Editing Commodore User

{{short description|British video game magazine}}
{{primary sources|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox magazine
| title          = Commodore User
| image_file = cunov1988.jpg
| image_size = 225px
|image_caption = November 1988 issue
| editor         = Dennis Jarrett (Oct 83-Aug 84)<br>Bohdan Buciak (Sep 84-Nov 84)<br>Eugene Lacey (Dec 84-Jan 88)<br>Mike Pattenden (Jan 88-Feb 90)
| frequency      = Monthly
| circulation    = 72,892 (July – Dec 1988)
| category       = [[Computer magazine]]
| company        = Paradox, [[EMAP]]
| firstdate      = October 1983
| country        = [[United Kingdom]]
| language       = [[English language|English]]
| website        =
| issn           = 0265-721X
| finaldate      = February 1990
| finalnumber    = 77
}}
'''''Commodore User''''', (also referred to as '''''CU''''') later renamed to '''''CU Amiga'',''' is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[magazine]] initially published by Paradox Group before being acquired by [[EMAP]].

==Timeline==
''Commodore User'' was launched in October 1983<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Commodore User | volume=1 | issue=1 |title=Commodore User #1 |date=October 1983 |url=https://archive.org/details/Commodore_User_Magazine_Issue_001}}</ref> with an initial preview issue in June 1983.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Commodore User |date=June 1983 |url=https://archive.org/details/Commodore_User_Magazine_Issue_000 |title=Commodore User #0}}</ref> Initially, the magazine contained information about in-depth computer information of its time, such as programming tutorials, machine code features, and business software reviews. The first issues were produced and written by editor Dennis Jarrett, writer and future editor Bohdan Buciak, and editorial assistant Nicky Chapman.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zzap64.co.uk/cgi-bin/displaypage.pl?issue=001&page=003&magazine=cu |title=View a Scan (Commodore User page 003 from issue 001) |website=ZZap64}}</ref> Features were written by a range of contributors, and the issue sizes grew rapidly from 64 to 96 pages.<ref name=cuamiga2>{{cite web |url=http://www.amigahistory.plus.com/cuamiga2.html |title=Commodore User: 1983 - 1989 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508133033/http://www.amigahistory.plus.com/cuamiga2.html |archive-date=8 May 2020 |website=Amiga History Guide}}</ref>

The first 12 issues of Commodore User were published by Paradox Group until September 1984; thereafter, publishing was handled by [[EMAP]] until the final issue in February 1990.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/Commodore_User_Magazine_Issue_012/page/78 |title=Commodore User #12 |date=September 1984 |magazine=Commodore User |volume=1 |issue=12}}, {{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/Commodore_User_Magazine_Issue_013/page/110 |volume=2 |issue=1 |title=Commodore User #13 |date=October 1984 |magazine=Commodore User}}</ref> Game coverage began to appear by the second issue.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/commodore-user-magazine-02/page/n21/mode/2up|title=Commodore User Magazine Issue 02|date=November 1983}}</ref> This consisted of a small section called Screen Scene from issue three.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/commodore-user-magazine-03/page/n21/mode/2up|title=Commodore User Magazine Issue 03|date=December 1983}}</ref> In 1985, the [[Commodore 64]] became more popular.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zzap64.co.uk/c64/CommUser.html |title=Commodore User |website=ZZap64}}</ref> The amount of technical coverage decreased as gaming coverage increased. The circulation began to rise, and ''CU'' produced more color through the magazine. At the height of the C64's success, ''CU'' had a page count of 116.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Commodore User Issue 27 December 1985 {{!}} Retro 8-Bit Computers |url=http://www.retro8bitcomputers.co.uk/Magazines/GetMagainzeIssue?name=Commodore%20User&issue=27 |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=www.retro8bitcomputers.co.uk}}</ref>

In 1986, ''CU'' began to cover the new [[16-bit]] computer: the [[Amiga]].<ref name=cuamiga2 /> The magazine covered all the Commodore platforms, from the C16 to the Amiga. Circulation figures also showed an all-time high of over 70,000 for the 1988 period.<ref name=":0" />

To establish that the magazine content was changing to include the Amiga platform, the magazine changed its title to "''CU Commodore User Amiga-64"'' in the February 1989 issue.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/CommodoreUserIssue651989Feb/mode/2up|title = Commodore_User_Issue_65_1989_Feb}}</ref> The ''Commodore User'' part was dropped quickly, and the name became ''CU Amiga-64''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/CommodoreUserIssue701989Jul|title = Commodore_User_Issue_70_1989_Jul}}</ref> This period of the magazine was a transitional time between transferring coverage from C64 to the Amiga.

==''CU Amiga''==
{{Infobox magazine
| title          = CU Amiga Magazine
| image_file     = 
|image_size      = 225
|image_caption   = 
| editor         = Steve James (Mar 90-Mar 92)<br>Dan Slingsby (Apr 92-Feb 94)<br>Alan Dykes (Apr 94-Nov 96)<br>Tony Horgan (Dec 96-Oct 98) 
| frequency      = Monthly 
| category       = [[Computer magazine|Computer and video games magazine]]
| company        = [[EMAP]] 
| firstdate      = March 1990 
| finaldate      = October 1998 
| finalnumber    = 104 
| country        = [[United Kingdom]] 
| website        = http://www.cu-amiga.co.uk/ 
| issn = 0963-0090
}}In 1990, ''CU Amiga-64'' removed the "64" from its name and relaunched it as ''CU Amiga with'' the March 1990 issue.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CU Amiga (March 1990) - Amiga Magazine Rack |url=https://amr.abime.net/issue_678 |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=amr.abime.net}}</ref> The magazine gained circulation as a result of the internationalization.

In late 1994, the Amiga's popularity was declining. ''CU Amiga'' had a final name change to help distinguish itself from other competing magazines in an increasingly small market. It became ''CU Amiga Magazine (from October 1990)''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CU Amiga (October 1990) - Amiga Magazine Rack |url=https://amr.abime.net/issue_674 |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=amr.abime.net}}</ref> In its remaining years under the control of editor [https://amr.abime.net/issue_661 Tony Horgan], the magazine became highly technical. Some staff from sister magazine ''[[The One (magazine)|The One]]'' were moved to CU when the former closed in July 1995 and provided games coverage for CU readers. "THE ONE AMIGA you have known and loved is not dead, but It has changed somewhat. The previous writers and publishers have moved on to better things, and the magazine now lies in entirely new hands, at [[Maverick Magazines]]. So we'll take to opportunity to welcome all the original readers of The One to the new Maverick Edition, and to point out to them the new address."<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=August 1995 |title=Introduction |magazine=TheOne Magazine |issue=82 |url=https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-82/ |access-date=2023-08-29 |via=Archive.org}}</ref>

The final issue was released in October 1998. ''CU Amiga Magazine''{{'}}s closure meant that the only remaining monthly Amiga newsstand magazine was its closest rival, ''[[Amiga Format]]''.

A year after ''CU''{{'}}s closure in October 1999, the magazine ''Amiga Active'' was launched. It had several of the same staff and was competition for ''[[Amiga Format]]'', which it ultimately outlived, by being published until November 2001.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Portal|Amiga}}
*[http://www.cu-amiga.co.uk/ CU Amiga Magazine Online]
*[http://www.amigahistory.co.uk/cuamiga.html Amiga History: CU Amiga]
*[http://www.zzap64.co.uk/c64/CommUser.html Short History and full scans of the magazine]
*[http://www.emap.co.uk Home page of EMAP]
*[http://www.davidviner.com/mags.php Computer magazine history including CU]
*[http://archive.org/details/commodoreuser-magazine?&sort=-downloads&page=3 Archived Commodore User Magazines at Internet Archive]

{{Amiga magazines}}

[[Category:Commodore 8-bit computer magazines]]
[[Category:Home computer magazines]]
[[Category:Defunct computer magazines published in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1983]]
[[Category:Magazines disestablished in 1990]]
[[Category:Amiga magazines]]
[[Category:Video game magazines published in the United Kingdom]]