Torn Apart #2

Torn Apart #2.

Zine: Torn Apart
Issue: B
Created by: Ju
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Astley, Manchester
When: 1987?

Prototypical of what an old-school skate zine is, was, and should be both visually and content-wise. A nice mix of Interviews with Wolfie Retard and Tommy of The Stupids, vert photos of Gary Sanderson, Jim Thiebaud, John Grigley, Sergie Ventura and Eric Nash, a short interview with Mark Gonzales, a bloody long thesis on street skateboarding contests and contests in general, and some great music reviews. Good layout and nicely copied. 

Notes: Photocopied on 8 1/2" by 11" paper, but stapled at the far left side, this zine is intended to be read panorama-style. This is the only zine I ever received from the UK. 

Bent and Mutilated #1

Bent and Mutilated #1.

Zine: Bent and Mutilated

Issue: 1

Created by: Matt Bennett

Format: 8 1/2" x 11"

Where: Whitby, Ontario

When: 1988

Matt Bennett had a certain style when it came to making zines. Much like Nor-Cal Swami Scott Davidson and his myriad titles, you could always tell it was a Bennett product by the fisheye photos, the text stylings and the high-contrast layout. There are many toilets, bathroom stalls and a closing page urinal in this issue. There's Mel Bend, standing in a sink. It's all so... art school. And I love it.

Notes: Bennett also created Death of Bruce Lee and Style Zone. 

Atomic Circle of Chaos #10

Atomic Circle of Chaos #10.

Zine: Atomic Circle of Chaos
Issue: 10
Created by: Bill Keaggy, Bob Burbick, Adam Liber
Format: 8 1/2" x 11" (Issue 10 with opening two pages featuring legal format paper for extended foldout cover/opening page salvo.) Impressive. 
Where: Columbiana, OH
When: 1989

ACC issue 10 is fat. Packed with a ton of clean layouts, tiny type and chunky, contrasty photos, this one has coverage of 2-HIP Meet The Street in Oregon, Outlaw Freestyle Association Summer Series Finals and Championship, State of Being: Minnesota by Terry Nourse, interview with Todd Lyons and Lawan Cunningham, Berea Triangle contest, a retrospective on Keaggy's correspondence with Luke Strahota of Jargon of Delinquents zine, a John Byers interrogation and the "best of" ACC. Thick. THICK. 

Notes: This is the only issue of ACC I have. I wish I had more. The PDF layout for this one includes the extended foldout cover action.

Skew Zine

Skew Zine. 

Zine: Skew Zine
Issue: The Rude Issue
Created by: Andy Zalan
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: DC
Date: 1989?

Always a great combination of freestyle and skateboarding, excellent photos and art from some of the best. Contributions from Greg Neal, Bryan Wendzel, and Andy Jenkins with a Wrench Pilot centerfold. The zine review pages are a who's who of the greatest stapled and xeroxed paper at the time... Slime, Committed, Chariot of the Ninja, Disobedience, Whiplash, Bent and Mutilated.

Notes: The brief "fire distinguisher" story is one of my favorite things, ever.

Audible Blast #5

Audible Blast #5.

Zine: Audible Blast
Issue: 5
Created by: Eric Dufour, Ed Kohler, Paul Norwood, Travis Lacy
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: New Braunfels, TX
When: 1987

Strangely enough, this was the first skate zine I ever received. It was put out in 1987 by some guys in New Braunfels, Texas, and 30-some odd years later, I live not far from there. There's a write-up of a ditch contest in Pflugerville and the photo of John Gibson's 5-0 on a parking block is pure historical gold. When's the last time you saw a pro/am ditch contest? Same with the shot of Dan Wilkes rock-and-roll at the Bastrop pool. Legendary. 

Notes: The "I *heart* Hosoi" contest is certainly politically incorrect by any standards, but hilarious nevertheless. 

Gut Feel'n #2

Gut Feel'n #2

Zine: Gut Feel'n
Issue: 2
Created by: Phread Conrad, Jawhn Dettman
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: San Bernardino, CA
Date: 1987

The "Short Storys" issue. A great collection of prose (1 Week with a Beach Nut) and interview with Rob Orbison that introduced me to the power of 43 in all its incarnations. 

Notes: First mention I can recall – before Transworld, Thrasher or PowerEdge – of Neil Blender doing "frontside boneless ollie" over parking blocks, a trick Orb called "43" that would come to be known as the modern day "no-comply." 

Gut Feel'n #3

Gut Feel'n #3

Zine: Gut Feel'n
Issue: 3
Created by: Phread Conrad, Jawhn Dettman

Format: 8 1/2" x 11"

Where: San Bernardino, California
Date: 1987

Gut Feel'n was one of the first handful of zines I received in the mail. I probably wrote Phread with 50 cents and a stamp after seeing a "Zine Scene" feature in Thrasher Magazine. Heavy, two-color cover, with a Mike Taylor interview and photos by Tod Swank, Jawhn Dettman, Bryce Kanights, Kevin Thatcher.

Notes: Excellent art. Two instances with toilets, which somehow seemed to be a recurring artistic theme with skateboarder/artists at that time, myself included.