Launch Magazine-Reprints on PDF

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lowga

A.K.A. 'Mr. HoJo'
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I've been prowling ebay and Amazon for months, looking to buy back issues of Launch magazine. This amazing, four-color glossy magazine covered virtually everything to do with rocketry including our hobby. The magazine rarely comes up on auction sites, and when it does--it goes for big dollars.

I wonder if the copyright holder could consider doing high-resolution scans and making the run of the magazine available on optical disc (CD-ROM)? Seems like a great way to make some money.

Only managed to pick up a couple of issues, and the DVD that the magazine published called the 2008 Old Rocketeers Reunion. Would love to have more. I think it's fascinating to read about the history of the hobby.

Anyone have any back issues they'd be willing to part with?
 
Ummmmm, There's something called copyright and I 'spect some lawyer types would be pounding on the door if the original owners come look'in. I had the full run of issues but lost them in a flood. If someone scanned them for you and did it all "under
the table", you've lucked out and I'd keep your mouth shut. Like I said, I lost mine in a flood so they are no more. Kurt
 
Thanks Sam B! I will reach out to Mark Mayfield and see if he if this is something that he's considered. Copyrights or related legal issues may also be preventing him from republishing the magazine on CD-ROM. I make television commercials for a living, so I understand the ins and outs of intellectual property. The photography for the magazine, for instance, may not have been cleared for reprints.

Fingers crossed though. If someone has back issues that they're willing to part with, I'd be happy to buy those issues.
 
No word on Twitter yet from Mark--hopeful that we'll hear from him. While I would never advocate piracy, I'm surprised that someone hasn't produced and sold a disc yet. The market is certainly there. Back issues fetch big bucks on the auction sites.
 
Mark is just to your west in Tuscaloosa (where he teaches in the Journalism school).

I lost all (or most) of my Launch Magazines in a hurried move last year, so I'd love to have them as PDFs as well.
 
If anyone has contact information (e-mail or phone) for Mark, please PM me. Knowing that he's in Tuscaloosa also increases my hope that we might be able to get a reprint CD package off the ground. Our company recently did high resolution scans of all available back issues of the AMSAT Journal and related publications, which were released on a DVD and sold to raise money for AMSAT.

We have the necessary equipment and personnel to do this--and it would be great to make reprints available to the rocketry community. We'd be willing to help out at no charge if Mark is interested.
 
If anyone has contact information (e-mail or phone) for Mark, please PM me. Knowing that he's in Tuscaloosa also increases my hope that we might be able to get a reprint CD package off the ground. Our company recently did high resolution scans of all available back issues of the AMSAT Journal and related publications, which were released on a DVD and sold to raise money for AMSAT.

We have the necessary equipment and personnel to do this--and it would be great to make reprints available to the rocketry community. We'd be willing to help out at no charge if Mark is interested.

[email protected]
This is from an opinion piece published two days ago.
 
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Thanks to both Steve and SamB for providing contact information for Mark Mayfield. I've e-mailed him at both addresses, and offered our services free of charge should he be interested in the project. Fingers crossed. I wonder if he'll be attending the Sky Jam launch this coming weekend in Harpersville, Alabama? It's not far from Tuscaloosa.
 
Well, Worst he could say it "no" or the nature of the material releases doesn't allow it. But then again, if it's I the affirmative, that would be great. I was still owed
a few issues when it went under but didn't bother. I too, had 'em all and lost them. Kurt
 
I've been prowling ebay and Amazon for months, looking to buy back issues of Launch magazine. This amazing, four-color glossy magazine covered virtually everything to do with rocketry including our hobby. The magazine rarely comes up on auction sites, and when it does--it goes for big dollars.

I wonder if the copyright holder could consider doing high-resolution scans and making the run of the magazine available on optical disc (CD-ROM)? Seems like a great way to make some money.

Only managed to pick up a couple of issues, and the DVD that the magazine published called the 2008 Old Rocketeers Reunion. Would love to have more. I think it's fascinating to read about the history of the hobby.

Anyone have any back issues they'd be willing to part with?

I found some of mine just tonight. They’ve been stored in a bookshelf in a magazine box since the one time I read them and they’re in great condition. I’m unsure how many I have; I think I won a one year subscription as a promotion on Rocketry Planet, so maybe I have most of a year’s worth. I’ll try to get a list put together this week sometime.


Steve Shannon
 
I'm a member of both Birmingham Rocket Boys and PMW--and will be at the launch Saturday if the weather cooperates. Here's hoping that Mark attends.

So can we assume Mark Mayfield was not amenable to the idea digitizing Launch ?
 
Heard back from Mark Mayfield today. He is interested in the possibility of releasing the magazines in an electronic format. We plan to meet later this week if our schedules line up.
 
Heard back from Mark Mayfield today. He is interested in the possibility of releasing the magazines in an electronic format. We plan to meet later this week if our schedules line up.

This sounds like a positive development. Thanks for staying after this lowga. Please keep us posted.
 
I don't have all of them but maybe about half. I'm kinda partial to them as I appear in several of them. I helped Mario with several of the projects he wrote for them. Pretty sure my garage is in at least 2 of the articles.

All of them should already be in digital format since Mark was a 100% digital shop until he sent it to the printers.
 
I would really love to see PDFs put out on Launch Magazine and Extreme Rocketry.
 
All of this is 100% my fault. Mark is a professor at the nearby University of Alabama, and offered to meet with me to discuss offering both reprints and/or digital copies for resale over a year ago. My life has just been crazy, and I haven't found time to meet with him since.

I'll add this to the "really do-to list" and see if I can make contact with him soon.
 
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