“Ewwww,” said one of the older teens, in a tone usually reserved for something the dog leaves behind, “Dad used to wear a mullet.”
“What’s a mullet?” the other kids asked.
Given that opening, I began regaling my children about the dignity of the haircut summarized as “business in the front, party in the back.” I told them about great dignitaries of the ’80s who, like me, were committed to the mullet lifestyle.
Men such as Wayne Gretzky, Dennis Eckersley, Patrick Swayze, and best of all, the long-locked TV action hero MacGyver.
“Who’s MacGyver?” they asked.
I learned a lesson that day. Changing your look can help you appreciate how far you’ve come.
Which leads me to this issue of the magazine in your hands.
Let me first say, there are no mullets in Progressive Cattleman. We didn’t design a magazine based on temporary trends but rather a look that works for the reader. The illustrative quality of this magazine has always been something that we think sets it apart.
Our production team, which designs and illustrates the publication, possesses great talent and creativity. You’ve seen it in the issues we’ve published over the past six years. Every time I look back at an archive issue, I appreciate the outstanding visual look that has always defined the magazine.
But as time progresses, we know there are ways to improve, to modernize a look, make it classier, more readable and more useful to our audience.
This issue represents the beginning of some of those changes. Some you will notice; others you may not. Many articles will have an accompanying element – At a Glance – summarizing what you need to know.
Our logo remains much the same, yet our cover has some subtle new details. And our page directories and labels are now thematically grouped. We think this makes the magazine easier to follow.
Overall, the aesthetic quality is going to be higher than what we did before. Some changes will continue with future issues. If there’s something you like, or something you don’t, don’t be shy about telling us what you think.
It’s been said that today’s print publications are altering their look and content to be more like the Internet. There may be some truth to that. But I think readers are loyal to the tangible and visual quality of a print publication. We want you to be connected to what you read. That builds trust, and trust builds credibility.
Even if some of us used to wear a mullet. 
-
David Cooper
- Managing Editor
- Progressive Cattleman
- Email David Cooper
