ZINE
Kurt Carlson
BEST ALL AROUND-Vegetarian
Skaters for Social Responsibility
(Arcata, CA-Ego, Alex, Rich, Rak, Bruce, 1
Jayne and others) and Geek Attack
(Nanuet, NY-Phil Franklin, Herb, Neil). At
opposite ends of the spectrum (serious vs.
carefree) come the two best zines of 1985,
each excelling for its own reasons.
V.S.S.R. for its hard, to-the-point political
view, taking life seriously, for good cause.
Their views scope far beyond what you pick
up in the daily news. Geek Attack for
taking nothing seriously, presenting an
amusing, healthy, dorky view unavailable,
anywhere else. V.S.S.R., 3383 Spear
Ave., Arcata, CA 95521 (50+ stamp).
Geek Attack, c/o Curran, 10 Caravella
Ln., Nanuet, NY 10954 (just a stamp).
BEST XEROX JOB-Flow (Hopkins,
MN-Jon Baugh). As all zine makers know,
getting a good photo is one thing but
getting the copy machine to reproduce it
into something other than a black and
white smear is something completely
different. The boys at Flow do a fine job.
WORST XEROX JOB-Plain Truth
(England-Slug Douglas). This one is so
bad we're not sure exactly where it's
from...smudges, a few completely
blacked-out photos, and practically illegi-
ble writing make Plain Truth the hands
down victor. Very hardcore..
MOST ORIGINAL DESIGN-True
Devotion/Kapow (Richmond, VA-Gigi
Gitts, Bonnie Blouin). On one side of this
two-part zine is True Devotion by Gigi and
Bonnie, a fine, thick skate zine which
covers the local scene quite well. Flip it
over and you've got Cliff Farrar's heavy
metal Kapow. 99¢ to: True Devotion,
2912 Ellwood Ave., Richmond, VA 23221.
BEST CENTERSPREAD-Severe
Head Injury (Gautier, MS-Buckit and
others). Top honors in this category go
to S.H.I. for their skateboard-through-the-
skull drawing in issue 8. 1608 Pat Dr.,
Gautier, MS 39553.
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VEGETARIAN SKATERS
FOR
Site Responsibility
the forms who state and
DON'T
TREND ON MEAT
VERTICAL URGE
PRT 2 STAMPS
our #1
B
Pros
attack
Mile High
Upland
Comics
Areas
SURE, I SKATE! HEY
REMEMBER STING
BALDY WITH TA...
NOW SECRET FAS
BERE I BLAST
AIRS AS HIGH AS CHRIST
HIGHER PROBABLY
ND GRINDS
YOU KING? DON'T
USE PLASTIC, MA! WHEN
GRIND-THE COPING
BLEEDS PUANS
PETERS ONCE TOX
MESS HERO
WH
THINK
TAL
TO SKA
PADS?! 20
wis AD
WOUND?
HEY NOT ME MAN!
NEBOY WOCE THAT
MOST PROMISING FIRST ISSUE-
Santa Monica Pool Service Manual
(Santa Monica-Art). Very "locals only"
attitude. S.M.P.S.M. covers their style
(pools), in their area, their way. Good.
Honorable Mention: Illiterate Comix
(OKC, OK-Rusty Short). Full of hammer-
ing humor, hardcore ideas and psycho
graphix.
LONGEST RUNNING-Skate Fate
Now approaching number forty-seven and
still going strong. P.O. Box 6, Cardiff, CA
92007. No contributions accepted.
BEST LOCAL COVERAGE-Gulf
Coast Skate (Ft. Walton Beach, FL-
Don Cudney, Steve Jacobs). A fine job of
covering an area of the country often
missed by larger publications. Gulf Coast
comes out monthly and is available for
$1.00 and a stamp at 215 Mooney Road,
Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32548.
Honorable Mention: Perfect Transl-
tion (Australia-David Ross and Paul
Postma). Covering Australia, Canada,
New Zealand, U.S. and more.
BEST ARTWORK-Bodyslam
(Beverly, MA-Marc and Craig Conahan).
Veteran contributoonist Marc Conahan
spreads his skill throughout, making
Bodyslam one of the most well layed out
zines available, Rear 28 Bartlett St. #2,
Beverly, MA 01915.
BEST COVER-Skate Fate (issue
# 43, color xerox, Cardiff, CA- Gary S.
Davis). G.S.D. strikes again, a hand-
laminated, full-color cover with a picture.
of Claus Grabke staring right in your face.
Honorable mention in this category to
Sergie Loobkoff of Vertical Urge
(#1)...ours was hand colored. 802 Colusa
Ave., Berkeley, CA 94707. And Sean
McLean for his ever-creative Megazine
(Dighton, MA-Loud Ones) mega-skate
chick covers. 169 Summer St., N. Deigh-
ton, MA 02784.
WORST COVER-Stokey Skates
(Halifax, Nova Scotia). Don't judge a zine
by it's cover, someone once said; blurry
pics, cut-out shots, pencil drawings and
assorted bits make this hard to ignore.
The insides are good...prophesy rings
true.
BEST NAME -Spontaneous Human
Combustion (Sacramento, CA-Mark
Leece and others). Honorable mention:
Crippled G-Raf (Santa Barbara, CA-
Jawhn Dettman, Jeff Croteau, Phred
Conrad). 5130 Kaiser Ave., Santa Barbara,
CA 93111.
MOST STOLEN INFO-This is
Reality 'Zine of the Gods (Unity, ME-
Bandit, Wendy Cody, Scott Herring and
others). All zines do (should) contain
some stolen information: pictures, clip-
pings, headlines, comics, ideas, etc. This
is Reality steals plenty and does a slick
job of putting it together. P.O.B. 163, Unity,
ME 04988.
Honorable Mention: First Strike
(Annapolis, MD-Mike Robinson). 1301
Van Buren Dr., Annapolis, MD 21430.
Good use of computer graphics.
WORST ARTWORK-Snob Club
(Franklin Lakes, NJ-Charlie Butterly). A
Geek Attack-like approach, very funny.
Some of the crudest drawings and layouts
we've ever seen, mixed in with some very
clever ideas, giving it a flavor all its own.
Free.
BEST MUSIC COVERAGE-Warning
Fanzine (Anchorage, AK-Bill Bored, F.
Harlan). There are lots of fanzines who
specialize in music, our choices include
those who emphasized skating as well.
Great music coverage from way up there
in the Last Frontier. P.O. Box 102993,
Anchorage, AK 99510.
Honorable mention: Skate and Spurs
(Peoria, IL-Mike O'Russa). P.O. Box
3416, Peoria, IL 61614.
Bowling For
MOST INTERVIEWS
Humans (Richland, WA-Andy Monko).
Good, mostly music zine from the North-
west is packed with band interviews and
comics. 423 Snyder Rd., Richland, WA
99352.
MOST OFFENSIVE-Bung Zine
(unknown). You can't get this bad without
trying very hard or possessing a truly
perverted soul. Hardcore adolescent
cartoon porno capable of offending just
about anyone.
50¢
THE SNOBY SKATER
R
KMART
SMALLEST Dork Zine (VA Beach,
VA-Charles Harmon, Mike Crescini) and
Acid Love (Allentown, PA-Geoff
Graham). Both great stuff, measuring in at
4 x 5% with a lot in between.
THICKEST-Stop Skate Harassment
(Fresno, CA-Matt Dunlap, Greg Mitchell).
About 60 pages of xeroxed pics and quips
about local scene. Sort of like the year-
book of zines.
THINNEST-Crank Streetzine (Tuc-
son, AZ-Aaron) and Dead Fish (Aurora,
IL). Two one pagers who actually pack
some good stuff into their limited space.
Both original and funny.
MOST IMPOSSIBLE TO READ
Skate And Create (Mill Valley, CA-
L.S.). Not only is the xerox quality of this
rag almost pathetic, it's handwritten in an
awful scrawl. No offense guys, but I
couldn't even get through it. Only zine that
has a zine business card, though, nice
touch.
MOST SEEN COMIC STRIP-
Baboon Dooley (Rock Critic!). This strip
shows up in numerous rags across the
country. John "Baboon Dooley" reportedly
accepts no $$$ and gives out his art for
fun and trade. Always humorous and
drawn with a style he can call his own.
Look for it.
BEST BAND PHOTOS-Poser (Talla-
hassee, FL-Max Hit and Red Ganja).
Great shots of your favorite bands, plus
many, many action photos of all sorts.
153-C Locke St., Tallahassee, FL 32304.
BEST PHOTOS-Swank Zine (Solano)
Beach, CA-Tod Swank) J. Grant Brittain,
noted skate photographer takes the shots
in this creative, long running zine by
well-known Swank. Clear and well-
composed.
MOST COVETED-The Pool Ches-
sare.
RAREST Mr. Wilson (Vol. 1 # 1, Dec.
82 Nova Scotia, Canada). Seems like a
rare one to us.
Contend an page 33
WARS
260 ROME
THING
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