Ok guys-

It's a two part question, just play along with me. Question 1 has two parts, and question two has one part which is a multiple guess / write in option.

Question #1- When you go to buy a magazine, what makes you take the magazine off the shelf?

Part A- Can you see the picture or the cover blurbs on the front?
Part B- Is the picture covered by something that some chrome hater put in front of it and you choose the magazine by what's at the top 3 inches of it or so? If so, is it the title of the magazine, the colors of whatever words are there, or the content of the aforementioned skyline that gets you to pick it up?

Question #2- Once you've picked the magazine up, what makes you buy the magazine? Is it

A) the picture on the cover
B) the cover blurbs
C) the table of contents
D) the actual content of the articles
E) all of the above
F) none of the above, you dimwit, and here's why:

For me, the process kinda goes like this:

Regardless of what the title of the mag is (within the 4wd big truck dirt genre) I'm gonna pick it up. I did this before I came to work here, I do it now, and I'll do it after too. Then, once it's in my hand, if there is a picture of a 715 on the cover, I'm buying it. No questions asked. I've done it like this for 6 years. If there is no 715, I will read all the cover blurbs and junk. If there are any extra pictures on the cover, I'll look at them, and then read the blurbs. However, regardless of what I find there, I will go to the table of contents, and read that too. If I find something there even remotely interesting, I'll prolly buy it. If I'm short of funds, and can only buy one of em, I'll go on to the body of the article, and compare for the one with the most content pertaining to me.

However, I am kinda weird as I read a ridiculous amount. Before this whole intraweb thingy, it was 2-3 magazines a week and normally 1-2 360 page murder mystery type books. I'm down to however many magazines a week in the head, and a book every 7-8 days now. I still read too damn much, but there it is.

I get a subscrition to jp mag. I also buy 4wheel and off road. I just buy it . I donot care what's on the cover because they have great info in it. As for covers sure a great looking truck and bright color will catch my eye,then I'll look at the words on the cover. If it has somthing related to my jeep zj or jeeps in greneral I'd buy it. If it has a ZJ artical in it I'll run ppl down in the store and walk over their face to get to the cash to buy it, and get home to read it!!!!

In other words MORE ZJ's PLEASE!!! On another note fourwheeler mag has a project zj they are doing that is very cool.

?1. The cover DOES NOT get my attention at all. After reading all those books I am sure you know the phrase, "Don't judge a book by its cover." I go for any & all 4X4 niche mags like you. I subscribe to JP & Fourwheeler. However the rest of them I will open them up and quickly go through. If they have BUGGIES I DON'T BUY! I they have crazy 49 inch Iroks on rockwell axles I DON'T BUY (sorry Cappa) If I see a cj, yj, tj, xj, mj, zj, wj, kj built nicely 37s to 32s give or take I BUY!!

I feel that those crazy hacked and chopped up jeeps with portals etc etc have lossed sooo much character. Also I have way more respect for a guy who can pack his jeep up drive to the wheeling spot, wheel, and DRIVE home not trailer it. I dig daily drivers that can be wheeling warriors! ie: Project HATARI or Larry Mcrae's 93 blue YJ in the JP June issue.

Basically the shiny fancy pictures don't suck me in. Maybe it helped being a marketing major in college, you'd be surprised of some tactics but to answer number 2 it's D the actual content of the articles.

Oh, and I like smart ass editors too, which is why I like Cappa I guess.

I agree. I like the realworld rigs the best. Not some 50 to 100,000 dollar super rig.  

I look at pictures as well as the table of contents but , like the others, if it has some professionally built megabuck rig on the cover I return it to the rack.  I live in the real world and can't afford these things.  It seems half the time they don't even have decent off road capabilities anyway!  I will always be a JP subscriber because I know they are about Jeeps and nothing but Jeeps.  

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Magazines like JP and 4wheel I trust to have good content. As for other mags, I'll buy if there is something that pertains to me, particularly some good Jeep tech or east coast wheeling articles. I don't need a mag to tell me how to dump $100k into a show truck, or how to install some pucks to level out a f-150. So it really is the articles...doesn't necessarily have to be Jeep articles, but informative and off road related.  

i started getting jp magazine about two years ago and i still get them becuase i like the fact that they are nuthin but jeeps and only jeeps. i own 2 mj comanches and im hopeing that someday they have an article on those. but i need it to be one of those real world articles not one that tells me what i could do to it if i had a million dollars like all those other off roader mags tend to do. i want an off road truck not some stupid show truck that you cant drive on the street much or go off roading with.  

I no longer subscribe. I grew tired of the writing staff and topics. Ill pick up a copy now and then when there is an article related to my jeep, but there are young folks in my house, and I don't wish for them to see some of the recent content. Its a real shame that the writers can't see the truly broad spectrum of jeep owners out there. Its also sad to see the magazine head into college lifestyle territory. Luckily there are other options out there with mature editors. Ive found it humorus to see the constant flow of hate mail over the last few years. You would think the publisher would get the picture.  

yes you would think, I guess they just donot care what the ppl BUYING their mag REALLY WANTS.  

"It’s a real shame that the writers can't see the truly broad spectrum of Jeep owners out there."

Interesting quote. You're right! But don't you see the irony here? You won’t buy the mag unless it has something about your Jeep in it, but you want the mag to be broader in content?

Our readers range from under 18 to over 80. We have to cater to them all. Not to mention we have to cover as many model Jeeps as we can and as many different levels of tech too. No other magazine has more Jeep tech than Jp.

Ask Bree Three is one page, less than 1% of the magazine. It's not exactly what anyone can honestly call the “direction” of Jp Magazine. But guess what? People like it! In fact, it's the second most popular clicked-on item here on our website (the index is # 1). So somebody in the broad spectrum likes it.

Not every story in Jp Magazine will cater to what every reader wants. It can't because it's not possible. Ultimately some readers have gotten selfish because there isn't enough of their kind of Jeep in Jp. However, if we do too much flatfender tech the TJ guys get mad. If we do too much cheap tech the guys with money get mad and so on (what happened to wanting a broad spectrum?). But, if you truly look, there is something for everyone in every story. Even if it's a simple cup holder idea in an expensive feature Jeep.

John Cappa

Editor, Jp Magazine

See you missed my main point. I can no longer leave the magazine around the house because of small children at home, and the fact that Im trying to convice my wife that this sport is more than about being a redneck. A half naked chick, and college humor doesn't help any. In the earlier days, JP focused on Jeeping, not stupid humor and half naked chicks to sell the magazine. Needless to say, there is now another option in Jeep print magazines so there is hope. Like I mentioned before, if I want half naked chicks, there are better mags out there. If I want college level humor, there are again better sources. However, there are only a limited number of offroading magazines. Its a shame to see a great one loose its focus. You would think that a public advocate of the sport would help keep the image clean...

BTW, I only buy the mag when it has relevant content because I can't leave the crap that comes with the content lying around my house.

I'm sorry but I suppose we’ll have to disagree on this one. Do you cover your children's eyes when you go to the beach or pool and see a woman wearing a bikini? There is no porn (sexual acts) or even soft porn (nudity) in Jp Magazine. What we show is no different than what you might see at a bikini contest at any truck show where families might be (there are lots of them), public pool, or beach. How is it not appropriate? Even junk mail store ads with women's bras and underwear are more revealing than what is in Jp.

John Cappa

Editor, Jp Magazine 

I didn't come here to argue, just state my opinion with the hopes that someone would here it. Ive done that and now Ill leave.  Thank you for allowing me to voice my opinion. I no longer buy JP, I took my subcription money elsewhere. Ill give you this much, at least you make a public presence. More than most would do. See you on the trails. In a jeep.

Thanks

I DISAGREE I THINK ITS BASICLY HOW YOU HAVE HER POSING AND THE STUPID PERVERTED QUESTIONS YOU ASK HER PLUS THERE ARE WOMEN THAT ENJOY THIS MAGAZINE TO, I THINK ITS STUPID THAT YOU PUT IT IN THE MAGAZINE ONLY ONE PAGE OR NOT. YOU SHOULDNT BE SO DESPERATE TO GET MORE SALES BECAUSE THE WORLD TODAY IS SO FOCUSED ON HALF NAKED WOMEN. I LOVE JEEPING WITH MY HUSBAND AND BASICALLY ALL THINGS JEEP UNTIL NOW I HATE WHEN HE GETS YOUR MAGAZINE, WHICH HE WONT FOR MUCH LONGER .