The franchise bit was a joke, i have no connection with franchises except of course in the regular vince green column 'sitting in the back of my cab' where he gives his taxi driver opinions on various people and issues mainly in the erudite style of alf garnet.
As for the mag, one how about a mock up, which could be in publisher which is easier than adobe and people coujld swap files and pics. Two look at other examples there is a good blogg by the spanish chap on the academy.