1999 was probably the high point of the last global yoyo boom, that event horizon right before everything crashed and burned HARD. In retrospect, 1999 really was the year that it died and it was an ugly, ugly death.

And one of the ugliest parts was the arrival of Yo-Yo World Magazine, brought to us by H&S Media. Other fine publications from H&S Media included Mary Beth’s Beanie World Magazine, and WOW (World of Wrestling) Magazine. They were a publisher who just rushed in on a fad, threw together something hasty and ill-produced, and milked as much money out of it as they could before the fad crashed and burned.

 

 

The magazine had exactly the sort of content you expect from something like this…it was written badly, quadruple spaced when possible, and got pretty much everything wrong. But when they published this interview with Olympic sharpshooter and yoyo enthusiast Koby Holland, they gave us this incredible image…and for that we should be ever thankful.

 

 

But a personal favorite is always going back and seeing the companies that are now long gone. Like this vaguely racist-sounding company that was run by a perky trust-fund kid named Maria Carilao who managed to find a way to add the word “yo” to at least 4 words per sentence, regularly insulted other yoyo manufacturers at trade shows while standing right next to them, and used to drive around in a Volvo covered in glued-on yoyo halves. (I wish I was making this up.)

 

 

There was a recent conversation on the YoYoExpert forums about someone wanting to start a new yoyo magazine. Gaze upon these pictures and despair, young man, and be careful of the path you tread.

Yo-Yo World Magazine lasted 4 issues before going the way of Yo-Bonic, Playmaxx, BC, Custom, Black Mamba, and nearly all of the other companies that bought ads in the magazine. RIP, Yo-Yo World.

And now, for your final moment of Zen: