Kraven Magazine 2.0
Kraven Magazine 2.0 feature articles will give the opportunity of exposure to 30 individuals/businesses per issue to reach our community at no cost. In addition to providing ad placements free of cost to LGBTQ small businesses through these sections:
- Entrepreneurship
- Art and Entertainment
- Fitness & Wellness
- Cuisine
- Travel
- Queer Social Justice and Politics
- Extraordinary People (Interviews with individuals from our community who have extraordinary stories to motivate and inspire others in our community)
- Non-Profit
- Drag Section (Queens and Kings)
Kraven Magazine 1.0 was focused on Gay men, but this new concept will cater to everyone in our community. We aim to become diverse with each new release and welcome any feedback that can help us improve the overall experience of the Magazine.
The cover paper will be 130# satin with matte lamination. The inside pages will be 70# matte. The Magazine is shipped in a branded envelope to protect this high-quality publication.
The magazine will be available at no cost digitally here, on our website. Print editions will be available for purchase to help us to keep the magazine free of cost ads and articles and to expand our reach.
Latest editor letter -
Seeing all the latest movements with abortion and the shifting politics that are putting all the progress at risk that we, and generations before, had worked so hard for reminds me of the importance of stand-up.
My standing-up experience dates back to between the age of 14 to 16, when I tried to commit suicide three times. After my third attempt, I ended up in a psychiatric hospital for over a week and a regilous conversion camp.
After being released, I said, "I love who I am, and from now on, I am gonna stand-up for myself."
I was at the airport to board a flight from Puerto Rico to Maryland to stay with my aunt, and before boarding, I gave my parents an envelope. With over 100 pages containing LGBTQ testimonies, theories, research, and experiences from parents who lost their kids for not supporting them.
I had thought this was the first step to stand-up to my parents and make it clear that if they wanted to continue to be part of my life, they must love me for who I am and not for a version of what a son should be for them.
As I returned to Puerto Rico, it seemed like slow progress was made, yet not enough to feel comfortable living with my parents as a proud and openly gay person. I thought they could only control my life if I depended on them. So I moved to the capital, San Juan, at 16 years old. I finished high school at night with adults so I could work during the day to support myself while working on a radio show, acting, and doing multiple other projects. I was following my heart and living the life I wanted to. Things became much more difficult when I slept in my car for about two months. I would pick up a political party's signature so they could pay me a dollar per signature so I could buy myself some food. But due to poor nutrition, I ended up in the hospital rather than returning home.
After struggling this much, I still managed to get into university. After being homeless for a while, crashing at numerous friends, and sleeping in parking lots at malls, I finally had my own room at the university's residency. The night before, I crashed with a friend, and my car got broken into; everything I had was stolen. I am crying as I write this because I remember my mom coming to see me and asking me to show her my room, and I did. When she opened the closet and saw it empty, she asked what had happened, so I told her the truth.
As she cried, she asked why I didn't come home. I said, "because I have to stand-up for myself, I won't return to a place where I am not respected for who I am." She held me and cried, blaming herself for what I had gone through. The world was difficult for me, and she made it even harder.
After that, she started to look for help, therapy, and psychology. I gave her the space to change and forgave her because when she was in her 20s, she lost my older brother to cancer and a friend to HIV/AIDS. The fear of losing me compelled her to try and change me while unconsciously hurting me.
We buried that past and never talked about it. She became my best friend. I don't regret anything that happened. It taught me to be authentic, become stronger, and stand for what I believe in.
The day I stood-up for myself was when I became powerful. With this Kraven Magazine volume, I hope to inspire others to stand up for themselves.
History of Kraven Magazine
2011, Fernando was 23 years old, working as a server at a restaurant in The Palm Hotel in Miami Beach. When covering the lunch hour of the gift shop attendant, he would read O Magazine - Oprah's magazine. He was amazed by the way the publication empowered and celebrated women, yet with articles that one could relate to. It provided tools that one could apply to improve their life and wellbeing. He quickly thought that our community could benefit from something so powerful, but often our publications were far off from the mission and vision of O’Magazine.
Then, every day he started to think about ideas for an LGBTQ publication that could impact our community, one that can provide bold, engaging content that is meaningful and can empower us. Fernando started to hide from his boss and co-workers while taking notes on what he needed to open a magazine. His boss often told him, “Go back to the floor. You aren’t opening a magazine”. Those words only made him more determined.
Kraven Magazine's first local Issue for Miami/Fort Lauderdale March 2011
After going door by the door with his friend Nery with just one sheet of paper, the “Media Kit,” of his vision for Kraven, he took Kraven Magazine off the ground. Two months later, after literary walking into every business and quitting the server job, Fernando returns to his former boss to leave some magazines for the restaurant. After a few issues in Miami, Fernando decides to move to San Francisco, where again he faces challenges that are quickly overcome, determined by his vision of bringing Kraven to San Francisco. Using platforms like Grindr and adam4adam, Fernando would look for writers and contributors for his first issue of Kraven Magazine in San Francisco. His first writer, whom Fernando felt for his writing right away, SM Brennan, neither of them thought that the future had other plans in store for then. That it was just more than an article. With Fernando broken English found a savor, Brennan became the editor of the magazine, later investing in Kraven. After a year now, the magazine was not local but turned nationwide, catching the attention of many, but one in particular, Charle Plfaumer, who reached out to Fernando, interesting in becoming part of the team. The two quickly connected, and Fernando loved his style of design and creativity. Charlie, together with Brennan, gave birth to Kraven's first team.
The team have the opportunity to work with amazing LGBTQ people and to produce more than 15 original fashion editorials done by magnificent photographers from Spain to Canada, New York to San Francisco.
About seven years ago, one of our writers, Raad, wrote an article about the misrepresentation of our community in the comic book industry, which led to the creation of Kraven Comics, which is the reason for Kraven Magazine's temporary shutdown and took place so Fernando could focus on getting the comic book off the ground.
Seven years later, Kraven Comics has two series with a total of 10 books and working on selling the franchise to studios, so Fernando thought, “It’s time to bring Kraven Magazine back.” This time around, with a new concept inspired by his own experience with Kraven Comics. When Fernando reached out to many LGBTQ publications, most of them asked from $750 to $5,000 to have a spot to place an article about the comic book. Still, when Marvel or big companies turn a character's gay or bi just for marketing purposes, they all talk about it for free when these companies haven’t cared about us. It is understandable the cost of producing a magazine, but there should be a publication that can sustain itself while providing a voice to members of our community. One that many in our community can find the support needed for them to thrive in such difficult times.
When Kraven Comics need it the most support during the first few months of the pandemic, It was thanks to two publications; South Florida Gay News and Peach Atlanta, that with their featured article and exposure helped Kraven Comic’s successful Kickstarter campaign that paved the way to what Kraven Comics is today.
Fernando reaches out to the original team, Brennan and Charlie, to ask them to join him as part-owners to bring back Kraven Magazine 2.0. Brennan, who has brought up to conversation the wish to bring kraven Magazine back, quickly says yes to becoming the Executive Editor. Charlies, who felt that this chapter of Kraven hasn’t over and that the magazine was destined to return, happily accepted his position as Art Director. Fernando also brought a new face, Oscar Sausameda, Kraven Comic’s co-writer, who, like Charlie, found out about the comic and reached out to Fernando to get involved without knowing that thru Kraven Comics, he would become part of the inner circle of the minds behind the signature Kraven landing him the position of Managing Editor at Kraven Magazine 2.0.
Together they form #TeamKraven, working hard to bring visibility to many artists and business owners. To look for people with extraordinary stories that can motivate and inspire the community. To challenge the norm and to talk about topics that sometimes may be hard to talk about. But the most important thing is to give chances.
Kraven Magazine's First Cover, Miami beach 2011.