The November/December issue of 66 The Mother Road magazine apparently remains the last for quite a while.
The bimonthly online magazine, started by John and Judy Springs in April 2011, has halted publication. A reader of Route 66 News noticed a new issue hadn’t been published since Christmastime. He also noted the 66theMotherRoad.com website had gone dark, redirecting to a GoDaddy.com domain site instead.
66 The Mother Road’s Facebook page was still up, although no messages had been posted since November.
In a Facebook message, John Springs confirmed that 66 The Mother Road had “stopped” publication. He deferred most of the questions to Judy.
Asked about whether the magazine would eventually be revived, Judy Springs said she “didn’t know” but acknowledged she was “not leaning” towards doing that. She wrote:
I truly love the road, and I loved being able to help people. That was the very best part for me. But, I’ve had some health issues the last few months that have made me put the focus back on myself. Right now, I don’t have the energy or desire to add the magazine to my list of growing responsibilities. It was a labor of love, and I have always said that when it became just a “labor” it was time to shut it down. And, unfortunately, that finally happened.
That’s a shame. I’ll always remember 66 The Mother Road most for its terrific story in July 2011 about Annabelle Russell — one-half of the Mediocre Music Makers in Erick, Okla. — and her life-threatening battle with ovarian cancer.
Although the magazine’s website is kaput for now, all of 66 The Mother Road’s back issues can still be perused here.
What a shame. This magazine was well done and an excellent resource. Best wishes to Judy and John–and thanks for their labors.
It’s sad whenever any publication, print or online, closes it’s doors. Readers lament and wonder what happened but simply do not realize the huge demands placed on the publishers in the form of time and economic returns. Sacrificing for “the good of the Road” wanes when there is too much ‘out-go’ and too little ‘in-come’.
It may surprise some Roadies to know that Route 66 is a “seasonable” phenomenon. Like a beach resort that depends on summer vacation tourists to pay for the off-season expenses, Route 66 businesses are mostly dormant between November and March, and are less likely to advertise when it is cheaper to cut-back on hours or simply close. The health of the Mother Road depends on us Roadies to do something that attracts new travelers to the Route and then encourages them to support the Mom & Pops.
Having been involved in publications for the last 20 years, I can very much appreciate the time and effort that goes into a magazine like this. Congratulations to John and Judy for what they accomplished, and best wishes to them in any future endeavors.
I always like it when someone gets the Route 66 sign font and number style correct. That tells me that they’ve taken the time and know what they’re doing. Maybe they’re just on hiatus.