Revision as of 08:32, 12 March 2020

Dimensions Online is a complement to Dimensions Magazine which is published bimonthly as a forum for those with a preference for the large figure and the people who attract them. It explains relationships, experiences, fat sex, and sexuality from the unique perspective of BBWs and their admirers and reports on issues of obesity, health, lifestyles, and media perceptions. Dimensions Magazine also provides adult entertainment including fiction and photo features with fat-related themes. Dimensions has hundreds of personal ads from big women and their admirers.

Dimensions Magazine is the name of a now defunct plus-size magazine, as well as a size acceptance community that grew out of the magazine's website. Dimensions Wide Angle Video Productions were sold through Dimensions. They were the original owner of the DimensionsGirls modeling network.

Magazine History

Dimensions Magazine Issue 41, art by Ned Sonntag

Dimensions Magazine evolved out of a civil-rights-group newsletter. NAAFA (National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance) was the original size acceptance advocacy group in the United States aimed at big people. A FA (fat admirer) 'special interest group' (FA-SIG) was formed to discuss FA issues, and a black-and-white paper newsletter, also named FA-SIG, was started for that group. Several covers were drawn by Susan Mason. After a naming competition, the newsletter evolved into Dimensions Magazine.

Dimensions Magazine was published by Shardco Inc in Albany, New York, starting in 1984. It was edited by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer. The owner of Dimensions also owned and published Pen Computing Magazine. Most cartoon covers from 1985 onward were drawn by Ned Sonntag, and in 1989 the magazine introduced color pin-up covers of real models using glossy paper with Issue 42. The magazine featured aspiring models, some of whom became successful online in the years following. The publication of Dimensions Magazine ended in 2002 with Issue 88.

Most issues were up to 64 pages with glossy color print, and back issues cost $5.50 each.

Website and Forum

Soon after the mainstream adoption of the internet, Dimensions created a website, posting columns and weight gain stories featured in the magazine as well as running competitions for aspiring models for their publication. Elsewhere, a woman known as BBW-QT created a website featuring personal ads for BBWs and FAs, which included a discussion board and a chatroom. The website's bandwidth charges soon became too much for BBW-QT to continue supporting, as the popularity of the forum and chatroom increased dramatically, so a deal was made for Dimensions to absorb the discussion board and chatroom, while BBW-QT closed her site. The new Dimensions community grew and by the late 1990's, Dimensions had become widely regarded as THE online site for fat admiration.

In 1997, the magazine became one of the first regular online magazines. The website began advertising and selling Dimensions Wide Angle Video Productions - soft-core pictorials that featured BBWs. Of these, most heavily promoted was The Feeding Fantasies of Betsy, which introduced feederism to many. They also started DimensionsGirls modeling network, which eventually became part of BigCuties.

The original publisher eventually retired from running the website and sold the whole enterprise in 2015 to a company that runs a number of community forums. Despite several failed attempts to monetize Dimensions, they continue to support it. Due to technical issues, the chat room eventually shut down. The discussion boards have continued to this day, and remain a popular place for discussion of BBW and FA issues.

Issues

(incomplete)

FA-SIG

Volume 1

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Cover	Featured Model(s)
1	No. 1	?	150px	?
2	No. 2	?	150px	?
3	No. 3	?	150px	?
4	No. 4	?	150px	?
5	No. 5	?	150px	?
6	No. 6	?	150px	?

Volume 2

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Cover	Featured Model(s)
7	No. 1	?	150px	?
8	No. 2	?	150px	?
9	No. 3	?	150px	?
10	No. 4	?	150px	?
11	No. 5	?	150px	?
12	No. 6	?	150px	?

Volume 3

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Cover	Featured Model(s)
13	No. 1	?	150px	?
14	No. 2	?	150px	?
15	No. 3	?	150px	?
16	No. 4	?	150px	?
17	No. 5	?	150px	?
18	No. 6	?	150px	?

Volume 4

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Cover	Featured Model(s)
19	No. 1	?	150px	?
20	No. 2	?	150px	?
21	No. 3	June 1987		?
22	No. 4	August 1987		?
23	No. 5	October 1987		?
24	No. 6	January 1988		?

Volume 5

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Cover	Featured Model(s)
25	No. 1	March 1988		?
26	No. 2	May 1988		?
27	No. 3	July 1988	150px	?

Dimensions Magazine

Volume 5 (cont.)

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Featured Model(s)
28	No. 4	September 1988	?
29	No. 5	December 1988	?
30	No. 6	February 1989	?

Volume 6

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Cover	Featured Model(s)
31	No. 1	?	150px	?
32	No. 2	?	150px	?
33	No. 3	?	150px	?
34	No. 4	November 1989		?
35	No. 5	?	150px	?
36	No. 6	March 1990		Roz Thomas

Volume 7

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Cover	Featured Model(s)
37	No. 1	May 1990		Susan Ziman
38	No. 2	July 1990	150px	?
39	No. 3	September 1990		Seaside Fun
40	No. 4	November 1990		Candy Gram
41	No. 5	January 1991		Teighlor
42	No. 6	March/April 1991 (first color cover)		Petra

Volume 8

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Cover	Featured Model(s)
43	No. 1	May/June 1991		California Dreamin'
44	No. 2	July/August 1991		Dimensions Plus
45	No. 3	September/October 1991		Florida Flower
46	No. 4	November/December 1991	150px	?
47	No. 5	January/February 1992		Blonde Ambition
48	No. 6	March/April 1992	150px	?

Volume 9

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Featured Model(s)
49	No. 1	May/June 1992	Maureen Costa
50	No. 2	August/September 1992	?
51	No. 3	October/November 1992	Gabrielle Gloor/Swiss Miss
52	No. 4	January 1993	Leather & Lace
53	No. 5	March 1993	buMpers
54	No. 6	May 1993	New England Bounty

Volume 10

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Featured Model(s)
55	No. 1	July 1993	Linda
56	No. 2	September 1993	Deidra
57	No. 3	November 1993	Susan & Mary
58	No. 4	February 1994	Rhonda Oliver & Betsy
59	No. 5	April 1994	Heather & Raynea
60	No. 6	June 1994	Pam, Dee & Betsy

Volume 11

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Featured Model(s)
61	No. 1	August 1994	Raynae & Cyndy Lybrand
62	No. 2	November 1994	Growing Joy
63	No. 3	January 1995	Paulette
64	No. 4	April 1994	Rachel Sabo
65	No. 5	June 1995	Deborah Cinkus
66	No. 6	August 1995	Lovely Tina

Volume 12

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Cover	Featured Model(s)
67	No. 1	November 1995		Carol Mackintosh & buMpers
68	No. 2	February 1996		Heather & Robin
69	No. 3	?	150px	?
70	No. 4	July 1996		Gina & Suzan
71	No. 5	September 1996		Grace & Karen
72	No. 6	November 1996		Patty & Victoria
73	No. 7	February 1997		Catherine & Cathy

Volume 13

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Featured Model(s)
74	No. 1	April 1997	Zsalynn & Cindy
75	No. 2	July 1997	Heather & Lisa
76	No. 3	September 1997	Cat & Michelle
77	No. 4	November 1997	Dove & Cari
78	No. 5	February 1998	Bella & Char
79	No. 6	June 1998	Terra & Diva

Volume 14

Issue #	Volume No.	Date	Featured Model(s)
80	No. 1	August 1998	The Beach Babes & Jamie-Marie
81	No. 2	December 1998	Victorian Lace & Jensen
82	No. 3	April/May 1999	Anna & Electra
83	No. 4	September 1999	Tina & Cleacia
84	No. 5	January 2000	Karen & Belly Dancing Fatimas
85	No. 6	June 2000	Kelly & Bobbie