In this week’s podcast episode, we’re looking at the glorious ads and features for the November 2015 issue of RT Magazine.
Thank you to Claire A. and Amy S. for this issue!
You can also find all the RTRW content at our category page for Romantic Times Rewind.
If you want to listen and follow along with this entry, we have more detail in the audio, but you can click play and listen and read and absorb all the visual goodness:
Ok, let’s get started!
The cover is a big ol’ yawn.
At least eight different abs in that collage:
This ad for Rebecca Zanetti books cracked us up:
- Poor guy on the right there has no nose OR eyes. Just chin for you, sir!
- Dude on the left has one of those photoshopped tribal tattoos that all the heroes had back then
- Shirtless
- On Motorcycles
- With no Windscreens.
How many bugs will they eat and/or wear?
I showed this to some folks I know who are very familiar with motorcycles and the apparel one should have. Shannon Stacey pointed out, “At least the guy on the right shaves his chest, so the junebug juice won’t dry in his chest hair like runny gum.”
RUNNY GUM.
Ah, such sexy hero times. Shirtless on motorcycles without windscreens. Amazing.
Remember when Rugby Romance was a thing for a bit? There was a whole feature about it. And a feature about series bibles!
This is a picture of Yasmine Galenorn’s series bibles for her books – the whole article was fascinating.
The publisher ads were mostly collections of November releases, but looking at all the cover art, and how much it’s changed in 9 years, is always interesting.
We’re back in the era of publishers having their own blogs, and showcasing all their November releases. The cover designs are of the time, and we definitely remember some of these books.
But look at the social media icons from the Epic Reads ad:
Look at ’em all! Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Snapchat, Vine (RIP), and Kik (RIP)!
Imagine the person who was maintaining all those accounts. My goodness.
If this image were created now, it would be some sort of AI. My first thought was, “Is this AI? It’s too early for AI!”
Another lots-of-covers ad:
This collection of contemporary romances features a LOT of small town contemporary. You can tell because it’s a White couple, someone’s wearing jeans, and they’re both on some grass or maybe snow. Maybe the grass is mowed. Maybe it’s a sports field. But they’re always outside.
Then there’s this cover.
HIS GUN IS INSIDE HIS SHIRT. HIS HOLSTER IS UNDER HIS SHIRT. WHY.
We could NOT stop laughing at this.
WHY is his gun UNDER his shirt?! WHY?!
You can even see the other side of the holster peeking out on the left.
Does he wear nursing shirts with a little opening for his gun? WHAT IS THIS.
We could do an entire episode on just this cover.
Remember when digital anthologies for .99 if you pre-order were The Thing? That looks like 19 books for a dollar, and a LOT of these were issued around this time.
Amanda had some questions about this ad:
Amanda wants someone at their Thanksgiving dinner, when everyone goes around the table saying what they’re thankful for, to say, “I’m thankful for Delicious Digital Romance.”
Also these covers are SOMETHING. Something WEIRD. What’s with the pirate in the lower right corner?
Also, Amanda noticed there’s a double space after Delicious and before Digital.
And finally, my favorite business card ad from the digital supplement:
Look at the tiny kitties in that illustration!! I don’t think Li’l Book Bug still exists, but I LOVE this ad. Books and kittens in tiny shoes?! I’m charmed.
So that was November 2015.
Remember, if you join the Patreon, you’ll get access to the entire issue as a PDF.
What do you think? Do you remember any of these books? And do you wear your firearms under your shirts?
