Jeff Koyen, Crank

Age: 28

Selection:"Like a Hole in Your Head" (page 38)

Recent reviews: (from the Philadelphia Inquirer): "If you don't like the f-word, Crank isn't for you. Crank is irreverent, foaming-at-the-mouth angry in places, and poignant, or blackly funny, in others. It's like nothing you've ever seen."

Sample: No longer available.

When did you launch your zine? What inspired you to do so?

The idea of Crank was born in late 1993; first issue appeared in March, 1994. I began self-publishing as an outlet for writing without the burden of formal freelance procedures. Basically, I didn't feel like querying editors, and I felt it would just be easier to create the zine and then let the audience form around it, rather than finding the publications which were appropriate.

Why publish a zine?
Control. I trust myself more anyone else.

Have you published any other zines?
I co-edited and designed a magazine called Hollywood Highball, which was a spoof of men's stag magazines from the 50's. It was one of the finer attempts at lampooning and exploiting the Swank Man craze (as pioneered by Feral House's "Cad").

Any general tips for aspiring zinesters?
Read a lot of zines before you start your own. You'll suddenly discover that you were about to publish something that's already been done before a million times. And avoid trendy gags (the current one being witty haikus).

What's your favorite part of doing a zine?
When someone gets the joke.

In my other life, I'm a:
Freelance Mac monkey.

Fan Mail
Trepan.com
Adventures in the E-Zine Trade

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