391 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
391 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1993 23:50:32 -0500
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From: James Barnett <spingo@Panix.Com>
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SCRATCH
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Issue #1
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spingo@panix.com
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J. BARNETT
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28 NORTH AVENUE
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NEW ROCHELLE NY 10805
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WRITE
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Well, anyway, here we are at the first issue and it's 10:30 and I'm
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still at work, scamming some machine time. I've been wanting, itching,
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etc. to have a zine for a while... It seems that in the last few weeks
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various occurrences have neatly coincided, like when all the planets
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are in your house in astrology or something. So here we are. One of
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the things that kept me from doing something sooner was the idea that
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you sort of had to have a focus to do a proper zine. I got over it. I
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found a new desire and enjoyment in rambling about whatever seems
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appropriate at the time. So here we are. Are you comfortable? Here,
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sit down and relax. Can I get you something to drink?
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Intro
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Once, spurred on by a magazine-and-freelance-writing course in college
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(Hi, Gail!) and again recently, I thought I might be a writer, at
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least part-time. The difference is then I wanted to make some money,
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and now I just wanna write whatever comes into my head. I think I have
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some valid thoughts that may be of interest to others, and also I
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wanted to have something to trade cool zines instead of just sending
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money. Bingo, zine time. For Scratch, I'm just gonna ramble about
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what's on my mind. Sometimes it'll organize itself into little
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packages, but if not, well, I'm not gonna worry about it. A couple of
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years ago, I put out a music zine with two friends of mine, Lisa
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Taylor and Andy Stevens (who now publishes GULP, which you should send
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for IMMEDIATELY! See the plug at the end of the reviews for info). It
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ended after two years because we were trying really hard to put out a
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marketable product, and there was just too much work to be fun. And it
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lost a lot of money. It was a great experience all told; I learned
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tons of stuff, stuff that you just don't learn unless you actually go
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out and DO it, forget about college courses.
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I also put out two issues of an Amiga zine the spring before
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last, when I was unemployed and spending ALL of my time holed up in my
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mother's house, too broke to do much of anything except to dig in to
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Deluxe Paint up to my elbows and mess with some animation. I got some
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work, moved out, bought a Mac IIci, sold the Amiga to help finance my
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trip to Europe last summer. Either issue of Naugahyde is yours for the
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asking, and any of the 4 issues of Now what, the music zine, are, say,
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$1, which'll just about cover postage. No, with stacks of 'em still in
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the closet, I'm not worried about making any money on 'em. Maybe I'll
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get together a mail-order ad together...
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Now I'm back at my Mom's, staying here 'til I get the proverbial
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money saved up. I read in the Atlantic that a whole lot of us mid-20's
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types still live at home, so at least I have company, but I still kind
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of feel like a loser for it, y'know? Especially having already moved
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out once. I didn't intend to move back when I got back from London for
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very long, but the $700 I left behind to get a new place just wasn't
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exactly enough to move into a new place. I also caught bronchitis
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again and that further slowed up progress. (At my old job, one of the
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editors called one of the art department a speed bump. That's what
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bronchitis was for me, a speed bump.) Last time I came back from
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London, I caught bronchitis for the first time, and it was much worse.
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I was in bed for a month and a half, sleeping for four hours, up for
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four, that sort of thing. It was awful. And once when I was coughing
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really hard, before I knew what I had, I felt something in the back of
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my head go click and it scared the fuck out of me. I thought I had
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given myself an aneurysm from coughing so hard.
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What's happening now? I'm 25. I haven't had a girlfriend proper
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in a year and a half or so. I play some guitar with my pal John, whose
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band Airlines has a new single out, "Steady Goes," on Quixotic
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records. It's pretty good; I do like the song that'll be on their next
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one better, something about a Sunday afternoon suicide. I like beer
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and records and CDs and comix and zines and books. I have too many of
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all of them, great mounds of media everywhere. I usedta work at Elle
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magazine, and got stacks of books and CDs from the we're-not-
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reviewing-this-so-dig-in pile.
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I got a freelance gig at Bridal Guide magazine in NYC, and we
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just finished the March/April issue, where you can see your humble
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reporter's credit in the masthead as Art Production Manager. I was
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kind of excited. Also, they're paying me the most money I've ever
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made, and on an hourly basis, which makes it a little more palatable
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to work a 55-60 hour week when we're closing an issue. So no matter
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what impression you get from the following pages, I really have no
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MAJOR reasons to whine. I could be working in Barnes and Noble for a
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lot less had I not stumbled into this line of work. What I do for a
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living is Macintosh consulting and print production. For Bridal Guide,
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I set up pages in Quark Xpress on their Mac Quadra 750, and then send
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'em up to the output house that prints out film and sends that to the
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printer. It's not exciting, but it doesn't suck too bad at all. I get
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to play music all day, at a decent level, and use their machines
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(including a COOL color copier/color printer) to do my own stuff after
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hours. Like this zine.
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Now that I have some money and some free time every 8 weeks or
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so, I think I want to do some publishing, like something half-serious
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at least, like a literary-type zine or even a real book/magazine, like
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the Portable Lower East Side or the Evergreen Review from the 60s,
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that kind of thing. I don't know at the moment whether I'd like to try
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and get a paperback into the stores or a $2 zine. Why do I feel the
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need to do something like this? I feel like I should do my part
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artistically; I'm not an incredibly talented writer, but I DO know
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enough about publishing, editing and production to put out something
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respectable and allow those who do have talent that deserves to get
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out there. I'm setting up a kind of thing where I distribute my and my
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friends' projects. It's called Spingo World Media, for no real good
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reason. I'd be real interested in people sending me stuff that they
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want designed and published, like say a small xeroxed book or pamphlet
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or something. (Yes, Reyna, like that book of yours I never did. Still
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interested?) I'll also carry stuff by other publishers, so send your
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stuff along.
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So here I am. And here's my zine. Hope you dig it. If you have a
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zine, I'll gladly trade ads. If you wanna run a classified ad in the
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next printed Scratch, tell you what--they're free. Write me letters,
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send me email. Send me your zine, record, homemade tape of balinese
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gamelan hard bop. Cool.
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J Barnett
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January 27, 1993
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New York City
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(doesn't this look pretentious?)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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----
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MY ZINE DESTINY
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I suppose I was destined to have something to do with The Photocopying
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Process. My dad fixed Xerox machines for a living and when I was
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little, my mom had a string of copy shops along the east coast; some
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of my earliest memories are of travelling with her to her stores. In
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one of them, there was one of those office-copy-joke things, like "You
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Want it WHEN?" In the middle of the page was a circle with the words
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"ROUND TUIT" in the center. And underneath the circle was something
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along the lines of, "You always put off work until you get a 'round
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tuit,' so here, now you have one and have no excuses."
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This musta been early- to mid- 70s now, but I can't remember any
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pleather jackets or anything. There was a head shop around the corner
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from the U of Maryland? Penn? store that I remember going into and
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looking at the posters. We used to play pinball at a fast food shop
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called Hungry Herman's across the street from the campus, in the same
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little mall my Mom's store was in, around the corner from a 7-11 or
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something.
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One time in nursery school in Maryland, I think, I got in trouble
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for drawing on the floor in the tv room with markers from my moms
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store. It was the Teddy Bear Nursery School, I think, and I remember
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not liking the food. Maybe that's where my vandalism came from?
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It's perfectly natural, or at least kinda makes sense that I in
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school I went into journalism and then graphic design. Soon, I'll buy
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my own copy machine and the cycle will be complete. the one I have my
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eye on is a Canon; I wonder what my Dad would say about my lack of
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brand loyalty? Ha. I mean, Xerox put me through college, all six
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years.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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----
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REVIEWS
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This time, most stuff is decent or better 'cause I had to pay for
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everything out-of-pocket. Prices below are cover price, which doesn't
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mean 'including postage,' so be sure to send something extra. Of
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course, if the fanzines themselves said, "send 47" for postage," I
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could better represent what to send; you could always first send a
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postcard or something, but that's maybe something of a pain in the
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butt. For overseas stuff, send an extra $1.50 or $2 for postage. The
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dollar-exchange rate abroad blows. And always err on the side of
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generosity; most of these kind folk lose money on their publications.
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I don't know if it'd be a good idea to send dollars to England or
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pounds to the states; apparently IRCs from the post office come in
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handy but I don't remember how they work, sorry.
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Magazines 'n' Zines
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Ablaze! #9
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Cool music fanzine, with a, erm, discerning eye to what's worth your
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time. And I fundamentally agree with the Ablaze! guidelines to better
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living through music, so this mag's a good thing. Not real kind to
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what's not good, but not mean either. #8 features Pavement/Fluff
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flexi. Both songs are OK. {A4, 56 pages, incl. flexi} #1.90+50p
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shipping in UK, #3 overseas?
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Flipside #78,
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May/June 1992
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Long, LONG-running punk mag. In this issue: pirate broadcasting,
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Cramps, Nirvana, and Leaving Trains (did YOU know Trains' Falling
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James used to be married to Courtney Love?). Tons of live reviews,
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columns, ads, etc., etc. More readable than Max. Rock n Roll, too.
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{Mag size, a LOT of pages, like easily over 100} $2.50, $4 Europe
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Hullabaloo #1
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Spring '92
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Promising! Handwritten by Laurence, with a Yoko Ono film overview;
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Jonathan Richman concert review, sort of; "Saturday Night Fever" and
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personal thoughts about life and stuff. {A5, orange Yoko cover, 20
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pages} 40p ($2?)
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International Travel News
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The bulk of this magazine is travel tips in the form of articles and
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letters, word-of-mouth from the readers. Though the tips tend to be
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aimed at someone a few rungs higher up the travel pricing ladder than
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me, it's good to read about a place through a non-professional
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writer's eyes. If you got to stay in hotels for free, would you
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badmouth 'em? And they'll refund the whole subscription price of you
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don't like it. Good deal. {Lettersize, 100 pages} $2 cover, $16/year.
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Mole #5
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L7, Sebadoh, Silverfish, Smog, and Mecca Normal interviews, and a fun
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tour diary from George Willard. They're looking for more "underground
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xulture" stuff to write about. (Aren't we all?) Send 'em yours.
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{Lettersize, 56 pages} $3 (#2?)
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N D #16
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Art networking mag, hopping quite nimbly from mailart to cassettes to
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musicians to computer networks to video. Contact addresses, audio,
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video and publication reviews, and mailart events listings. A good
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place to start for the network newbie, a good place to keep up with
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stuff them who's into it. {Slightly-bigger-than-half-legal size, 64
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pages} $4 postpaid. Overseas, $10/2 issues Europe, $11/2 issues Japan,
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Australia, other.
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Option #45
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This issue has Pavement, a terrible Dino Jr. talk-to-the-family-cause-
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J-can't-speak piece, Television Personalities, Lee "Scratch" Perry,
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Holger Czukay from Can. Editor Mark Kemp does a good interview with
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Yoko Ono, but looks like he deserves to live in L.A.. in the annoying
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t-shirt ad. I hate to say it, but I used to like it better than I do
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now. {146 pages} $3.50, $36/6 issues trans-atlantic air
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Paradiso
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Actually two zines, This rare treat and Mcintyre, in a package and a
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nice one at that.
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This rare treat: a really nice "latino summer feel," as the man says,
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to this, and very impressive simple design.
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Mcintyre: {A5 2-color xerox, Mcintyre 32 pages, This rare treat 28
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pages} #1 ($3?), unless you're buying it at Rough Trade shop; then
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it's #1.50. Bastards. And Eddie of Mcintyre and his pal know their
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beer.
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Perturbed #6
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Norm-from-Cheers cover, Lilac Time, Go-Betweens and Dexys. But the
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main and best part are the often-hilarious, really fucking funny
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'interviews' and 'lyrics' from pop stars known and un-. I laffed lak a
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fool. {A5, 24 pages} #?
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Recoil #5
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Gives odds on the length of the Kurt+Courtney marriage duration: 3
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months 2P5; More than 2 yrs, 150P1. {A4, 32 pages} #1
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Reign of Toads Vol. 2, #1 Summer 1992
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OK, I'm in the contributing staff box this issue, but I still think
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this is the best general-interest type zine I've seen. Comix, used
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book reviews (ahem) and some mini-comix by Kyle thrown in (to my
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envelope, anyway). Not to mention the Braineater comix of Generic
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Mike: god to many, friend to all. {Digest size, 66 pages} $4, checks/
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MOs payable to Kyle Silfer. Ad trades encouraged.
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Sunny Sundae Smile #1, Summer '92
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Well, they're enthusiastic and not without humor, I'll give 'em that,
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but to be honest the "Do You Make Other Indie Kids Jealous?" quiz had
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me hoping there was an element of irony here. The two indie word
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puzzles and "indiescopes" give me doubts, though. {Letter size, 24
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pages}
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Trouser Press #27, April 1978
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Long Pete Townshend interview (white jumpsuit and Doc Martens period);
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lukewarm review of Wire's first LP; Devo and Rich Kids; and Ira
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Robbins' Power Pop Primer. Dated, but a neat artifact. Ever see the
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Trouser Press Record Guide? It's pretty great; the latest edition came
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out this year.
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{Lettersize, 64 pages} $1.25 cover, 50p at Music & Video Exchange,
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Notting Hill Gate
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Your Flesh #25
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Christ, zines like this make me feel stupid. Usually American, zines
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like Your Flesh and Forced Exposure (possibly my fave ever), with
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their fucking SMART writers and their extensive knowledge of music and
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underground culture-type stuff make me feel small, like maybe I
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shouldn't be wasting my time with this zine. Well, the music they know
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so much, admittedly, I don't have much time for, and well, fuck I have
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as much right to put out a zine as the next guy, so fuggit. Still,
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pick this up. This issue features (Tell Us What You) Hatepoll '91
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results, Leonard Cohen, Sub Pop photog Charles Peterson, cool poet
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Andrei Codrescu+ more. {Lettersize, 136 pages, well designed} $3.95 US
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#2.35 UK.
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COMIC
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Lux & Alby #1
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Disappointing comics version of, count 'em, THREE good 'cult' novels
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by Martin Millar: Milk, Sulphate and Alby Starvation, Lux the Poet,
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and Ruby and the Stone Age Diet (all pub. by Fourth Estate). This
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comic, however, with art by Simon Fraser, is just a bad, confusing
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mishmash of Millar's characters, with horsey lettering to boot. Buy
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the books, if you can find 'em. {32 pages}
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#1.50 (Acme Comics)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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----
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ADDRESSES
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Ablaze! Magazine 17 Wetherby Grove, Leeds LS4 2JH, England. Phone
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0532-781-125
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Acme Comics 11 Marshalsea Road, London SE1 1EP England. Checks/POs
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payable to Acme Comics Ltd.
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Beet c/o Joe Maynard, 372 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
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Flipside P.O. Box 60790, Pasadena CA 91116, USA. Catalog available for
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one US 29" stamp or IRC.
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Hullabaloo Laurence, 188 Thirsk Rd., Borehamwood, Herts WD6 5BD,
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England
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International Travel News Subscription Department, 520 Calvados Ave.,
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Sacramento, CA 95815 USA. (800) 366-9192 8amP5pm Pacific time,
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Amex/Visa/MC only
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Mole P.O. Box 5033, Herndon, VA 22070
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N D PO Box 4144, Austin, Texas 78765, USA
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Paradiso:
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This rare treat Jon, 8 Patch Meadow, Cheadle, Stoke on Trent,
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Staffordshire, ST10 1PX, England
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Mcintyre 45 Lowfield Road, Anlaby, Hull, HU10 7BS, England
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Perturbed SDUC, Lampeter, Dyfed, Wales SA48 7ED, UK (Well, on the last
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page it sez this address is good til July '92; I'd send an exploratory
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postcard or letter first, if I were you. Which I'm not.)
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Recoil 39 Nicolas Rd, Chorlton, Manchester M21 1LG, England
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Reign of Toads P.O. Box 66047, Albany, NY 12206 USA. Phone (516) 462-
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6397
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Sunny Sundae Smile 250 Hutton Street, Jersey City, NJ 07307
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Your Flesh P.O. Box 583264, Mpls. MN, 55458-3264 USA. (612) 822-9152
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============= + ====================================== +
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=================
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This is a plug for the fantastic zine GULP. Issue #5 is available now,
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and inside its hallowed walls dwell comics, stories, poems, and other
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stuff you need to see. Plus, the first 107 have limited edition
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linocut covers printed by me and Andy.
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Send $2 to Andy Stevens, 21 Main Street, Binghamton, NY 13905.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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----
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THE GOING BALD CLUB FOR MEN
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Yeah, fuck, I'm startin' to go a little thin on top. I hate to admit
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it, but it's starting to become visible. The hairline started inching
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back when I was 21 or so, but the remaining stuff stayed pretty thick
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'til the last couple months, when it started to get this fucked up
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frizz texture; upon closer examination the spaces between the roots
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were gettin' a little bigger. It's not really noticeableI yet. But
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it's the realization that it's actually fucking happening that fuckin'
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eats away at me. The last couple days this has started to nag at me.
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Like, OK, now that the truth is evident, OK, you win, I did lose the
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competition, why doesn't it just all fall out instantly already and
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save me the fucking worrying? I ride the Metro-North commuter train
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into NYC every morning, looking at the middle-aged mens' heads...
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"Will I end up like him? Or him, that guy with the big head and the
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dumb comb-over?" Nah. I think I'd have enough taste to not sink to
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that level of fakery. But let's say I have a little better
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understanding of those guys' desperation now. It's not gonna be easy
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to avoid the mocking turned in on myself--the "Look! he's BALDING!
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Hahahaha!" turned in on myself... Fuck, I'm getting theoretical at
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2;30 am.
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I have a little while till blatant chromedomedness, but it's
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still kinda upsetting knowing I'd look like a complete dick if I tried
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to grow my hair out again, to my shoulders like it was in college. I
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remember seeing pictures of me with long hair then, and thinking,
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"boy, I hope this isn't my Long Hair Phase that I'll just look back on
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and say, "yeah, that's when I had long hair, can you imagine? Pass the
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Evian." But now Sy Sperling's cruel, cruel hand has smacked me in the
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head, like Benny Hill used to do to that little old guy. Sigh. Really,
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I'm fully aware I'm whining again; I'm healthy, not horrendously ugly
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or skin diseased or anything, but damn anyway. Damn. if you meet me
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try not to notice, OK?
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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----
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And listen, contributions are certainly welcome, but I have no idea at
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all what would be appropriate. Send it along, and we'll see what's
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what. And if you have your own zine, e-zine, record label, small
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press, video company of your own, by all means send stuff that you
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think I'd like, and if I do, I'll review it. Also, I'm gonna be
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starting up a so-called "publishing
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company" called Spingo World Media, ostensibly to get some of my other
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stuff and my friends' stuff out into the world. but I'm real, real
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interested in doing stuff with other people.
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Send me your stuff, ideas, hopes, dreams, effluvia. Thanks.
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Incidentally, the printed version of Scratch #1, which you've just
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read, are yours for a trade or $1 or 4 stamps. It's got an OK color
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cover, thanks to work. Scratch #2, print version, will be the same
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price. Cool.
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--
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James Barnett
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spingo@panix.com
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