Bent (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Bent is a free magazine
that targets gay
men and is distributed to 400 gay bars, clubs and saunas right across the United Kingdom
. Published monthly by All Points North UK in Leeds
, it largely focuses on entertainment
– celebrities, film, DVD and music as well as television, comedy and scene
news.
who also have a title called NOW. After a number of years, and to prevent a costly court case, North Of Watford underwent another format change and became Bent. Hopps has been involved in all areas of the magazine at different times being Editor in Chief at all the major changes. He also had a successful career as a TV producer and was the original producer of the Mr Gay UK Grand Finals.
Regular columnists Adam Lowe and Simon Savidge provide the main body of features. Features editor Adam 'Beyonce' Lowe conducts celebrity interviews, writes the music reviews and the "Beauty & the Freaks" column. Simon Savidge is the London Editor whose interviewing technique has garnered a host of new fans to his work. He is also the author of Simon Says
the problem page, with a witty edge. Terry George
, the magazine's publisher, also writes a column in Bent.
At its peak the circulation reaches 60,000 copies (equal to that of Gay Times
) and perhaps as high as 100,000 copies across the UK. This reflects a circulation of 1–1.7% of the entire UK population and up to 10–17% of the LGBT
community. Readership figures may also be higher, since access to the magazine in bars and nightclubs means each copy may be read multiple times. Estimated readership is said to be 150,000 in the magazine's online media pack.
Big-name coverstars and non-traditional subject matter have seen Bent's popularity rise, particularly with its often striking covers that tend to feature minimal text and attention-grabbing images. The magazine has undergone a slightly different and 'greener' look when it began to get its paper from a sustainable source.
As a gay lifestyle magazine Bent also carries items on fitness, beauty, travel, health advice, gadgets and fashion but also includes features, interviews with up-and-coming porn stars and illustrated erotic short stories
.
Advertising provides the revenue for the production and distribution of the magazine. It is also available on subscription for a charge and can be downloaded online for free.
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
that targets gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
men and is distributed to 400 gay bars, clubs and saunas right across the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Published monthly by All Points North UK in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, it largely focuses on entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
– celebrities, film, DVD and music as well as television, comedy and scene
Gay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
news.
Description
Bents editor is Gordon Hopps; his involvement with the magazine stretches back to the late 1980s when its earliest incarnaion All Points North was launched. Since then, the magazine has undergone numerous changes. It was relaunched in the mid 1990s as North of Watford (NOW) but the logo was challenged by IPC MediaIPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
who also have a title called NOW. After a number of years, and to prevent a costly court case, North Of Watford underwent another format change and became Bent. Hopps has been involved in all areas of the magazine at different times being Editor in Chief at all the major changes. He also had a successful career as a TV producer and was the original producer of the Mr Gay UK Grand Finals.
Regular columnists Adam Lowe and Simon Savidge provide the main body of features. Features editor Adam 'Beyonce' Lowe conducts celebrity interviews, writes the music reviews and the "Beauty & the Freaks" column. Simon Savidge is the London Editor whose interviewing technique has garnered a host of new fans to his work. He is also the author of Simon Says
Simon says
Simon says is a children's game for three or more players where one player takes the role of 'Simon' and issues instructions, to the other players, which should only be followed if prefaced with the phrase 'Simon says', for example 'Simon says jump in the air'...
the problem page, with a witty edge. Terry George
Terry George
Terry George is an Irish screenwriter and director. Born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland much of his film work involves the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
, the magazine's publisher, also writes a column in Bent.
At its peak the circulation reaches 60,000 copies (equal to that of Gay Times
Gay Times
Gay Times is one of the United Kingdom's leading gay magazine for gay and bisexual men.-Publication and content:...
) and perhaps as high as 100,000 copies across the UK. This reflects a circulation of 1–1.7% of the entire UK population and up to 10–17% of the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community. Readership figures may also be higher, since access to the magazine in bars and nightclubs means each copy may be read multiple times. Estimated readership is said to be 150,000 in the magazine's online media pack.
Big-name coverstars and non-traditional subject matter have seen Bent's popularity rise, particularly with its often striking covers that tend to feature minimal text and attention-grabbing images. The magazine has undergone a slightly different and 'greener' look when it began to get its paper from a sustainable source.
As a gay lifestyle magazine Bent also carries items on fitness, beauty, travel, health advice, gadgets and fashion but also includes features, interviews with up-and-coming porn stars and illustrated erotic short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
.
Advertising provides the revenue for the production and distribution of the magazine. It is also available on subscription for a charge and can be downloaded online for free.