If the tangled depths of the interwebs happen to lead you to Blast Magazine, you might be surprised to see the product of work done by a college student not unlike yourself. The online magazine is packed with articles covering a wide spectrum of interests; from the newest Australian rock band to the Boston ballet, and from the newest war-inspired video game to the latest blockbuster hit.

The magazine is the brainchild of current Emerson College graduate student, John Guilfoil. Blast was created when Guilfoil was an undergraduate at Northeastern. The print and multimedia journalism double major came up with the idea during his senior year in 2006. He admitted that it was quite a busy year, “It was difficult balancing school, finding a job, and designing a magazine.”

Once Guilfoil found a server and bought a domain name, there was the matter of getting a staff. “It wasn’t that difficult to get the website going. The difficult part was getting a core editorial family going,” he said. The diverse staff is reflective of the wide range of readers for which the magazine is aimed. “There’s three groups of people who made Blast what it is: the college students, who are mostly from Northeastern, Emerson, and Boston University, the adult freelance writers who want to do something different, and the people who live around the world who read Blast and wanted to be involved.” Writers from Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, and even Australia and India contribute to an equally diverse range of subjects. Guilfoil said, “They are able to give us a perspective on things we wouldn’t normally have.”

During the 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai, Blast had coverage in India, a remarkable advantage over many other news sources. And Blast is more than just a casual diversion. Guilfoil said, “Right now, we’re focusing on Blast as a business as opposed to a hobby.”

Guilfoil, who also serves as an editor and graphic designer for the magazine, makes sure that his business is flourishing. He has overseen the growth of his magazine, and says that, “It’s gone from ‘a good try’ to what I would call, ‘almost there.’ You’re going to see Blast change a little more in the future.” And that change should be something to look out for.

Visit www.BlastMagazine.com for more information!