Paradise City

Event posters and rock posters are some of my favorite things to design. Now I don't get to create and print cool silk screen posters (which is awfully popular these days), but I have spend over 20 years designing posters for various fund raising events, to raise awareness for causes and to advertise rock shows, CD release events and DJ nights. These of course are for little, and often no money at all, which lends a sort of creative freedom to the designer.

When you are not getting paid, this means you can often do what ever the heck you want. Dealing with bands is often the 'battle of the egos' though, musicians and graphic folks are both artists- often head strong, knowing what they want. Many bands will give some direction and let you go nuts, some will pick and pick and make you redesign and redesign which can suck. I try to put forth the proposition (little Doors for ya there) that, "Hey, if I am not getting paid, you are going to get something cool that I like." Works every time. Well, mostly.....

When dealing with a not-for-profit, like Literacy Volunteers, they just love whatever we do for them unconditionally. We have created the poster and accompanying graphics for the last seven Coffee and Chocolate fund raising events for LV and they let us do what we want and they like it... they truly like it! Now if only I could get paid for working like this, eh?

There are a few design companies (i.e. Modern Dog in Seattle) who do just that- they do whatever they want, sometimes crazy ass projects and the client knows what they are getting, they take the chance and they love it. Mostly. That would be Paradise City, baby! It seems they can actually make money doing this? Have I not been taking enough chances in my designs? I don't know.... maybe I have to work harder...

I took some photos of our new hallway poster gallery that includes the first 7 Coffee and Chocolate posters, some Variety Rocks event posters from the nineties and 3 Americanarama posters which have been great to do for local alt-country rockers the Steam Donkeys.

It is cool to see all these posters on permanent display.

Everyday I Write The Book

Local designers can be famous!

Two of my fellow designers and friends are featured in a new book by graphic design guru and NY Times Book Review art director Steven Heller. The Books is called Design Entrepreneur: Turning Graphic Design Into Goods That Sell. The Buffalo guys in the book are Rich Kegler from P22 and Julian Montague, artist and created of the The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification- which he has gotten quite a lot of mileage out of.

From what I can gather, the book is about graphic folks that have married their creative 'paying the bills' talent with their entrepreneurial spirit to create something to market, often a product. We do that with our T-shirts line- WheretoRoam.com. It isn't a unique situation, but I think it has become more prevalent- us designers often get more pleasure out of doing design for ourselves than logos or projects for clients. Unfortunately doing things for yourself doesn't amount to much money-- unless you can sell it. But most of the time it is more fun- without a client looking over your shoulder, you have more freedom to push yourself creatively.

Anyway- congrats to Rich and Julian- both awesome dudes and smart designer. I have always been a fan of Heller's writings (I get his Daily Heller email newsletter), the guy has written over 90 books on design and popular culture and is a well-known design critic. I like to see local folk done good.

Flying High in The Brooklyn Sky

I work in the electronics department of a fine local department store. My days are filled with "May I help you sir?" and the ever-popular "Thank you and have a nice day." I love my job. The hours fit my rock-n-roll lifestyle, the money is decent and I can share my vast knowledge of music with the general public, whether they deserve it or not.
excerpt from "MUZAK: Delightful Sounds or a New Voice of a Generation?" Strick's Corner

Slack issue #14- The Cartoon Issue" Dec. 1994
(published 11.23.94)

Today I'm standing on my corner listening to the Mission of Burma instrumental track "All World Cowboy Romance." It's a warm Fall day, the leaves are turning colors, the sun is shining and the breeze is light. I have on my I-probe music player and I am waiting for my daughter's bus. The drums rush over and under like water and I can really concentrate on the ebbs and flow of the the song since I am just standing there... Man, it doesn't get any better that this for a Wednesday afternoon. How often do you just get to stand there? The bus can be a little late and I won't mind today.

When the bus arrives and the kids get home the 1st thing they want to do is watch TV.... man, did I watch a lot of TV when I was a kid....

Slack numero 14, the issue devoted to comics and cartoons is a sensational mag with a crappy cover. Though one of the bullet points on the cover promotes:

• Typos (sorry...)

That text right over the Duck Dogers cover photo is painfully wrong. Though maybe I did that on purpose-- bad design for good reasons was creeping into my mind at the time. The thing is, the rest of the issues has some great, tight layout and the 'cartoons' theme was much appreciated by the staff. Articles include Cartoon Characters Posing As Real People (Michael Jackson, Ollie North, Rush Limbaugh, the Royal Family and Jesse Helms- hello, again 1994), Raisin Blowme's Welcome To My My Cartoon Life, Homer Simpson, My Hero by Dave Koch and this list of Cartoon and Comics Top Slackers:

• Bugs Bunny
• Road Runner
• Fred Flinstone and Barney Rubble
• George Jetson
• Pink Panther
• Snoopy
• Dagwood
• Beetle Baily
• Shaggy
• Jughead
• Daffy Duck
• Zonker
• Andy Capp
• Calvin (of "& Hobbs")
• Wimpy
• Ren and Stimpy
• Beavis and Butthead
• Homer J. Simpson

True slackers, all of them... it makes you start to realize all the Warner Brothers stars were some serious slackers! Some advertisements of note in this issues #14 include ads for Yeast West Bakery, a coming soon Concrete Cafe (it opened in Dec. 94), and the only Slack ad I have ever censored: the Das Boot condom man ad. I covered the lube tip of condom man's condom head and Bob at Das Boot was mad at me. Andre and I discussed it ... and well, we were all worried that it would get us in some sort of trouble or the scant few other advertisers wouldn't like it.. or the shops and bars would pull them from the shleves (and from the top of cigarette machines)... Oh, I don't know!?!?! What the hell? it all seems so stupid now, but this act enabled Das Boot to run that OJ ad without us even saying 'boo' later on down the road....

Download PDF here:
Slack Magazine n. 14, the Cartoon Issue (6.2 mg)

Don't forget these issues already up (6 more to go)!:
Slack Magazine n. 18, The Two-Year Anniversary! issue
Slack Magazine n. 13, The Food & Beverage Issue
Slack Magazine n. 12, The One-Year Anniversary Issue
Slack Magazine n. 11, The True Crime Issue
Slack Magazine n. 10, Summer Fun Issue
Slack Magazine n. 9, The Dead Rock Stars Issue
Slack Magazine n. 8, The Beer Issue
Slack Magazine n. 7, Slack Goes to The Movies Issue
Slack Magazine n. 6, The Buffalo Issue
Slack Magazine n.5, The Slack TV Issue
Slack Magazine n. 4, SEX in the '90s Issue
Slack Magazine n. 3, The Politico Issue
Slack Magazine n. 2, The Travel Issue
Slack Magazine n. 1, The Debut Issue

Changes

Fall sure seems like it is here, though it is actually one week away. Big changes are afoot as the weather turns like the leaves. Our design company enters a new era. Our youngest child is off to pre-K full time and that means Jill and I are both in the office full time all day, everyday.

The first phase of OtherWisz was just me working out of the front bedroom. One guy working all hours of the night with design input from J. who had a full time job with a local architect at the time. We had begun to use some freelancers, so that OtherWisz became a real company and not just a freelance business per se.

The second phase was when we had our first child and Jill quit her job to raise our daughter full time and join the business as an integral part. This was now our sole source of income and it was scary at first. We were always looking as to what was the next job coming in, the next project coming up and hoping that we could 'do it'- working for ourselves. There comes a point when you realize, "oh yeah, we ARE doing it...." We restructured, became a corporation, hired some employees and that was where we stood for a few years.

And now, today, the third phase begins. The second child is in school and we have nothing to do but work all the time. No more balancing picking up at the play group with the work, lunch and naps balanced with work, now, it is just work. It is exciting to think that all we have to really worry about from 8:30 until 4:00 is working. Does this mean we won't have to work at night anymore..... only time will tell, I'll keep you posted!

Stoned and Dethroned

Not lively; sluggish.
Not busy or active.
Not taut or firm; loose.
A period of little activity; lull.
Trousers or casual wear.

He who possess slack, shall rule the world.

Slack issue #12- The (1 year) Anniversary Issue
Sept. 1994 (published 09.01.94)

I just saw the Steam Donkeys for probably the 300th time, man those guys are good. As I sat amongst the neighborhood folk in the grassy knoll of Bidwell Parkway enjoying the band I felt a sense of calm. Though the kids were running rampant, dancing, spinning and laughing and the music was really loud in the front- I was at peace. What a better way to spend a Summer August night- truly a slack experience. This was sure different than seeing them at the Club Utica circa 1994, that is for sure.

Slack no. 12 was the theme-less Anniversary Issue. One Year Strong as the cover proclaimed! This issue attempts to once again explain the theory of slack by outlining the history of slack and touching on the church of the sub-genius- purveyors of 'slack.' A no-theme issue found writer Eric Morse explaining "Fine Things I Appreciate in Life (no theme)" which included:

• Comedy Central
• The Mary Tyler Moore Show
• James Ellroy
• Elmwood Strip Post-Bar Food
• CFNY

There are some 1994 nuggets for ya, huh?

This issue featured the second column by newcomer Raisin BlowMe, reviews of a Bootzilla record and Prince's Come ('his best release in years...' or so it says), an extended Dre's After Dark (which gives you a great snapshot of the Buffalo club and music scene circa Sept. 94), record review by 'The Scotster', a great Strick article called So Called Democracy in America & Why the Local Media Sucks Up, a tasteless DasBoot ad, and a piece about a band I don't remember at all, but I do remember it was an article by someone 'not in the Slack circle' so I published it to make the mag seem not so 'cliquey'... and it was written by a girl. Slack girl writers were scares in those days.

To really give you a look at 1994 music in Buffalo, here is Lance's (Tuesday, 3rd Room) Top Five DJ List. Ah Tuesday night in a bar, not a care in the world.

1. Blast of the Universe- Bootsy Collins
2. Classic- 1/2 Pint
3. Whip Smart - Liz Phair
4. File Under Easy Listening- Sugar
5. Natural Ingredients- Luscious Jackson

Scanning, adjusting, layouting and PDF'ing 3 issues of Slack in 7 days (man...!) is not Slack, though I guess I always worked too hard to be a true slacker.
Ask Oprah!

Dre, where have you been. Please cease the media silence, eh?

Download PDF here: Slack Magazine n. 12, the Anniversary Issue (3.3 mg)

Don't forget these issues already up (8 more to go)!:
Slack Magazine n. 18, The Two-Year Anniversary! issue
Slack Magazine n. 11, The True Crime Issue
Slack Magazine n. 10, Summer Fun Issue
Slack Magazine n. 9, The Dead Rock Stars Issue
Slack Magazine n. 8, The Beer Issue
Slack Magazine n. 7, Slack Goes to The Movies Issue
Slack Magazine n. 6, The Buffalo Issue
Slack Magazine n.5, The Slack TV Issue
Slack Magazine n. 4, SEX in the '90s Issue
Slack Magazine n. 3, The Politico Issue
Slack Magazine n. 2, The Travel Issue
Slack Magazine n. 1, The Debut Issue

Indian Summer

Music. Food. Patio is OPEN. All are welcome by the Friends of SLACK! Summer Rules!
Ad for the Summer Solstice Slack Cocktail Party, Tuesday, June 21st, 1994 at the Third Room.

Slack issue #10- Summer Fun Issue
June 1994 (published 06.04.94)

I am going to see Riders On The Storm tomorrow night- they are senior citizens Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger pretending they are still The Doors. My philosophy is that 1/2 the Doors is better that none, eh? I know both Ray and Robby still have chops, who needs John Densmore- he's bitter anyways, and well, Jim is dead (or so they say). Nothing like 1/2 a band from the 1960s on a warm summer night in Lockport to say "summer!" (update: looks like 'Riders on the Storm' rain for tonight!)

I think the fact that the last Slack posting was a little lame (the issue I mean, not the post) that I felt obliged to make up with a really great issue of Slack. Oh, and I have with this PDF of Slack no. 10 the Summer Fun issue.

This is a super issue. Following that lame Goes to the Movies issue, Slack really picked up speed with the next 2 which were the infamous Beer issue and the fan favorite Dead Rock Star issue (already posted). Issue number 10 has all the good stuff the kids learned to love about Slack: biting commentary, top ten lists, Dre's After Dark (the Buffalo nightlife column), Bitter Boy in fine form and the serial comic Slacker in Space (already a few issues old).

The cover was eye catching with the Summer Mellon Girl and had an endorsement from Lori Githens of the Buffalo News: "Slack, this area's funniest, most creative 'zine..." they used to love us (more on that later). Summer in Buffalo is always great and this was 1994-- the year the Beastie Boys released their fourth CD, Ill Communication (1,2, oh my god!) which went on to be the soundtrack for that summer and a classic for sure.

The main article titled Top Slack Summer Activities included a lot of beer drinking and makes fun of the Allentown Artfest. 14 years later and it still the same crap-fest, unbelievable...

The Top Slack Summer Activities (1994):

1. Road Trips & Cruising (I don't think I meant that cruising......)
2. Tanning & Sweating
3. BBQs
4. Weddings a.k.a. open bar
5. Boating & Floating
6. Camping
7. Watching Re-Runs on TV
8. Artfest (see above)
9. Outdoor Rock Shows (whooooooooooo... whooooooo!!!)
10. Drinking Beers Outdoors

Combine any of the above for the ultimate SLACK summer experience.. or so it says....

Now if only I could take back the really bad kerned apostrophe 's' on the cover, I would feel complete about this issue.

Download PDF here: Slack Magazine n. 10, Summer Fun Issue (4.4 mg)

Don't forget these issues already up:
Slack Magazine n. 18, The Two-Year Anniversary! issue
Slack Magazine n. 11, The True Crime Issue
Slack Magazine n. 9, The Dead Rock Stars Issue
Slack Magazine n. 8, The Beer Issue
Slack Magazine n. 7, Slack Goes to The Movies Issue
Slack Magazine n. 6, The Buffalo Issue
Slack Magazine n.5, The Slack TV Issue
Slack Magazine n. 4, SEX in the '90s Issue
Slack Magazine n. 3, The Politico Issue
Slack Magazine n. 2, The Travel Issue
Slack Magazine n. 1, The Debut Issue

BONUS BEATS: a review of Slack issue 4 in Night-Life Magazine's written by friend Kevin Hosey.
Click below for larger view.. read it, he didn't like the Horrorscopes. March 28, 1994!

Love The One Your With

OtherWisz Live (& in person)!

J. and I are giving a presentation during Typecon- so if you have a desire/need to see the team OtherWisz live and in action, this will be your chance! We are one of the presenters during the Pecha Kucha night at Hallwalls in Babeville. Those of you who are not familiar with the Pecha Kucha, it was formed by a couple architects (Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham) looking to speed up and make the presentation given by architecture more palatable. It seems architects want to ramble on and on and on (often). The PK format requires presenters to show 20 slides while only talking for 20 seconds per slide. This makes the whole presentation only 6 minutes and 40 seconds long! Sort of speed presenting!

As we plan our presentation, I gotta tell you I am a bit nervous, but excited to be part of such a cool event. As we move along with our planning, I will keep you posted as to what we are going to do. I was thinking of demonstrating the fun & challenges of a husband and wife design team working in Bflo, NY.... what do you think?

I do hope a lot of you OW fans come on out to see how nervous we are both going to be in public amongst our peers. Last time I spoke in public the audience was a lot younger, but I wowed 'em! Run, Joe, run!

Heaven 90210

"Straighten me out Bert, I musta got some bad liquor."
Dave Koch's Top Ten Quotes From It's a Wonderful Life (#4)

Slack issue #5- The SLACK TV Issue
Holidays 93/94 (published 12.12.93)

I turn on the television and my kids stop and stare-- they literally become zombies! It is amazing the effect it has on them. They don't watch a lot of TV at all. I read in the newspaper last week the national averages of 2-3 years old kids that have TVs in their rooms-- and it makes me nuts-- why should a 3 year old child have a TV in their room!! My kids don't have a TV in their room. They maybe watch 2-3 hours of TV a week! A week!... some kids younger that 3 watch that much a day- it is crazy!

Now when I was a kid I did watch a lot of TV. I watched it in the morning before school, after school and in the evening. Some Saturdays I literally watched TV from 6:00 AM (the Canadian station had the original Spiderman cartoon on, the one with the catchy theme song) until noon. I somehow managed to turn out all right... if you disregard my short attention span, irritability issues, wild mood swings and an inability to concentrate.

This fifth issue of Slack- the SLACK TV ISSUE is when the magazine really hit it's stride and got going. Sixteen pages chock full of musings on TV including the marketing of It's a Wonderful Life, TV as a drug, the heroes of Beverly Hills 90210, and an article about how TV isn't to blame for all the violence in the world (in 1993).

This issue features a great interview with Mr. Lance Diamond, one of our first angry letters from a reader (a Miss Holly Sinnott), a thorough list of Batman TV villains, Top Ten Xmas Gifts From the Dollar Store (how slack can you get), 14 DJ lists, and a compiled list of the best Xmas rock songs.

Some Notes about this issue:

> Charlie Quill, I borrowed your Reverend Horton Heat CD cover to scan to include with your review in this issue- I still have it, if you want it back. Your CD may be lonely without the liner notes.

> A great Lance Diamond quote:

"A busload of Nardin Academy girls passed me the other day and they hollered, 'Lance Diamond... we saw you on MTV... you were awesome." You know... I felt good about that."

> The photo (to the right) of me with my face pressed against the inside of a TV screen was achieved by scanning my face on the flatbed scanner- with my eyes open... I am still seeing spots 15 years later...

> The space issue (or lack of) is really apparent in this issue- I think the Horrorscope is probably 3 pt. type. Again, get me the magnifying glass.

> The Batman Villains list was apparently incomplete- the next issue features a letter from a reader named Southpaw Joe (the 'King of Ice and Snow'), that filled in the blanks with some missing villains including: Lady Penelope Peasoup, Clock King, Lola Losange, Nora Clavicle and lawyer Lucky Pierre, who was played by former JFK press secretary Pierre Salinger. The fans got a little creepy once in a while...

Download it here: Slack Magazine n. 5, The SLACK TV Issue Issue (6.1 mg)

Don't forget these issues already up:
Slack Magazine n. 18, The Two-Year Anniversary! issue
Slack Magazine n. 11, The True Crime Issue
Slack Magazine n. 9, The Dead Rock Stars Issue
Slack Magazine n. 8, The Beer Issue
Slack Magazine n. 6, The Buffalo Issue
Slack Magazine n. 4, SEX in the '90s Issue
Slack Magazine n. 3, The Politico Issue
Slack Magazine n. 2, The Travel Issue
Slack Magazine n. 1, The Debut Issue

BONUS BEATS: Lance & Goo Goo Dolls on MTV Bitch- -click here-- Rockin in 93!

Sexy MF

Yo, what's up? Here you have SLACK issue #4 and it is so over filled with copy that it'll take U the whole month 2 read it! - from start of the Editor's Desktop

Slack issue #4- SEX in the '90s Issue
November 1993 (published 11.10.93)

Often when my neighbor Nate comes over and we hang out in the OW lounge, we get stuck on a Prince thing. We will go back and forth playing Prince LPs, 45s and CDs for an hour or more. It may not be for everyone, but if you like funky grooves- the P-man has a lot of good songs.... I mean a lot of really good songs. Sure, there are a few stinkers-- the Dolphin Song (and I am gonna stop there). But pound for pound, the good P songs are a-good and a-plenty.

Well this Slack issue came out following the release of the 3-CD Prince collection The Hits/B-sides. So this means, these 3 CDs were all I listened to while I designed this issue (I have 2 Prince songs in my DJ list). For a lot of people, songs remind them of special and memorable moments. Well, a lot of the Prince B-sides remind me of designing this particular issue of Slack. Wierd, huh?... especially She's Always in My Hair and 17 Days.

Slack Magazine, Issue no. 4 is really so full of text that most of the typefaces are pretty small and some articles are extremely ledded- gettin' the Led out! The Special Feature by Brad as Dear Mr. Heartthrob is set in Optima, so dense, it looks like a set of squares on the page. Man, oh man. The mag is 16 pages, could never afford to add 4 more to 20, so I just crammed it all in-- great writing, as many ads as possible, small graphics-- and I filled a lot of the leftover fractions-of-a-column-inch with in-house ads for SLACK advertising and the phone number.

This is the 1993 Sex Issue and the article on Digi-Porn has definitions to help you out including 'modem: a device that hooks a computer up to a phone line' and 'America-On-Line: a popular above ground bulletin board information service' what tha?! Highlights include a drunken rebound story, a voyeurism tip guide, a sex in pop music piece ridiculing Buff News' Tony Violanti's review of a Toronto Madonna concert (1993), and well, the Prince CD review is a little sexy too.

This was a very popular issue with the now deceased, Anna Nicole in her glory days on the cover. She was a 1993 sex symbol for sure, especially with the little tattoo on left breast of a small SLACK logo and a little heart. Sweet. 10 DJ lists, an Andre Bad Brains interview, a bizarre Strick jury duty/Jim Morrison tale- what more could you ask for. Delirious.

Download it here: Slack Magazine n. 4, SEX in the '90s Issue (3.7 mg)

Don't forget these issues already up:
Slack Magazine n. 18, The Two-Year Anniversary! issue
Slack Magazine n. 11, The True Crime Issue
Slack Magazine n. 9, The Dead Rock Stars Issue
Slack Magazine n. 8, The Beer Issue
Slack Magazine n. 6, The Buffalo Issue
Slack Magazine n. 3, The Politico Issue
Slack Magazine n. 2, The Travel Issue
Slack Magazine n. 1, The Debut Issue

Knockin on Mine

I Have Been to the Mountain & I Have Walked With Kings- My Revelations at Graceland
Slack no. 2 - The Travel Issue
Sept. 1993 (published 9-8-93)

As I got the pop-up up in the yard, I was musing on camping trips of the past and how much I really like hitting the road. I am hoping this summer can include a camping trip, roadtrip, trip to Earl's Diner... and more. I am going to sell my 1980-era Viking Popup Trailer and it could be yours. You my friend can 'live the dream!' We are a cabin family these days.. we went from tent camping to small trailer to cabin.

So I had to pull another oldie out with issue #2- the Travel Issue. Cooler that a new shirt! This 2nd issue of 'all the news that's fit to be tied" followed a return from a roadtrip to Graceland and is good issue at sticking to a theme. Chock full of travel text including Strick's Rastaman Dictionary, the Elvis-Graceland report, top roadtrip songs (including lists from musician's Matt Smith, Dave Meinzer, Charlie Quill, Terry Sullivan, ICON manager David Drost and BNY dj Rich Wall) and a Dave Koch tale of hitting America's highways with the family in tow.

Again this issue manages to be stuffed to the gills with a lot of music copy including Dre's interview with My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and surf record reviews from Mr. Quill.

Highlights of this issue:
> Slack of the Month is the Buffalo News for a typo on the first word, on the first page of the the first issue with the new masthead and layout.
> Smashing Pumpkins being referred to as the 'new kids of rock.'
> A really weird 3rd Room ad.

Download it here: Slack no. 2, The Travel Issue (3.5 Mg)

Don't forget these issues already up:
Slack Magazine n. 18, The Two-Year Anniversary! issue
Slack Magazine n. 11, The True Crime Issue
Slack Magazine n. 9, The Dead Rock Stars Issue
Slack Magazine n. 8, The Beer Issue
Slack Magazine n. 6, The Buffalo Issue
Slack Magazine n. 3, The Politico Issue
Slack Magazine n. 1, The Debut Issue

Serve The Servants

We have reached the end of an era as we bid adios to hizzoner
Slack no. 3, The Politico Issue
ROCKtober, 1993 (published 10-11-93)

When I awoke on a chilly Memorial Day Monday I went downstairs to make some coffee and read today's delivered holiday issue of my local paper. I was surprised to see the front page obit for hizzoner, James D. Griffin. Buffalo mayor for 4 terms, Jimmy had a reputation that grew (for bad and worse) as his years in office went on and on and on... He will always be remembered for tearing down Billy Lawless's dancing neon penis sculpture that was aside to the Thruway-- every tom, richard and harry (and their wives and mothers) could see it on their commute into the city. He threatened reporters and actual punched a few, and he gave Buffalo one of it's most famous quotes about staying in and getting a sixpack during the big blizzard of '77.

Well as my tribute to a Buffalo political legend-- I give you Slack no. 3, The Politico issue. The issue hit the streets as Jimmy was finally leaving Buff's top spot in 1993 and features some nice close range reports on Jimmy's history in office. There is some riotous journalistic screed about politics nationally in 1993 & 1st Prez Bushie by Horrorscope writer Brad M as well.

The poltics end there.... The rest of the issue is full of musical features including ,nirvana, nirvana, nirvana (the kids were crazy for that band, ya know...) Strick's Top 13 "Never Listened" To Albums (a record by Strange Advance is to remain sealed until his death which at that time it should be 'played in accordance with his will.'), a whopping 10 DJ lists, an 808 State interview by Andre and a Bitter Boy piece bemoaning 1993 rock as "inexperienced fluff."

Looking back at issue number 3 I was happy to see:

• a more polished layout
• better quality photosand scans
• Horrorscope's 'official outlaw of the month'. Capricorn was Stinky Al D'Amato.
• an actual photo shot for Slack by a photog for the cover (which was cool)
• eight paid ads (one for The Jumpers Reunion Show and one which I scanned plastic wrap for the background)

Looking back at issue number 3 I was sorry to see:

• Optima
• an Urge Overkill song in my DJ list (what was I thinking with this band again!)
• begging for subscriptions in the editorial
• that's about it...

Download it here: Slack n. 3, The Politico Issue (4 Mg)

Don't forget these issues already up:
Slack Magazine n. 18, The Two-Year Anniversary! issue
Slack Magazine n. 11, The True Crime Issue
Slack Magazine n. 9, The Dead Rock Stars Issue
Slack Magazine n. 8, The Beer Issue
Slack Magazine n. 6, The Buffalo Issue
Slack Magazine n. 1, The Debut Issue

We'll Make Great Pets

Reared on Television, Slackers are Defining a Generation in the '90s
Slack no. 1, The Debut Issue
no month, 1993 (published 7-27-93)

"The Son of SOTT" was the subhead from the cover of every issue of Slack magazine-- this was a reference to the Sign O' The Time, Slack's predecessor from 1990. Oh yeah, the birth of the 'slacker,' as us kids were labeled, Generation X... ah good, old July 1993. Paul Westerberg's 1st solo record just came out! What a heady time fueled by rock and roll, grungy shenanigans, only 2 bars on Chippewa you dared set foot in (3rd Room and Atomic), Bass Ale and Phototshop filters.

This first issue took months, maybe even a year to actually come out. Much hype proceeded it's street debut at coffee shops, bars, nightclubs, record stores, college campus's, restaurants, and shops up and down Elmwood Ave. It was started-- as it says in the editorial-- 'because I found myself with a lot of time on my hands and a lot of powerful computer equipment beneath my fingertips..." I had a job at The Retouchables, a pre-press outfit by the airport, and I had access to some good macs, scanners, and an imagesetter.

The 1st Slack was lightweight, with only 12 pages and included poorly reproduced dark-ass graphics- I remember being so disappointed with the reproductions after meticulously scanning images, cutting, pasting, clicking and dragging this baby together. It has only 4 stories (counting the editorial), 4 paid ads and 8 DJ lists. Hey, it was a start. I was a little gun-shy after the Sign 'O The Times came crashing down after only 6 issues. But this still felt pretty good to get this thing patched together-- visiting DJs and hanging around as they wrote down their list for the month, scanning the hand-drawn comics by JH Mack Nair, and folding and stapling the some 500 or so issues that were delivered during an afternoon and a night of drinking and delivering around Buffalo.

Slack magazine was the beginning of a three year journey of writing, editing, curating (writers stories, DJ lists, hand-made ads, and ad payments). This was my first publication which turned out to be a success judged by it's fans, current collectors, and writers that went on to become writers- who knew?

The cover promised:

• Social Commentary
• Outdoor Adventure
• The return of ROCK
• DJ Lists
• Comics
• Comedy
• Grammatical Errors
• Horroscope Returns!

Other Notes on Slack no. 1:

The comic artists in Slack:
JH Mack Nair was a leftover from the SOTT era. Jim's comics only appeared in the first two issues of Slack before he literally disappeared and was replaced by Hump and the Slacker in Space serial written and drawn by Don Keller. Jim's Captain Barfly bears a slight resemblance to the artist himself as well as a certain Replacements lead singer...

The bravado in my editorial is pretty funny to read these days. Man, I was so full of piss and vinegar- we thought we had the greatest thing going with Slack! And for a time, we did....

"Read on and enjoy, you slackers. And if you own a business in Buffalo, please buy an ad space in what will be the greatest alternative publication to unearth from the streets of Buffalo. The tradition is once again 'in yo face' and 'in yo mind.' Wake up Slackers, this magazine is for you."

The Horroscope (another SOTT carry over) continued a tradition of having a special feature every month along with really crazy ass horoscopes, ramblings, magic and predictions.... a spellcheck nightmare!

This issue includes an Official Sure Sign of Summer for each Horrorscope:

Birthday: Outdoor cuisine that is charred beyond recognition.
Aries: Driving and driving and driving. Are we there yet?
Taurus: Drinking because it is sooooooo hot out there.
Gemini: People who let their pets drive.
Cancer: People who insist on wearing the wrong clothes.
Leo: The high concentration of mass commercialism and a faulty attitude toward the safety of the peoples (huh?).
Virgo: Men wearing tights in the park and trying to recall their Shakespearian lines.
Libra: The eternal blinker on the expressway of life.
Scorpio: A romantic stroll with Tom Arnold. Yikes!
Sagittarius: The beach, the waves, the sunburn...
Capricorn: Lots and lots of Perry's ice cream with all manners of sprinkles and toppings on it.
Aquarius: Barbecue, backyards, beers, beaches.
Pieces: A sort attention span.

Download it here: Slack n. 1, The Debut Issue (3.1 Mg)

Don't forget these issues already up:
Slack Magazine n. 18, The Two-Year Anniversary! issue
Slack Magazine n. 11, The True Crime Issue
Slack Magazine n. 9, The Dead Rock Stars Issue
Slack Magazine n. 8, The Beer Issue
Slack Magazine n. 6, The Buffalo Issue

Cast No Shadow

Drought index is high. Chili pepper index is low. Nine Inch Nails- David Bowie pairing is questionable. Welcome to another edition of the global-cyber view to your future. (Horrorscope intro p. 16)

Slack magazine no. 18 - the Two-Year Anniversary! issue
October 1995 (published 10.1.95)

Casting the seed of doubt as the Rangers win one, that's what the guy said. As Slack magazine matured it got slicker. It lost a lot of it's cut and paste aesthetic as I created my own magazine layout vocabulary built on years of reading rock mags, Playboys, art books, comic books, Entertainment Weekly, vintage Life mags and street newspapers. The Slack existed at this time among a great group of mid-nineties street zines including Snot, Sacred Cow, Avenue Player, and a young Artvoice. It was a heady time for all. Selling ads and drinking beer!

This time I choose to jump ahead to a really good issue of Slack. Eighteen issues in 2 years, and I think this particular one really shows Slack mania in full form. The cover is great and the layout within has reached a tight, pleasing balance. With a Halloween and Fall-filled issue (2 football stories by our illustrious staff writers: Bitter Boy and Strick), Slack no. 18 was subtitled "Buffalo's Best Reading Material" (says so right on the cover!). Included are ads by some of Buffalo's top movers in 1995 including: Concrete, Atomic, CowPok, New World Record (see cool ad below), Das Boot! and a couple ICONcerts. Looks like Cowpok will be the last man standing as NWR plans to shut its doors in less that 3 weeks from today!

Flashback: There is a concert ad that features "Just Announced: Green Day on Nov 8th" and I remember this show as the last free show I went to that was put on by ICONcerts . It was at the Niagara Falls Convention Center -- before it became the Casino-- and I was there. I was watching 13 year olds standing on their chairs, as their parents sat next to them quietly, chanting 'f--- you' with lead singer Billie Joe. Bizzare to say the least.

Anyway back to this Slack 2-yr Anniversary issue, highlights include:

Cheers: Many great record reviews with Scotty's Oasis music section cover story.
Jeers: My praise for (as time has told us) a weak Urge Overkill record, sorry kids.

Cheers: Dre's After Dark with a window into the club scene in Bflo -95, name-checking other cool zines at the time: Snot and Sacred Cow
Jeers: Seeing the Buffalo Nickel Lounge ad and remembering we never got paid for it!

Cheers: Bitter Boy bagging on "Couch Spuds and Their Football Passions"

"Grab your Zubazz & remotes and warm up your thumbs..."

Jeers: Too short Horrorscopes. These were comedy gold, I tell ya!

Lance Posner where are you?

Download it here: Slack no. 18, the Two-Year Anniversary Issue (3.4 Mg)

Don't forget these issues already up:
Slack Magazine n. 9, The Dead Rock Stars Issue
Slack Magazine n. 8, The Beer Issue
Slack Magazine n. 6, The Buffalo Issue

Just a Little More, Baby

Get your responses in for our name the blog post titles/song titles!
Deadline is today (Thursday, May 1),
and I will be announcing the winner tonight!!

I will also post the complete list of answers as well- so look for it.

Hurry, hurry, hurry!!!

Contest details >> here.

I Started Something I Couldn't Finish

The slackest of 'em all: Issue No. 8 THE SLACK BEER ISSUE
aka read this issue and find out how beer makes you smart!
aka aka Slack goes online 14 years later!

As I watched the Philly goons clobber their way into a goal and into the Stanley Cup semi-finals, I yelled.... it seemed so bad, so mean, so playoff hockey. Now Philly is playing the Habs (and you know how I feel about the les habenaeros!?!) So now do I have to switch and root for Philly? Will my hockey conscious let me? Marty?

I was going to post an early issue of Slack #3, with Jimmy Griffin waving goodbye on the cover, but after reading through it, I decided it wasn't the best issue. I mean, it was only the 3rd issue-- out there trying to get into it's own format. A lot of my favorite regular columns and 'ists' weren't in it yet. So like an East Coast hockey fan, I am switching gears and posted the creme de la creme (I have been in a dessert mood lately!) the first Slack Beer Issue (issue no. 8). Besides I only have ONE copy of this issue, so preserving it digitally seemed like a good idea.

You can tell your grandkids about this issue.

This issue has always been one of my all time favorites and it was always a popular back issue. The layout is tighter (eight under our belt), the cover shot was actually photographed by a professional photog-- Donnie downstairs-- and not just a stolen scan from a magazine, the editing was tighter and the DJ lists top in at 13. The record reviews are better (Dre pens six in one issue), the regular columnists are freaks like you and I, the photoshop filters are being used like I knew I could, and this issue sticks with a popular theme for Slack readers, drinking!

The Beer issue plays out like a long night out with feature stories, surveys, a detailed cheap beer taste test, charts and graphics (the winner at $2.99 a six pack) and drinking games, notes and guidelines. My early obsession with lists really took off back in the '90s, it seems. And this issues has a great Slacker in Space (Mr. Don Keller).

But best of all is this issue's Editor's Desktop. It is the story about my experiences with a call from a producer from the Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah were doing a show about the "Slacker Generation" (not officially Gen X, as of yet...), they had heard about Slack magazine and they wanted us to be on the show.... until she found out Andre and I both had jobs-- we were not slack enough!! This is a true story! I coulda been famous!

Classic columns like the Bitter Boy anti-smoking rant for The Virtually Lungless, Strick's expose on green beer bottles, and a Horrorscope featuring a beer of the month are awesome to read in perspective. This all adds up to a great example of slack in Buffalo 1994 stylee.

Quoutables include:

For God sakes. I am not Ethan Hawkes in Reality Bites!!

Drinking this beer make reminds me of...
> Being in Goodbar's on 25¢ draft night,
> Grateful Dead 3-23-91, Knickerbocker Arena, Set 2
> My aunt that liked to make knit crafts, and
> Seventh Grade Wood Shop.

Dear Molson, I am goddamn pissed off!

>> Click here to read the PDF of Slack Magazine n. 8, The Beer Issue (7.5 mgs)

And don't forget... so far (we also have):
Slack issue #9: The Dead Rock Stars Issue

follow up: rockin' Donny Shaft comments on The Artvoice blog about rememberin' SLACK- click here!

Electric Relaxation

Slack magazine Goes Online- sort of...

Well I threatened, and it finally happened: I create a PDF of issue number 9 of Slack magazine to introduce the world to one of Buffalo's greatest Zines! Hopefully in the next many months, I will try and get all 20 issues up!

Slack magazine ran from July 1993 to the March 1996. It totaled 20 issues, each with a theme. The original Slack was dreamed up by my then-substance-influenced roommate (Duds!) at the time and myself. Teaming with beats-influenced DJ Andre (Megadose!!), the plan was to create a truly alternative publication that catered to like minded individuals with a sarcastic sense of humor that skewered all that was around us. "All The News That's Fit To Be Tied," the Slack claimed to be the "greatest alternative publication to unearth from the streets of Buffalo" and included original comix by Mack, Hump and Don Keller's serial Slacker in Space, record reviews (Cool Like Dat) , DJ lists, the original Horrorscope by Brad M., band interviews (808 State, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Lance Diamond), and boatloads of snarky sarcasm! Themed issues included: Sex in the '90s, TV, Buffalo (with Jimmy Griffin on the cover), Dead Rock Stars, Cartoons, Radio, Sci-Fi and two hugely successful Beer issues.

Birth, School, Work, Death:
My man, Andre took care of the ads and was the music editor, I did all the editor work: assigning stories, bugging the writers at deadline, picking up the floppy disks (no email really as of yet) and sometimes typesetting the stories (Mr. Jeff Strickland!). I would spend hours mapping out the content and ads, cramming it all into the pages set up in Pagemaker. And I wrote stories and music reviews!

Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe:
The Slack aesthetics was cut and paste, yet the 'zine was created using my Mac Se30. So it was early computer graphics, scans from vintage, rock and skateboard magazines (again, no real internet or Google Images yet, kids), semi-grunge design, a multitude of typefaces and lots of content packed tightly within 16-20 pages. I used to print out the page spreads on Stat Paper after-hours at my pre-press job, and get the 500-800 issues printed at Kinkos, all on my newly minted Kinko's Credit Card (boy, that was a mistake). They would take a few days to print and I would pick up the stacks of legal pages, go back to the North Buffalo, Woodward Street apartment and have a beer drinking/ folding and stapling party. Then Andre and I would spend a few days driving around the city dropping off stacks of Slack at shops, restaurants and bars.

Renegade Soundwave:
Instead of starting at issue 1, I thought I would jump right into the meat of it with issue number 9, the Dead Rock Stars issue which featured: recently suicided Kurt as "slacker of the month", the Slack Complete Listing of Dead Rock Stars, Rock Gods Who Should be Dead, a list of all the drugs in Elvis's medicine chest, Dre's After Dark club column, a Bitter Boy (was not me, honest...) pen about bad driving habits and, of course, the legendary (and often copied) Horrorscope. From May 1994 the issue is soaked in mid '90s rock with many references to Cobain, ads for the Grand Opening of The Atomic on Chippewa and the rock club ICON (75¢ Rolling Rocks), and notes about then-prez Clinton, the death of Dick Nixon and Bosnia.

Enjoy- click here to download PDF (3.1 Mb) of Slack #9- print it out and read it, do not read it on the computer (this is a print publication)! Let 'em R.I.P.

Raisin Blowme where are you?