▁under ▁the ▁pseud onym ▁Lee ▁W ong . ▁The ▁magazine ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁early ▁internet ▁U sen et ▁groups , ▁which ▁were ▁obsc ure ▁and ▁largely ▁un reg ulated ▁news groups ▁mask ed ▁by ▁arc ane ▁prefix es ▁( e . g . ▁alt .) ▁used ▁in ▁place ▁of ▁World ▁W ide ▁Web ▁prefix ▁( www ). ▁The ▁alt . ▁prefix ed ▁U sen ets ▁were ▁frequently ▁used ▁to ▁dis sem inate ▁sub vers ive , ▁ill ic it ▁and ▁sometimes ▁criminal ▁them es ▁and ▁content . ▁The ▁alt ▁prefix ▁in ▁Alt ▁Vari ety ▁Magazine ▁was ▁subt le ▁nod ▁to ▁U sen et ▁with ▁bold ▁and ▁frequently ▁off ensive ▁content , ▁and ▁anti - c ensor ship ▁ag enda . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Alt ▁Vari ety ▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁first ▁as ▁an ▁online ▁magazine ▁and ▁then ▁via ▁an ▁i T unes ▁app . ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁it ▁published ▁a ▁print ▁form , ▁ce asing ▁publication ▁of ▁all ▁forms ▁of ▁the ▁magazine ▁in ▁July ▁of ▁that ▁year . ▁ ▁Editor ial ▁content ▁▁ ▁Alt ▁Vari ety ▁published ▁celebr ity ▁inter views , ▁advoc ated ▁fr inge ▁culture , ▁the ▁arts ▁and ▁First ▁Am end ment ▁rights ▁and ▁covered ▁them es ▁such ▁as ▁recre ational ▁drug ▁use ▁and ▁por n ography . ▁During ▁its ▁short ▁ten ure , ▁Alt ▁Vari ety ▁published ▁several ▁notable ▁exclus ives ▁with ▁prominent ▁counter ▁culture ▁figures ▁such ▁as ▁Tommy ▁Ch ong , ▁film ▁director ▁Ab el ▁Ferr ara