About subnormal magazine
Created in the late 80’s by human rights activist and poet Zadge and Bruce Edwin, subnormal began as a cut and paste, anarchist punk rock fanzine featuring poetry and music.
Contributing writers and / or poets comprised a bevy of underground stars and luminaries including Lydia Lunch, Clint Catalyst, Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedy’s), Ana and Dave Christy, Drezden, Barabbas, and the anarchist known as “Government” among more.
Growing in readership, size, staff, and distribution with each issue, it quickly evolved to work with most every major record label before the first wave of consolidations, as well as many indies, and eventually became a gloss color cover, offset printed magazine, distributed worldwide by Tower Records and Virgin among more, in addition to its own subnormal productions distribution arm.
Subnormal later added a film section, promoting a new film at the time called “Pulp Fiction” among others, which led to it working not only in the music industry in Hollywood, but now also the movie industry.
Subnormal first featured exclusive interviews with many of the world’s best bands and talent including; The Adicts, Alien Sex Fiend, Bauhaus, Peter Murphy, Love and Rockets, Tones on Tail, Concrete Blonde, The Damned, D.R.I., Dweezil Zappa, Jewel, Eleventh Dream Day, Plaid Cattle, Duncan Sheik, Madeleine Peyroux, The Cranberries, Violent Femmes, Fugazi, Orb, Orbital, Front Line Assembly, Bad Religion, Social Distortion, Deftones, Minor Threat, Martin Atkins (Nine Inch Nails, Public Image Limited), Front 242, Poe, Marilyn Manson, Death In June, Corpus Delicti, Three Witches, Mephisto Walz, Jawbox, Rozz Williams, Sleep Chamber, Live Skull, The Smashing Pumpkins, Killing Joke, Marion, Veruca Salt, Treponem Pal, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Swans, Ivy, TSOL, Sonic Youth, and many, many more.
Hanging out with everyone from Timothy Leary to Tiny Tim, and shaking hands with all from Julian Lennon to Johnny Rotten, it was often said of subnormal magazine, “We know it’s a great party, and a legendary night when subnormal is here.”
Subnormal magazine reached readers worldwide before the Internet, with its DIY (do it yourself) self-publishing and massive street team efforts established in many countries, as a brave and defiant voice for freedom and human rights. It was banned in numerous prisons for claims that it would “start a riot!”
It’s infamous “boycott list” was equally loved as well as hated by those who appeared on it.
Its music reviews were unabashedly brutal, ranging from gushing praise to ripping bands apart, including a few major label artists who telephoned the magazine demanding to speak with the critic, as mad as could be.
Subnormal also created and self-published numerous other spin-off fanzines and fliers that fans collected worldwide. It also created a distribution division for rare music, and magazines including “Industrial Nation,” “Permission,” and “Propaganda” to name a few, as well as concert / band gear, and chapbooks of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
The magazines own “subnormal productions” booked its infamous showcase party which featured bands Usherhouse, and an early version of kill hannah (in a jar UK) among more, which saw some of the fans of the magazine drive cross country for the subnormal showcase event that also brought fans rare and independent magazines and music from around the world.
Subnormal Productions took the magazine on the road twice nation-wide, touring with punk rock legend Dave Vanian of The Damned with his band Phantom Chords, playing NYC’s legendary club The Limelight among many other dates.
Subnormal Productions also booked and toured with members of underground legends Christian Death and Shadow Project among more. The magazine later revisited NYC, finding more heavy support with clubs including legendary punk rock club CBGB’s, among others. Its final hard copy publication debuted with a private party in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1999, and later in San Francisco, where it was a big hit on the old school Haight / Ashbury scene.
Subnormal returned to publishing online, later in the 2000’s, featuring a mini exclusive interview with David Lynch, and later in The Hollywood Sentinel with exclusive interviews with Noam Chomsky, Christian Death with Valor, A Fine Frenzy, and Nervo, among more.
Subnormal returned to the world once again starting in 2022, ready to raise hell and fight again to call for a swift and untimely end to all tyrants.
“subnormal magazine—”We’re not your safe space.”