I’m a magazine maniac. In fact, I’m THE magazine maniac Ko-Ji is singing about. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been obsessing over daily newspapers, weekly magazines, monthly glossy publications. Oh, the smell and the promise of a new issue! When you don’t know what you’re about to see, what is going to appear on the next page, and the visual appeal is simply sucking you in. I miss the old days when I saw a lot more people flipping through magazines. Well thankfully, there is a recent resurgence in magazine reading. That means there is still hope! And I and AI Planet Magazine want to set an example, that print is not dead. Magazines might have gone through huge transformations, such as less frequency, fewer pages and thinner paper. But it seems that we are now in the era of bookazines and periodical indie publications, which are excellent acccessories for your coffee table. As a quarterly indie magazine (or bookazine, since it’s getting bigger and bigger), AI Planet’s ethos is trying to bring back classic editorial magazine magic. As the first AI lifestyle magazine on the market, it gives us nostalgia, comfort and visual appeal, and takes us back to the good old days of glossy magazine experiences. We do hope that recent and future readers will be transported to different dimensions through the pages of this issue.

This is the first issue that really sets the tone, conveys the essence of AI Planet, and entertains effortlessly. Issue No. 4 is also our biggest, thickest issue so far; with 142 pages, it is our unofficial nod to the bygone “September issue” phenomenon, when most of the glossy magazines released their thickest most gigantic issues of the year, packed with luxury advertisements, and a Bible-like size. As we’re not running many ads, this issue is full of our editorial treasures. Just like the summer issue, this issue in your hand (or on your screen) also has a double feature. We’re not only welcoming you into the new frontier with the Western issue: we also mean business with our executive cover. So flip the magazine and see it yourself! Enjoy the new read, share it with friends, put this glossy miracle on your coffee table, and have a merry, happy fall season! Yeehaw! 

Martin Fodor

Editor-in-Chief, AIPlanet Magazine