Mag Opus

While I appreciate the ink regarding my pending move to Arista Records, I must take issue with the inaccurate light in which RIP was cast in your piece (Pop Eye, May 1).

You stated: “With pop-metal stars that were once the magazine’s staple having been replaced by the earthier likes of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, RIP’s readership has dropped.”

First off, though we did champion arena rock bands throughout the late ‘80s, we have also led the left-edge music revolution. RIP was the first national rock mag to devote feature-length coverage to Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Helmet, Soundgarden and, to say the least, Pearl Jam.

And for my second point: It’s true that RIP’s circulation is down, but that’s true for every hard-rock mag across the board. But unlike the competition, we are experiencing our second consecutive year of record-breaking ad revenues, thus keeping the publication firmly in the black.

LONN FRIEND

Executive Editor, RIP Magazine

Beverly Hills