his is our July ’21 issue and that makes Modern Rodding 1 year old. It’s hard to believe that a year has gone by, but then again this past year has been like no other—regardless of how you measure time! The July issue represents our anniversary and the beginning of our second year producing the best in the world of hot rodding to car guys, and gals, the world over in both print and digital format. And we would be remiss if we didn’t have social outlets such as Facebook and Instagram along with a website (InTheGarageMedia.com) for each brand.

It was back in March of 2020 on Friday the 13th that In The Garage Media (ITGM) opened its doors for business. We’ve been told we have impeccable business timing as that was also the same week that the governor of California shut everything down. Yes, flawless business timing. It was just a few weeks prior that many of your favorite car magazines were shuttered. I can remember sitting around at the Grand National Roadster Show (not realizing this would be the last car show I would attend for a long, long time!) thinking about what was next for me and our hobby. What would I be doing in the coming months and possibly years ahead? Actually, the times were difficult back in the day when Street Rodder came into being as we ran head long into the Arab Oil Embargo (1973-1974) so it should have given me (us) a forewarning of times ahead. While those were difficult times, I wouldn’t say it was more difficult than the year that has just passed. Of course, we still have a ways to go but there are plenty of indications that all of us are heading in the right direction. Yet, it would seem that while the times may have been a bit rocky, it allowed us to achieve a foothold from which we could build. And build we have as we plan on being around for years to come.

We began with two titles, Classic Truck Performance (CTP) and Modern Rodding (MR). In that first year both books were bimonthly, with CTP beginning with a June issue and MR beginning with a July issue, and so it was for the remainder of 2020. Once 2021 rolled around both titles became monthly while January saw In The Garage Media add one more brand, All Chevy Performance. With all three titles up and running it’s been an exciting time. None of us, whether it be the advertising staff, the office staff, or those of us in editorial, have had much time to do little else except keep our individual focus on the job at hand.

There is lots more on the horizon as we strengthen the titles and all of us look forward to this growth. We must also say a big “thank you” to the thousands of you who have come aboard as subscribers (print and digital) for one or more of our titles. There’s no question that advertising within each brand is what makes us a success and allows us to continue but we also know that it’s you, the subscriber, who also makes all of this possible.

It should be pointed out that the true “owner” of any of our titles is you, the supporting subscriber and our reader/viewer. Keep in mind we would not have a magazine without your support. Without your support there would be no advertising revenue. Oftentimes I have likened a magazine much to a spoked mag wheel. What keeps everything going round and round is the magazine publishing editorial content that keeps the reader engaged and this in turn brings in advertisers who spend their hard-earned money gained from you the reader to keep those of us sitting behind the keyboard employed and the magazines moving along.

What is it that we actually do? (No jokes from either one of my so-called friends!) The editorial staff accomplishes its goal by participating in our hobby, reporting on our hobby, and then in turn producing magazine content that is both informative and entertaining. All of us, editorial or other, take our responsibilities with earnest and it is this commitment to producing the best product we can that will keep us around for years to come. It’s a great relationship between the editorial staff and you, the reader/viewer, that makes all of this so enjoyable and rewarding. Here’s to decades more of anniversaries from those of us at In The Garage Media.