The word „Punk“ was around since biblical times, according to John Holmstrom. Creem Magazine already had a „Punk of the Year“ (Alice Cooper) in 1974! But this was a joke. What John Holmstrom did was give the word meaning, wrapping it around the 1975 underground scene in New York which centered around a small club called CBGB’s.
Holmstrom, who studied at NY School of Visual Arts under such comic art legends as Harvey Kurzman (Mad Magazine) and Will Eisner (The Spirit), dreamed of creating a magazine that combined his love of rock with cartooning.
With Eddie „Legs“ McNeil and Ged Dunn, he started Punk Magazine in late 1975. The first issue featured Lou Reed on the cover. The book is a treasure trove of interviews, pix, cartoons and original hand-lettered texts.
Holmstrom walks you through each issue and then lets you read them for yourself. A good history of the rise of punk, how it spreads like a virus overseas, becomes British, and drowns on the way back to the US.
About the closest thing to a punk bible you can get.
© by Ox-Fanzine - Ausgabe #112 Februar/März 2014 und Abraham Rodriguez