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May
2000
Long Live Anabolic Extreme Welcome back to another issue of Anabolic Extreme. Hopefully you're all growing at the same rate as the magazine, we're continuing to gain new readers at a surprising pace. Since its debut back in October of last year, I've attempted to keep AE on a seldom-traveled road. Rather than following the pack and allowing the content of the magazine to be determined by what will best help our short-term financial interests, I've tried to always keep the interests of the readers as the sole determining factor for what is posted here monthly. For the most part, I think I've succeeded, with a great deal of help from a fantastic group of contributors. If you are a regular reader of Anabolic Extreme, you've probably noticed that I almost always refer to "we" or "our" when discussing the magazine. That's because I really do feel that AE is a group effort, and becomes increasingly so on a monthly basis. In the very short time period this webzine has existed, it's undergone a radical transformation, from a somewhat amateurish attempt to cover bodybuilding, to one of the best informational resources available on the sport today. That may sound a bit egotistical or haughty considering I own this publication. However, I make that statement without a trace of arrogance or self-aggrandizement. I make it because I, like you, am a bodybuilder. As such, I can tell you that AE is really the only bodybuilding publication I look forward to every month. Admittedly, I produce some of the content, but it's the content I don't that excites me. Quite frankly, the only difference between myself and the thousands of readers that visit this website is that I get to read the great articles well in advance of everyone else! Since the beginning of AE, I've been asked many times why I created this webzine, and what's the driving force that keep it going. I've also had many question my motivation, expecting AE to "sell-out" at any moment. I guess that's to be expected, we as bodybuilders have been spurned by those that claimed to be our brethren, and I'm sure it will happen again. Nevertheless, some recent events have really caused me to think about why I created AE, and why I am so devoted to its success. Don't fold on me now dear reader, I'm not writing this article in order to give myself a pat on the back. Rather, this is a look at why AE is successful, what makes it tick, and why AE will ultimately change the face of bodybuilding journalism. I recently had a very long conversation with a producer from the BBC seeking information on the sport of bodybuilding. One of her questions was, "Why did you create Anabolic Extreme and what do you hope to accomplish with the site?" As I've said, I've been asked this question a million times before, but since I'm on the phone with the BBC with the possibility of appearing on British television if the interview goes well, I'm trying to sound particularly brilliant. In a split second, a million thoughts raced through my mind as I sought to answer this seemingly basic question. Damn, she almost stumped me and we've barely begun! I'm sure she didn't even notice the almost imperceptible pause before I began my long-winded tirade to answer her question. When I was done, she seems satisfied, but I was not. That's because much my motivations and goals are constantly evolving, much like the magazine itself. In order to properly tell the story, I guess I'd have to start at the beginning, right? Many of you may be familiar with Hardcore Muscle, a bimonthly bodybuilding journal that was published . Hardcore Muscle was a fantastic publication, covering bodybuilding in a way no other magazine ever attempted before, it told the truth! Unfortunately, the owner of HM was busted while involved in a fairly large steroid deal and convicted of multiple felonies. This ultimately spelled the end of Hardcore Muscle. Most of you are also probably familiar with Mesomorphosis, the internet webzine published by Millard J. Baker. Meso was another example of hardcore bodybuilding journalism at its finest, and unfortunately, like Hardcore Muscle, also seems now to be defunct. Both of these fantastic publications were great sources of inspiration for the creation of AE. AE first appeared in July of 1999. I initially designed and produced the entire site myself, everything from the graphics to the articles were written by me over a period of about 30 days. It was an exciting project, one of those things you're very proud of when you're finally finished. Originally, AE was intended only to serve as a vehicle to draw people into buying supplements. Certainly I wanted to entertain and inform my readers, but at the same time, I am a businessman. However, AE took off like I never imagined, taking on a life of its own. The positive feedback I got from readers was incredible. After the first month, I made a decision. I had won a judgment of about $5,000 against a web designer because of work one of their subcontractors had failed to complete on a prior project. Rather than taking the money, I asked them if they would redesign AE, making it into a professional looking website. Unfortunately, it its initial incarnation, AE looked very amateurish, one of my claims to fame has never been web design. In October of 1999, the redesign of AE was complete, and it reappeared on the web, bigger and bolder than before. Realistically, AE has existed for about 8 months. The growth, both in terms of number of readers and of the magazine itself, has been phenomenal. As I've said many times before, my ultimate goal is to take AE to print. AE's full potential will never be realized until it's available nationally as a printed magazine. Is it realistic to expect this to ever happen considering the content of the magazine? Bill Phillips managed to do it with Muscle Media 2000, I don't see why it can't be done with AE. Ultimately, I think AE is successful because the people who produce material for the magazine all share a love for the sport of bodybuilding. I think that comes through when you read the magazine. There's certainly a big difference between talking the talk and walking the walk. I find it amusing that 90% of the bodybuilding journalists writing today look like they've never touched a weight in their life. People like TC Luoma or Greg Zulak pass themselves off as authorities on the sport of bodybuilding, while possessing the muscularity of a twelve-year-old boy. How in the world do these people expect to be taken seriously? So where do we go from here? What's the next step for AE? I'm currently in the process of finding investors for the Anabolic Extreme Nutrition line of supplements. We've got the products formulated, we've contacted the manufacturers, we now just need enough money to get the ball rolling. I know many of you probably think the moment we've got products in hand, the content of AE will change. You worrying you might start seeing advertisements passed off as articles, a la MuscleMag International or Testosterone.net. Not to worry dear readers, both my business partner and I agree that it's time to actually appeal to the intelligence of supplement buyers, not to try and fool them with bullshit and hype. More on this in the future. Many of you also know that Grendel and I are working on a book, one the will set a new standard not only for steroid manuals, but for every other aspect of bodybuilding as well. So what do those things have to do with the future of AE? It means I'll finally have the money to fully develop the magazine to its full potential. Imagine not only reading about an athletes training routine in the magazine, but seeing it on the web in streaming TV quality video. Imagine picking up your monthly issue of AE at the newsstand and reading that Milos Sarcev will be answering your questions live for two hours in the AE chat room. AE will forever change bodybuilding journalism through a marriage of print media and Internet technology, allowing us to cover the sport like never before. These are exciting times for me. When I first started AE, I didn't realize I was creating something people had been wanting for a long time. Now I now longer question if AE will be successful on a grand scale, just when. Right now, everyone who works for AE does so for free. The only person I've ever paid (and of right now, I still owe him money), is Bryan Haycock. We all do this because first and foremost, we love the sport of bodybuilding. Secondly, we can all see the potential is there. My goal will always be to cover the sport in a truthful, unbiased fashion. My goal will always be to bring you the very best in hardcore bodybuilding information. I'm glad you're here, things are just going to get better. Meuller out. Anabolic Extreme is currently seeking venture capitalist interested in backing both AE the magazine and the Anabolic Extreme Nutrition line. If you're interested in investing, please contact Jason Meuller at jason@anabolicextreme.com. Business plans are available for Anabolic Extreme Nutrition. Serious inquiries only please. Copyright 2000 Jason Meuller and Anabolic Extreme. This material may not be copied, reproduced, or transmitted without the express written permission of the copyright owners. |
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