''Sluggo!'' was an

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

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

covering the late 1970s

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

new wave music New wave is a music genre that encompasses pop music, pop-oriented styles from the 1970s through the 1980s. It is considered a lighter and more melodic "broadening of Punk subculture, punk culture". It was originally used as a catch-all fo ...

scene.

History and profile

Founded in 1978 by Nick West and E.A. Srere, ''Sluggo!'' began as a tabloid-sized photocopied publication, and evolved into a quintessential DIY publication. The first issue appeared in December 1978. With the donation of a Multilith 1250 offset press 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, PIL,

Throbbing Gristle Throbbing Gristle were an English music and visual arts group formed in Kingston upon Hull by Genesis P-Orridge and Cosey Fanni Tutti, later joined by Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson and Chris Carter. They are widely regarded as pioneers of in ...

. 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 fa ...

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