80s Fanzines - Classic Or Dud?

Tips of the hat to CONFLICT, THE OFFENSE, FORCED EXPOSURE, A. McGee's COMMUNICATION BLUR, and from my personal Eighties neck of the woods - that being the Maryland/DC/Va. metropolitan area - CAPITAL CRISIS, THE INFILTRATOR, NOW WHAT?, THRILLSEEKER, MOST THINGS SUCK, TEENAGE GIRL DEBS, and last but not least, the late great TRULY NEEDY (Barbaranne Rice, editorix extraordinaire, now working as a paralegal in some godforsaken upstate Maryland backwater last I heard - quell horror). Sure would love to find copies of SCARED TO GET HAPPY and CAFF, though...JUNIOR BOYS OWN even, or was that more 90's?

Most of the British zines I read were from the North of England. The only Northern zine I remember that might be considered influential was "Ablaze" edited by Karren Ablaze in Yorkshire.

I lived in the North-West during the 80s and the two local zines I remember the best were "The Plane Truth" and "Blast Off!". "The Plane Truth" was edited by Andrew Truth in Preston. It reviewed lots of weird American bands such as the Happy Flowers and also featured noisy local bands such as the Dandelion Adventure. "Blast Off!" was edited by James Scanlon in Merseyside. He interviewed famous bands such as the Fall, R.E.M. and the Pixies when they did gigs in Liverpool. Articles were also written about local groups such as Barbel and Benny Profane.

I also read lots of U.K. hardcore punk zines. The only one I really remember is "Last Train to Cubesville".

"Factsheet Five" was an important American mag that listed hundreds of obscure zines. Through "Factsheet Five" I discovered "Retro- Futurism" which was the Tape-Beatles' fanzine.

Most of the zines I read in the 80s never had any far-reaching or long-lasting influence on anything but they were still classic because they reflected particular musical scenes very well. Most of the gigs I saw as a teenager were reviewed in local zines.

Fanzines also helped support a D.I.Y. tape network. I sent away for loads of obscure tapes that I saw listed in fanzines.

The only zine worth a damn was Ugly American -- they've turned me onto so many good records that I never would've thought to buy on my own that I wouldn't even know where to start...

hi joseph,

i don't think Ugly American was published in the 80's. I thought about that one too.

^_^

Factsheet 5 has come across tough times (or has been in tough times for a while.) The editors kept changing,

Cometbus is a great longstanding tradition, I agree. It's not as much about music, as it's sort of a personal handwritten diary/running commentary from one guy -- Aaron Cometbus. And other classic great zines like Dishwasher, and Beer Frame (though Beer Frame is more '90s.) I love Beer Frame.

― geeta, Wednesday, 17 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link