Spence Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Hi Everyone! I posted this on my Facebook page on Friday and now feel it is perhaps okay to post it here too, for those that might be interested in what I'm up to! Here goes... Now that I’ve wrapped up my modelling commitments for 2014, I’d like to make an announcement on here that will reveal my future plans. Following discussions with ADH, I can now announce that the new year will see me returning full time to an editing roll as I take over from Richard Franks at the helm of Model Airplane International. Two years ago I resigned from the Editor’s chair after 17 years of running Military In Scale and was very fortunate to be offered a model-making job with the guys at ADH, working alongside Marcus, Brett and Richard on all manner of subjects. Though this has been a lot of fun, I’m delighted to once again be given the opportunity to run a magazine and bring together not only a great team of model-makers, but some great models as well! What this means is that to all intents and purposes, after 20 years, I will be retiring from military modelling as a profession. Though I may do the odd vehicle build here and there for TMMI – including the new Tamiya Lang – I will be concentrating full time on my first and most enduring love, aircraft. Who knows, I may do some vehicles for myself, but as a job, it will be aircraft all the way! I’d really like to thank Richard for all of his hard work on the magazine over the last ten years and to the guys at ADH who have shown trust and faith enough in me to give me this opportunity. I’ll be planning new material, contacting new authors and sourcing samples, products and other items needed for my first and subsequent issues. I can’t wait to get started. If you have any ideas, want to get involved, or just want to say hello, don’t hesitate to contact me – it’ll be great to hear from you! All the best and have a great evening! Spence 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Bryon Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Excellent news. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanflyer Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Nice one Spence. It'd be nice to get back into print again, so if you want to get the band back together, you know where I am... Best of luck with it mate, Dean 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hacker Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Might take you up on the last part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 Thanks a lot guys, it'll be great to get started once again! Spence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 great news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptmvarsityfan Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Best wishes for your new venture Cheers, Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 All the best with the new venture Spence,I have to admit that I have cut down to just the one Magazine over the last few months which is SAMI. I have MAI going back to issue one and would certainly say it,s build features and Photo essays were the best of the bunch,and aircraft profiles superb,what I find with buying three is the repetition of kit builds/reviews sometimes in the same month which is natural as all the magazines want to get in there first with the latest Tamigawa offering,but shelling out over twelve quid a month to find three builds of the same kit is a bit hard to swallow,I would prefer to see the best build of a kit rather than the first.I will certainly look forward to checking out the magazine when you are at the helm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eng Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Excellent news, I still maintain that Military in Scale was the best mag going since I got back into the hobby and was very sad to see it go. Without a doubt though MAI is, again in my opinion, the best of the bunch when it comes to aircraft mags and the only thing I would ask is that you don't go for any radical changes to the format or layout. I like it how it is and as someone already pointed out the build articles and photo essays are outstanding. The quick builds and reviews are bang on and I genuinely believe the closing comments from the builder are an honest, in-censored opinion of the kit. Yes, go for more builds, reviews, new blood, I'm all for that. Given your personal builds and editing history I'm looking forward to seeing you at the helm of MAI next year. Well done and Very best of luck for 2015. Kind regards, Eng Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton guy Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Military in Scale and Model Aviation World were the best. As a charter subscriber to MAI I am really looking forward to this. Hopefully we will see more "modelling" content. Most of my favorite magazines could be renamed "Painting Model Airplanes". Some good old fashioned modelling content would be great. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted December 19, 2014 Author Share Posted December 19, 2014 Thanks very much everyone! I'm really pleased that you remember what we did with MIS/MAW and that you are as pleased with this news as I am! AS far as changes are concerned with MAI, they will mainly be incremental improvements that will add a few more sections and opinions to the magazine. I'm hoping to retain the entire team of builders, add more and retain the honesty and critical stance that the magazine has a reputation for delivering: if we need to praise a product, we will; if we need to damn it, we'll do that too! We'll also be adding to the in-depth build features and will be including more step by steps of not only new kits, but also older ones as well. We believe in offering plenty of inspiring features that will tell you not only how we painted the kits, but also how we built them - it's not only about the glitz and glamour! I can't wait to get started now and look forward to hearing from you. If anyone feels that they could contribute features and builds, please contact me - I have a lot of magazines to fill! All the best - Spence 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismac60 Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 First job: improve the paper quality, even if it means fewer pages. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Bryon Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 AS far as changes are concerned with MAI, they will mainly be incremental improvements that will add a few more sections and opinions to the magazine. Excellent! I buy MAI every month (usually the digital format) and my only complaints are 1) the previous editor didn't know how to use question marks, and 2) the magazine is too thin. More of the same would be most welcome. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwh Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 First job: improve the paper quality, even if it means fewer pages. Chris. We do not want less pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Morning everyone! Well, I've just completed my first edition of MAI and begun working on the new one. I think that you will enjoy the direction that we are taking the magazine with more features and far less reliance on lists of new items. I've also brought back a number of my team from MIS and bulked them out with new authors who's work you will enjoy. Well, I hope so! As for paper quality, I'm lead to believe that is in hand and no, there won't be less pages! We are still looking for quality authors, so if you feel you can contribute - please let me know! Spence 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wezra Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 So will your issue be the next one or is it out now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latinbear Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Call me a pedant but shouldn't it be "fewer" pages rather than "less" pages? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Good Luck in your new venture.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 Hi guys! So will your issue be the next one or is it out now? My first issue is the March 2015 edition - it should be out very soon... Call me a pedant but shouldn't it be "fewer" pages rather than "less" pages? You're a pedant... Good Luck in your new venture.... Thanks a lot! Spence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloegin57 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 We are still looking for quality authors, so if you feel you can contribute - please let me know! Spence On what ?. Modelling ?, history ? and how much editorial rampaging would there be for completed articles/snippets ?. Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Morning everyone! Well, I've just completed my first edition of MAI and begun working on the new one. I think that you will enjoy the direction that we are taking the magazine with more features and far less reliance on lists of new items. I've also brought back a number of my team from MIS and bulked them out with new authors who's work you will enjoy. Well, I hope so! As for paper quality, I'm lead to believe that is in hand and no, there won't be less pages! We are still looking for quality authors, so if you feel you can contribute - please let me know! Spence Hi Spencer, would you be interested in the new Werk 803 IL-14 for the mag? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I received my copy today and enjoyed it very much. The only small point and this might be down to me is that I found the "Final verdict" section in each article quite difficult to read due to the cross hatched background, Other than that it was a worthy start. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latinbear Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 My copy arrived yesterday and I would echo Stephen's comments above. I would also add that the font in the "Kit Build" sidebar is not great to read and is a hangover from the publisher's disastrous flirtation with that font a good few issues ago. Fortunately common sense prevailed and it was changed back but the same font is still used in the Kit Build components section. Please can it be changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gruffy Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 I did like this month's edition but I think it needs colours profiles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 I received my copy today and enjoyed it very much. The only small point and this might be down to me is that I found the "Final verdict" section in each article quite difficult to read due to the cross hatched background, Other than that it was a worthy start. Thank you - I pass on the comment to our designers... My copy arrived yesterday and I would echo Stephen's comments above. I would also add that the font in the "Kit Build" sidebar is not great to read and is a hangover from the publisher's disastrous flirtation with that font a good few issues ago. Fortunately common sense prevailed and it was changed back but the same font is still used in the Kit Build components section. Please can it be changed. Again - thanks for the comment, I'll look into it, though I have a feeling it's a design issue and so not really in my remit! I did like this month's edition but I think it needs colours profiles. We are working on it! Spence 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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