THE CATALOG OF COOL'S MAG BAG

It's more than their publishing schedules that make the
following publications highly irregular. Each one gives
attitude and gets right to the point of view...

DUMB ANGEL GAZETTE. Domenic Priore's book-length periodicals resemble a pop-cultural car crash at rush hour. Your eyes collide with bits and remnants of cool 'n' curious scenes half recalled and here clarified with lotsa love. DAG's a good place to go for everything you ever wanted to know about Big Daddy Roth, the TAMI Show, the Smile album, Mr. Gasser or Delvy McNort. Moon-equipped, and not afraid of dissing its gods (an especially dumb photo of Mike Love is slugged "The Shmoe From Kokomo"). visit http://www.dumbangelgazette.net/

CAD. Sweaty-palmed, beady-eyed sexism returns at full gallop in this book-mag pastiche of Fifties/ early Sixties male skin mags, e.g. Dude, Nugget, Rogue, Escapade. Get those flashlights under the covers again. D.B. (Feral House, out of print)

THE REALIST. Paul Krassner's venerable magazine/newsletter, founded in 1958, isn't for everyone, but neither are John Sununu or lethal injection. Real and imagined events are reported, but never differentiated, in The Realist. Does the sour Tom Wolfe-Spike Lee transcript come from a real interview? Does coverage of the grand opening of Hawaii's Aloha Bar (a death-themed Hard Rock decorated with car parts from the crashes of the rich and famous) come from Waikiki or some-place less accessible? The Realist's editorials rock in no uncertain terms: "Why Andrew Dice Clay Is No Lenny Bruce." Visit http://www.paulkrassner.com/

SCRAM MAGAZINE. For a decade, nobody's done it better than America's "Journal of Unpopular Culture." I became a contributor after reading the Scram story on silly-'n'-sublime songwriter Brute Force ("In Jim's Garage," "To Sit On A Sandwich"). Any vehicle that puts such sub-radar subjects as the Poppy Family, mortuary cosmetics and Hub Kapp & The Wheels back on the cultural cruise route deserves attention. All this and the best covers since the old Esquire. -G.S.

Issue #17 (left) features interviews with Steve Earle and Plush, Russ Forster's report on life in the 8-track underground, Don Waller on his proto-punk LA zine "Back Door Man," John Trubee talking with Byrds/Zappa dancer Carl Franzoni, and a complete rundown of the Bubblegum Achievement Awards, honoring Toni Wine, the Turtles and Buddah Records' Artie Ripp. Cover by Dan Clowes.