Absolutely Zippo
Issue 12, 1989
Absolutely Zippo is a punk zine created by Robert Eggplant in the late 1980s to document the events of the East Bay Berkeley punk scene. It is still being published today.
Contributors have included Aaron Cometbus of Cometbus zine (writing under the pen name "Scrub"), Billie Joe Armstrong, Janelle Hessig of Tales Of Blarg, Frank Hobbs of Frank's Depression Poetry, Larry Livermore and Jesse Michaels. Absolutely Zippo is known for scene reports, record and short reviews, editorials, artwork and band photos. The 16th issue was accompanied by the cassette tape compilation Later the Same Year, which featured bands such as Blatz, Filth, Gr'ups, Good Grief, Spitboy, Jack Acid and many others. The tape was later rereleased on Lookout! Records in CD format.
Absolutely Zippo is unique in that editor Robert Eggplant was also a member of the bands Blatz, The Hope Bombs, Harbinger, and Lil' Runt, as well as a volunteer at 924 Gilman Street Project and the Long Haul Info Shop, and so his zine offered an inside, on the frontlines view of the punk scene.
In 1999, Absolutely Zippo was compiled and released in paperback. This volume is entitled Absolutely Zippo: Anthology of a Fanzine 1988 - 1998. Over ten issues have come out since then, including one made with dumpstered paper from UC Berkeley.
Contact
Absolutely Zippo can reached at P.O.Box 4985 Berkeley Ca 94704
