ooking back, I still wonder if the decision to start a brand-new publishing company in February-March of 2020 was a good idea or not. Well, considering that all I’ve done and known since 1993 is how to make magazines, I guess there really was no choice … especially since I wasn’t ready to tie on an apron and flip burgers … yet.

But to be honest, I had no desire to start over and try something different. I’ve become so accustomed to the art of making magazines that it’s literally part of who I am. Because of all the connections and relationships I’ve made over the last three decades in this particular industry, it only made sense to stick with what—and who—I knew.

And when I reference “art” in the process of creating a magazine, I mean the entire procedure, from the generation of content (and the manner in which it’s generated) to the way it’s presented in published form. That’s a job in and of itself when you look at the role of the editor of, let’s say, GQ or Time magazine. Not for us low-level grunts, though—no way, no how! You see, for the typical niche-market enthusiast magazine editor, it goes way beyond that. I would love to be a proverbial “interior decorator,” as it were, and simply assign my vast staff of in-house and freelance journalists and photographers to go out and create selected content on a monthly basis—but since I am the in-house journalist, I myself have to do the creating part … and I’m absolutely OK with that, as it keeps me immersed in the hobby from a builder’s and manufacturer’s aspect. Keeping up on all the latest and greatest parts, or simply putting a new twist on an old one and how it’s installed and/or used, is how I stay relevant, so to speak.

But when it comes to the features, well, I’ve come to leave that up to the freelance professionals—the individuals whose photography you’ve become accustomed to seeing here on the pages of CTP since we started. That said, however, on a recent “pseudo vacation,” I did find myself behind the lens shooting some V-twin–related content for a friend, and man did it bring back some memories … mostly good! Dealing with lighting, reflections, angles, and so on—the stuff I leave up to the aforementioned pros—are things that I haven’t dealt with in years, and it felt good to get back into it. Now, will you start seeing features shot by yours truly in future issues? Probably not. But it still felt good dusting off that shutter button and even better capturing some great images!

Now, when it comes to the “monthly mix,” that being the mixture of features, tech, and events in each issue, I kinda like to think we’re doing a pretty good job. Of course there are other periodicals out there doing the same, and some who just publish features, but I feel you’d be hard pressed to find another publication dedicated to classic trucks that has a better blend of all three than CTP! I may be wrong, and I’d definitely like to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Until next month …