So, I was down at Greenwood's skatepark yesterday, talking it up with Bart Kelley, from the Old Indy Skaters... when all of a sudden, Bart spots something out of the corner of his eye. Like, "What is that?!" All excited-like, as if the dude was hiding something really, really cool and important.
Well, this dude had just showed up, and put down all of his stuff... which included a Powerbar, some sort of drink... and, a little stack of "somethings" that were sort of buried underneath. Well, those "somethings" that Bart had keenly picked out of the pile-'o-stuff, were a little stack of 'zines...
Now, let's back this shit up for just a second. Many of you guys out there will surely be asking yourselves, "Okay, oatmealhead... what in the hell is a 'zine'...?!"
"A fanzine... is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share their interest..."
- from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanzine)
I'll tell ya: A 'zine is "typically"... I say "typically" because, 'zines come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, formats, and styles... a small, handmade magazine. Usually cut-and-pasted together (by hand, using good 'ol scissors and Elmer's glue), and reproduced (photocopied) at your local neighborhood Kinko's. The reason? "Just because". It's something to do to pass the time, a creative outlet, a way to interact with the world around you, a way of speaking your mind... or, some combination of all of the above.
The word "zine" is actually short for "fanzine", or "magazine". And, it's been around since gawd-knows-when. Wikipedia claims the 1940's, but I doubt they're right on that one. In all seriousness, 'zine-like publications have probably been around for as long as the "flyer"... or even, the printed word itself.
In skateboarding, 'zines were pretty popular underground publications during the '80s heydays, and continuing through well into the early '90s. Thrasher even did (or, "does"?) a column called "Zine Thing", which was written by renowned 'zinemaker, Wez Lundry (creator of Pool Dust 'zine).
However: With the advent of e-mail, websites, forums, and blogs in the late 1990's, and the early 2000's... you know, that "electronic media" that we all use, and love, today... 'zines kind of lost their popularity.
So: It's kind of a real dinosaur-sighting to see one anymore. Thus: Bart's enthusiasm. And, there ya go! More information than you probably wanted, or needed...
Anyway, back to the topic at hand: The 'zine. This one is called "Going Postal", and the guy behind it is a hella friendly chap named "Sailor Nick" that hails from Franklin, Indiana. I never did get his "real" name... I guess that just goes to show what a dimwitted "reporter" I am, huh...?!
Here it is! The subject of Bart's infatuation! Seriously, though... I think we all fried a circuit (or, two) when we saw this peeking out from Nick's pile-o-stuff...
This one's a fairly "small" example of 'zine-dom, weighing in at a mere 16 pages on a half-sheet format... that means, the 'zine is made from half-sheets of copier paper, folded and stapled together. But, in this case, size doesn't matter. "Existence" is more than enough for me. Besides: It's totally free. So, I'm not even gonna go bitching about how small it is...!
What it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in "spirit" and "substance". There's an appeal to "get involved" in Indy's new skatepark (damn good advice, that is)... some "arty" photojournalism... hot pics of Jeff Holcomb and Tim Devlin (by Indy's Paul Christian)... which brings me to another point: Contributing to 'zines is fun stuff. It's a great way to make friends all over the country, and even the world. The "network" might be smaller than it was in the '80s 'zine-boom, but it's still out there. And, 'zinesters tend to be incredibly cool people, to boot. So: These are the kinds of friends worth having. Just sayin'...
The innards of "Going Postal". What's not entirely apparent is that, Tim Devlin's crailslide is in the deep end of Zionsville's kink-sink. That is some burly shit, right there...
So, how do you get one...?! It's pretty easy. But: It's also sort of "old-school". Are you ready?! Okay, here goes: You have to actually get an envelope... ask your mom and dad what those are. Then, you'll have to go to the Post Office, and round up some stamps. Shit, man... I don't even remember how much stamps are these days! Isn't that some crazy shit, dude?! Anyway: Then, you'll want to send Nick a SASE (Stands for: "Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope"). That's all. It's a little bit of work, sure enough. But: That's part of the fun, too.
It's just kinda neat to get something in your mailbox from time to time that isn't a bill, or junk mail...
If you wanna be extra-cool, though... and, being extra-cool to extra-cool guys like Nick is always, a good idea... you might wanna toss in something a little "over and above" the SASE. Like, a photo, or a well-written letter, or a buck or something. 'Zines are kind of a pain in the ass to make... but, the real prize is being creative, and inspiring others to get creative, too. If you wanna go the full monty? Make your own 'zine, and send it along. Grease the wheels, and make a contribution to the coolness.
Going Postal 'Zine
Sailor Nick
3171 Compass Drive
Franklin, IN 46131
