The premiere BMX zine, Aggro Rag Freestyle Mag, is back after a twenty-two-year hiatus. Mike Daily is back at the helm, and his deep connections in the world of old school flatland and rejuvenated love of Hip-hop are both evident here. This issue is basically an oral history of 1980s flatland freestyle BMX. It sports fifteen interviews with flatland’s finest, including Aaron Dull, Jim Johnson, Gary Pollak, Derek Schott, Gerry Smith, Marc McKee, Chris Day, and Dave Nourie, as well as current ripper Chad Johnston. There are also interviews with Dark Time Sunshine and Aesop Rock (the latter
—Roy Christopher, 24 August 2012
Marc Johnson commercial
Lakai’s creatives once again tinkle over 99% of US television ad creatives and demonstrate what the word “creative” means.
—Chris Noble, 09 August 2012
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THE IN SOUND FROM WAY OUT, PARTS 2 and 3
Lucas Badtke-Berkow has been exploring the world of the printed page in Japan for the past 16 years with his company Knee High Media, producing inspirational, independent and open-minded publications and consistently looking at things with new eyes and an infectious inquisitiveness of the world around him.
Starting with Tokion magazine (which featured 11 years ago in Level issue 05—that’s the ‘part 1’ of this story) Lucas and his company have remained absolutely true to their values while developing new and exceptional places, products, events and publications for themselves and others—and most importantly, for this one-island Earth.
Read the full story of the singular Knee High Media, linked below.
—Lee Basford, 21 January 2011
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LOVE CHILDREN
In 2001, Campbell Milligan emailed me asking what had happened to Level and for advice about starting a magazine of his own. Foolishly, he ignored my warnings, quit his job at Australia’s Waves magazine and, along with Chris Searl, planned to publish his dream magazine at the end of 2002. “She’s pretty much going to be along the same lines Level was with more of a surf skate snow kick”, he wrote in his next email. So if you’re looking at this site with a tear in your eye, mourning the death of print, heartbroken that Level’s only recourse for a return was electronic, you might find solace in the arms of Monster Children.
MC was openly inspired by Level but
—Chris Noble, 10 August 2009
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Since February 2007, Canadian-born Tyler Brûlé—the luminary who plastered the world with Wallpaper* magazine and the branding work of agency Winkreative—has been quietly pushing out Monocle, a grown-up magazine covering “global affairs, business, culture and design”. Brûlé‘s track record of aesthetically superior* production stays fast, as Monocle is equal parts eye- and brain-candy.
Pieces range from handy tips for failing countries to fashion pages—or you could turn to the pull-out manga-style comic in the back, featuring a heroic, ass-kicking Japanese / Scandinavian industrial designer. Of course.
—Chris Noble, 03 July 2009
Monocle also has stores in London, LA and Mallorca
*Though Level did beat Wallpaper* to the 1999 MDA
Larry Harmon started the fiercely independent Genetic Disorder zine in 1987. Larry is one of the underground’s great unsung wordsmiths, and GD is his main vehicle. Issue #19 is out right now, and it proves my hyperbole on its own. His detailed researching and reporting of the odd tales of SoCal are required reading for any self-respecting punk—as well as those just interested in a point of view you’re not likely to find anywhere else.
—Roy Christopher, 03 July 2009
Genetic Disorder, PO Box 15237, San Diego, CA 92175, USA
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