ASK Cub Reporter, 08.16.2012, Version: Uber Questions Come In, Questionable Answers Go Out

Cubby,
Who is your favorite rc journalist and why?
Richard P.

Cubby– Hey now, what’s up Richie? Thanks for the email.

I don’t believe there is such a thing as a true journalist in the rc biz right now, they are seemingly all puppets to their advertisers. Yes, it is sad state the rc media is in right now, but that’s just the way it is.

Certainly there have been epic rc writers in the past, with my personal fav being Frank Masi from wayyy back in his RCCA days. Masi was certainly pushing the envelope with what he could get in print back then, and you could tell from everything he wrote that he was eating and breathing rc. But mainly, he was simply a great writer.

Unfortunately now days it’s all about kissing advertisers a$$es. Luckily for us here at BigSquidRC, for whatever reason, our current advertisers have been super cool. They know when they send us a product for review that we might very well crucify the thing, or at the very least clearly list all the downsides. We have lost multiple advertisers in the past when we said negative things about their products, which needless to say, we weren’t disappointed to see them leave. I mean, not every product is the best thing since sliced bread, that would be impossible. So if an advertiser leaves because they expect us to lie, we simply aren’t going to do it, and it repulses me to think a company would expect that from us (or anyone other media source for that matter).

As usual.. good stuff, Cubby for RC car President! Dug the other report to with the hate mail from industry types but its the truth.. he’s telling it like it is about tracks and noobs/bashers/hardcore racers and the hobby. Its no different with the plane guys.. ford/chevy,these new guys are ruining the hobby with rtf planes they cant build blah blah blah… the new guys bring revenue to the hobby and grow it.. that dude with the rtf might not fly worth a dam but he just started unlike the trash talker who has been flying nitro for years and thinks him and his click run the whole dam field but are just some circle burners making lots of noise.

Forward to Cubby… I found the TC he’s dreaming of for bashers that can run over pebbles lmao
Bill B

Cubby– Yo what’s up Bill?

Unfortunately someone (read- Brian) won’t let me post the truly interesting to read hate-mail I get from industry types threating everything from legal action to an untimely death. Who knows… maybe sometime in the future he won’t proof-read an ASK Cubby and I can sneak one through.

Ok, so some people still bash with touring cars, heck, I used to back in the day. I had an Associated TC3 that saw more airtime off vert ramps than it ever saw carpet. But… I’m just say’n a TC wouldn’t want to show up and bash with us now days. If you show up with anything less than a 6S monster truck, a 5th scale buggy, a 4S 8th scale buggy, or a 3S SCT you are instantly declared “the guy for everyone else to ram/smash/destroy”. If you were to show up with a TC five, we are going home with trucks in one piece, and the TC guy will be looking for a broom and pan to scoop up the lifeless remains of his car. Just say’n…

Btw… while the vid link you emailed is a nice piece of driving, in my mind it shows the primary reason off-road tracks suck now days. Seriously, if a TC6 can get around the track at a pretty good pace that is NOT an off-road track. Where was the loam at that track? Where were whoops? Where were the braking bumps? Where was the roost? I know, local racers cry/moan/complain about wanting more and more traction, all they want to do is go wide open from apex to apex, but if you’ve ever raced/ridden/driven the real deal you already know that isn’t what off-road is about. Some of these track owners might as well just carpet their tracks and be done with it because that’s what they are trying to achieve only with dirt. I can’t wait till “rougher is better” makes a comeback at rc tracks.

That’s it for this week ya bunch of hooligans, shoot me your emails to Cubby at BigSquidRC dot com. Free stickers if your question makes the front page, and a free t-shirt when I get around to naming a letter of the month.

YOUR Cub Reporter