{"id":142391,"date":"2026-01-29T08:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T08:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/142391\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T08:00:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T08:00:07","slug":"tomo-mags-wants-to-help-you-slow-down-the-austin-chronicle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/142391\/","title":{"rendered":"TOMO Mags Wants to Help You Slow Down \u2022 The Austin Chronicle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Archie comics, Italian Men\u2019s Vogue, and POPEYE Magazine: These iconic print publications are woven into the \u201ccreative DNA\u201d of TOMO Mags<\/a> founder Vico Tadeo Puentes. The West Fifth store celebrated its opening on Jan. 22 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside the Downtown Austin Alliance and a warm reception of regulars who\u2019ve followed the curated magazine stand from mobile bus to brick-and-mortar. With more rack space, increased browsing opportunities, and a partnership with Cielito Lindo<\/a> coffee shop, Puentes hopes TOMO can introduce Austinites to styles and stories that\u2019ll become a part of their own creative DNA.<\/p>\n

\u201cMagazines can shape that. And if you build your own library of that, you can reference them back, and it\u2019s such a good time capsule that you can revisit,\u201d the stylish shop owner says. When you\u2019re turning to online resources, whether for design and style inspiration or for diverse storytelling and connection, Puentes knows half the effort becomes recognizing sponsored content and ignoring constant notifications.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever you\u2019re doing, [it] is so easy to get interrupted. I feel print is essentially solving that,\u201d he says. Having conversations with shoppers inside his magazine stand on wheels, a familiar refrain emerged from screen-burnt readers and disenchanted creatives. \u201cPeople wanted to slow down. People wanted to read and recognize diverse voices. When you look through what we bring to the table, there are publications from all over the world with people that [readers] can see themselves in.\u201d<\/p>\n

These varied perspectives in print prove that slowing down and leaning into analog forms of storytelling hardly means sacrificing connection or exploration. Better yet, replacing doomscrolling with page flipping, even the most ardent technophile has to admit, paints a nostalgic picture of glamorous living.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something about day-to-day life to me that I really romanticized, even as a kid,\u201d Puentes says, smiling. His royal blue magazine shop is an exaltation of curiosity-driven slow living. Growing up in Mexico, colorful everyday stories and fashion-forward silhouettes laid the groundwork for his trend-tracking eye.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Years later, in the now-shuttered Houston magazine shop ISSUES, his passion for print media introduced him to new genres in the medium. He points out Viscose Journal, whose latest issues have examined the role of text, scent, and sound in the fashion industry. On a neighboring shelf, newer entries into long-form journalism, No\u0113ma Magazine and The Bitter Southerner, explore changing realities from different angles, and longstanding design rag Holiday, another of Puentes\u2019 favorites, anchors these concept-rich missives in a legacy of renowned print publications.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI love specificity now, all of those little niche things,\u201d says Puentes. \u201cThese are my new DNA.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article appears in January 30 \u2022 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A note to readers:\u00a0Bold and uncensored,\u00a0The Austin Chronicle\u00a0has been Austin\u2019s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community\u2019s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands. <\/p>\n

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