about us

Frequently Given Answers

What is TripmasterMonkey.com? It’s a cheeky news magazine for the Asia-savvy. Yellow journalism served up fresh—that’s our goal. On the site, you’ll find plenty of pop culture, offbeat topics, unusual views on U.S. and world news, and—as we ramp up—more graphic content (comics, photo essays, illustrated stories). In short, it’s a place for some fun and titillation. A lychee-martini lounge on the Web.

What’s with the name? The name comes from Maxine Hong Kingston’s novel about a hipster playwright, a modern-day incarnation of the fabled Monkey King, who spread Buddhism from India to China. Pretty trippy, right? As we see it, tripmasters are people who connect different worlds and cultures and ideas. People like you. (BTW, we’re not affiliated with Maxine Hong Kingston, the novel, or the defunct band of the same name.)

Who are you guys? Most of us are young journalists from the ranks of CNN, The New York Times, Bloomberg News, and magazines like Ms, New York, Glamour, and World Press Review. Many of us first met in various parts of Asia but now call New York City home.

Why a Web magazine? Seeing connections that exist across cultures—that’s what we’re all about. We love the borderless nature of the Web. It’s totally cosmic, man. A way to link to what’s Out There. The casual, ephemeral nature of the Web is perfect for a light but tasty sampling of Asian-accented news.

How are you funded? Excellent question. TMM is a volunteer effort, though it’s not technically a nonprofit. We’re funded through private donations, ads, and the sale of branded merchandise.

So, how do you define Asia? We follow the Asia Society’s definition: “The area from Japan to Iran, and from Central Asia to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands." Though, given our namesake, we tend to focus on countries where the Monkey King managed to spread the Buddha’s teachings to a large segment of the population.

Um, you really like monkeys. Well, Tripmaster Stephen Hawking probably said it best: “We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special."

Okay, you guys are completely bananas. Can I write for you? Sure, submit to the monkey.