Make a kickass print magazine that’s not only beautiful, but is full of interesting, unique Texans you probably wouldn’t expect to see together in one place. Some of them you’ll know, others you won’t – that’s the point. Texas is huge, diverse and has so much more to it than is often portrayed in mainstream media. 

My daughter grew up in Texas. I’ve had multiple cats and dogs live and die with me here (they just show up, I dunno). The friends I’ve made since moving here are a mix of transplants from other states, foreign-born immigrants and born-and-bred, dyed-in-the-wool Texans. Most of them are creatives, and all of them are among the most talented people I’ve ever met. Some of them worked on this issue. I’m not from Texas, but I honestly can’t imagine living anywhere else now. You can go almost anywhere in the world, and people know Texas. They know about its people, its landscapes, the food, music, art, film – you name it. I don’t think there are many countries, let alone states, that have such a strong identity.

We hope you enjoy this first issue of Hornmag. Oh, the name, right. When I drove into Texas for the very first time in 2004 – just me and two elderly dogs in our moving truck – I saw my very first Longhorn cattle in a field just off the interstate in Georgetown. Absolutely exhausted, hungry and incredibly grumpy after driving for almost 30 hours, I turned to the dogs and barely managed to say “Huh ... horn,” before turning my attention back to the road. I’m from Scotland, where we have similar-looking but smaller animals called Highland cattle. I had no idea Longhorn cattle existed, but it felt like a sign, and now here we are.

None of this would have been possible without the incredible, amazing, talented and kind contributors who stayed up late, worked weekends, called in favors and went above and beyond. Even if this is the only issue we make, it’s been worth it just to see these people cook.

Thanks for reading.

Torquil Dewar