Difference between revisions of "PSYCHO"

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(PSYCHO from Nowhere, MI)
 
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PSYCHO is a once-a-week two-page 'zine run by a couple highschool kids. We're based in Nowhere, Michigan, which is somewhere between Capac, Emmett, and Yale.  
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PSYCHO was a weekly legal-size broadsheet produced by julia eff during their high school years. It ran for 54 issues, spanning three years.
  
  
== Current Staff ==
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== Format ==
  
'''Julia "Give 'Em Hell, Kid" Fitzgerald'''; editor-in-chief, publisher, graphics, type.
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Each issue of PSYCHO consisted of a "weird news" story front page and an "anything goes" back page featuring music rankings, celebrity mockery, micro-trends, editorials, reader letters, and what could now be described as an ongoing gratitude journal. The back page also featured a quote of weekly significance to the staff, while the front page ended with either a comic or an ad for a local show.
  
'''Angela "Floofy Doom" Telmos'''; co-editor.
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Most content was written by eff, with friends contributing on a rotating basis.  
  
'''Azzy "The Az-Man" Giacalone''' ''(pronounced "Ozzy" and "Oz Man")''; staff writer, comix.
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All issues were cut-and-paste and fully hand-lettered, with later issues (year 3 onward) utilizing a printed front headline for a cleaner look. The zine was initially letter-size, but switched to legal-size in year 3.  
  
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Being entirely hand-lettered, master copies were cut up on a weekly basis to produce the next issue.
  
== Past Staff ==
 
  
'''Ash "Pro Otaku" Early'''; staff writer, iss. 1-7.
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== Printing & Distribution ==
  
'''Sarah "Insane Emo Poet"''', "Harlequin Monkeys!" '''Kenny'''; staff writer, iss. 8-38.
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PSYCHO was printed on a (somewhat-) weekly basis with no reprints due to ongoing destruction of masters. All issues were photocopied, and eff owns the only surviving full set of prints.  
  
'''Zack "Stake My Heart" Ruddock'''; co-editor, iss. 39-49.
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PSYCHO was distributed both in-person and by mail to friends. Mail subscriptions were available for $13 per year.
  
Angela was formerly an independent contributor then a staff writer ("FluffyMuffinMaiden") for iss. 39-49.
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Initial print run (issue 1) was 13 copies, with peak circulation of 180.
  
  
== History ==
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== Staff ==
  
PSYCHO was started on December 20 '05 by Julia Fitzgerald and Ash Early was quickly sucked into the process. It was all because a small plane had landed near Detroit on I-75 and nobody knew about it. Slap together a logo, some friends to read it, and a cover story and there you go; PSYCHO v 1.
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'''julia eff'''; editor-in-chief, graphics, lettering.
  
There was a major argument between Julia and Ash and they split, leaving Julia to continue with a new writer. Previous contributor Sarah Kenny joined and PSYCHO ran along happily; banging out 19 issues before the end of the school year.  
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'''Ash'''; writer, #1-7 ''(also credited as "ProOtaku")''.
  
Year two picked up nicely with a major jump in subscribers, but another falling-out between the staff occured at issue 37. Sarah wrote one last column and resigned. Zack Ruddock (Zacky) enlisted by way of audition for issue 39.
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'''Sarah Kay'''; writer ''(also credited as "Insane Emo Poet"; "Harlequin Monkeys!")'', co-editor, #8-38.
  
Zack dropped off PSYCHO at the end of year two at issue 49. Angela, the staff writer, was tossed into the co-editor seat and Azzy was hired; being a longtime friend of Angela and an acquaintance (through a cousin) of Julia.  
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'''Zacky'''; writer, #39-48.
  
Year three began with v 50 and a new look, new logo, new people. Since, PSYCHO has been featured in the Metro Times (Detroit) and has re-expanded; a vast majority of its subscribers having graduated at the end of year two.  
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'''Angela'''; writer, #39-48 ''(credited as "FluffyMuffinMaiden")''; co-editor, #49-54.
  
PSYCHO has gotten past that awkward stage of chewing the drapes when left unattended. It has its enemies and eats them, too.  
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'''Azzy G.'''; writer, [[comics]]; #49-54.
  
  
== Controversy ==
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== Legal Issues ==
  
With the advent of the first-ever PSYCHO Anti-Spirit Week in year two (featuring Anti-fun and Anti-revelry), PSYCHO was nearly shut down. People were "offended".
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PSYCHO was challenged by eff's school district for its entire run, with eff repeatedly facing disciplinary action as publisher, despite the zine not containing objectionable content, content about students or faculty, and being produced at home on personal time.  
  
Controversy continues to simmer ominously and it always has.
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Detentions, suspensions, and parental meetings were common, with eff being suspended after a "concerned parent" contacted school administration with the fear that PSYCHO would "incite a riot."
  
PSYCHO was once kicked off school grounds under threat of arrest for passing out handbills at orientation day.  
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PSYCHO staff was ejected from school events on multiple occasions for flyering.  
  
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Ongoing expulsion threats surrounding PSYCHO's publication led eff's father to seek legal counsel, believing this to be a violation of their First Amendment rights.
  
== Distribution and how to contact ==
 
  
PSYCHO can be contacted via email at psycho.zine@yahoo.com or on their [http://www.myspace.com/psycho_zine myspace page]. Contact for address for subscription payment; subscriptions are $13 for a year. (averaging 20-30 issues)
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== Impact ==
  
Writer profiles with personal emails will be up soon.
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PSYCHO ceased publication after three years. Connections made through the zine led eff to a journalism job (a field they quit) and the zine community (a field they didn't).
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Eff went on to publish ''Every Thug Is A Lady: Adventures without Gender'' and start Crapandemic zine distro. They remain active in the zine community.
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[[Category:Zine]] [[Category:2000's publications]] [[Category:Zines from the U.S.A.]][[Category:Michigan Zines]]

Latest revision as of 06:02, 13 April 2021

PSYCHO was a weekly legal-size broadsheet produced by julia eff during their high school years. It ran for 54 issues, spanning three years.


Format

Each issue of PSYCHO consisted of a "weird news" story front page and an "anything goes" back page featuring music rankings, celebrity mockery, micro-trends, editorials, reader letters, and what could now be described as an ongoing gratitude journal. The back page also featured a quote of weekly significance to the staff, while the front page ended with either a comic or an ad for a local show.

Most content was written by eff, with friends contributing on a rotating basis.

All issues were cut-and-paste and fully hand-lettered, with later issues (year 3 onward) utilizing a printed front headline for a cleaner look. The zine was initially letter-size, but switched to legal-size in year 3.

Being entirely hand-lettered, master copies were cut up on a weekly basis to produce the next issue.


Printing & Distribution

PSYCHO was printed on a (somewhat-) weekly basis with no reprints due to ongoing destruction of masters. All issues were photocopied, and eff owns the only surviving full set of prints.

PSYCHO was distributed both in-person and by mail to friends. Mail subscriptions were available for $13 per year.

Initial print run (issue 1) was 13 copies, with peak circulation of 180.


Staff

julia eff; editor-in-chief, graphics, lettering.

Ash; writer, #1-7 (also credited as "ProOtaku").

Sarah Kay; writer (also credited as "Insane Emo Poet"; "Harlequin Monkeys!"), co-editor, #8-38.

Zacky; writer, #39-48.

Angela; writer, #39-48 (credited as "FluffyMuffinMaiden"); co-editor, #49-54.

Azzy G.; writer, comics; #49-54.


Legal Issues

PSYCHO was challenged by eff's school district for its entire run, with eff repeatedly facing disciplinary action as publisher, despite the zine not containing objectionable content, content about students or faculty, and being produced at home on personal time.

Detentions, suspensions, and parental meetings were common, with eff being suspended after a "concerned parent" contacted school administration with the fear that PSYCHO would "incite a riot."

PSYCHO staff was ejected from school events on multiple occasions for flyering.

Ongoing expulsion threats surrounding PSYCHO's publication led eff's father to seek legal counsel, believing this to be a violation of their First Amendment rights.


Impact

PSYCHO ceased publication after three years. Connections made through the zine led eff to a journalism job (a field they quit) and the zine community (a field they didn't).

Eff went on to publish Every Thug Is A Lady: Adventures without Gender and start Crapandemic zine distro. They remain active in the zine community.