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Issue #1
Released December 1985
Xerox printing - 50 copies made
Cover variations - None
Cover by: Ross Vondersmith |
| In 1985 I decided
that since I couldn't play an instrument or sing in a band, and I had
no money nor the knowledge to release records, that the only way I could
contribute to the "scene" would be doing a zine. I didn't know what the
hell I was doing and it showed. I whipped this thing together in a day
before leaving to visit my dad who had a photocopier that I printed the
copies on. I think he complained that I was putting to many copies on
his leased machine. Ross spelled "Spontaneous" wrong and I didn't know
it for the first two issues. This incorrect spelling remained for the
first 5 issues to keep continuity, then I caved in and changed it to the
proper spelling starting with issue 6 (which also coincided with my getting
a rubber address stamper with the proper spelling on it). When people
mentioned it was spelled wrong I told them it was "punk". This featured
an AOD mail in interview that had about 9 questions and no photos, but
the band drew a stick figure sketch of themselves. Aside from that it
had a couple record reviews. I sent a few away to bands and labels I liked
and sold most of the rest at my high school and gave a bunch away. I still
have a couple stashed away. Looking back it is kind of embarrassing, but
hey, I was a kid. There was a contest to win a date with Scott Conway
(who later became "Gub" of Gauge fame). No one entered formally, but I
think he got plenty of dates on his own. This was the first issue to have
the "Cool" and "Shit" lists, a feature that lasted 14 issues! It is funny
to see how many things appeared on both lists over the course of time! |
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Issue #2
Released sometime in 1986
Xerox printing - around 50 copies made
Cover: Ross Vondersmith
Cover Variations: None |
| If memory serves,
this came out right around the end of my junior year of high school. The
cover art was hanging in my locker for about a year, it was given to me
by Ross' brother Kevin (aka: Spanky) along with a few other drawings.
I asked Ross if it was cool to use as the cover and he said yes. This
issue was really what my first one should have been had I not rushed it
out. Featured interviews with JFA, Government Issue, and Ozzfish Experience,
all of which were conducted through the mail. Warren Fischer from Ozzfish
Experience ended up being a contributor to the zine for quite a few issues.
I wonder what happened to him, if anyone knows please get in touch! Ray
Kolenko wrote a few reviews for this and ended up writing for a few issues
after this one as well until he decided to start his own zine later. Ray
is another person I lost touch with and would like to find out where he
is. Placebo Records was the first label to ever send me a free record
to review. It was the JFA - My Movie single. I was so excited that a label
would send me something for free just to review in my little zine. I ended
up giving them a free ad, and did for a few issues after that too. I still
have the very copy of the record they sent me. There was also an ad for
Miro's Deli in the zine which was run by a friend's family. I think I
traded the ad for 2 Italian beef sandwiches, fries and a drink. Miro used
to sell my zines in the deli and they did OK there. The layout of this
was really sloppy, but in hindsight it was pretty good for someone who
was so naive. Ah the old days of cut and paste, before these computers
changed everything! |
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Issue
#3
Released sometime in 1986
Offset printing - around 100 made
Cover: Ross Vondersmith
Cover variations: Different color markers used to write in the cover price
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| This was the
last issue to have a drawing by Ross. I really liked his skulls. Had he
kept at it he could have been the next Pushead. I forgot to put the price
on the cover, so they were all written in by hand. This rather thin issue
featured interviews with Descendents, DRI, Meat Puppets, and Skulls (the
one from NJ). As usual, all the interviews were done via the mail except
DRI, which Warren Fischer did in person after one of their shows. |
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Issue #4
Released around December 1986
Offset printing - 100 made
Cover: Miro Ledajaks
Cover variations: None |
| Interviews with
The Exposed, Social Outcast, Group of Individuals and Napalm Death. This
featured a review of Tracy Munroe's 12th birthday party video. Some teacher
read the zine and called her to the office to ask her about the tape,
they thought it was porn! Other features include a Phoenix scene report
by Dale Pierce (who contributed for a few issues). Ray got a bunch of
pictures from some guys at school and printed them in the zine calling
the club the FBOA, which stood for the future buttfuckers of america.
I don't think he told anyone what it stood for but he did put his own
picture in there too. We printed an address if anyone wanted to send a
picture and join, but no one wrote, even though they didn't know what
the letters stood for. The only copy I have in my own collection has a
big stain from coffee or pop on it. If anyone out there has a copy of
this in nice shape they'd like to donate to me let me know. Gee, I guess
I could always look on ebay for one, *sigh*! |
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Issue #5
Released summer 1987
Cover: Mike Vinikour
Cover variations: None - all had yellow covers
Mimeograph printing - about 75 copies made |
| Miro had this
weird mimeograph machine like the schools used to use in the old days
so we printed this issue on it. It gave us a ton of trouble and we didn't
make all 100 issues I had planned on. Like an idiot, I left the master
pages in the trunk of my car and they were damaged beyond repair and destroyed!
This is the only issue I don't have the masters for and I myself only
have 1 copy of the printed zine as a document of it. The cover art was
the principal at the high school I had just graduated from, Scott (aka:
Gub) cut up his yearbook and gave me a bunch of the pictures from it,
this being one of them. Why he cut up the book after his mom paid all
the money for it at the beginning of the year is still a mystery to me.
He never was playing with a full deck back then but god love him, he is
a good guy and I still see him from time to time. This issue had interviews
with Cancerous Growth, Mentors, and Boom and the Legion of Doom. There
was a lesson on how to be a rapper which taught white boys how to rap
using the Beverly Hillbillies theme. |
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Issue
#6
Released September (or thereabouts) 1987
Xerox printing - 100+ issues printed
Cover: Anthony. Stagg
Cover variations: Most covers were pink, I think there were some yellow
and blue ones too. |
| The most action
packed issue from that time. This was pretty thick and featured Ism, #9,
MIA, Descendents, and AOD. Aside from that there is a ton of reviews and
a picture of my friend Carol when she was 5 years old. The Descendents
interview in this zine was one of the favorite interviews I have ever
done. They were a great bunch of guys and fun to talk to. I still have
the tape and Milo squatted over our tape recorder and farted into the
mic. |
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Issue #7
Released January 1988
Xerox printing - about 150 made
Cover: Tommy Niemeyer
Cover variations: None - all had green covers |
| Tommy from the Accused
drew the cover. I didn't notice until after it was printed that he spelled
Spontaneous wrong (forgot the "u"). He sent me a new version for
the next issue and that was the logo of the zine which was still used even
near the end and was used for the logo for the record label (and still will
be used if/when I put out another record). This issue featured a nice interview
with Government Issue that was a lot of fun to conduct, plus Fluorescent
Condoms and a special pull-out section on how to find god (we reprinted
one of those religious comics that someone gave to me). This was the last
issue that was the half page sized format. |