Black Flag mag and other anarchist publications

[lights.out.london]

Yes. At Houseman's for three of your earth squids.

An improvement on #226(?), IMHO.

The new(est) Organise! is also out.

 

[scumbalina]

Oh for fucks sake, if everyone else is at it, the new Now or Never! is out too

 

[butchersapron]

Get your Black Glag here!

 

[scumbalina]

Is this thread turning into some sort of mini online bookfair?

 

[Stevil]

Yes. At Houseman's for three of your earth squids.

The latest Direct Action is also out now and only half the price.

 

[The Black Hand]

New issue of Black Glag out right now for anyone interested...

Black Gaggin?

 

[lights.out.london]

The latest Direct Action is also out now and only half the price.

Ah. But the new Flack Bag is shiny shiny and is wipe-clean if the articles about the dead send you OTT.

 

[Lo Siento.]

Ah. But the new Flack Bag is shiny shiny and is wipe-clean if the articles about the dead send you OTT.

mostly live people this time! (after much criticism)

 

[JHE]

You like the pathetic magazines we have got at the minute? There's normally not one useful thing in any of them

Except the magnal "MAYDAY" of course issue 2 out soon

http://platypus1917.home.comcast.net/~platypus1917/mayday_uk_issue1_win2007-08.pdf

Glossary

Magnal: a synthesis of a magazine and a journal

Synthesis: praxis + bottle --> prattle

 

[The Black Hand]

Synthesis: praxis + bottle --> prattle

Synthesis: Praxis + coke = prattle

 

[lights.out.london]

mostly live people this time! (after much criticism)

Yeah. The difference is apparent, IMHO. The historical stuff is interesting, to be sure. But I'd rather have it set in the context of today's issues and today's world, rather than the fairly MoR history lessons many anarchist publications fill space with. I can buy text books for that.

More on direct action, especially anti-fascist and racist actions, would be good.

Does anyone know if anyone (ie me) can offer a piece for publication, or does it tend to be a closed shop/clique (like so many anarchist groups appear to be - hence my life on the sidelines as a spectator, mostly)?

 

[dennisr]

More on direct action, especially anti-fascist and racist actions, would be good.

which would mean how to deal with and fight privatisation, nhs cuts, smashing of education system, destruction of pensions and welfare system, attacks on housing if those anti-fascists were serious

 

[butchersapron]

Does anyone know if anyone (ie me) can offer a piece for publication, or does it tend to be a closed shop/clique (like so many anarchist groups appear to be - hence my life on the sidelines as a spectator, mostly)?

We are, as always, looking for comrades to contribute material or join the collective . . . We hope to become quarterly again soon, although that depends on how many people contribute and how much money we have. We also have printing bills to pay so we are always looking for donations.

If you are interested in subscribing, writing, getting involved or giving us your money, our contact details are:

Black Flag
BM Hurricane
London
WC1N 3XX
United Kingdom

Email: blackflagmagATyahoo.co.uk

Next issue will be available for the 2008 book fair (so copy is needed by the end of August at the latest). So far, this looks like we will be bi-annual this year -- which is a step in the right direction!

`

 

[biff curtains]

which would mean how to deal with and fight privatisation, nhs cuts, smashing of education system, destruction of pensions and welfare system, attacks on housing if those anti-fascists were serious

Which is the angle most class struggle anarchist publications come from.

 

[lights.out.london]

which would mean how to deal with and fight privatisation, nhs cuts, smashing of education system, destruction of pensions and welfare system, attacks on housing if those anti-fascists were serious

I'm not sure they're all mutually exclusive. But as far as I can tell/read, many anarchist publications still trot out the same-old/same-old flabby nonsense.

Or I may have misunderstood what you're saying.

 

[Steve Booth]

One size fits all

Does anyone know if the shout (editorial) in the 'relaunched' BF for Black Flag and other anarchist publications/mags/periodicals to combine has met with any success?

Is this likely? Is this likely to be a good thing? Any and all thoughts appreciated.

I think people would feel uneasy with such a project because even with the best intentions, it would tend to become a 'one size fits all' type of publication.

Re: the internet, there are some advantages, but I don't think the internet is really a better substitute for printed magazines.

The problem isn't the diversity of the stuff being published, the diversity is a strength, rather it is the (in)effectiveness of the distribution.

 

[biff curtains]

The problem isn't the diversity of the stuff being published, the diversity is a strength, rather it is the (in)effectiveness of the distribution.

Yes, can you imagine Solfed and Green Anarchist (for example) sharing a mag? It would be awful, a complete waste of time.

 

[The Black Hand]

It's not really much narrower now though. I was going to say something like "you can't leave a website on a pub table or hand it to somebody in the street" but actually you can - at least you can have a bit of paper with the address on it, give it to somebody and be able to expect that most of the time they'll be able to read the site.

I read a bunch of fanzines and magazines and pamphlets and so on before I had net access, but after I got it, I found that it was _far_ easier to get hold of information, and I would much rather have had the net in retrospect. Kids these days don't know they're born.

Somebody should print beer mats with good and widely available slogans on them so everybody can leave them in pubs they go too. You might as well build on anarchist movements strengths

So designs would be popular - eg. anti royal, not tied to any group and instead have info points on them. Web addresses eg. Wikipedia, & specialist info websites such as Inquest, No more prison, Hazards, etc. There could be a link to 1 broad website - deffo not Libcom, perhaps Indymedia.

 

[The Black Hand]

mostly live people this time! (after much criticism)

Long live the dead!!

(Back cover was appalling btw - nobody gives a fek about them out there unfortunatley).

 

[biff curtains]

Somebody should print beer mats with good and widely available slogans on them so everybody can leave them in pubs they go too. You might as well build on anarchist movements strengths

So designs would be popular - eg. anti royal, not tied to any group and instead have info points on them. Web addresses eg. Wikipedia, & specialist info websites such as Inquest, No more prison, Hazards, etc. There could be a link to 1 broad website - deffo not Libcom, perhaps Indymedia.

Fucking hell, a good idea!

Not indymedia though, they're worse than libcom if anything.

 

[The Black Hand]

Fucking hell, a good idea!

Not indymedia though, they're worse than libcom if anything.

SOmebody must have some money we can spend on this project? I'll help get the ball rolling & put it into practice if somebody can give us a grand or print the designs - the choice is yours

 

[Frampton]

The Cunningham Amendment has a long history of producing and planting Anarchist beermats in public houses. There will be some samples on show at the Bradford Book Fair. They also issue Anarchist ID cards, tiny stickers (more eye-catching than A4) and a variety of subversive ephemera.

More famously, in the 70's they printed cards which said:

"General Franco is a Fat Officious Old Bastard.

Please see Reverse.

Unfortunately this card was printed before we learned of the death of General Franco. The card should read General Franco was a Fat Officious Old Bastard."

(Something similar with Lady Margaret?)

It helps if Propoganda is linked with imagination. It fails sometimes, but that's the case with all risks.

 

[butchersapron]

This BF is an improvement on the relaunch issue then?

 

[Socialist Cynic]

I can buy text books for that.

Not sure you can actually, the historic pieces in the latest issue were mostly quite rare, which was the point of reprinting them. As butchers said, yes we are looking for writers - with a collective of four, we can't afford to do cliquey!

On the whole, we're trying to be inclusive, having said in the relaunch issue that we'd like to draw in as wide a field of (mainly class-struggle) anarchist thought as possible. As part of this, we're also currently avoiding slagging off other publications, as we're supposed to be on their side*, unlike some others I could mention - Stevil and Attica. Perhaps rather than complaining about the price/pictures of BF, you could be paying more attention to your own publications?



* In fact we did own own advert for other anarchist publications on page 2 to underline that spirit

 

[biff curtains]

This BF is an improvement on the relaunch issue then?

Yes, a big improvement, it actually has some uptodate articles.

 

[Socialist Cynic]

A sizeable majority, in fact - exactly as we said we were aiming for in the editorial of the first issue oh those of little faith.

 

[lights.out.london]

Not sure you can actually, the historic pieces in the latest issue were mostly quite rare, which was the point of reprinting them. As butchers said, yes we are looking for writers - with a collective of four, we can't afford to do cliquey!

On the whole, we're trying to be inclusive, having said in the relaunch issue that we'd like to draw in as wide a field of (mainly class-struggle) anarchist thought as possible. As part of this, we're also currently avoiding slagging off other publications, as we're supposed to be on their side*, unlike some others I could mention - Stevil and Attica. Perhaps rather than complaining about the price/pictures of BF, you could be paying more attention to your own publications?



* In fact we did own own advert for other anarchist publications on page 2 to underline that spirit

Might help if BF mag responded to emails...

 

[Stevil]

Not sure you can actually, the historic pieces in the latest issue were mostly quite rare, which was the point of reprinting them. As butchers said, yes we are looking for writers - with a collective of four, we can't afford to do cliquey!

On the whole, we're trying to be inclusive, having said in the relaunch issue that we'd like to draw in as wide a field of (mainly class-struggle) anarchist thought as possible. As part of this, we're also currently avoiding slagging off other publications, as we're supposed to be on their side*, unlike some others I could mention - Stevil and Attica. Perhaps rather than complaining about the price/pictures of BF, you could be paying more attention to your own publications?



* In fact we did own own advert for other anarchist publications on page 2 to underline that spirit

I've never slagged off Black Flag.

You say you are currently avoiding slagging off other publications which implies that this policy could change.

 

[Socialist Cynic]

Which email did you send to lightsout? PM me if you're not getting through.

Stevil, I know your comment about DA being half the price was meant to be light-hearted but it's still bigging it up at BF's expense - why not start your own thread about the new DA (I quite liked the new issue, couple of really good pieces in it). I can't say whether avoiding slagging off other publications would change, depends on how much flak we get innit - eg. I have my own thoughts about Attica's mag, particularly given his comments on BF's design work, but atm I'm keeping them to myself (If I thought he had humility enough to actually take advice I'd pass them on to him via PM). If he continues to act like an arse though it makes it hard to look on him as any kind of comrade.

On which note, there's now a PDF up here of one of the BF articles, just as an example of what's in it.

 

[lights.out.london]

^ you have a PM, SC.