Proud American

Proud American&mdash;"Celebrating Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness"&mdash;is a full-color quarterly magazine that launched with its Summer 2006 issue. 

The "magazine contains photographs and stories devoted to getting 'the word out that the U.S. is a force for good in the world,' according to Frank Sanders, its publisher," Magazine.org reported.

The magazine's website proclaims: "Are you sick and tired of your country being dragged through the mud? Proud American is a celebration of the greatest country in the world. Finally, there’s a magazine for those who love their country." 

"The United States of America is a force for good in the world, and the public wants to read about it. Whether it’s supporting our troops during this war on terror, protecting our national treasures, promoting patriotism, or just showcasing the liberties and freedoms we are allowed to enjoy in this great nation," it states.

Distribution Problems? or just more Propaganda?
There would appear to be several questions raised by the magazine's distribution and subscription policies. The cover price is stated as $5.99. However, the magazine's website states that subscriptions are not available and only the premiere issue can be ordered online.

Noble Duty Milblogger CJ was given a copy of the magazine by a Free Republic member while he was visiting at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, he  reported August 9, 2006.

"However, there’s a problem," he said. "Even though only one issue of the magazine has been published, it's possible we won't get regular installments." Additionally, CJ wrote, "Currently, there is no way to subscribe to the magazine as they haven't quantified how many people are willing to purchase and read it yet. If your local book store or magazine rack doesn’t carry Proud American demand that they carry it. Buy a couple of copies and pass them along."

Content & Critique
"The magazine is full of military-oriented articles," Noble Duty Milblogger CJ wrote.

BOOKSAMILLION.COM informs that, although the magazine is not available on its website, "This 2006 issue features why Walter Reed Army Medical Center is called the clinical center of gravity of American military medicine, our U.S. troops are stationed in nearly 150 countries around the world and are a force for good in the world, and much more." 

The magazine's advertisements, which are all full-page, are remarkably uniform. Six come from the Ad Council, which are usually donated by the publisher, meaning they brought in no revenue. Of its paid customers, there are two each from the American Red Cross, American Legion, and the National Parks Conservation Association.

In his July 2006 review of Proud American, Mr. Magazine wrote: "On the heels of the Fourth of July and just in time for Labor Day, Proud American is a magazine 'celebrating freedom and the U.S.A.' With a beleaguered war in Iraq, heightened tension in the middle east and North Korean woes, Proud American seems to have been launched at a time when Americans feel most ready to rally around their flag. This new launch is pure Americana: soldiers, barbeques and NASCAR. The content may be uber-patriotic but the layout elicits anything but pride. Often times I found myself lost, confused and just bored with the spreads. The pages held so many pictures and so much copy that I couldn't find time for a quick breath in between pages. I applaud the effort and the wonderfully planned launch, but a few more changes may help make this new launch a bit more successful."

Enoble Media Group
A somewhat convoluted path led to the identity of the magazine's publisher. The magazine's address and listed phone number&mdash;201 843-5656&mdash;belong to Faces Magazines Inc. and Great Eastern Color Litho Corp  of Paramus, New Jersey.

Faces Magazines lists a second phone number&mdash;201 843-4004. Both this phone number and the Paramus address belong to the four decade old national media publishing house Enoble Media Group, which produces such specialty media publications as Skin & Ink, Today's Black Woman, Black Men, SSX, Faces, and Hit Parader magazines, among several others. Both the Group's legal department and circulation department can be contacted at this phone number.

Enoble Media Group does not promote Proud American on its website, nor is its connection with the publication mentioned in press releases or standard media announcements.

Domain Name
The magazine's domain name PROUDAMERICANONLINE.COM was created March 21, 2006, by Proud American Magazine, with Frank Sanders as both administrative and technical contact. Current registrant is Intercosmos Media Group, Inc. D/B/A DIRECTNIC.COM. 

Contact Details
Proud American Magazine 210 E State Route 4 Suite 211 Paramus, NJ 07652 US Phone: 201 843-5656 Email: prdameric AT aol.com Web: http://www.proudamericanonline.com/