Frank's World v4.0: Ziff-Davis Media Portfolio

`ZD Media

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Click on the cover image to see it full size. To see a scan of pages inside the magazine, click any of the links in the "work done" sections. Newer stuff is added at the bottom of the page.
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Pocket Games
Magazine

Click to view my Pocket Games portfolio. 15 issues in one handy spot.
Title: Electronic Gaming Monthly
Issue: 134 - September 2000
Editor: Joe Funk, Greg Sewart
Work Done:
Mega Man Extreme Preview (pg. 124)

Title: Electronic Gaming Monthly
Issue: 136 - November 2000
Editor: Joe Funk, Greg Sewart
Work Done:
Robopon Preview (pg. 162)
Neo Geo Pocket Color Previews (pg. 172)

Title: DCM
Issue: 4 - "Winter" 2000
Editor: Dan Peluso
Work Done:
Ecco the Dolphin Guide (pg. 62-77)
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2, and Starlancer previews.

Title: Expert Gamer
Issue: 78 - December 2000
Editor: Dan Leahy
Work Done:
Ecco the Dolphin Guide (pgs. 130-140. Reformatted from DCM)

Title: Expert Gamer
Issue: 79 - January 2001
Editor: Dan Leahy
Work Done:
Shenmue Guide (pgs. 114-123)

Title: GameNOW
Issue: December 2002
Editor: Carrie Shepherd
Work Done:
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance mini-Guide
(page 88, page 89, page 90)

Title: 2003 Holiday Game Guide
Issue: December 2002
Editor: Dan Peluso
Work Done:
Game Boy Advance Section (pg. 97-110)

Title: 2004 Holiday Game Guide
Issue: December 2003
Editor: Dan Peluso
Work Done:
Game Boy Advance Section (pgs. 83-95)

Title: Unofficial Gamecube & Game Boy Advance Guide
Issue: December 2003
Editor: Dan Peluso
Work Done:
GameCube / GBA Connectivity Feature
(page 14, page 15, pgs. 16-22)
Advance Wars 2 Review (pg. 66)
SSX Tricky Review
Donkey Kong Country Review
Super Mario Bros. 3: Super Mario Advance 4 Guide

Title: 2005 Ultimate Videogame Buyers' Guide
Issue: December 2004
Editor: Dan Peluso
Work Done:
Mario Golf: Advance Tour Review (pg. 108)
Astro Boy: Omega Factor Review (pg. 113)
Final Fantasy 1&2 Review (pg. 116)

ZD Media >

Getting freelance work from ZD Media is highly dependent on who you know. If memory serves me correctly, it was Mark MacDonald who gave me my first shot with them, writing a handful of reviews in issue #3 of Pocket Games. I knew Mark from the #vidgames IRC chat channel. Through Mark, I was introduced to Dan Peluso, whom I have worked with on numerous occasions over the years.

Through Dan, I was introduced to Dan Leahy, and so it goes...

By far, my favorite Ziff publication to write for is Pocket Games, which is published roughly 3 times per year. I started contributing to PG with issue 3 (March 2000) and had a solid run of 15 consecutive issues up through issue 17 (March 2005).

One thing I find amusing is that Ziff's Holiday Game Guides are always post-dated a year. For instance, the 2004 Holiday Game Guide landed on store shelves for the 2003 holiday season. They fixed the numbering dilemma with their "2005" guide, renaming it to the 2005 Ultimate Videogame Buyer's Guide. It still appeared on shelves in November of 2004, but at least it didn't refer to the following holiday season any longer.

I've mostly enjoyed the work I've done for Uncle Ziff, with two qualifiers. 1) They shuffle staff and editors so frequently that it's tough to maintain freelance work with the same publication for very long. 2) They don't send out paychecks until a month after a magazine is published, which is often 3 months after you've done the work. Sadly, that sort of pay schedule is common in the print industry.