Haver Cole and Saeya Nyanda are the co-creators of the brand-new magazine PWNED. I got them together to talk about it a little bit, and ended up biting off more than I could chew, as you will see. It's okay, though: it was yummy like nougat, with an interesting texture, and it's here that my metaphor breaks down. To begin the interview, I asked how the two of them came up with the idea for PWNED.

Saeya Nyanda: Well ... We were really effing bored one day and spent maybe that day and the next two days talking about how we wanted to do something but didn't know what ... and we thought of all kinds of stuff ... Like, Haver what were some of them?

Haver Cole: Like Gorean fairy princesses and furry tiny lesbians.

Saeya: We decided we should have a secret life where we're Gor slaves or something more interesting than standing around Haver's workspace.

Like 'Tracey Takes On'.

Haver: Exactly.Saeya: And we didn't understand a lot of the genres we were wanting to check out, like pony girls ... what's up with them? I know they look cool but I have no idea what it's about.

Haver: Or didn't even know how to define like Neko. I have generally no clue about Neko; where did it come from? What's the verbage?

Saeya: We were asking ourselves how we get involved in *any* new subculture on SL, really.

Haver: And not do the lame stuff, but the really cool new interesting well done stuff.

Saeya: And then the mag idea popped up, like wouldn't it be great if we could pick up some cool, non-cheesy definite guide on one specific culture on SL.

Haver: AND we get to do the stuff!

Saeya: Yes, adventures in weird Haver and Saeya land.

So the name of the mag is basically you guys saying 'We've got this culture completely covered'.



Haver: Yerpo.

Saeya: Yep, pretty much. And as the mag progresses, it will get more comprehensive and in-depth.

Haver: So we decided on the broad topic of alts cause it was something everyone does, AND that it seemed weird that people who have second lives need third [ones]. Then I had gotten the girl with the 34 alts interview.

How did that come about?

Haver: She is actually someone fairly well known, and we have friends in common.

But the article doesn't give names?

Haver: No, although she would if TOS was different. She dosen't hide herself, and if you read it carefully there are hints. Saeya and I have 49,856,049,856 Skype calls about ideas. And we found Catero and Iris ...

Saeya: Yes, who are SUCH gems!

Haver: And just added content.

Iris is so great!

Haver: Agreed. They pwn!

Saeya: We wanted writing and illustrations that were unapologetic. A mag that caters to people with opinions. And so we want, and so far it has, the content to fall in line with that.

Unapologetic; we need more of that.



Haver: We also structured the ad content very uniquely to try and keep that in mind.

Saeya: Yeah and it falls in line with the vision of the mag without a million sponsors ... we can HAVE an opinion because they don't pwn us. Just one does, for one issue ... what's great is, the sponsors that are drawn to us generally don't want us to bend over and grab our ankles for them.

Haver: We work with them as a team to provide the best experience possible for ALL of us. They get more, we get more, we both win.

Are you two planning on a steady and predictable publishing regimen?

Haver: Haha!

Saeya grins

Haver: It involves spankings.

What doesn't?

Saeya: We're hard workers and we LOVE it ... so, I think, yes.

Haver: Yeah, we show up. It's what we do. We show up, do our work, and love it.

Saeya: Pwn it.

Haver: Generally you have to STOP us working. We needed more time to really lay out the direction of the mag, and the voice, but now that it's more settled, style-wise, we get to kick ass and take names.

Saeya: Style-wise we have a sturdy spring board to jump from now.

Haver: I want people to be doing this stuff with us, feeding us what they love so we can get it out there for everyone to enjoy. We like weird shit.

Saeya: We really adore feedback and REALLY wanna know what people are curious about on SL. Why I am personally so stoked on this mag and working with Haver is [that] we're both WORKERS and it's harder for shit to get freaky and dramatic when you've got your nose to the grindstone.

This is your first business venture together?



Saeya: Mmhm, and definitely not the last.

Haver: Yes, we work insanely well together, and really I have enjoyed this more than any project in SL.

Saeya: Me too, it's so interesting to me when you have moments in RL or SL, where things align and people align and suddenly you're like, "Wow, I'm so in my effing element ... " and you look around and so is everyone you're working with. And you get to do what you love and then watch it all unfold around you.

Haver: For me its also in a small way a link to my RL. My family is in publishing in RL, and it's 3rd gen. And I have never been interested in it as a job. But then I do something in this place in this way that creates a spark.

Saeya: And my background, prior to getting into the field I am in now was design and advertising.

Sometimes we spend a lot of time just spinning our wheels, then suddenly one day the planets align to show you something truly remarkable.

Saeya: Exactly, like Haver's ass.

Haver: (simultaneously) Like my hiney.

Haver: OMGOMGWEIRD!

Wow, you two ARE twins!

Saeya: Hahaha!

Haver: The preview page for next month is my hiney.

Saeya: Yes, the last page of the mag.

Haver: And hopefully will be every month.

Saeya: We're into sharing. :D And the world should so get to see her ass as much as possible.

I think you just sold a million copies.

Haver snickers

Speaking of which, what is the pricing?

Haver: It's free.

That's so crazy it JUST MIGHT WORK.

Haver: HAHAHA I KNOW!

Saeya: It will work. Everyone likes free shit. And we gotta be good to the newblets. They are the next generation.

Can you give me the related website links?

Haver: www.pwndzine.blogspot.com

Who's on your staff?

Haver: Saeya and I share the head cheese position.

Saeya: Well on the design end, we have me, Shai Delacroix on this issue and Novi Gadsby.

Haver: For content we have me, Cater Revolution, Iris Ophelia, and DayDreamer Langway, and Duran Dancer.

Saeya: And Photography is Haver, Dakota Buck, and I.

Haver: His writing was so funny we added him to the staff after we read his article.

Saeya: It's a small but all-star staff, in our minds.

Haver: Super all-star. And next month we add Pushbutton Slotnik as our kickassing proofer.

Saeya: And we have Colleen Desmoulins representing the PR area with Haver.

Haver: Yeah she is killing it. All our friends have really pitched in to help and be supportive, and been ok with us being mad crazy work-starved fiends.

Saeya: Menno Ophelia and Killian Klein also will be contributing.

Haver: We rock the Ophelias!

Saeya: As fluffers, sexy builders, and all around staff day savers.

After that point, it got completely silly, so I've spared you all the redonkulousness. Haver and Saeya add that residents can find the mag at Imogen as well as ETD isle, Celestial, Canimal's, Last Call, and Amicitia. Thank you both for the interview!