Public Collectors is founded upon the concern that there are many types of cultural artifacts that public libraries, museums and other institutions and archives either do not collect or do not make freely accessible. Public Collectors asks individuals that have had the luxury to amass, organize, and inventory these materials to help reverse this lack by making their collections public.
This page consists of sample findings and excerpts. It is also an account of the contents of my home and digital files from my camera. If you have suggestions, have a collection you want to share, or are in Chicago and would like to see something in person, please contact me. This blog is intended as a casual, more personal supplement to the main Public Collectors website.
Public Collectors is maintained by Marc Fischer.
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Common tags: Book Cover Design • Chicago • Drawing • Flea Market • Flyers • Illustration • Prison • Records • Religious Tracts • Signage • Zines
A recent edition of YOU, a publication I know very little about that regularly shows up in the Free area at Quimby’s Books in Chicago. This edition is a rubber stamped, thin paper bag that contains a story by Viv printed on both sides of a single sheet (I read it by carefully prying open the bottom of the bag). More of YOU here.
Factsheet 5, No. 27, from 1988, published by Mike Gunderloy in Renselaer, NY. The long departed ‘zine with endless reviews of other ‘zines! Cover art by Jeff Gaither. You can see covers from many more ‘zines in my collection here.
Devo on the cover of Fear And Loathing,Vol. 30, Feb. 1995. Published by Andy P., London, UK. The latest scan from a pile of ‘zines that Kaitlin Kostus of Koshka ‘Zine is helping me archive in the Public Collectors basement today. Check out her Koshka blog and publications. I’m still working on a total inventory of all of this old printed crap but in the meantime, you can see more ‘zines from my collection here.
MAXIMUMROCKNROLL No. 29, October, 1985. Published in Berkely, CA. Cover art of Eugene Chadbourne by R.K. Sloane. Lots more ‘zine covers here.
Lookout, No. 32, Fall, 1988. Published by Larry Livermore, Laytonville, CA. I am gradually creating an inventory of my entire ‘zine collection which mostly focuses primarily on underground music and culture from the 1980s and 1990s. This will eventually be a list with image links for each issue. In the meantime you can see lots more ‘zine covers here.
FREE TNT, (no issue number) 1987. Published by Paul Decolator, Philadelphia, PA. I am gradually creating an inventory of my entire ‘zine collection which mostly focuses primarily on underground music and culture from the 1980s and 1990s. This will eventually be a list with image links for each issue. In the meantime you can see lots more ‘zine covers here.
Bow To No Man #2. Published in Scottsdale, Arizona. Editor and exact year are unknown but this is clearly from the mid 1980s.
Suburban Voice No. 24, 1988. Published by Al Quint, Swampscott, MA.
Uncle Fester #13. Edited by Jake Wisely, Minneapolis, MN, 1987. Cover art by R.K. Sloane and Jeff Gaither. More cover scans from my collection of ‘zines from the 1980s and 90s here.
Plain Truth #5. Edited by Sam McPheeters and Jason O’Toole, New York City, NY. 1988. More cover scans from my collection of ‘zines from the 1980s and 90s here.
In between packing and moving, I’m still trying to archive my old music / underground culture ‘zine collection as time permits. Here’s a 1987 communiqué from Drexel University’s WKDU - 91.7 FM, in Philadelphia. More cover scans from my collection of ‘zines from the 1980s and 90s here.
Talk Is Cheap, Vol. 9, No. 1, 1987. This radical/alternative newspaper was published in Philadelphia. The cover art comments on the then recent bombing by the police of the group M.O.V.E.’s house on Osage Avenue. More cover scans from my collection of ‘zines from the 1980s and 90s here.
Razor’s Edge #2, 1989. Published by Kalki Dasa, Brooklyn, NY. This ‘zine is a relic from the period where Krishna culture began to permeate the east coast hardcore scene via bands like Youth of Today (followed by Shelter) and the Cro-Mags. A real low point in the history of underground music, in my opinion! More cover scans from my collection of ‘zines from the 1980s and 90s here.
Public Collectors has limitless Summer tasks at hand but one project that hopefully will happen later in the Summer will be to better inventory and organize my ‘zine collection. I’ll be scanning some more covers today to take a short break from house work and packing. Here is Suburban Voice No. 27, 1989. Published by Al Quint, Lynn, MA. More cover scans from my collection of ‘zines from the 1980s and 90s here.
