In Episode 15 of More Fun Talking Retro, the spotlight turns to a theme close to every classic gamer’s heart: celebrating retro print culture. Host Lee is joined by Pixel Addict’s Paul Monaghan and Andrew Fisher—two veterans keeping the spirit of gaming magazines alive in an age of endless scrolling and push notifications.
Keeping Print Alive in 2025
From the first minute, it’s clear this episode is more than just a nostalgic ramble. It’s a deep and often hilarious dive into the realities of producing physical media today. With celebrating retro print culture as the focus, Paul and Andrew discuss the highs and headaches of editing Amiga Addict and Pixel Addict—print-first publications that thrive by bucking digital trends.
Despite rising postage costs and the convenience of PDFs, many readers still crave the tactile experience. That joy of flipping through pages, circling game reviews, and staring at beautifully chaotic cover art hasn’t gone away—it’s just waiting at the local newsagent.
Stories, Not Just Specs
Both Paul and Andrew agree: it’s not just about hardware. It’s about memories. Whether profiling the rare Aquarius II or tracking magazine circulation to predict a platform’s decline, the editors focus on personal stories. Andrew’s hardware roundups and Paul’s deep dives into obscure titles resonate because they’re driven by curiosity—not clickbait.
Their process includes interviewing past editors, tracking down vintage ads, and working with a global team of contributors. The result? Magazines that feel like the spiritual successors to Amiga Format, Zzap!64, and ST Action—but with modern layout sensibility and a bit less eye-searing color contrast.
Challenges and Community
Producing physical magazines in a digital-first world isn’t for the faint of heart. There’s constant pressure to keep content fresh, layouts readable, and deadlines tight. Yet, Paul and Andrew are undeterred. They’ve built a loyal reader base, a stable of enthusiastic contributors, and a product that proudly holds its own beside the shrinking row of print titles at WHSmith.
Beyond the publications themselves, the discussion highlights the strength of the retro community. Events, Discord chats, and submissions from passionate fans all feed back into the magazine ecosystem—proving that celebrating retro print culture is as much about connection as it is preservation.
The Print Journey Continues
For Paul, editing Pixel Addict is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. For Andrew, it’s a chance to mix proofreading precision with writing joy. Together, they share one goal: to keep the print experience alive and thriving. And if that means squeezing a 1980s strategy game next to an article on Teletex art, so be it.
