Things have been mighty quiet over at HX, one of New York’s two free weekly fag rags. As we told you earlier this year, the magazine’s doesn’t have a very good track record when it comes to keeping staffers.
Founder Matthew Bank and publisher Gary Lacinski sacked scores of employees earlier this year, but have been working to maintain their numbers. It seems, however, that staffers simply can’t hang. From a reader:
The past two weeks, HX magazine has had quite a number of resignations – the creative director, listings editor, classified account executive and Matthew Bank’s personal assistant position. The reason for the resignations have been varied, but it might have something to do with the graveyard hours (5-6am) and the strenuous work overload that Bank has been foisting on the minimal staff after last year’s round of layoffs. (You can point interested readers to apply at Craigslist. They’re accepting HX applications over there.)
Last week was so bad that Bank recommended turning off the air conditioner just so he could save money.
Accepting applications over Craigslist, huh? That’s certainly a step up from their old method: writing help wanted signs above glory holes.
retrofit
hx should consider importing orphaned phillipino children to get their work done.. although i think even they might balk at the 20k salary offered on craigslist.
Qjersey
If Matthew Banks didn’t own HX, his fat ass wouldn’t get into all the parties and events that his mag covers.
HX is nothing more than Mr. Banks fantasy of the social world he could live in if he were in shape and attractive.
HX has destroyed the NY Blade…its smaller, its content is lifted off newswires and its columnists are severely lacking in any credentials except of course being liked by Mr. Banks.
nycstudman
Qjersey, you left out the house on Fire isand & NYC apartment.
NY Blade is pitifully thin. It’s a shame, it used to be a fun read.
tbl41
Apparently no one remembers how pitiful the NY Blade was before HX took over. Looks better now than it did. Besides, all New York gays care about is where to go to ‘be seen’ and get free booze. Can’t blame HX if no one wants to read legitimate news.
nycstudman
“no one remembers how pitiful the NY Blade was before HX took over. Looks better now than it did.”
layout’s better now. content was better then.
drjon
From my friend who worked there, only 2 of those people voluntarily left the company. The other two were fired for incompetence. Matthew’s assistant had the personality and intelligence of a rock. The listings editor fucked up listing after listing after listing. Rumor has it he sent out a message saying he was leaving he same day as the creative director and told everyone how miserable he was there. Jackass stupidly sent it to one of the higher ups that was close to matthew and he was told to leave immediately. Of course he was also stoned out of his mind 90% of the time too.
tvonthefritz
As a friend of the listings editor, drjon’s account is mostly unfounded. The listings editor put in his two weeks’ notice and did send a company-wide e-mail, but did so purposefully because the powers-that-be at HX are not deserving of respect. Isn’t it satisfyingly ironic that HX apologists are mostly FOMB (Friends of Matthew Bank)? Mr. Bank is one of the least respectable queers in the city. He’s “respected” by mostly meth heads and fly-by-night male hookers. As for the magazine, it embodies the worst of gay people. It’s nothing more than shrill fodder for the religious right in that gay people are basically disease-carrying cokeheads who like to fuck their brains out. Of course, there’s the whole chicken or the egg scenario (Did HX merely sate the Chelsea stereotypes or act as an inhibitor?) But the fact remains that as a whole, HX denigrates gay people, never empowering them. I think that’s the sole reason the listings editor left. He has morals while HX is a walking laughingstock, Larry Kramer’s Faggots come to life. As for fucking up listing after listing, you have to take into account that he did two other jobs on top of that one. Matthew Bank, being the shrewd magazine genius that he is, replaced him with an unpaid intern. Before that, the previous listings editor only held his position for a month. Something tells me that it wasn’t the fault of the listings editor that the mag suffers.