Crowbar: Brixton Squatter insurrectionist type mag !New Society
Crowbar
Class War
Red Action
Fighting Talk
It's was quality. I kept all my back issues till some bastard lifted them from me while living in squatland.Xtra/Logo
The Paper For Arm Chair Terrorists !
The artwork on back page was spot on !It's was quality. I kept all my back issues till some bastard lifted them from me while living in squatland.
Mind you, you wouldn't get away with the "armchair terrorists" header these days.
Any knowledge who done the artwork illustrations for Xtra/Logo ?It's was quality. I kept all my back issues till some bastard lifted them from me while living in squatland.
Mind you, you wouldn't get away with the "armchair terrorists" header these days.
I seem to recall Haringey but it could have been Hackney. Before my time there... I moved to Haringey in 1986 and Hackney 1988. Dunno who did the artwork.The artwork on back page was spot on !
It had something to do with Hackney scene didn't it
I seem to recall Haringey but it could have been Hackney. Before my time there... I moved to Haringey in 1986 and Hackney 1988. Dunno who did the artwork.
Pulled my copies from the back of the 'difficult corner'. Hadn't looked at them for years and I've been having a good chuckle of appreciation.
First Xtra is 1979, last 1981 and the only issue of Logo I have looks like 1982. (Was there more than the one ?). So I think it's fairer to say it was produced in the context of the Islington/Stoke Newington scene of the late 70s to early 80s.
The people that produced it also started A Distribution and later were instrumental in starting the Book Fair. Can't remember the name of the artist (signed himself 'Black Currant'). Amongst other things he also did the art on the A3 Full Employment Funnies leaflet, a couple of versions of which were produced for different marches/demos.
Ought to think about scanning them I guess although they're a slightly awkward size.
Nice one.Some copies of Xtra! now on Libcom:
Xtra! The Paper for Armchair Terrorists
Complete online archive of Xtra! - an anarchist/autonomist newspaper published in North London from 1979 until 1982. Xtra's "Structureless Tyrants" included Simon Read (who infamously infiltrated the National Front's HQ Excalibur House in Shoreditch and became a key witness in the inquiry set up...libcom.org
Were there 10 issues, Lurdan ? There is a ref online somewhere saying the last one was 1982, not that this matters hugely.
Judged by the high standards set by people looking to exploit the opportunities provided by the bookfair I guess the 'ROW' was pretty weak beer. It's (marginal) interest for me in retrospect (aside from as a source of some amusement) was as one point at which the tensions between different strands of the scene at the end of 'long 68' expressed themselves, but that's more than a bit off topic.Lurdan That’s interesting ta. I’ve seen the Logo row alluded to a few times...
Anyone remember Workers Playtime? It was produced by some members of the old London Workers Group and was dead good. I had the full set but donated them to the Sparrows Nest archive.
FHM
Viz
Loaded
It is after all often kept on a high shelfI think Viz might have gone over your head.
Yeh but they have failed to exercise influence on you in any positive directionFHM
Viz
Loaded
Channeling the spirit of Playtime, Bette Davis springs to mind. "You should never say bad things about the dead, you should only say good …. Joan Crawford is dead. Good". Well, as I said, it's a matter of perspective, or lack of it. It's true to say that Playtime 'shaped my political thinking' lol.Anyone remember Workers Playtime? It was produced by some members of the old London Workers Group and was dead good.
For me it would be some of the UK underground press in the early 70s. Black Flag in the mid 70s. And then Fifth Estate in its 'Eat the Rich' gang years in the late 70s.
The latter, aside from its quality as a publication, had the advantage over the others that it was based on another continent, in Detroit, and thus there was little question of being distracted by any experience of the characters producing it. Distance does make heart and mind grow fonder IMO. Of course that's even more true regarding the stuff you churn out yourself, on which note
Channeling the spirit of Playtime, Bette Davis springs to mind. "You should never say bad things about the dead, you should only say good …. Joan Crawford is dead. Good". Well, as I said, it's a matter of perspective, or lack of it. It's true to say that Playtime 'shaped my political thinking' lol.
Crowbar was an anarchist paper centred on Brixton and was very funny and full on.
It encouraged direct action and gave advice and instructions on breaking into squats, fiddling the meters, making petrol bombs and how to use them, general tactics about fighting the police.
Many involved in it's production were very active and some were right up the front in 1985 and kicked off the Brixton riots of that year by attacking the police station with rocks and mollies.
i think everyone can agree that the best thing about libcom is the online libraryI've collected together all the online ones I could find here now:
Crowbar magazine
Partial online archive of Crowbar, an anarchist squatter magazine published in Brixton, South London in the 1980s.libcom.org
I know you hate Libcom, Top Cat, but if you want more adding I can scan them... .
Or you can just nick those for another online archive somewhere else innit...
i think everyone can agree that the best thing about libcom is the online library
i don't know, it's a very long time since i looked at any other part of the siteIsn't it pretty much the only thing about Libcom these days?
My political thinking was a result of growing up in poverty, seeing my parents work long hours and struggling to feed us.
Not from any newspapers or magazines.