Free magazines and newsletters have emerged as the newest trend in Japanese pop-culture, reports Nikkei Net Interactive, (subscription required). Japanese youth are snatching up gratis publications distributed at their favorite cafes and fashion outlets in trendy Tokyo neighborhoods. One successful quarterly, known as Electric SAL, features and is edited by young artists, and its 10,000 copies are gone within a matter of days. Select publishers have honed in on the potential effectiveness of free titles, either for their commercial or artistic value. While financial support can be hard to come by, big names like travel agency JTB Corp., fashion retailer Ships Ltd. and karaoke chain Big Echo either buy media spots or subsidize free publications, looking to capitalize on this latest advertising platform. Meanwhile, publishers try to downplay corporate advertisements and maximize the artistic aspect of the free media by marrying the advertisements with art. Artists (including poets, freelance writers and graphic artists) contribute to these magazines for minimal pay, some for the exposure, and others who find the weakened Japanese economy has taken away paying modes of artistic expression. Some artists integrate online creative efforts for more added value for their readers.