Author Topic: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!  (Read 13639 times)

Gym Rat

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits!
« Reply #75 on: November 18, 2023, 08:46:34 AM »
Upon reflection, "good" might've been the wrong choice of words. Less bland and more informative, might've been better. And yes, Dave's half Jewish, I think on his mother's side, which would make him fully Jewish under their laws if he wanted it. It just struck me funny that it seemed to hurt Romano, even though he joked about it.

And to be truthful, I do think Blechman was right not to trust them fully. Dave and him were getting pretty powerful in Blechman's org, and both Romano and Dave have some scamming in their backgrounds (Romano had some "boiler room" type thing he got in trouble for, Dave had the fake GH). 

Also it's funny that Dave mentions Howard Stern and how Blechman got mad at him for pumping Species on the boards and in the mag. Stern and CBS/Infinity had a similar thing when Stern was moving over to satellite and would pump it on regular radio, they finally had to edit him on the stations.

MD just got old and bland, it will happen to Dave's thing too, it happens to all media.

Not the first I heard of Blechman not paying someone. Didn't he owe Lee Priest 100K for the contract he signed with MD? (And never paid him).
Some sort of large number, not really sure if actually 100K.

Was watching this AM on the treadmill but only got to the 30 minute mark. Ill finish it up later, maybe listen in the car... Hopefully Blechmans wife squirrelled away some money for them and he didnt blow it all, seems reckless with $$$$$.

Ron

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! No more Magazine!
« Reply #76 on: November 18, 2023, 09:12:45 AM »

Pretty sure Muscular Development was an LLC, and it has not been making money.  Advertisers want to do their own thing, their own social media.  Amazon is taking a bigger chunk of selling products and does require a lot of funding to maintain (buy box, violations, pricing, advertising).    Websites do cost money to run, more traffic, more costs, more maintenance, and people want more money to help out.  Print magazine costs are very high now, as well as delivering a print magazine.  Stores want guarantees that if the magazine does not sell, you refund it, so the less buy rates, you lose a ton of money.  At some point, you are getting older, it isnt as worth it as in the past, and priorities change.

No one wanted to buy it out, most likely, hence instead of losing money every month, time to do other things.   

I wish Steve and his team well, thanks for some great issues over the years. 


Gym Rat

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! No more Magazine!
« Reply #77 on: November 18, 2023, 09:16:59 AM »


No one wanted to buy it out, most likely, hence instead of losing money every month, time to do other things.   

I wish Steve and his team well, thanks for some great issues over the years.

Jumbo mentioned that Pecker wanted to buy it (maybe before going to M&F) and Blechman turned him down.
Hindsight...

Blechman might just want to retire now... Im sure he has good personal wealth...

Matt

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! No more Magazine!
« Reply #78 on: November 18, 2023, 09:56:22 AM »
Very disappointed in Vincenzo

I was too.

After that I learned not to share any information about anything I'm doing until after it's done. So say if I wanted to work somewhere to pass time, I could do it now, and share it later.

Vince read one of my posts about joining MD [on here or on Facebook], and explained to Ron Harristein [he's Jewish, and he's owed $100,000 by MD] that I was an evil racist Nazi who wanted to kill six Brazillian Jews.

And that's why I didn't get the position.

Had I just said nothing about it, I could have written for them for years without anyone knowing I was doing it, and informing Ron that I'm a racist Nazi.

PS - have you watched the movie Apt Pupil?

Dave D

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! No more Magazine!
« Reply #79 on: November 18, 2023, 11:57:32 AM »
Pretty sure Muscular Development was an LLC, and it has not been making money.  Advertisers want to do their own thing, their own social media.  Amazon is taking a bigger chunk of selling products and does require a lot of funding to maintain (buy box, violations, pricing, advertising).    Websites do cost money to run, more traffic, more costs, more maintenance, and people want more money to help out.  Print magazine costs are very high now, as well as delivering a print magazine.  Stores want guarantees that if the magazine does not sell, you refund it, so the less buy rates, you lose a ton of money.  At some point, you are getting older, it isnt as worth it as in the past, and priorities change.

No one wanted to buy it out, most likely, hence instead of losing money every month, time to do other things.   

I wish Steve and his team well, thanks for some great issues over the years.

Ron unless you know something I don’t; print media (newspaper/magazines) typically sit on a stor’s shelf and they aren’t paid for until they actually go through the register. there is an accounting process that takes place, but generally stores don’t pay until the inventory is “accounted” for and there is a monthly payment.

Dave D

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! No more Magazine!
« Reply #80 on: November 18, 2023, 11:59:35 AM »
I was too.

After that I learned not to share any information about anything I'm doing until after it's done. So say if I wanted to work somewhere to pass time, I could do it now, and share it later.

Vince read one of my posts about joining MD [on here or on Facebook], and explained to Ron Harristein [he's Jewish, and he's owed $100,000 by MD] that I was an evil racist Nazi who wanted to kill six Brazillian Jews.

And that's why I didn't get the position.

Had I just said nothing about it, I could have written for them for years without anyone knowing I was doing it, and informing Ron that I'm a racist Nazi.

PS - have you watched the movie Apt Pupil?

Yes it’s very realistic to assume you would have worked there for years based on how easily you conform to social standards.

a_pupil

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! No more Magazine!
« Reply #81 on: November 18, 2023, 12:22:02 PM »
I was too.

After that I learned not to share any information about anything I'm doing until after it's done. So say if I wanted to work somewhere to pass time, I could do it now, and share it later.

Vince read one of my posts about joining MD [on here or on Facebook], and explained to Ron Harristein [he's Jewish, and he's owed $100,000 by MD] that I was an evil racist Nazi who wanted to kill six Brazillian Jews.

And that's why I didn't get the position.

Had I just said nothing about it, I could have written for them for years without anyone knowing I was doing it, and informing Ron that I'm a racist Nazi.

PS - have you watched the movie Apt Pupil?

No, I was a gh15 fanboy in the accounts early days.

GymnJuice

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! No more Magazine!
« Reply #82 on: November 18, 2023, 04:08:25 PM »
I was too.

After that I learned not to share any information about anything I'm doing until after it's done. So say if I wanted to work somewhere to pass time, I could do it now, and share it later.

Vince read one of my posts about joining MD [on here or on Facebook], and explained to Ron Harristein [he's Jewish, and he's owed $100,000 by MD] that I was an evil racist Nazi who wanted to kill six Brazillian Jews.

And that's why I didn't get the position.

Had I just said nothing about it, I could have written for them for years without anyone knowing I was doing it, and informing Ron that I'm a racist Nazi.

PS - have you watched the movie Apt Pupil?

Matt are the Brazilian Jews one of the lost tribes?

michael arvilla

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #83 on: November 18, 2023, 05:37:50 PM »
Ron (Harris). No matter what you think of him / his physique has a ton of great stories and experiences (I hope he chooses to post here) I hope Howard (lame fart jokes / lame same  old stories) chooses not to … ….

a_pupil

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #84 on: November 18, 2023, 06:15:53 PM »
Was that housewife fitadina (or something) still there at the end?

I remember she started snaking around to get power in the organisation.

BB

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #85 on: November 18, 2023, 06:27:49 PM »
Was that housewife fitadina (or something) still there at the end?

I remember she started snaking around to get power in the organisation.

Gone, left a few years ago, lasted maybe 5 or so years longer than John and Palumbo.

BB

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #86 on: November 18, 2023, 06:34:39 PM »
Ron had a secretish account here, I think it was Pazuzu or Purge WTF. I remember he outed himself when there was a relatively positive thread on short horror stories.

Flexacon

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #87 on: November 18, 2023, 06:47:02 PM »
Here are Rons horror stories if anyone is interested

https://www.amazon.com/EvilX10-10-Tales-Extreme-Darkness-ebook/dp/B01AOF8V5G?dchild=1

Book Description:
"EvilX10
10 Tales of Extreme Darkness"
By Ronald Harris

When was the last time you were truly scared? When was the last time an image or thought was so disturbing, you just couldn't get it out of your head? EvilX10 takes you to dark places of the mind and spirit that you never want to visit. Tight Space is the ultimate claustrophobic hell that will haunt your dreams. BBC takes hardcore porn to its final, sickening conclusion. In Zippy the Antichrist, a tortured boy embarks on a mission of terrible vengeance. Baby Killer and In This House I Dwell both turn the traditional zombie genre on its head with unexpected twists. Rave follows a young man's descent into a world of unbridled pleasure that becomes a nightmare which he may never escape. In Oppression, the vile realm of the demonic invades our own for one unlucky man. These and more unsettling stories will get under your skin and keep you up late at night when darkness blankets the world, and evil moves among us all.

michael arvilla

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #88 on: November 18, 2023, 07:41:45 PM »
Ok .. I don’t give a shit about “ horror stories “ Ron has been around forever/ interviewed pretty much everyone ….. use to go to the “ Titus after parties”let’s hear some fucking stories!!!… did he finger bang Monica while his wife was rollin? …did he mistakenly take a blow job from one of Antoine’s she males?!??   …,did he get with that Sasha dude?!?! …. Or did Debbie Kruck rock his world????  He’s got to have some crazy stories!   

michael arvilla

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #89 on: November 18, 2023, 07:55:11 PM »
Does Ron think he can take Joey Staxx in a street fight? … did Shaun Clarida really use a 10 cc needle and syringe and shoot whole bottles at a time?! Did Blechman ever hit on him?/ how much money does he owe you?!???… was Trish Stratus a raging whore?  …. Could Hankins have turned pro in the 1990’s?!?

michael arvilla

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #90 on: November 18, 2023, 08:02:39 PM »
Rate Metallica’s albums from best to worst….. what’s the most GH you have done? …… if Bob Chic and Dave Palumbo were both drowning and you could only save one …..which one?

MCWAY

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits!
« Reply #91 on: November 18, 2023, 08:18:48 PM »
They failed to hop on the digital train years ago.

MuscleMag International hopped on the train in the early 2000s (perhaps even as early as 1999, Emusclemag.com). But, it went away fairly early (relative to its competitors in 2012....with a brief attempt at a comeback by Kennedy's wife in 2013).

Plus, sometimes we forget how the internet wasn't quite as developed 20 years ago as it is now. So, you still got more content from the magazines than you did online.

Bevo

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #92 on: November 18, 2023, 09:29:41 PM »
Fuck no, I hope that lame ass Howard doesn’t return here, he’s better off gone

Wiggs

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #93 on: November 18, 2023, 10:09:55 PM »
I'm glad lived through the magazine era of bodybuilding. Pre-internet. It was a great time.  Thanks for the memories Muscular Development. I even had a letter posted in the magazine back in the day.
7

Ron

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #94 on: November 18, 2023, 11:16:07 PM »


Some of the magazine covers from Muscular Development - still have quite a few collection of them somewhere.

https://www.getbig.com/magazine/musdev/musdev.htm


Humble Narcissist

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #95 on: November 19, 2023, 12:36:11 AM »
I'm glad lived through the magazine era of bodybuilding. Pre-internet. It was a great time.  Thanks for the memories Muscular Development. I even had a letter posted in the magazine back in the day.

I agree. The 80's and 90's were the best era of bodybuilding.

bigmikecox

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #96 on: November 19, 2023, 02:25:36 AM »
Get-Big = last man standing!

Sad day bro.  They took good care of me and I will be forever grateful

bigmikecox

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! No more Magazine!
« Reply #97 on: November 19, 2023, 02:26:13 AM »
Plumz and Romo on Muscular Development closing -

.

They pat each other on the back pretty hard in this (they invented podcasting, BB youtube, BB facebook, BB Tik-tok, etc....), but it's an ok listen. The 2nd half better than the first.

Most interesting thing they mention, is they feel Steve burnt through a bunch of money keeping MD afloat the last decade. Also, they wonder if anyone will be left holding the bag, they mention Blechman owing Ron Harris $100,000+ at one point for work, expenses, etc..... They say Steve likes to slide his bills as much as he can. Romano also semi-jokes that Blechman grew to distrust him and Palumbo because they are Italian, and he's a Jew. He trusted certain Jews in the company more than outsiders.

Also - minor mistakes - Twinlab bought MD in 1986, not 91. Also Ironman has the record for longest running print mag (1938- just a few years ago).

Ron is ok

Gym Rat

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! No more Magazine!
« Reply #98 on: November 19, 2023, 02:34:11 AM »

Matt, you can say what you want but if you go around and spread that white supremacist shit, you should get called out for it so fuck you.


Is it OK for the black-power stuff that goes on as well??  Curious...

Van_Bilderass

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Re: Muscular Development calls it Quits! Last issue Nov 2023!
« Reply #99 on: November 19, 2023, 03:00:34 AM »
I read somewhere, can't remember by who, that Twinlab basically lost the value of the company when ephedra was banned. Products containing ephedra were like 80% of the sales or something like that. Twinlab campaigned like crazy through MD mag to keep it legal.
I wouldn't doubt that. What do guys say when they hear the name Twinlab? Ephedrine! Ripped Fuel!