“Would you like more cheese with that whine?” That’s


JAY JONES PUBLISHER


what I was told by the publisher at my previous job, at another LGBT publication 11 years ago. I really didn’t think I was “whining,” I was simply discussing what the community was asking for. Shortly after that, fortunately, I was let go, and along with a group of other individuals who had also been dismissed from the same publication, I decided to createThe Rage Monthly (just so you know, the RAGE stands for: Real, Art, Gay, Entertainment). Then Editor Bill Biss, jokingly used to say we were on the Island of Misfit Toys as depicted in TV’sRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Here we are ten years later, still together and


making magic happen, just like we did all those years ago! We’ve managed to add some amazing talent along the way such as Editor-In-Chief Joel Martens and Account Manager Kevin Plautz, while Art Director Cesar Reyes, Associate Publisher Brad Hart, Photographer Dennis Covey and Copy Editor Bill Biss, continue to sharpen their ever-growing talents. Thank you all, for your amazing work! I’m not going to start naming all those who


have contributed and our dear advertisers, who have supported us, because it would be endless pages and I would fear missing one single person or company. So, here’s a giant “Thank You” to them, with another for our loyal readers, who in turn support our advertisers by picking up the magazine! The highlights over the last 10 years have


to encompass meeting so many community members locally and nationally. That includes some amazingly talented entertainers: Adam Lambert, Donna Summers, Joan Rivers, k.d Lang, George Hamilton, Harvey Fierstein, Leslie Jordan, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Vince Clarke and Andy Bell to name a few. Being invited to photograph Lady Gaga at her


House of Blues concert in San Diego—and in a fluke that can’t be overlooked—being able to photograph Cyndi Lauper during a concert, as well. The best part? At the end of her third song Lauper yelled at me to “Stop photograph- ing” because she felt the angle would give her a double chin…It still cracks me up to this day! Over the years we’ve been told our magazine covers are


incredible and as to my favorite? I said “What… choose one out of 120?” It seems to me that it’s always the most current


cover of course! So, I’ll pick my second favorite. November 2015 because it was the first cover I photographed personally! It only took me eight years to do it!


Ten years have gone so fast for me. I was in my


CESAR A. REYES ART DIRECTOR


twenties when we set out on this adventure to bring the LGBT community a magazine that dealt with more then just night life.The Rage Monthly showcases art and entertainment and all the community events that helped to power our local organizations. Picking my favorite is really not a fair task with 10


years of covers and photo shoots to choose from...I see each and everyone of them as my babies. Having the freedom to create a concept and to bring it to life makes it too hard to decide which is better than the others, so, I will just have to pick our first cover. June 2007’s cover represented diversity, not only in ethnicity but also in sexuality, because it showcased a straight model with two gay models (you guys will have to decide which one is the hetero). It’s a cover representing the dreams and hopes of a


group of artists who wanted to give our local communi- ties something they and their mothers, can proudly display on their coffee tables next to the national magazines like anOut orTheAdvocate. I have so many fantastic memories from the past


One ofThe


Rage Monthly’s goals each issue, is to highlight the latest and greatest in LGBT culture and entertainment. We all love to be entertained, right? And perhaps we as a community, need it now more than ever. We have been blessed to speak with so many celebrities, musicians and icons over the last ten years. Several wonderful interviews stick out that I am so proud of. From Meryl Streep and Joan Rivers to Dolly Parton and Lady Gaga, Dustin Lance Black and George Takei. Each of them took the time to share their thoughts, make us laugh and in turn, make us think. One of our most popular conversations (and a personal favorite) was back in 2010 with Gale Harold, star of the ground-breaking Showtime seriesQueer As Folk. He rarely gave interviews at the time, so we were very fortunate for such an exclusive. Harold talked about some of his fondest memories from the show and its great impact on the LGBT community. Life certainly has changed and gotten a lot


more exciting and we have been fortunate to attend numerous fundraisers, galas, premieres, festivals and awards ceremonies, including a few at whichThe Rage Monthly was honored. A favorite was in 2009, when we won our first “Outstanding Publication” award at the San Diego Nicky Awards, which recognizes outstanding achievement in the LGBT community. It was a very proud moment for all of us, proving that hard work does pay off. The Rage Monthly is known for not only


its diverse content, but also in a big way for its eye-catching covers! Our photo shoots regularly feature local models from the LGBT community and our San Diego Pride 2016 cover is one I’m particularly proud of, because of its all-inclusive representation,


BRAD HART ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER


featuring our beautifully diverse, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. It’s been a wonderful adven-


ture and I am so grateful to be a part of it. Thank you to our staff and writers and to our readers for your continued support over the years. Cheers to ten more!


10 years, but one that is special to me is having my alter ego , Daisy, meet Kathy Griffin during her 2008 San Diego Pride performance. We showed up beforehand to her hotel and helped get her hair pieces on point before the show. It was interesting to find out that the loud, very vocal Kathy, is actually very quiet and calm before hitting the stage. Another time was the year Erasure perform for Pride 2007 (our first Pride). My friends and I hit Pecs bar after the festival for some beers and Andy Bell happened to be there. He flirted with me and wanted to take me back to his room, but let’s just say I was a good boy. I just thank him for his interest and bought him another Corona! Lastly, one of my favorite interviews is the one we


did June of 2015 with Mika, the Lebanese and English singer who was releasing his latest album. He was finally clearing all the sexuality rumors and coming out as gay... Even though he has never liked labels and constrains in loving who ever he chooses to love. I have always been a fan and his music has always resonated with my life, so I was excited to see him in our pages.


30


RAGE monthly | JUNE 2017


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