Bad Newz #14 (New York City)

This might be the last issue of Bob Z's Bad Newz punkzine that I have buried away in the vaults. I would be remiss if, over all of these reviews, I didn't mention the overall quality of writing to be found in Bad Newz. Bob Z was a decent punk-poet and some of his free verse was reminiscent of Bukowski in its street-smart style. Bob could write pretty well when he had a lot of passion for the subject, and his band interviews were generally entertaining. Although almost always presented in a Q&A format – not my favorite style – Bob always tried to coax something interesting out of otherwise less-than-glib subjects. Other Bad Newz scribes, like longtime supporter Chris Caggiano or frequent contributor Holly Day, wrote decent-to-great copy, and the zine would regularly publish the works of the usual suspects from the underground, writers like Feral Faun and Mike Gunderloy.

Issue #14 of Bad Newz includes an interview with the phenomenal underground musician Eugene Chadbourne, as well as conversations with Alien Sex Fiend and hardcore punk legends Murphy's Law. Articles include "A History of Scum Rock," "Touring Europe: One Person's Experience" and "The War On Drugs: A Kinder, Gentler Vietnam." Of course, there is the usual glut of live show reviews, album and zine reviews, poetry and fiction, and "Twisted Image" cartoons by Ace Backwards. A lot of folks consider Maximum Rock 'N' Roll, Flipside or Punk Planet to be the best punkzines ever published, and they each have a unique voice and loyal following. But in its day, Bad Newz walked the walk and talked the talk, Bob Z and crew refusing to get too slick, too lethargic, or too far removed from the street.

(Click on cover thumbnail to see larger picture)

VITAL STATISTICS:
• Issue #14
• Spring 1990
• B&W, 66-pages (including red-colored covers)
• Style: punkzine

ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS
Eugene Chadbourne
Alien Sex Fiend
Murphy's Law
Carrion Dog
"The History of Scum Rock"
"Touring Europe: One Person's Experience"
"The War On Drugs: A Kinder, Gentler Vietnam"
"Twisted Image" cartoons by Ace Backwards
--> also live show reviews, album & zine reviews