Survival in the precarious world of media has always been difficult, no more so than over the last decades, with the internet the main “bad guy” with its many gizmos and distractions.
Standing strong and typically forward-looking is Newcity, and this is some of what Brian Hieggelke, its co-founder, co-publisher and editor tells me, in his typically gentlemanly way, “I have always had respect for people in this business, who work in it and run it and as a result I have never gloated when competitors have been forced into bankruptcy or gone out of business.”
Overshadowed by the recent 50th anniversary of the Chicago Reader and its change in ownership, as well as a thick and handsome coffee table book that charts its history, has been Newcity’s current February/March issue.
It marks its 40th anniversary, and as Hieggelke writes, “(This is) the biggest edition we’ve ever published at 180 pages, and includes 66 pages dedicated to exploring the art scene we know best, right here in Chicago.”
In 1986, Hieggelke, his wife Jan, and his younger brother Brent abandoned careers in the investment banking world. They were joined by another University of Chicago pal, Frank Luby, to give birth to the first of what are now 1,468 issues of their publication. It began in the South Loop, where they still live.
There have been, of course, changes along the way, innovations, failures, troubles, new formats, frequency of publication from weekly to monthly, and joys, many of them captured in this issue’s lively conversation among the four principals.
I would often see Brian and Jan, now co-founder, co-publisher and managing editor, at cultural events, openings, screenings and funerals, but we last had a long talk more than 10 years ago, when he told me about his dive into the movie business. He also said then, “The economy has gotten better, and I think all that talk about the imminent death of print has quieted down a bit.”
Most recently, he and Jan, who now work alongside one of their three children, Todd, the associate publisher/associate managing editor-digital, have begun a Brazil edition.
“I am a serial entrepreneur,” Brian says. “There’s no telling what I’d get up to if Jan were not around to rein me in. But Brazil is working, and did I tell you, you can now get us in Wisconsin, Michigan, all over the Midwest?”
We discussed his facility for finding and nurturing talented artists and writers. One was Chris Ware, the now-deservedly world-famous cartoonist. Another is my current colleague, theater critic and editorial page editor Chris Jones, who once told me more than a decade ago, “Brian somehow has managed to float above and beyond the various crises and traverse different eras in journalism. Most of his peers in alternative journalism either sold out or packed it all in. Brian still is there, a survivor.”
In this 40th anniversary issue, you will find stories by, among others, two of our city’s best journalists.
Mary Wisniewski, a former Tribune colleague and author of a book about Nelson Algren, has a terrific interview with David Byrne about his current creation, “Theater of the Mind.” She tells me, “It’s amazing how well the Hieggelkes know the city’s cultural scene. They’re ubiquitous. It seems like they’re at every opening. They know that art is what binds the city together and they want Newcity to cover as much as it possibly can. They’re boosters, but not afraid to publish criticism. They are also open-minded editors, unafraid of quirky stories or unusual approaches to a subject. I’ve been grateful that I could approach them with something offbeat like ‘How about something about Terry Southern’s Chicago years?’ or ‘Can I write about the threat to church architecture?’ and they say ‘Yes’ every time.”
Sun-Times veteran and prolific book author Dave Hoekstra has a story about what the city was like when Newcity was born, writing, “With fresh energy and experimental desire, Chicago opened its heart to the world in 1986. That magical year helped shape America’s landscape.”
He tells me, “Brian and Jan have extreme passion for Chicago and the printed word. Brian is a real cheerleader for the arts (his daily newsletter is very informative) and it’s more than inspiring that he has kept the magazine afloat for 40 years. One family! Like a great Greek diner!
“Since he went to the magazine format, it is a must-get. With all the other shifts in local media presentation, they’ve stuck with this New Yorker-style approach. And he presented a great pathway for an old newspaper guy like me. I remember handing in one story at 6,000 words, and he wished it had been 8,000. I remain a curious guy, so this gives me time to connect one question with another question and so on. (My story about artist Eddie) Balchowsky probably took four months. … For me, his editing has been generous and empathetic. He doesn’t get in the way and honors my voice and my subjects.”
The current issue features on its cover the work of artist/writer Tony Fitzpatrick, whose poetry fills its last page. About him, Hieggelke writes, “(Tony) was part of Newcity’s story in every single decade. … When I started planning this issue, Tony was the first person I thought about getting involved.”
Fitzpatrick died in October and we talked about him for a while. Hieggelke said, “I believe that culture is an essential part of life. It transcends race and class. It gives us a reason to live. I’m gonna miss Tony.”
rkogan@chicagotribune.com
