STRAIGHT FROM THE INFERNAL WASTELAND Talk by Mark Simmonds

STRAIGHT FROM THE INFERNAL WASTELAND
Talk by Mark Simmonds
Thursday, 17 January, 7.00 pm

In April 1987 Jeffrey A. VanderClute wrote “Metal Meltdown needs you!” – in April 2011, a motley crew of graphic design students responded.

Metal Meltdown was the title of a metal zine produced in Maryland, USA, by Jeffrey A. VanderClute. Aside from merely being a strange and quirky piece of graphic design, Metal Meltdown was taken very seriously by its original author-editor, who when in zine-writing mode summoned his alter-ego, the sick and twisted KLUKE, to write reviews and spread the sound, smell and word of metal.

Mark Simmonds discovered Volume I of Metal Meltdown at a New York zine stall in late 2010 and organised a gathering to coincide with the 24th anniversary of Volume I of Metal Meltdown, set in the basement of Werkplaats Typografie, Arnhem. The aim of this memorable night was simple – to attempt to answer Jeffrey’s request for contributions. Although 24 years late, these new contributions were sent to the P.O. BOX address mentioned in the magazine. Surprisingly enough, the KLUKE replied: “You had a 24th anniversary party for METAL MELTDOWN and you forgot to invite the eDICKtor-in-chief?!”.

Through photographs, tunes, readings and recollections, Mark will now tell the story of that fateful night in Arnhem, of binge, purge and Jeffrey A. VanderClute, its aftermath and what the resulting correspondence tells of zine-making culture, or self-publishing in general.