Avalon Media new owners of Curve Magazine, securing its 21st year

By Saskia Joreen on Thursday, October 14, 2010 - 11:37

In the year of its 20th anniversary, the USA’s best-selling lesbian magazine, Curve, has been sold to Avalon Media, the Australian publisher of Bound and LOTL.

It’s a very welcome and comforting message in times when lesbian print media seem to be struggling quite a bit. Just a few weeks ago I read an article about Curve being in need of financing, and not being sure if they would make it to their 21st anniversary. It’s wonderful to hear that they got help from the other side of the world, uniting the global lesBian community and securing the future of the magazine!

Curve Magazine’s founder and publisher Frances Stevens announced the sale of the magazine to Avalon Media two days ago. Founded by Silke Bader in 1998, Avalon Media publishes Bound, an international lesbian magazine, and LOTL (formerly Lesbians on the Loose), Australia's premier lesbian magazine, which also recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Frances Stevens:

I’m excited to begin a new chapter in my life. I’ll be passing the baton of publishing over to the magazine’s new owner — Avalon Media — and Silke Bader, a woman who has earned my respect and gratitude for her amazing work in lesbian publishing for the last decade. Not only is she a powerhouse in lesbian publishing—but she’s also a leading spokeswoman in the fight for gay adoption in Australia, which passed into law in September. She has the experience, drive and resources to take Curve to the next level.

Stevens, who cited health and family reasons as motivation for selling Curve, will continue to run CurvePersonals.com, the lesbian dating site.

Silke Bader comments:

Avalon Media is extremely proud to be the new owner of Curve. I have long admired the work of Frances Stevens and the dedicated team at Curve. It is one of the world's leading lesbian magazines and we want to ensure its growth and longevity, especially in these economically challenging times.

Avalon Media will maintain offices in Sydney and New York and publishing will commence under the new ownership as of the January/February 2011 issue. Curve's incoming Editor in Chief will be Merryn Johns, former editor of LOTL and Bound. She states:

It is with great honor and excitement that I take on the role of editor for Curve. This important magazine has a solid history of serving its loyal and considerably diverse readership. I intend to maintain the magazine's place in publishing history while meeting the changing needs of a discerning new readership.

Curve has been named the ‘Best Gay and Lesbian Publication’ by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Its November/December double issue, which hits newsstands on October 23rd, will be the last issue under the editorial direction of long-time Editor in Chief Diane Anderson-Minshall. You can visit Curve online at curvemag.com.