We all know teen boys don’t read. Thankfully, Wasted Youth, a new pub for 13-17s, gets this. Its catchy size (a bit bigger than a CD), and its tag – ‘the mag about music, skate, anime, art, games, whatever’ – plus its visual-heavy approach are bang on. And then there was the ‘FREE wasted music CD included’ in issue one.

Wasted is the first original mag out of contract publishing and design co Hotsos Studio of Toronto. Publisher Greg Hughes says the free CDs are a big draw, and next issue they plan to put one right on the cover and sell ad space on its face for about $1,000. (The magazine format

is changing to 8 1/2 by 10 1/2.) The multimedia CD will include

ad-sponsored videos, PDFs and links

to sponsor sites.

The mag also includes contests galore with accompanying ad opps. The second issue features a graffiti contest with a kid tagging a wall, and a big empty space for readers to submit their own graffiti art. The prize? Level 27 clothes like the kid is wearing. Level 27 is a skate-style fashion brand hitting Winners this month.

Another contest, sponsored by Universal, features tickets to Wakestock and Warped Tour, along with CDs of all the Universal bands appearing and a band interview for one lucky winner.

Now quarterly, six issues are planned for year two. Current distrib is 5,000 in Chapters and other major chains across Canada. But the hope is to build a grassroots presence at concerts, events and kid-friendly retail.

Hughes says so far they’ve focused on Ontario, with Vancouver being the next target.