• Commodore Free Magazine, Issue 79 - Part 8

    From Stephen Walsh@39:901/280 to All on Tue Apr 15 19:48:59 2014
    ather brought one home for the first time in
    about 1984 and haven't looked back! I have never really been a part of the 'scene', however I have had many swapping contacts over the years; and have also been involved with a few other C64 related projects. In real life I'm
    the proud father of 3 beautiful children; and have one more due in May.
    I'm also a school teacher and love my job. My family is my life! And I'm always very busy. My computer/gaming hobbies are a great way to unwind and relax.

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    Q. Reset is just Commodore 64 based, was this the intention to solely concentrate on Commodore 64 content?

    A. Reset will always remain dedicated to the C64, however may feature different computers within the content from time to time.

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    Q. I must ask about the name of the magazine "reset" this came from a plea
    on lemon 64 for a name did it?

    A. Well, Reset started life as an idea that I had a few years ago to
    produce a Commodore newsletter for the Australian scene. I then found out about the AusCBM Yahoo user group which pretty much had that covered. The
    idea stuck; but I was never able to get anything off the ground due to real life events and lack of time. Last year I thought I'd have another go at
    it, and the idea slowly evolved into what the magazine is now. On Lemon I announced the magazine and asked if anyone had a good name, Reset was one
    of the names that stood out and it seems to have been a good choice. Also "reset" sounded good

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    Q. The format of the magazine, it's a free PDF download, I believe it's supposed to be printed as an A5 booklet. Why did you choose this format
    and layout for the magazine?

    A. The magazine is produced to look its best when printed. I chose a type writer style font; and a simple looking layout to give the magazine a retro/indie feel; and look for a retro themed mag. A5 is a great size for
    a booklet, is cheaper to produce, is easy to mail out and it looks great!

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    Q. How many writers do you have "working" for the magazine?

    A. Reset Magazine Staff consists of 5 people.

    * Kevin Tilley (Unkle K) - Editor, Staff Writer, Design

    * Vinny Mainolfi (C64endings.co.uk) - Co-Editor, Staff Writer, Design

    * Nick Dibble (Plume) - Staff Writer

    * Paul Morrison (PaulEMoz) - Staff Writer

    * Shane Wood (zap) - Webmaster

    A great bunch of people who are a pleasure to work with!

    It's worth mentioning that Reset is by no means a professional publication.
    It is a hobby project done for fun, written by a bunch of people who are currently enjoying working on a project together.

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    Q. How difficult was it to persuade people to write for a new magazine?

    A. No one needed persuading. I had some offers, others were invitations
    and they accepted. I think some people connected with the idea, and wanted
    to be a part of it, hopefully that can continue into the future.

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    Q. Can anyone contribute to the magazine, or do you just accept
    contributions from the "staff" writers?

    A. Contributions are always welcome. We have a list of contributors, some
    of who will be regularly writing a column, and some who might only
    contribute when they get a chance. Anybody is welcome, if you have
    something to say about this fantastic hobby of ours the get in touch. Most
    of the content in Reset is exclusive and written for the magazine. Reset
    is not a news magazine, but rather a collection of articles and columns celebrating the C64, retro computing and the hobby that connects us all.
    The magazine doesn't need to be filled, as long as there is something interesting to read; it doesn't matter if an issue is 20 pages long or 100.

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    Q. You seem to be obtaining quite favourable reviews, what's one of the
    best and one of the worst comments about the magazine you can remember?

    A. As long as we keep enjoying making Reset it will continue. I'm really
    glad that there are people out there getting something out of it, we enjoy making it. Saying that, we also want Reset to be its best, so any
    constructive criticism we receive will be looked at and considered by the
    team.

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    Q. When are the issues released?

    A. At the moment, we are aiming for the issues to be quarterly, however
    while that is the aim it is certainly not a commitment. Anything can
    happen and real life and family will always be a priority over a hobby.

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    Q. I read that a small number of each issue will be printed for
    distribution, you also say there may be a possibility of the magazine being available for sale, do you think this is a real possibility and have you thought about distribution and cover issue price?

    30 copies of Reset #2 (Special Edition) were produced and sold. This is a manageable amount for me and this offer will probably continue into the
    future, as long as I have the time. Any announcements will be made on the Reset Magazine thread at Lemon, and @resetc64 on Twitter. The price for
    Reset #2 was Au$5, and that only just covering my costs. Reset will always remain non-profit.

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    Q. I know the issues are aimed at the "casual" commodore user, what would
    you define as a casual user?

    A. Anyone can enjoy Reset. I have had a lot of nice comments coming from
    C64 sceners who have enjoyed the light hearted nature of the magazine. The casual C64 user is the user who had a C64 in the old days and has recently
    come back and rediscovered it, or just enjoys the C64 as a casual hobby. I have had a few people tell me how surprised they were about the amount of activity on the C64, with so many new games coming out. Maybe this can contribute to renewed interest and a few more sales for companies like Psytronik, RGCD and Protovision, as well as maybe even a few others who
    will catch the bug and come back to programming and producing something on
    the C64. Reset #2 has had over 2000 downloads so maybe this exposure can
    help contribute to the revival in interest we are seeing, which can only be
    a good thing.

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    Q. From what I have seen with Commodore Free the amount of readers seems
    to be going up each year, do you think there is a real nostalgic feeling
    about 8 bit systems, and do you think this is on the increase?

    A. Absolutely agree. It's especially great seeing new names come up on
    the CSDB, forums and in credits for new games/demos/C64 related
    productions. Just turning on that blue screen brings back a lot of happy feelings for many people, and with all of the new and old software and hardware, there is plenty to do and collect.

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    Q. do you think more younger people are entering into the scene, who are
    maybe seeing Commodore for the first time?

    A. I hope so. People who are enjoying the challenge of producing
    something for a system with so many limitations. These people don't have
    that nostalgic connection to the C64, but may be attracted to programming
    on the C64 for other reasons. Others may just be interested in checking it out.

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    Q. I have to ask "do you read Commodore Free" and what comments do you
    have about the magazine Good or bad?

    A. You do a great job, and as long as you keep enjoying it, keep doing
    what you do.

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    Q. Finally is there a question you would have liked to have been asked or
    any closing comment you would like to add

    A. Just a big thank-you to everyone who has supported Reset, and of
    course; everyone who supports the C64 in general! I would encourage people
    to find a way in which they can contribute to the scene, no matter how big
    or small, and go for it! This community of ours is filled with fantastic, creative and talented people. It's been a pleasure forming so many friendships; and meeting some great people over the years because

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