Flipside

#100 $2.50 (P.O. Box 60790, Pasadena, CA 91116)
by J. Lianna Ness

I’ve been reading Flipside since 1981 (their first issue came out on August 28, 1977), but back then, it was half the size and didn’t have a glossy cover. Judging from comments in the letters section, some readers feel the magazine has “sold out.” Flipside has grown older, but it hasn’t lost its edge. If anything, it’s become better. Because of the small font utilized in the layout, they’re able to fit much more information within the pages, covering just about everything. Contents include reviews of all types (bands, music, live shows, videos, books, and fanzines), regular columns, miscellaneous articles (in this issue, they bring up the old anti-government issue with a four-page diatribe appropriately titled “36 Reasons Why You Should Be Afraid of Your Government”), classified ads, poetry and, of course, interviews galore (the Shakes, Feedtime, The Vermin, Trailer Park Casanovas, The Joykiller, and Society Gone Madd). Color photographs, in addition to the usual black and white, are a nice progression. Since this is their Big #100 Issue, there’s an 8-page retrospective chronicling the magazine’s growth, including pictures of every single cover and a description of the bands profiled in each issue. Applause goes to the folks at Flipside for continuing to grow and expand, and put out an informative and noteworthy publication without losing their integrity or going “mainstream.” Happy Hundredth!