Complex is a metropolitan men's style/lifestyle magazine founded by Marc Ecko in 2002. The publication offers mainstream readers insight into the latest trends in urban America's niche cultures, such as streetwear, sneaker culture, hip hop, and graphic art. Complex targets men that are college aged to early 30s in urban areas.
One of the magazine's unique attributes is that each issue features a different cover on each side (one male, one female), creating two distinct sections. The half of the magazine that follows the male celebrity cover (e.g., Lupe Fiasco, Pharrell, N.E.R.D, Kanye West, Nas) is geared toward lifestyles, the latest films, music, and other forms of media. The half of the magazine that follows the female celebrity cover (e.g., Jessica Alba, Cassie, Rosario Dawson, Fergie, Gwen Stefani, Mila Kunis) is dubbed "The Original Buyer's Guide for Men" and offers a Consumer Reports-esque breakdown of the latest consumer items, technology, sneakers, and apparel. It's known as the "The Original Buyer's Guide for Men" because it was the first magazine in the men's market to emulate the shopping guide formula of Lucky and the Japanese magazines which that was modeled on.
Two years after its launch, big publishing houses like Conde Nast attempted similar titles, like Cargo, Sync, and VITALS, all of which folded with in 2 years of launch.
The "magazine" is essentially a compilation of advertisements aimed at a target market of 20-35 year old males. It can arrive without solicitation in one's mailbox, but the company is quite understanding about the environmental impact and will cancel a "subscription" if requested. The founder, Mark Ecko, does a large amount of philanthropic work.
