Last but not least: primeval cancer 2.0
The cult magazine Yps returned after a 12-year hiatus and has grown along with its readership. Its resounding success was predictable.
No other magazine in the German-speaking world enjoys a comparable cult status to the comic book Yps, which shaped an entire generation of adolescents in the 1970s and 1980s. The title owed its popularity primarily to the so-called gimmicks that were included with each issue. While supplements such as the mini dictionary with a built-in plastic gun may not be as well remembered (at least by most readers), one extra left its mark on "Generation Yps" like no other: The primeval crabs. The eggs of the brine shrimp had been enclosed in the magazine 22 times since the mid-1970s and, with a little skill (and luck), could be transformed into a proud mini-crab farm. The fact that even the clumsiest children achieved certain breeding successes was due to the fact that the eggs are extraordinarily resistant: They can survive even at temperatures above 50 degrees for decades, only to hatch at the first rain. This will to survive is something someone should try to imitate.
Since Yps was discontinued in 2000, a huge, but in the meantime adult, fan community has been calling for the magazine's return. Forums, Facebook groups and fan pages persistently expressed the wish that the gimmick-laden comic magazine be relaunched. On October 11, 2012, the prayers were finally answered and Egmont Ehapa published Yps number 1258. In the meantime, not only the readership has grown up, but also the magazine. Glossy cover, 100 pages, (mostly) editorial content instead of comics. A lot of nostalgia, a lot of references to earlier times - and enclosed prehistoric crabs. You can guess: a complete success! Already today asked W&V: "Where are the copies left?" In many parts of Germany, Yps is sold out. "Picking up has begun immediately," says Ehapa spokeswoman Elke Schickedanz. Redistributions from the new German states are already underway. There, it can be assumed, the historical and nostalgic anchoring of the magazine is probably lower.
The following relaunch campaign probably wouldn't have been necessary. But it was still nice. If you haven't seen it yet, you can do so now. (hae)
