Dig BMX

Dig BMX is a bi-monthly BMX lifestyle magazine currently based in both the UK and U.S. Started in 1993 by editor/designer Will Smyth, Dig BMX's beginnings were originally based in an attic/office in the Holy Land area of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It has since moved to Glasgow, Scotland, while also retaining a U.S. editorial base in New Jersey, U.S.A. It regularly publishes articles (not limited to the BMX subject), BMX photography, interviews with professional BMXers, interviews with and reviews of musical groups, product reviews, and miscellaneous oddities. Dig has released 64 issues since its inception.
Current Masthead
Editorial
*Editor-in-cheif/Founder/Designer/Art Director - Will Smyth
*Assistant Editor/Senior Photographer - Fred Murray
*Assistant Editor/Senior Photographer - Ricky Adam
*Senior Contributor - Andrew White
*Senior Contributor - David Leep
*Irregular Writers - Joey Cobbs, Mike Hines, Peter Adam, Rich Forne, Brian Tunney, Joe Rich, Jamie Duncan, Nick Coombes, Grant Smith, Leland Thurman, Allan McNaughton, Steve Crandall, Scott Towne, Adam Schnellenbach, Keith Terra, Chester Blacksmith, James Weston, Sean Burns, Ruben Alcantara, Dave Paterson, Ryan Worchester, Sean Logan, Mat Hoffman, Stew Johnson, Shad Johnson
Photography
*Photo Editors - Will Smyth, Rob Dolecki, Ricky Adam, Fred Murray, Andrew White
*Staff Photographers - Ricky Adam, Rob Dolecki, Fred Murray, Andrew White
*Contributing Photographers - Brian Yeagle, Joey Cobbs, Ed Docherty, Sandy Carson, Jeff Allen, Keith Terra, Joe Rich, David Leep, Kyle Emery Peck, Peter Adam, Rich Forne, Vince Perraud, Hadrien Picard, Chris Marshall, Devin Feil, Cody Nutter, Kai Kuusisto, Wes McGrath
*Digital Darkroom - Ricky Adam, Andrew White, Fred Murray, Rob Dolecki
Art & Design
*Art/Design Director - Will Smyth
*Senior Artist - Luke Godson
*Additional Artistry - Mike Hughes, David Leep
Above And Beyond The Call Of Duty
*Ryan Worchester, Joe Rich, John Povah, Andy Coombes, Paulo Martins, Sarah McMillan, David Leep, Fred Murray
DIGBMX.com
* Online editors - Fred Murray and David Leep
*Online editor-in-cheif - Will Smyth
*Videographers - Peter Adam, Rich Forne, Dave Sowerby
Advertising Manager
*Adrian Hogan
* In December 2006, founding Associate Editor and Photographer, Ed Docherty, left the magazine.
* In 2009, managing editor, Brian Tunney, who had been with DIG since 1997 took on a job at ESPN.com
Background
From 1994 through 1997, Dig BMX was published quarterly by Air Publications in the UK. In 1998, after the dissolution of Air Publications, Smyth bought the title back during a public auction and entered into a deal with Chris Moeller and John Paul Rogers of S&M Bike Co. Based in CA, the two decided to sell advertisements for Dig, print and distribute the magazine, offering a wider U.S. based BMX scene a glimpse into Dig BMX's editorial. Issue 11 featured Josh Stricker on the cover, was a travel-based issue that focused on the unusual and outrageous circumstances of travel that had plagued certain members of the international BMX community. The issue sold well throughout the U.S., but was abandoned by Moeller and Rogers after just one issue, who instead decided to produce the short-lived BMX Action, which later became Faction BMX Magazine. After the dissolution of Dig's relationship with their only hopeful U.S. publisher to date, Dig was offered the chance to go bi-monthly by UK publisher Permanent Publishing in mid-1999. Starting with issue 12, which featured the highly influential Spanish rider Ruben Alcantara on the cover, Dig entered into a long and fruitful relationship with Permanent Publishing, home of Sidewalk Skateboard Mag and Surfer's Path Magazine.
For the next three years, DIG published under a bi-monthly schedule, offering exclusive and varied content on the worldwide BMX scene. Dig produced original content that spanned the globe, including Russia, Japan, Western Europe, the U.S. and Southeast Asia.
In 2003, Permanent Publishing offered DIG the opportunity to publish nine times per year (bi-monthly in the autumn, winter, spring, monthly throughout the summer months). For the next two years, Dig operated under the cyclical nine issue schedule. In the same year, Permanent Publishing expanded to include a U.S. based office in California, employing U.S. ad sales managers.
In early 2005, Permanent Publishing and DIG BMX went separate ways. The two had produced 35 issues of the magazine in the six years together. The title was again bought by Smyth, who, along with the help of friends, self-published issue 48 in the summer of 2005 which featured Wethepeople rider Stephen Lilly on the cover. And then a new publisher came along from DIG BMX's main competition in the UK.
Ride UK, owned and operated by managing editor Mark Noble under the 4130 Publishing title, had been Dig's long standing main competition on the news stands throughout the UK. In the fall of 2005, an agreement was reached between DIG and 4130 Publishing to publish Dig under the 4130 Publishing banner. Formerly competitors, Smyth and Noble were now partners. Noble and 4130 offered Dig the opportunity to pursue Smyth's original editorial direction without compromise. Ride UK would continue to cover all things BMX, while Dig could continue to pursue its undecided niche within the core of BMX riding.
The relationship endured for the next year and a half. Under the 4130 banner, DIG was sold on newsstands with cover-mounted DVDs, allowed to offer subscriptions that were affordable for readers worldwide and marketed alongside free t-shirts, stickers and assorted promotional items that its reader base longed for. DIG's time with 4130 also produced interviews with Taj Mihelich and Ian Morris, exclusive photography of Tom White and Edwin Delarosa from Barcelona and exclusive content from the making of the Etnies video 'Grounded.' This period also included the addition of New Jersey based photographer Rob Dolecki as a full-time editorial contributor and photo editor.
In December 2006, 4130 Publishing announced plans to merge with UK publishing magnate Factory Media, merging its four titles under the Factory Media name (which would come to include titles from Permanent Publishing and other UK action sports publishers.) DIG has since been allowed to continue publishing under the Factory Media title.
September 2012 brought in issue 90 as well as some changes. Issue 90, The Legends issue, featured four alternative covers of DIG-era legends (Van Homan, Joe RIch, Ruben Alcantara and Brian Foster) that the staff have grown to love over the past 19 years. Issue 90 also brought in another change; a different size magazine, different paper stock as well as "themed" issues henceforth.
Tattoos

Dig BMX's logo, a black and white image of four hands crossed over a bike sprocket, has experienced widespread notoriety as a result of becoming a favoured tattoo for BMX riders across the globe. Two pages of Dig issue 50 were devoted to the widespread placement of the Dig tattoo, featuring photos of riders tattooed with the Dig logo from both the UK and U.S. And new tattoo submissions can be found weekly in the news section of the Dig Web site.

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