Bartel published his first issue
of The Rake in March 2002, after starting several publications over the years,
most notably City Pages (originally Sweet Potato).“I’ve tried working for someone
else, but as someone once said to me, I don’t work well in captivity,” he
observes. “I also tried retiring for a while, but that’s kind of boring.”
“Readers
are not stupid. What I mean by that is, you can find an audience that
appreciates good storytelling and knows the difference between good and bad
stuff, true stuff and not-so-true stuff. I’ve learned you can find advertisers
who know the difference between good and bad stories, but it’s a little harder.
A magazine’s credibility as an editorial vehicle will extend to the advertiser’s
message; it just takes a little longer for advertisers to realize that. I think
that if people see your name all the time but it’s not connected with anything
of substance, it undercuts your credibility and your message as an
advertiser.”
