge, and I accept there are certain limitations at this point, simply because I have no clue what I’m doing and also because of limited resources.  A sneak-peek at the article about George Barris This issue is pretty much similar to what was done previously with the style: color heavy stock cover, black and white insides on medium book stock, simply because it is the cheapest, quickest and easiest way to set up this new issue.
I've dropped the page count down to 84 pgs. but because the cost of printing has gone up so much, the cover price is now $6.99. The stories are as interesting and unique as they've been in the past, with a feature article on The Lords of Altamont, complete with some killer photos, a behind the scenes look at The Lady Luck Tattoo Convention, a detailed history of the wacky 70s car craze The Zingers, which includes some never before seen photos, a fun and informative, and possible the last known interview with Famous Monsters editor Forrest J. Ackerman, Smash up Derby Fun at the Yolo County Demolition Derby, and a word from George Barris himself, talking about his life as the King of Kustomizers. There are also record, book and movie reviews and a short word from yours' truly, the new editor. This will be a limited print edition of 2500 copies and for the very first time, this new issue will be available as a digital download and print on demand! I feel incredibly proud of this project, and excited to share it with you all. Stay tuned to this space for order information! I expect to have the new issue in hand by Dec. 24, 2015! Keepin' the rubber on the road! Rev. Michelle  Hey Team Gearhead! It has been a tough couple of weeks, but we are just at the tail end of the laying out the long awaited Issue #19 of GEARHEAD. We should have files ready to upload to the printer tomorrow, yay! To say this has been one of the most intense projects I’ve ever worked on would not be lying….but as I near the end, I look back at the process, and feel excited and proud, and ready to do it all over again for Spring 2016! The above photo is a little sneak peek of what is coming! Enjoy and thanks for your continued support and enthusiasm!
Xo Rev. Michelle  The force of will is a very powerful thing. It can lead you to do accomplish things you never thought possible. Despite the lack of templates, styles sheets or indeed, knowledge of publishing a magazine, I have put my focus and full force of will on getting a new issue of GEARHEAD out by the end of the year. Everything I thought I knew about myself has changed as I move towards my goal. I feel as is if I am suspended between what was, and what is coming, like I'm on a suspension bridge stretched over a wide canyon, too far from the ledge to turn back, but too far from the ledge I'm walking towards to trust that I'm going to make it there safely. So all I can do is keep moving towards that distant ledge and keep praying and trusting I'll make it.  When I was a kid, I remember tuning in to watch Evel Knievel and his famous motorcycle jumps: buses, fountains and even the Snake River Canyon. I can't help wondering now if this is what Evel Knievel felt like? What was inside his mind? Was he scared and uncertain, wishing he had never boasted he could jump that damned Snake River Canyon? Was he wishing he worked at Costco instead, or some safe job where he knew that no matter what, he would bring home a paycheck and get health insurance and two weeks paid vacation? That however mundane that might feel to him, at least he was safe?  What went through his head as he was revving his engine, ready to let off the brake and step on the gas and power his way to that far ledge? Was his tummy filled with fear, wondering that if death came would he feel that agonizing impact of every bone shattering or would he have left his body long before he hit the ground and not feel a thing?
I know that what I am doing is nothing like the risks Evel Knievel took, at least not on a physical level. But on a spiritual and emotional level, it is the same. If this magazine that I am pouring my heart and soul into crashes and burns, then what? Will I crawl up in a ball and hide my head in shame? Close up the business and go get a job at Walmart? Will I stop trying to express my authentic self and share my unique creative take on life? I don't know. All I know is I have to keep driving forward. I cannot turn back now. Whatever will be will be. Well, we did it! I'm still a little blown away by how awesome reaching my goal to crowdfund the printing of GEARHEAD feels! However, I experienced elation at the good news and then later that same day, panic. When you're doing something creative where you have to rely on others to help bring your dream to life, sometimes shit happens. And there's nothing you can do except move onto Plan B.
As I mentioned before, one of the challenges I might face bringing this project to fruition was finding a reliable designer with the technical skills to help me lay out the magazine and get it ready for printing. It's a pretty specific set of skills, and some of the money raised from Kickstarter was designated to pay that person. I had been working with someone for the last few months, and when I called her to let her know the campaign funded and it was all systems go on the lay out, she quit. Just like that. She said she really didn't feel like doing magazine design and lay out any more and that I needed to find someone else. After a day of freaking out, I did what I always do: I reached out to my community for help. I found someone new this last Friday, Dec. 4, thankfully, so it looks like everything is still on track for a Christmas 2015 release. Whew! Hopefully this is the only blip on the road to production, but just in case something else comes up, I know I have a supportive community around me ready to rally if I call for help. That means a great deal to me, and I"m grateful for the support that comes so readily from the GEARHEAD community. Thank you! Till the next time, keepin' the rubber on the road! xo Rev. Michelle  Less than 36% of the campaigns launched in 2015 on Kickstarter fully funded according to Kickstarter's stats page, but thanks to the tremendous support and enthusiasm of the GEARHEAD community, I reached my goal of $3500 and blew past it, raising a total of $4320!
To say I am proud and relieved is an understatement. I feel renewed, inspired and totally excited and very, very grateful! The money raised will be used to print the long-awaited issue #19 of GEARHEAD. Any extra money will be used to pay the lay out artist I have to hire to finish setting the files up for print. Of course Kickstarter takes 5% for their cut, plus 3% for credit card processing. Putting this magazine together, as well as raising the money to print it, has been one of the toughest projects I've ever worked on and I can't wait to share the finish product with those of you who have stood by GEARHEAD during the ups and the downs. Thank you for your support! xoxo Rev. Michelle Many of you are familiar with the legendary George Barris, maybe not by name, but certainly by cars....The Batmobile? The Munster Mobile? Dragula? Yup, those were created by the legendary builder George Barris. He passed away Nov. 5, 2015 and has left a legacy that is unrivaled in the car world. I am pleased to announce that I am including an article in on the legend himself as well as many pictures of his car collection into the new issue. This late addition was written by French writer/photographer and hot rod enthusiast Laurent Bagnard, author of The Electroline Diaries: A journey with the Burbank Choppers Car Club, who interviewed George and was given free reign in George's car museum.  We've broken all my expectations for the KICKSTARTER fundraiser, so the magazine will be going to press soon! I'm delighted to include this late addition to the already stuffed new issue of Gearhead! Thank you all for your enthusiasm and support.
3 Cheers to a successful campaign and a smoking hot issue of Gearhead! Thank you! xo Rev Michelle |
AuthorRock 'n' Roll/Automotive Journalist, Influencer, Editor and Publisher of Gearhead Magazine, Archives
December 2022
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