Yeah, it’s the same Aaron Bonk from Honda Tuning magazine
Love Slave
Sep 17th, 2009 // Article By: Aaron Bonk // Photographer: Skunk2 Staff
WHERE’D HE GO?
They kidnapped me—stuck a bag over my head, threw me in the back of a van with no windows, and locked me up in a dusty office in Norco. Why else would I have left Honda Tuning magazine and the world of magazine stardom? I mean, as editor, I did what I wanted. I had my own office with a view of the city. I kept my own hours. I traveled to Japan. I commuted to work in an NSX. Honda gave me cars to play with. Manufacturers gave me parts to play with for the cars I didn’t pay for. You’d think I had it made. I did.
And then I met Dave. Dave owns Skunk2...and the van.
Now Skunk2’s evil dictator calls the shots. I share an office with a kid that overlooks a dirt hill. I keep the dictator’s hours. I travel to Norco. I’ll soon be commuting to work in a beat-up, 20-year-old wagon. But life’s still good. Maybe that’s because I love this industry. Maybe that’s because it doesn’t really matter where I’m at as much as it does what I’m doing. Or maybe it’s because I’m a slave to the industry…a love slave if you listen to Dave.
ABOUT SKUNK2.COM
If you’ve ever read Honda Tuning magazine, then chances are you know who I am. And, chances are, I’ve entertained you or upset you. I hope to keep that momentum going, only here instead. It’s no secret that the publishing world isn’t the same. Mediums that require ink, printing presses, and delivery trucks are being replaced by keyboards, monitors, and social networking sites—and all of it’s being generated directly from the source. Magazines that once relayed information from companies like Skunk to consumers are being replaced by more efficient content management systems that allow manufacturers to communicate directly with you. Sure, magazines like Honda Tuning will continue to be relevant for some time—and I hope they are—but the roles have changed. Want to learn how the four-stroke process works? Why not learn from those who understand it best? Want to know the secret to swapping K-series camshafts in only 15 minutes? Want to stay up to date with what Skunk’s up to without having to wait three months for the information to be relayed, laid out, printed, and mailed to you? This is all just the beginning. The truth is, Skunk gives me the tools to reach a larger audience than I’ve ever been able to and do it faster.
ABOUT MAGAZINES
It used to be that magazines like the now defunct Sport Compact Car and Turbo and High-Tech Performance were somewhat revered. Their editors were journalists but at the same time engineers or mechanics or race car drivers or some other position you had a reason to look up to. Sadly, few of today’s import performance magazines are run or managed by any one of the above let alone a combination of just two. And, sadly, many of today’s import performance magazines care more about catering to their advertisers than they do silly things like checking facts or figuring out what exactly their readers want.
STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT AARON BONK
Not that you care, but I didn’t exactly want to be an editor--not at first, anyways--and I certainly never imagined myself working at Skunk (at least not outside of its shop). Years before Honda Tuning I turned wrenches in a small, two-man Honda garage in Southern California. We specialized in engine swaps long before the days of bolt-in mount kits and plug-in adapter harnesses and long before the term “JDM” was coined; we did everything from rebuild engines and transmissions to replace taillight bulbs. But somewhere along the way I gave up the shop, fooled around in engineering school, then journalism school, wrote a couple of books, worked for a couple of magazines, and avoided homelessness any way I could…like joining Skunk. Today, you could say that I’m the man behind Skunk2.com. Skunk2.com can do what print never could—stick around and see why they really didn’t have to kidnap me to bring me here.
STAY UP TO DATE WITH ME AND SKUNK2 BY:
Following the blog.
Joining us on Facebook.
Receiving the S2 Newsletter.
They kidnapped me—stuck a bag over my head, threw me in the back of a van with no windows, and locked me up in a dusty office in Norco. Why else would I have left Honda Tuning magazine and the world of magazine stardom? I mean, as editor, I did what I wanted. I had my own office with a view of the city. I kept my own hours. I traveled to Japan. I commuted to work in an NSX. Honda gave me cars to play with. Manufacturers gave me parts to play with for the cars I didn’t pay for. You’d think I had it made. I did.
And then I met Dave. Dave owns Skunk2...and the van.
Now Skunk2’s evil dictator calls the shots. I share an office with a kid that overlooks a dirt hill. I keep the dictator’s hours. I travel to Norco. I’ll soon be commuting to work in a beat-up, 20-year-old wagon. But life’s still good. Maybe that’s because I love this industry. Maybe that’s because it doesn’t really matter where I’m at as much as it does what I’m doing. Or maybe it’s because I’m a slave to the industry…a love slave if you listen to Dave.
ABOUT SKUNK2.COM
If you’ve ever read Honda Tuning magazine, then chances are you know who I am. And, chances are, I’ve entertained you or upset you. I hope to keep that momentum going, only here instead. It’s no secret that the publishing world isn’t the same. Mediums that require ink, printing presses, and delivery trucks are being replaced by keyboards, monitors, and social networking sites—and all of it’s being generated directly from the source. Magazines that once relayed information from companies like Skunk to consumers are being replaced by more efficient content management systems that allow manufacturers to communicate directly with you. Sure, magazines like Honda Tuning will continue to be relevant for some time—and I hope they are—but the roles have changed. Want to learn how the four-stroke process works? Why not learn from those who understand it best? Want to know the secret to swapping K-series camshafts in only 15 minutes? Want to stay up to date with what Skunk’s up to without having to wait three months for the information to be relayed, laid out, printed, and mailed to you? This is all just the beginning. The truth is, Skunk gives me the tools to reach a larger audience than I’ve ever been able to and do it faster.
ABOUT MAGAZINES
It used to be that magazines like the now defunct Sport Compact Car and Turbo and High-Tech Performance were somewhat revered. Their editors were journalists but at the same time engineers or mechanics or race car drivers or some other position you had a reason to look up to. Sadly, few of today’s import performance magazines are run or managed by any one of the above let alone a combination of just two. And, sadly, many of today’s import performance magazines care more about catering to their advertisers than they do silly things like checking facts or figuring out what exactly their readers want.
STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT AARON BONK
Not that you care, but I didn’t exactly want to be an editor--not at first, anyways--and I certainly never imagined myself working at Skunk (at least not outside of its shop). Years before Honda Tuning I turned wrenches in a small, two-man Honda garage in Southern California. We specialized in engine swaps long before the days of bolt-in mount kits and plug-in adapter harnesses and long before the term “JDM” was coined; we did everything from rebuild engines and transmissions to replace taillight bulbs. But somewhere along the way I gave up the shop, fooled around in engineering school, then journalism school, wrote a couple of books, worked for a couple of magazines, and avoided homelessness any way I could…like joining Skunk. Today, you could say that I’m the man behind Skunk2.com. Skunk2.com can do what print never could—stick around and see why they really didn’t have to kidnap me to bring me here.
STAY UP TO DATE WITH ME AND SKUNK2 BY:
Following the blog.
Joining us on Facebook.
Receiving the S2 Newsletter.
Let me comment on the first post by quoting an old African saying which says, "He who can't dance says the drum is bad." ....you should consider your sources more carefully.
As for Aaron, he'll be fine, he can dance. The great thing about Aaron is he works hard, knowledgeable, loves the industry, and is humble; he doesn't let ego get in the way of doing the job (this is a common quality among the team players that thrive at S2). Wish I could say the same about the guys who like to blame the drum; watching their post S2 careers would make a great episode of THS.
....now back to your regular programming.
PS. Two extra things...1.) Beautiful NSX!, and 2.) Would you give those engineers a kick in the ass already so I can get that header for my S2000?!?!?
I of all people am a huge fan of Skunk's products and have been using them on all the Honda's I have ever owned so Im not just saying this because I work for the 'evil' corporation but why is it that there is such an attack on this medium? Have we all forgotten how far the magazines got us and how they helped build so many brands for many years. But now that times are changing and magazines arent as relevant anymore then it's ok to bash them? How quickly everyone forgets what others have done for them, evil or not.
I do get it, the internet is where its at and Im trying to transition my magazine as quickly as I can but I just wish this kinda of bashing would really stop. Why is it that the magazines are so evil now? It's not our fault that the car industry has tanked and the economy has followed which in turn has created a down turn in the tuner market. Yet I feel everyone expects the same product that was around 4 years ago. We're just like any other company right now, trying to weather the storm the best we can and if that means downsizing to stay alive then it's a necessary step we take.
And comparing editors of yesterday to today isn't fair. If I had a staff of 6 editors and a massive budget with huge OE and aftermarket support then you can sure as hell bet the content would be close to what you saw 4-6 years ago.
Posts like this do nothing but harm the ever so fragile industry right now, we need to band together not work against each other. That way when things do get better we'll all be stronger as a whole and flourish.
Peter T
PS - I hope this doesn't spoil my chances at testing your new intake manifold!
I think your comment “How quickly everyone forgets what others have done for them, evil or not.” pretty much sums it up for us. Skunk2 has long supported print publications, both with advertising dollars and with technical support, yet when the ad dollars stopped flowing, so did the reciprocation from the print publications. As editor I was often discouraged from using Skunk2 products for editorial purposes so I’m well aware of the dynamic. Such sentiments were extremely disheartening, especially when my goal was to educate my readers as to which products they needed to know about—regardless of advertising dollars spent. After all, that is the core of true journalism, a virtue that is blind to staff counts or budgets. This sort of “pay to play” mindset simply flies in the face of any sort of journalistic credibility. And the readers are smart enough to see through it. Although we choose to make our position public—simply because we have the means to do so—the fact is that Skunk has been punished internally by the print publications for much longer.
Please reread my original comments; I think you’ll find that they’re purely constructive criticism, not bashing. We’d like to continue to work with each of you, Peter. Consider the olive branch (or the intake manifold) extended.
I know you are in a hard place and I am sorry if we have upset you or made your job more difficult. We have always been and will always be your friend here. For the last 15 years I have valued the relationships/friendships that we have had with editors, in fact today I had the opportunity to spend some time with both Matt Pearson (original SuperStreet Editor) and Evan Griffey (former Turbo Magazine Editor), even though they have been out of the print game for quite some time they are and will always be friends of mine and of Skunk. The point is, the relationships we build with editors are genuine and transcend beyond their time at the magazines. We have always had an open door policy with all the editors and have been more than willing to support editors with technical content, project cars, and other editorial; this is still the case. Our relationship with magazine editors has always been symbiotic and Skunk has always brought value above and beyond the dollars we spent on advertising. Unfortunately the dynamics of the relationship we had with magazines changed dramatically when we began reducing our print advertising budgets. Though we have maintained positive relationships with editors (as always) they have become increasingly 'afraid' to be caught covering or fraternizing with Skunk; and it doesn't help when there are suck-ups and slime in the middle talking smack and trying to stir things up. Can things be fixed between Skunk and the magazines? I really don't know. Ultimately It's not up to Skunk as our position has never changed. But one thing I do know is that magazines must be accountable to enthusiasts and its readership by covering relevant content regardless of whether that content is associated with an advertiser or non-advertiser.
We are in exciting times now. Our industry and the world around us is changing rapidly and will require companies in the industry (including magazines) to evolve and figure out how to offer greater value and support to enthusiasts. Companies that fail to evolve for the better will not survive.
Dave
HondaTuning happens to be my favorite magazine as well.
also, I have your Facebook and I talked to whoever manages it and I should say that the level of courtesty completely took me by surprise.
I am forever a loyal customer.
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