Friday, January 30, 2009

OK, I can't keep my mouth shut



Mary Englebreit's Home Companion is no more. REALLY.

This has got to be the saddest magazine cancellation yet. I never saw anything about this cancellation anywhere. I just happened to notice it mentioned in a comment about the closing of Domino on A Cup of Joe. So, I immediately went to their website and found this:

Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine is no longer published. The Dec/Jan 2009 issue was its last. Subscribers with issues remaining on their subscription term will receive Martha Stewart Living as a replacement. All Home Companion readers should have received notification via US Mail by February 1.

Do you see that readers would receive notice by February 1?

Today is January 30 and the website is already gone...just some black Times New Roman text on a white page.

This website was great, with great photos, projects, and resources. All gone without a whisper.


P.S.
Don't you hate how the magazine websites never acknowledge that they are closing or canceled? If you go there they still have that "link to subscribe" button prominently displayed on the page. Couldn't they at least post their official press release up there or something? What do you think?

Image: My own saved 2002 issue.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This one made me really sad too. I thought Home Companion had gotten so *good* in recent issues, featuring really great crafters and such - but had also noticed that it was as thin as a dime.

Christina said...

You can go to the Domino website, see the farewell message, and STILL click the active "suscribe" button. Now, i don't know what would happen if you try to complete the transaction, but it's probably time to de-activate that buttom.

Anne At Large said...

I just got my subscription renewal for Domino - the day AFTER I saw the article about its demise on Cup of Jo. They have no shame, even in death they will take your money.

lsaspacey said...

Christina, the subscription button has been disabled on Domino's site now.

And about the subscription renewals and all, the day the news of the magazine going under was made was the first time anyone but the higher ups knew the magazine was ending. So writers, graphic artists, web designers, ad sales, and subscription departments had no idea ahead of time. That's what so sad for the employees, you find out you have no job but you're the ones who have to clean up the mess for the people who just fired you!