downthetubes: How did you get into publishing and how did the TOXIC job come your way?

Matt Yeo: I originally trained as a designer and kind of fell into magazine journalism by accident. The first titles I worked on were early video game magazines, back in the mid-90s. Eventually I ended up in London and at Egmont Magazines.

My first licensed magazine, kid's title and launch were one and the same, LEGO Adventures. There were other magazines I was involved with, but it's really TOXIC that's been the huge success story.
 
downthetubes: In a previous interview you said "I have a lot of respect for British comics history and freely admit that there's a bit of The Beano, The Dandy, Buster, Whizzer & Chips, Nutty and Oink lurking in TOXIC." It seems to me that the mag could be compared to Eagle as well - a publication crammed with things that boys are interested in. Any thoughts on this comparison?

Matt: Yeah, it definitely ‘borrows' a lot of its inspiration (and even some of its creators) from those and other British titles! The idea behind TOXIC has always been that it's an entertainment/lifestyle magazine aimed squarely at 8-12 year-old boys, and as such should reflect what's going on in their lives. We do that in a fun, irreverent way with our own unique brand of TOXIC toilet humour, comic strips and an understanding of what boys of that age are into.
 
downthetubes: A banner on the contents page of TOXIC says 'PARENTS KEEP OUT.' Have you actually had any feedback about the mag from parents, good or bad?

Matt: Heh, yeah, once again that's one of those things where we're letting kids know that the mag is purely for them, although we know dads like to chuckle at it too.

Honestly though, in the five years that TOXIC's been going, we've had maybe a handful of moans from irate parents. We take what they have to say seriously, but 99.9% of our readers (and their folks) seem to get what we're doing.

And whenever we've done research with TOXIC, we'll often hear that parents and teachers approve of the magazine as boys of this age are notoriously lazy readers and they say that with TOXIC at least they're reading something.
 
downthetubes: You have brilliant coverage of movies and TV shows. Do you have to approach them for publicity material or do they come to you with offers of competition prizes etc?

Matt: Thanks! It's actually a bit of both. There are always companies out there that want to promote their products and we know what does and doesn't work in the mag. We work very closely with movies, TV, video game and toy companies to make sure our readers get the very best of what's out there every fortnight.
 
downthetubes: Now that you've reached the milestone of 100 issues will it be a case of sticking to the winning formula or do you have plans to change the format at all?

Matt: We're always tweaking the mag and trying new things, while attempting to stick to what made TOXIC a success in the first place. The great thing about the mag is that it's got a real energy to it, and our readers play a big part in that by interacting with TOXIC, sending in letters and pictures and letting us know when we've cocked up!

downthetubes: What are the most popular features in TOXIC?

Matt: Team TOXIC (written and drawn by the insanely talented Lew Stringer), comic content, video game reviews, cheats, compos, jokes… too many to list!

downthetubes: Despite the naysayers who've said kids aren't interested in comics, you've stuck to your guns and kept strip material in. Has the success spurred any thoughts about spinning off characters like Rex into one off specials or their own comic?

Matt: I've always said from day one that the comic content of TOXIC is essential to its success. We're not a comic per se, but a lifestyle magazine with comic content. It's about finding the right balance. Too many comic pages and you're competing with The Beano. Not enough and… well, I think we all know how the recent Dandy relaunch has turned out…

I keep encouraging UK comic creators to pitch their ideas to us, and when they're successful, we'll include strips like Rex, Time Toilet, Chester Chimp, Grott the Mighty and others.

If those comics prove to be a hit with our readers, then yes we'll treat them as brand in their own right.
 
Do Egmont own any old Fleetway/IPC characters that you would you ever consider reviving classic characters or reprinting classic strips either in TOXIC or another publication?

We do still own the rights to a number of characters and titles from yesteryear. As to whether any of them will be taken out of the Egmont archives and dusted off for a new audience? Watch this space…
 
What are your thoughts on Beano Max and the new Dandy Xtreme?

Hmm…. Personally I think DC Thompson has taken a good long look at TOXC, seen how successful it's been, and tried to emulate that by adapting its own titles to look and feel like our own… to limited success.

The problem is that both The Beano and Dandy have always been strong comics in their own right and benefit from a long and glorious history with a devoted fanbase. Why try and shoehorn their titles and characters into magazines that dilute what made them successful in the first place?

I dunno. I think they're underestimating their target audience and trying to deliver an adults idea of what a kids' magazine should be.

The TOXIC website has just had a massive revamp. How long has that been in the works and what's the reaction been?

Well, we launched a small marketing site a few years ago, and there was always interest from our readers for an all-singing, all-dancing TOXIC digital experience. We just decided last year to take it to the next level and give visitors to the site as much fun and info on a daily basis as they get in the mag every fortnight.

Of course we can do things with a website we can't do in the mag and vice versa, so it's important that the two products compliment each other work together coherently.

Plus, we get to have fart noises on there… so that's a bonus!

Are there any parts of the website that are open to TOXIC subscribers only?

Visitors can register on the site and start growing their Mega Bogie straight away! Every time they visit, log-in and interact with the site, they'll receive points which can be traded for exclusive downloads and other cool stuff.

We're working on adding extra sections and content in the next few months, so keep checking out: www.toxicmag.co.uk

downthetubes: Do you think the website will generate more readers or might it mean readers will migrate to the website and stop reading the comic?

Matt: We're not trying to replicate the magazine online or produce a digital magazine of some sort. The magazine should lead readers to the site and from the site to the magazine. They've both been designed to compliment each other. And we can monitor visitor usage to add more popular content to both the site and mag as necessary.

Kids will always read physical comics as long as the medium exists. Digital media and interactive experiences merely enhance the paper-based product. Having a website is merely one way of bringing children into the wacky world of TOXIC!

dwonthetubes: Can you tell us if Egmont have any new projects in development?

Matt: We're always developing our current portfolio of children's titles and creating new magazines to fill gaps in the market. I can't comment on any specific launches or forthcoming titles, but everyone at Egmont Magazines is always working flatout to deliver quality kids' titles to an ever-demanding audience. And we have tons of fun doing it… so that's a bonus!

downthetubes: Matt, thanks very much for your time.

More TOXIC madness at www.toxicmag.co.uk!