I don't usually read Men's Mags (aka Lad mags). The only real one is Maxim, most often for only the jokes or if there is someone interesting for me to see in there.

However I recently picked up this amazing apparently Canadian Lad Mag called "Toro". Yes admittingly not the not the greatest fucking title for a Lad Mag, however I must re-iterate...would you rather read "Blur" instead?

Now unlike Blur (with it's supremely trashy looking covers, and oft mistaken for those God-awful "Urban Legend" mags. You know the ones....a nice looking housewife on the cover smiling as captions read, "I was raped by my step-cousin"), this seems very unlike any Lad mag I have ever read. It's laid out supremly better than Blur (which seems more like a poster book lay out on flyer paper).

Hell I even consider their layout even better than Maxim's...and mind you, I really do love Maxim's layouts (UK Maxim being second place). I think that they have the best layouts ever, but Toro gives me something more. It's almost laid out and presented as an art nouveau book/an art photography mag.

Abstract ideas are put into it, much smarter and wittier than what Maxim could pull. Example:

Sunglasses for Every Head Shape

Mobius-Strip Head: Not well-served by traditional frames. CHOOSE: Ray-ban's new tinted veil.

Antimatter Head: CHOOSE: A hand-held lorgnette to conceal the fact that you no longer have a nose.

Ok...granted childish, almost to the degree of Maxim, but you have to admit; it's much smarter than what Maxim could churn out of their asses anyday.

Now I must warn you, there isn't much in terms of oogling of the beautiful female form here. Hell you'd be lucky if you actually encounter any form of that. However it is truly...refreshing on how interesting some of the articles are, while still being Maxim-esquely funny. Much like how you have to stand up for yourself when your boss abuses you because of his coke-addiction. You have to draw the line at the sandwich in the face they advise.

But what really appeals to me is the lack of conventional art in this. This is much like "Stuffs" celebrity interview where they have one page of interview and one full page shot of the celebrity in a very cool looking pose/picture that is very unlike most of the shit they usually pull off. Imagine that on almost every page (dis-regarding the endless ads mind you). There's abstract art, non-conventional photography, (I would proudly display a lot of the photos taken in this mag) and lot's of un-conventional drawings.

I haven't even read this thing completely and yet it still got me hooked. By I love this mag. It's very well published and looks so cool, it's almost high concept. It's a lad mag disguised to be something else, from the title, to the cover to the content....I highly suggest reading this mag.