Today I got hot issue of SILESIA #10 and I have to admit that my articles bases on AXEL D's serie in SILESIA (I mean this one about Polish Disk Magazines). I looked at list of magazines which were or are run in Poland with a bit nostalgia. Do you know that there were more than 40 disk magazines in the history of Polish scene? We can say a lot about our scene but in running disk magazines we would be on high position on charts.
There were various disk magazines - some of them passed without any sound and after several issues (usually after 3 issues) they just died silently and alone. Other got big number of readers. In this article I'd like to mention about several well-known disk magazines which will be forever on the pages of history of Polish scene.
Do you remember times when there were no disk magazines on the scene in our country? Then after some time first disk magazines appeared, slowly competition was born. Magazines like KEBAB, ZIG ZAG and FAT AGNUS will be in my memory forever. This magazines are just foundation of our text writing. KEBAB was my favourite one. Till today I remember these times when I managed to get hot issue of KEBAB and when I insterted disk into disk drive of my old Amiga 500 (K.1.2). These times guys who were writing for disk magazines were for me somebody above average users. They belonged to THE SCENE. Unfortunately KEBAB "died" as first - only 5 issues were released.
ZIG ZAG lived lot longer, its last issue was released in 1994 (I know that lately NINJA tries to raise ZIG ZAG from the dead and he even released a new issue). Now only one old magazine remains - FAT AGNUS called also warmly "FATEK". Actually it's the oldest disk magazine with the biggest number of issues - so far there were 16 issues. This mag is fruit of hard work of many guys, the most known person among them is Lifter, estimated as one of the best text writers in Poland. There was big metamorphosis since 1 to 16 issue, what was needed because of growing competition.
Every issue of each of these disk magazines was welcomed with great applause. But let's look at for example any issue of KEBAB. Poor design, not many (comparing to today's standards) articles.... So what was so exciting for readers? This subject I leave for completly new article..
Some time passed and many disk magazines appeared in very short period of time. I mention only such titles like ALA MA KOTA (3 issues released), HOT DOG (?), NEXT LIFE (7 issues) or PAPER WHITE (3). None of this magazines is still active. Dissapearing of this mags was made up by appearing new zines, often they were run by the same people who earlier were taking part in making magazines mentioned above. I have to tell several words about ZASMASHKA. Only one issue was released but its entering on "market of magazines" was really smashing. Articles of qood quality and code.... Code was of highest quality. ZASMASHKA immediately reached top of charts and... nothing. Till today you can find ZASMASHKA on some charts.
It can be said that editors of this magazine disrespected superb chance to bring this magazine strong position on top charts for very long time. Some time ago editors of such disk magazines as ONE MORE SHIT (3 issues) and BARBAPAPA (4) gave up their editing career. I don't know if onformation about "death" of BARBAPAPA is true in 100 % but if it is then it's a pity - this magazine had its own style and from issue to issue rose its level of quality. And THING? Next magazine which hit the scene in a big style. In spite of its crazy numeration it had many fans. Several things were its strong side: the best design, two language versions etc. But after some time THING became a magazine only in English and in every day next issue should be released.
What do we have today? Now on the scene there is about 25-30 active disk magazines. Only several of them is worth mentioning. I won't mention about FAT AGNUS because I wrote about it above. I'll only add that FAT AGNUS resembles me an old grandfather who wakes up from time to time and surprises its grandsons (read: other disk magazines) by giving them next portion of wide sentences (read: articles about interesting subjects). Besides there are magazines like SILESIA (11 issues so far), TELESPHORE (4), POCZYTAJ MI MAMO (7). Then follows magazines like BRAIN DEGENERATOR (6) or NIE Z TEJ BECZKI (6).
It can be written a lot about disk magazines in Poland. Subject is really wide and I you only want to write about old times or about actual situation "on market" of zines don't hestitate and just do it.
Finishing this article I want to write once again that part of datas (how many issues every magazine had so far) I took from article "Polish Disk Magazines" by AXEL D ILS published in SILESIA #10.