Roving in Red Rock
Gallup entrepreneur to launch national Land Rover magazine

Doug Evilsizor of Gallup will soon be publishing "LRL" or "The Land Rover Lifestyle" magazine for Land Rover enthusiasts. The national, bimonthly magazine will debut with the January/February 2006 issue. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

This prototype cover of "LRL," Doug Evilsizor's new national magazine for Land Rover owners. Evilsizor created a 16-page preview of the magazine for marketing purposes. The cover photograph, shot in Canyon de Chelly, is by Navajo photographer Leroy DeJolie. [Courtesy Photo]

GALLUP — Doug Evilsizor is not unaware of the irony of his plan.

For in Gallup deep in the heart of pickup truck country Evilsizor is about to launch a national magazine devoted to Land Rover vehicles and their very devoted owners.

But, as Evilsizor is quick to point out, Gallup is also deep in the heart of the majestic Southwest the scenic American landscape that truck and automobile manufacturers have been using for decades to photograph and market their shiny new models. And while the Southwest's scenic landscape is beautiful to photograph, its frequently rugged driving terrain is really more perfectly suited to those vehicles that are designed to navigate steep mountain passes, rocky canyon trails, flowing streams, and mud-clogged roads.

And those perfectly suited vehicles are, in Evilsizor's opinion, Land Rovers.

Evilsizor, the founder of the Gallup-based SlickRock Publishing, will debut the January/February 2006 issue of LRL, a bimonthly magazine dedicated to "The Land Rover Lifestyle."

The debut issue will have a Southwestern focus and even a decidedly Navajo flavor to some of the photographs and articles. The cover photograph of a 2006 Range Rover HSE at the bottom of Canyon de Chelly was shot by the noted Navajo photographer LeRoy DeJolie, and an article will profile Land Rover owner Lyndon Tsosie, a Navajo artist who creates very upscale jewelry. In addition, the issue will feature a travel story about hot air ballooning in Gallup's red rock country.</sub>First out the gateIn a recent interview, Evilsizor said he resigned from his position as the director of development for Rehoboth Christian School, a position he held for eight years, in order to create LRL.

"This has been a business opportunity that I've been watching now for four years," he said.

According to Evilsizor, the demographics of the Land Rover market in the United States made the venture economically feasible. There are currently 350,000 Land Rover owners in the country today, he explained, with sales at about 30,000 per year for the last couple of years. Now, he added, annual sales are at about 50,000 to 60,000.

And although there are four Land Rover magazines in Great Britain, there are none in the United States.

"The only way for me to do this now is to be the first," he said. "To be second out the gate means I won't be successful."

Evilsizor believes that neither record gasoline prices nor the Land Rover's SUV-like gas mileage will hamper future Land Rover sales. With new vehicle prices ranging from $35,000 to $110,000, Evilsizor doesn't believe gas prices are a great concern to Land Rover owners. The vehicles' high quality and versatility are more of interest, he said.

Evilsizor, the owner of a 1993 Land Rover, champions the virtues of the vehicles like a seasoned enthusiast. "Exploration and discovery," "really authentic heritage," "vehicle of luxury," "ultimate on and off-road experience," "form and function," and "beautifully stylish" are descriptive terms that pepper his conversation about Land Rovers.

"There's really no vehicle out there that inspires adventure like Land Rover," he said.

Lifestyle publication
According to Evilsizor, LRL will go around the world to explore travel and adventure opportunities ("places and locations that are best discovered in the front seat of a Land Rover"), focus on personality profiles of notable Land Rover owners ("stories of people behind the wheel"), and expose readers to international projects and organizations that use Land Rovers in their work ("people doing good in the world... and using Land Rovers to do it"). High impact photographs are slated to be a strong feature.

"This is not a traditional automotive magazine," explained Evilsizor. "This is a lifestyle publication."

"Business-wise, there's a huge market for it," he added. "I'm having fun with it creating something out of nothing that will have a nationwide impact."

As publisher of LRL, Evilsizor will be working out of an office near downtown Gallup. Each issue will be centered on a specific location or theme, he said. Depending on the issue's focus, different professional freelance photographers and writers will be hired to contribute to the magazine. Evilsizor is interested in the possibility of occasionally hiring local professionals to work as freelance photographers, writers, and editors.

LRL will be printed and distributed by a Chicago-based company. Evilsizor picked the company, he explained, because of its cutting-edge, on-line technological capabilities. Each issue of LRL will contain at least 80 pages and will be printed in a nine by 11 inch format with a perfect bond binding.

Evilsizor said he is working with Land Rover dealers and owner associations to build his subscription base. To be profitable, he is targeting a paid circulation of 25,000 subscriptions. "My goal, "he explained, "is to capture eight percent of the Land Rover market."

Annual subscriptions will cost $29.95. Evilsizor plans to eventually add rack sales for LRL, which has a cover price of $5.95.

LRL's Web site (www.the LRL.com) contains a secure shopping cart for purchasing subscriptions, along with information about the debut issue, advertising rates, and Land Rover clubs. For more information about the magazine, contact Evilsizor at (505) 722-5555, (505) 979-2338, or evilsizor@theLRL.com.