Question about Soldier of Fortune magazine

[Squeech]

Anybody here read Soldier of Fortune? Does it even exist any more? It was sort of a mass market color glossy magazine all about the lifestyle of mercenaries. Back when I was (pretending to be) a college student, my girlfriend used to buy it occasionally for laughs. We assumed that it was being targeted largely to armchair patriots, the sort of people that we now refer to as the 101st Fighting Keyboarders-- but there were also advertisements purporting to recruit mercs, so I assume that at least some of its readership had some actual military experience and kept up with the field.

So I wonder what their editorial take is on Custer Battles and the other mercs in Iraq. Anybody know anything?

[MrScorpio]

1. It's still around

http://www.sofmag.com/news/index.html

[stellanoir]

2. Don't know nada 'bout those publications . . .

I would well imagine the content in those sorts of mags if they're still around, must have changed dramatically after both the invasion of Iraq and then again after the burning and hanging of those most unfortuate Blackwater dudes in Fallujah. Sorta stating the obvious here.

Can't imagine anyone would willingly want such employment these days. But ya never know.

[Squeech]

4. Dunno

Friend of mine used to dote on Popular Mechanics and Popular Science when he was a kid. Back then, he says, they were geared to backyard hobbyists with decent home workshops, with projects that were both useful and within the skill sets of such people. Then, he says, he came back to those magazines as an adult, and he was appalled to observe that the nice woodworking projects were all gone, and in their place were scads of articles about either big expensive products you could buy, or even bigger and more expensive products (like military hardware) that you should write your congressman about. The do-it-yourself orientation was apparently extinct, replaced by cheerleading for the military-industrial complex.

I did follow Mr. Scorpio's link, and the table of contents includes stories that purport to be true to life (and death?) accounts of the Iraq war.

And there certainly are people who want to work for Custer Battles and their ilk, if for no other reason than the pay scale is an order of magnitude better than what the maladministration is willing to pay the troops they claim to support.

[stellanoir]

5. Yeah my brother

was TOTALLY into Popular Mechanics and Popular Science as a kid. He's still sort of a mad inventor. I got him a subscription for this magazine

http://www.makezine.com/

last Christmas and he absolutely LOVES it.

The publishers are totally funny and totally nutz.

Contractors (aka mercs) tend to make 5-10 times more than the soldiers who are assigned to protect them. For the record. . .I much prefer Make Magazine's form of nutz actually.

[Crazy Dave]

3. It's been over 22 years since I looked at one but...

...from what I remember it was the equivalent of a military surplus catalog full of ads. A few articles but majority advertising.