Youth scheme’s magazine

Press, 29 May 1985, Page 8

Youth scheme’s magazine

Something that is claimed to be “better than a poke in the eye with a wet fish” is expected to reach Christchurch bookshops next Monday.

“Rank and Vile: A Magazine for Gracious Living” has been produced by a group of five young people n Christchurch.

It was a humorous mixture of cartoons, written work, and mixed-media productions, said one of the group, Mr David Bimler. <

“We were not aiming to be topical or satirical,” he said.

“Instead we have tried to create something long-last-ing, by concentrating on timeless concerns such as suicidal depression, the eternal quest for enhanced consciousness and belly-button lint.” The group started working on the magazine late last year with a grant from the Internal Affairs Department, through the Youth Initiative Scheme. This paid

for chemicals, typesetting, and printing costs. Wages were paid by the Social Welfare Department, through the unemployment benefit.

The first print run will be 1000 copies, most of which will be distributed in Christchurch, with some going to Auckland.

If the group makes any profit it will be put back into a sequel. “All we are looking for is a bit of ego gratification. There might be enough in it

to shout the contributors a few jugs at the pub,” said Mr Bimler.

The group has not done any market research, and so is not sure how the magazine will go down with the reading public.

“We so seem to have a bit of an ironic outlook on the world that perhaps not everyone will share,” he said.

“Whether anyone is offended by the content depends on how easily people are offended.”