James Collard Resigns as Editor in Chief of Out Magazine

Posted on May 18, 1999

James Collard has announced his resignation as Editor in chief of Out magazine to return to his native England.

"I'm leaving Out - and New York City - with very positive feelings abOut my time here," Collard said. "My life has been greatly enriched by the experience of editing this exciting magazine and working with a wonderful team, but for some time now I have really been missing London. There are a number of editorial possibilities for me there, but in the short-time I'll be writing for the London Times, The Guardian, and The Observer, and working on a book."

Henry E. Scott, president and editorial director of Out, praised Collard for his contributions to the magazine, which is America's largest gay and lesbian publication. "I hired James to give Out a sorely needed remake," Scott said. "And in a remarkably short time he managed to attract some of the industry's most creative and innovative minds and delivered a redesign that made the magazine more vital and attractive. What is more, the changes James made have firmly established Out as the best and most provocative publication in the largely stagnant world of gay and lesbian media."

Collard has agreed to remain as a monthly columnist for Out. "I'm happy that we'll continue to benefit from James' fresh ideas and perspective," Scott said.

Scott said there will be no changes in the editorial direction of Out, which he will continue to oversee. "We're quite fortunate to have a great team of editors and designers in place to keep us moving forward," he said.