Drastic differences between Australian and US version (example of June 2013 edition)

[Pece Kocovski]

Hello everyone,

First some backstory. I note that on a list of maps (as found in this site and elsewhere), the june 2013 issue contains a map (or rather a perforated foldout poster) titled: 

"Pathfinders: The Arc of Exploration/Cosmic Journeys"

I saw a photo online of the foldout and it looks quite familiar (as I feel like I have read it/seen it before, or it might be my mind playing tricks on me!). However, when I went to check in my copy I could not find the page in the June issue of 2013. I thought that perhaps the foldout was ripped out (as my copy is a second hand copy of this issue). However, I couldn't see any perforations or place where this foldout map could have been. So then I thought to myself, ah but perhaps this foldout was placed elsewhere in the UK/Australian version of the magazine. I went on the archive to see just in case and as it turns out the foldout map is indeed in this issue. I assume the archive copy is showing the American version, and not the Australian/British version. As far as I am aware I do not see a version for different regions?

Now my amazement to this is not only that I don't have this particular map in this issue, but looking at the digital archive of the 2013 issue, how much difference there is between my copy and the online/US/original version.

I will upload a few images of my copy, and I invite members of the US/original copy to compare and contrast with that they have in their issue:

-Front cover: -"FREE POSTER Exploring the Universe" line has been removed

-Page 3/Contents page: Different design and layout, and different written contents!

-Page 4 has been removed (i.e. contents page is in one page)

-Rolex ad same

-Following Editor's Note page is the "Breaking Camp" page...

-Australian version has no LETTERS! This whole time I assumed that the letters section was discontinued or slowly disbanded (the last time I saw the letters section was my 2014 September issue, and the 2014 October issue removed the letters in line with a new "streamlined design" But the issue online has 2 pages of letters. I quite missed reading them.

-No advertisement between Breaking camp and Visions sections (in fact a lot less ads in Australian version I noticed).

-"Your shot" section only 1 page instead of 4 (a shame to think I have been missing out on some amazing subscriber submitted photos over the years)

-4 pages of "Photo Journal" not present in my issue at all, right after the first page of Your shot, there is an advertisement, and on the next page it is the section on "NEXT" or the Funny Honey.

-No page of 2013 Emerging Explorers 

-Next section doesn't have the page on "pier review"

-Next page doesn't have the Pathfinders/cosmic journey foldout (as mentioned at start)

-Breaking faith "next" section is positioned before the "fantastic variety and freaky features" double page spread.

-No Big Bends "next" section

-I do have the "seeing stars" section

The rest of the magazine was identical. Images were the same as were their placements, I can only assume the words are identical. (Different ads on the second last page, and the back cover, which is fair).

I wonder if the "features" are the same in every issue (or at least in every English language speaking issue), whereas the "fluff" (or entre?) at the start is done by a different department regionally and filled up as per regional interests or weight constraints? 

I personally feel saddened that I have missed out on some of these features. I may go through my issues from newest to oldest and see when there is no longer a difference between the two regions. Interestingly, I also recently read the 2021 October issue, and apart from the advertisements, the content and image looks identical (from a brief glance, I am not being as thorough as I was with the 2013 June issue).

I am not sure if this is a one magazine issue in a 100 of differences, or there are dozens of magazines with these kinds of ...what feels like copy and pasting of content. Perhaps I can go through my issues and note the changes I see in the superficial level of omissions (or potentially even additions?) distinct from the US/online archive version.

[Pece Kocovski]

Some more photos attached.

[Mark Van Winkle]

What an interesting post. It certainly underscores how insular my thinking is ... if I'd thought about it at all I would have imagined everyone in the world received the same issue I do here in the U.S. The change in content is especially interesting. I wonder if any of these edits are substantial enough to warrant a separate collectible issue?

[George Thomas Wilson]

This is an interesting read, Pece, thank you for this.

It reminds me of a discussion we had two years ago about a Moon Map.

Tom Wilson

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Excellent report Pece - thank you for the observations.

Mel

[Pece Kocovski]

No problem everyone. I am currently confirming whether I have all the maps in terms of the issues I have so once I go through that I may start from the newest issue and go backwards in time comparing what my copy looks like vs the archive and I can take better photos of the pages if there is new content. So far there are two mapsI  do not have (as discussed here in this post and I made a post about the other one elsewhere) in terms of never knowing that those maps existed (unknown unknowns if you will!). It seems though that in a lot of instances it will be content (or whole pages) of things the Australian version don’t have.

Would be interested to know the difference between other English speaking countries and whether those issues are more similar with my copy or as to what is in the archives. In fact I am not even sure how the division is done between the English speaking countries? Someone may know more than me (Would Canada be different from the US, vs UK, VS Australia, Vs elsewhere?)).