WOW Magazine
Encyclopedia
WOW Magazine was a professional wrestling
magazine which existed from 1999 to late 2001. It was originally launched with its debut issue in March 1999 by Mike Morris and H&S Media. It promised to cater to the smart population of wrestling fans; breaking kayfabe
, writing about backstage events, wrestling politics, and not treating storylines as real.
WOW was the first publication of its kind to use insider terms - such as “mark” and “shoot” - and also conducted out-of-character interviews with wrestlers from the WWF
, WCW
, ECW and the independent circuit.
Other magazines available during this time period, which covered wrestling storylines and feuds as legitimate, have earned the moniker “mark mags” or more specifically, “Apter mags,” in reference to the man, Bill Apter, who was the Senior Editor of such periodicals. A few examples of these magazines are Pro Wrestling Illustrated
(or PWI) and Inside Wrestling.
In late 1999, Apter left his job with the aforementioned mark mags and took over the position of Editor-In-Chief of WOW Magazine. As a result, the publication appeared to gained more notoriety, due to Apter’s 20+ years of experience. However, according to many industry insiders, WOW’s initial appeal - as a cutting edge, innovator of wrestling journalism - soon lost its luster as the magazine slowly became the latest incarnation of mark mags, only with glossy, full color pages.
In mid-2001 the Kappa Publishing Group
- who just happen to be the longtime publishers of PWI and thus Bill Apter's former employers - took over the rights to WOW Magazine from H&S Media and shortly thereafter the magazine folded.
WOW had a sister publication, ECW Magazine, which featured columns, show reviews, and interviews with wrestlers working for the Philadelphia based promotion, Extreme Championship Wrestling
.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
magazine which existed from 1999 to late 2001. It was originally launched with its debut issue in March 1999 by Mike Morris and H&S Media. It promised to cater to the smart population of wrestling fans; breaking kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
, writing about backstage events, wrestling politics, and not treating storylines as real.
WOW was the first publication of its kind to use insider terms - such as “mark” and “shoot” - and also conducted out-of-character interviews with wrestlers from the WWF
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, WCW
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
, ECW and the independent circuit.
Other magazines available during this time period, which covered wrestling storylines and feuds as legitimate, have earned the moniker “mark mags” or more specifically, “Apter mags,” in reference to the man, Bill Apter, who was the Senior Editor of such periodicals. A few examples of these magazines are Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
(or PWI) and Inside Wrestling.
In late 1999, Apter left his job with the aforementioned mark mags and took over the position of Editor-In-Chief of WOW Magazine. As a result, the publication appeared to gained more notoriety, due to Apter’s 20+ years of experience. However, according to many industry insiders, WOW’s initial appeal - as a cutting edge, innovator of wrestling journalism - soon lost its luster as the magazine slowly became the latest incarnation of mark mags, only with glossy, full color pages.
In mid-2001 the Kappa Publishing Group
Kappa Publishing Group
Kappa Publishing Group, Inc. is a Blue Bell, Pennsylvania based publishing company concentrating on adult puzzle books and magazines as well as children's magazines and maps. It is a private company founded in 1955 with $11.5 million in annual sales....
- who just happen to be the longtime publishers of PWI and thus Bill Apter's former employers - took over the rights to WOW Magazine from H&S Media and shortly thereafter the magazine folded.
WOW had a sister publication, ECW Magazine, which featured columns, show reviews, and interviews with wrestlers working for the Philadelphia based promotion, Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
.