Flipside

Flipside

Flipside fanzine was published from 1977 until the year 2000 out of Los Angeles, California. Flipside was one of the original, longest running, and most well-known punk zines. The fanzine was first published in August of 1977 by a group of friends that graduated from Whittier High School and it chronicled the early Los Angeles punk rock scene. The first issue was a hand-stapled quarter-page photocopied zine. By the late 1980s Flipside had grown to become a glossy-covered newsprint zine averaging well over 100 pages per issue and it's scope and distribution reached world-wide, although it never lost its LA focus. The zine folded due to financial problems caused by Rotz, it's main distributor, declaring bankruptcy while owing the zine a lot of money.

Each issue of Flipside contained columns, band interviews, record and zine reviews, Rodney Bingenheimer's top ten playlists and much more.

Flipside also released a number of video fanzines (compilation videos of live punk bands) and ran a very prolific record label.

Al Kowalewski (AKA Al Flipside) was the zine's publisher and editor thoughout it's entire span. Flipside contributors included Michele Flipside, Todd Taylor, Pooch, Larry Lash, X-8, Tory, Dean Ded, Dee, Hilda Unapproved, Gary Indiana, Dan Druff, Karl Markxs, Gus, Kirk "KRK" Dominguez, Danny, Johnny Bubblegum, Stf, Bob Cantu, Joy Aoki, Cake, Blaze James, Joe Henderson, Ed, Holly, ShitEd (Ed Dawson), Thrashead, Gizz Lazlo, Ron Tidwell, Brian Walsby, Pookie, Hudley, Martin McMartin, Katsuhiko "Katz" Seki, Holly Kowalewski, Thom Bone, Mark Lee, Carlos A. Nunez, Ken "All Night Rocker", Tim Stegall, Bob Durkee, and Shane "The RocknRoll Bankrobber".

A number of ex-Flipside writers, including Todd Taylor, went on to start Razorcake.

Flipside is included in the West Coast Zine Collection at San Diego State University.

Early Issue Information

1 - Published 8/28/77, print run of 100, interview with Eulogy, live reviews of The Quick and Devo, LA band gossip and news.

2 - Published October 1977, print run of 200, interviews with The Weasels and The Germs, live reviews of The Weirdos, Runaways, Skulls and more, letter from Rodney Bingenheimer, band news and info.

3 - Published November 1977, print run of 100, art oriented issue with poetry, flyer art, photos and collages.

4 - Published November 1977, print run of 300, interviews with The Weirdos and The Zippers, live reviews of The Avengers, Dils, X, Model Citizens, Dickies, Germs, Devo, Blondie, Bags and more.

5 - Published December 1977, print run of 300, interviews with The Spastics, Backstage Pass, Rodney Bingenheimer, live reviews of The Controllers, The Rippers, X, The Gods, The Clones, The Dead Boys, The Deadbeats, The Skulls, The Germs, The Mumps and many more.

6 - Published January 1978, print run of 400, interviews with The Zippers, Dave Trout (Weirdos), The Spastics, Rodney Bingenheimer and The Skulls, lots of live and record reviews.

External Links

• Flipside Memorial Website
• Flipside Archive - read old issues online
• West Coast Zine Collection at San Diego State University