''Sluggo!'' was an

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...

covering the late 1970s punk rock/

new wave music New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. La ...

scene.

History and profile

Founded in 1978 by Nick West and E.A. Srere, ''Sluggo!'' began as a tabloid-sized

photocopied A photocopier (also called copier or copy machine, and formerly Xerox machine, the generic trademark) is a machine that makes copies of documents and other visual images onto paper or plastic film quickly and cheaply. Most modern photocopiers u ...

publication, and evolved into a quintessential

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi ...

publication. The first issue appeared in December 1978. With the donation of a Multilith 1250

offset press Offset printing is a common printing technique in which the inked image is transferred (or "offset") from a plate to a rubber blanket and then to the printing surface. When used in combination with the lithographic process, which is based on t ...

and an array of colored inks, ''Sluggo!'' acquired its distinctive multi-colored, multi-faceted appearance. ''Sluggo!'' look was also defined by its unique covers – hand-crafted on some issues, individually silk-screened on black velvet on the finale. The early issues centered primarily on music with reviews of shows of both local and touring bands, and record reviews of both national and international acts such as

Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their d ...

PIL Public Image Ltd (abbreviated and stylized as PiL) are an English post-punk band (and incorporated limited company) formed by singer John Lydon (previously known as the singer of Sex Pistols), guitarist Keith Levene, bassist Jah Wobble, and dr ...

Throbbing Gristle Throbbing Gristle were an English music and visual arts group formed in 1975 in Kingston upon Hull by Genesis P-Orridge, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Peter Christopherson, and Chris Carter (British musician), Chris Carter. They are widely regarded as pi ...

. In addition to music, ''Sluggo!'' columnists also held forth on subjects ranging from religion to science, international politics to local gossip. In 1979, ''Sluggo!'' departed from the typical music fanzine with the introduction of its thematic issues. Topics were Violence, Unco, and culminated with its "''Industrial Collapse''" issue. The magazine also created the Instant Review, publishing critiques of local performances overnight with free distribution on the streets the very next day. The ''Sluggo!'' press was used not only for printing the fanzine but was also made available to local bands for printing band posters and record covers, and to other raconteurs for printing various handbills and broadsides. Sluggo! House became one of the centers of the exploding Austin scene and drew considerable local and national attention as a hotbed of musical and artistic action. ''Sluggo!'' provided inspiration to other writers and entrepreneurs to found and publish their own fanzines including Xiphoid Process and Contempo Culture from Austin, and a myriad of others throughout Texas. Sluggo!'s topical format also served as a model to the staff at Search & Destroy Magazine from San Francisco to expand their horizons and begin the

RE/Search RE/Search Publications is an American magazine and book publisher, based in San Francisco, founded by its editor V. Vale in 1980. In several issues, Andrea Juno was also credited as an editor. It was the successor to Vale's earlier punk rock fanz ...

magazine with issues devoted to a single topic. ''Sluggo!'' was a primary ambassador of the 1970s Austin punk/new wave scene throughout Texas, the nation and overseas. Its evolution from a modest home grown fanzine to a distinctively quirky journal with ambitions of a wider cultural window mirrors the peculiar growth of the Austin punk music and artistic scene, and its future development into the behemoth it is today. It ceased publication in 1979.

References

{{Reflist 1978 establishments in Texas 1979 disestablishments in Texas Defunct magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1978 Magazines disestablished in 1979 Magazines published in Austin, Texas Music of Austin, Texas Music magazines published in the United States Punk zines

History and profile

See also

References