FOT Forum
The Best Show on WFMU => Dear Tom => Topic started by: Phantom Hugger on March 20, 2008, 02:58:57 PM
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If you want to get something on the shelves, this might be a nice way to prime the pump for your future literary carreer.
A best of 18 Wheeler compilation book? Has this been suggested before? Probably.
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I'd buy this.
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Trust me, things like that are better off in the past. You're not missing anything - just four issues of a generic fanzine that could be mildly funny on occasion. Someday I'll scan some highlights and post them.
I will also step it up with my Actual Blog, which features writing about things that I'm interested in now. And trust me - I might not be that smart these days, but I'm brilliant compared to how I was back then.
Tom.
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And trust me - I might not be that smart these days, but I'm brilliant compared to how I was back then.
Hoo boy, can I relate to that sentiment.
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It was also a record label, wasn't it? An 18 wheeler band opened for a band I was in, in the mid 90's, and I had the pleasure of having breakfast with the cassettey Callaci brothers.
Maaaaaaaajor braggin' going on here.
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I miss zines. People put a lot of work into them.
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I think a "Forgotten History of Rock" book would be one of the best things ever.
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I miss zines. People put a lot of work into them.
I had an itch to make one for quite awhile, but never actually took the leap because I knew I'd do two or three of them, only a handful of people would see/read it and then I'd lose interest or run out of ideas.
Which I guess was a pretty realistic outlook of what would have happened.
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In the 90s I went as far as to solicit material for a planned zine which was to be called "The Modern Almanack of Limericks and Practical Wisdom." But I never actually made the thing.
I think that the Internet has been much more democratizing and has in a lot of ways fulfilled the promise of zines. But the barriers to entry are almost /too/ low. I think people were a little more creative when what they were making was a magazine, and not just a blog or whatever. If not in the actual writing (although the average BoingBoing zine was way more interesting than the random links of today's website), then at least in the design and presentation.
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I have a zine, they're not that hard to make. It's pretty inexpensive, and it can be fun too.
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It's funny - recently I found my old 18 Wheeler zines, and they're not nearly as "generic" as Tom makes them sound. You can definitely see the influence of Conflict, Forced Exposure and other period publications, but as early as issue #1 he's already toying with aliases and printing a Stewart Brodian dartboard (while graciously offering him a column next issue). Issue #2 features the Embarrassment, of course an enduring fascination. By issue #4 and the Dave Rick Celebrity Roast, you're definitely seeing Tom develop his own voice and sense of humor. In short: a solid publication, one that I frequently underrated at the time.
The real missing link, however, is the Superchunk Gazette. It might as well have been written by Linus, the Award-Winning Blogger; it's exactly the kind of humor and situation that fuels the Tom/Jon calls. And let's not forget who Superchunk's drummer was...
But I can definitely relate to Tom's reticence to make the past public. I sure wouldn't want people to see back issues of the zine I did in the '80s and very early '90s outside of a few interviews here and there. I'm not much of a music critic now, but I'm Lester Bangs Reincarnated compared to virtually every WB back issue.
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I would, however, gladly buy an 18 Wheeler Records retrospective compilation.
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I would, however, gladly buy an 18 Wheeler Records retrospective compilation.
Seconded.
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hello my name is carlos i am doing tons of research for a book we are doing about the diy cassette culture mainly on shrimper,car in car ,sonic enemy ect. i know some of these bands did put out stuff on ewr so if anyone has old fan zines tapes or any info on that it would rule i dont wont to leave any stone unturned .
oh and i do have a bunch of ewr so if someone is looking for anything please let me know .
carlos
hatedeverysong@freakscene.net