• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, February 23, 2007

Ocean Drive Media Group plans to launch a high-end regional luxury magazine focused on frou-frou goings-on in the Chicago area, titled Michigan Ave., the publisher announced this week. The first issue of the bimonthly, set to debut in December 2007, will be 300 pages with a circulation of 70,000.

In addition to direct mailings to upscale homeowners and Fortune 500 execs, the magazine will be sold at newsstands, O'Hare and Midway airports--the latter a favorite of well-heeled business travelers--as well as upscale retailers and luxury hotels, with a cover price of $5.99. The magazine will appeal to this audience with Chicago-focused coverage of lifestyle, fashion, furniture, real estate, art and automobiles.

The magazine's editorial content and feel will be shaped by Ocean Drive Editorial Director Glenn Albin. He currently oversees the publisher's other titles, including a stable of regional luxury mags. To launch the new title, Ocean Drive is organizing a series of exclusive parties bringing together Chicago's business and fashion elite with A list celebrities and major brands.

Garden & Gun Takes Aim In April

April will see the launch of Garden & Gun, a new title geared to "affluent Southerners and those who participate in the sporting life of the South." Published by Evening Post Ventures, which also owns The Post and Courier, a venerable Southern daily newspaper, Garden & Gun is the brainchild of Rebecca Darwin, formerly publisher of The New Yorker, and Editor in Chief John Wilson, who created Charleston magazine. Darwin remarked: "We aim to be more upscale, more targeted and more niche than older, mass-audience titles, like Southern Living."

Private Wealth Launches In June

Charter Financial Publishing Network is launching a new magazine for people that serve the ultra-rich, called Private Wealth. David Smith, group publisher at CFPN--which also publishes Financial Advisor magazine--said Private Wealth targets a rarified group of advisors, assistants, brokers and service professionals that cater to the financial, legal and lifestyle needs of the rich. It will have an initial circulation of 30,000.

Scott Gramling Named EIC at Wizard

Scott Gramling has been named the new editor in chief of Wizard Entertainment, with responsibility for four publications--Wizard, InQuest Gamer, ToyFare and Anime Insider--as well as the company's Wizard World Tour and its wizarduniverse.com Web site. Wizard Entertainment President and COO Fred Pierce remarked: "We are thrilled that Scott is returning to the Wizard family and extremely confident he is the right person for the job. His experience, knowledge and expertise make him an invaluable asset as we continue to build the circulation and awareness of the Wizard brand."