ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 31, 1997 TAG: 9701310018
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KEVIN KITTREDGE STAFF WRITER
ARTicle Magazine, which was born amid the wreckage of V magazine a year ago and lasted some half dozen issues, apparently is no more.
Publisher Richard Koehler, 25, has left the area to attend college in Richmond. "I just had to go back to school for personal reasons," Koehler said. "I wish I would have got school out of the way before I started it....For as inexperienced as we were, I think we put out a pretty good publication."
ARTicle entered the local publishing market last spring with a magazine-style monthly that chronicled local arts and entertainment. Begun by ex-V staffer Koehler, it seemed to find its niche quickly, developing a bullpen of regular contributors and an ad base. It was a common sight on the counters of downtown businesses, restaurants and in public spaces.
General Production Services, the commercial printing division of The Roanoke Times, printed the magazine for Koehler. GPS coordinator Danny Webb said he last talked to Koehler in December, when they discussed making some changes in format and switching to a different grade of paper for the January issue. "He seemed positive and upbeat," Webb said.
But calls to the magazine's office in late December and early January went unanswered, Webb said, and it eventually became apparent there would be no January issue.
"It was kind of up in the air what we were going to do" at the time, explained Koehler, who said he left for Richmond early in January.
He also said it is possible the magazine will be revived by someone else - including The Roanoke Times.
Koehler's father, Frank Koehler of Roanoke, confirmed he was contacted earlier this week by a Roanoke Times representative, Barry Briggs, about the possibility of acquiring his son's magazine. Briggs, who explores new ventures for this newspaper, declined to comment to a reporter.
The magazine's unexpected demise left at least a few contributors scratching their heads.
Pearl Fu, who wrote a column for the magazine, said she had written one on the Chinese New Year for the January issue, and her daughter had painted a picture they hoped would go on the cover.
After several calls to the magazine's office were not returned, Fu began calling other contributors and staffers and learned that Koehler had left.
"I thought it was a pretty good magazine," she said. "I miss it."
Her article, at least, will not go to waste. Fu said she gave it instead to Karl Phillips, a local photographer who will publish it in his City magazine.
City - which chronicles local arts and entertainment - has published four issues since summer and is preparing a February issue, Phillips said. He described the magazine as "The voice of the City Market."
Both City and ARTicle appeared after the death of V, which lasted more than five years before collapsing beneath a pile of debt last winter. V publisher Jim Cubby left for Florida, where, when last heard from, he was working for an alternative newspaper in Miami Beach.
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Cover of two editions of "ARTicle. color.by CNB