 Jeremy Braddock, VerbivoreAge: 28 Selection: "The Verbivore JFK Assassination
Diorama," by Jeremy and Miguel Echegaray (page 14) Recent reviews (from Crank):
"Filled with well-written, poignant articles covering everything
from political struggle to pop culture oddballs, this is a damn-near
perfect zine." Sample: $3 from 2131 St. Albans St., Philadelphia,
PA 19146 (checks: Jeremy Braddock)
When did you launch your zine? What inspired you to do so?
 The first issue of Verbivore
came out in the summer of 1994. I'd been inspired by zines like
Mudflap, Pawholes and (of course)
Cometbus. It was really exciting to
see the "hell yes, I can do it myself—and better!"
vibe of punk catching fire in the scene of writing. When I saw
Gearhead, I was so taken by its angle (punk rock and hot rods)
that I more or less began thinking about grafting that idea onto
things I was interested in (food and popular culture). I met
Mike LaVella of Gearhead at a party in SF a little bit later,
and he told me how he started out, and I took it from there.Why publish a zine?
More than anything, it's out
of nervous energy. I also figured that I knew a lot of people
who were great writers with interesting ideas, most of whom would
have to wait far too long to see those ideas in print. It sounds
pompous, but I hoped Verbivore might be a kind of proactive strike! What can you tell us about the selection you provided for
"The Book of Zines"?
I hope that the piece is more
or less self-explanatory. This exercise will make more sense
to anyone who's had the chance to wander around Dealey Plaza
and been accosted by people selling you newsletters, books and,
above all, their opinions. The assassination is only interesting
as long as no one believes that the truth can ever be known.
What's really interesting is what we and everyone else brings
to it. That also sounds pompous, so just ignore that and enjoy
the piece, for Pete's sake! Have you published any other zines?
This is it so far. Any general tips for aspiring zinesters?
Just the usual. Don't aim
to high at first. Keep your costs low, stand up to people who
might be taking advantage of you. It's good to have a clear idea
about WHY you want to do your zine (because when you find out
how much damn work it turns out to be, you'll have to keep reminding
yourself of this!). Also, getting in touch with other zine publishers
is fantastically helpful. What's your favorite part of doing a zine?
I love hearing from people
who have read Verbivore, telling me what they liked and hated.
It really makes you feel like you're communicating, which is
the whole point. In my other life, I'm a:
Surf music enthusiast, tall
order cook, sometime Schlitz drinker, degraded temp worker and
student. The Kennedy Assassination
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