The Magic of the Magazine

TRNKWired-15No one forgets their first love. And Scott Dadich, editor-in-chief of Wired, is not about to let this one get away.

“I think one of the first magazines I bought myself was Wired 2.08, the August 1994 edition, which featured Rand and Robyn Miller, the creators of the iconic game, Myst,” says Dadich to Jeremy Leslie in MagCulture. “I think I read half the magazine while I stood at the BookPeople newsstand in Austin, Texas. I found Wired to be unlike anything I’d ever seen, and I fell in love with what magazines can do at that very moment.”

He’s been with the company on and off for years, most recently returning after a brief turn as a VP at Conde Nast.

“In [his current] role he has revamped every aspect of the magazine, increasing its total audience by 42% while winning multiple awards for its content and design,” notes Leslie. He’s straightforward about printed magazines and their future in the digital age.

“I love reading on my iPad; I just finished Neal Stevenson’s new book reading almost exclusively on my iPad,” Dadich says. “But with respect to magazine publishing, I’m really glad to be moving past the static notions of discrete digital ‘issues’ and onto stream-based content platforms like Apple News.”

When asked if he can see a time when Wired no longer appears in print, he’s unequivocal.

“I truly can’t imagine that moment occurring in my lifetime. The print edition will evolve and change its form factors and purpose, but I can’t possibly see it going away,” Dadich stresses.

“Today, the print edition of Wired reaches more people than ever in its history. Print can do a lot of things digital still can’t do; it’s tactile, comics are better in print, big-format photography still looks more impressive, and good old-fashioned graphic design is a lot more fun to make and take in. Those are qualities that won’t matter to everyone, but they are dear to a devoted and important segment of our audience.”

That old magic sure has a hold on him…and us.