From Issue 4.2 - Summer 1998
I write with considerable mixed feelings as we publish what will likely be the last hardcopy edition of Cuir Underground. Editing CU has been a great opportunity to connect with the leather/SM community, learn about interesting organizations and events, and work with some wonderful writers and photographers.
The demise of the hardcopy CU can be attributed to the same factors that lead to the downfall of so many volunteer projects: lack of time and lack of money. The editorial staff of CU is essentially a creative bunch of people. We love writing, editing, covering events, reviewing books, and doing artistic layout. Unfortunately, we don't much like selling ads, doing mailings, physically distributing the paper, or handling finances and, unfortunately, sometimes these things got done poorly or not at all.
This issue reflects what we've always wanted CU to be. It contains in-depth articles by and interviews with interesting people, and was done over an extended period of time so we could ensure that we got the content we wanted before we sent the paper to press. Unfortunately for us, this type of extensive content and lax schedule is not possible if we organize production around advertising, and without ads, we can't afford to publish the paper.
We will not be going away entirely. CU will still produce a web version, including our extensive list of leather/SM-related links and our calendar of events (updated weekly). Additional features, news, reviews, fiction, and other content will be posted whenever we have something interesting to add, rather than on a regular schedule. It's even possible that you'll be seeing special theme issue or other projects in the future.
Please continue to send us material, including news, review copies and
events listings. We will no longer maintain our AOL address; all
e-mail should be sent to (we
prefer to receive material by e-mail if possible). Our new postal
address is 584 Castro Street #272, SF, CA 94114.
Many thanks to our loyal readers and supporters. It has been a great 3
and a half years, and we could not have done it without you. I hope
we'll be seeing you in Cyberspace!
--Liz Highleyman, Editrix
Yes, this is the last print issue of Cuir Underground -- but not a sad
event. Actually, it's with much relief that we decided to discontinue
printing. We'll continue to maintain the webpages, , but the cost and
hassle of running a 'zine while working regular fulltime jobs was too
much.
When the first issue of Cuir Underground came out at the
Folsom Street Fair (September) of 1994, it was with high hopes that it
could become a profitable self-sustaining magazine dedicated to
informing and bringing together the Bay Area kinky communities.
At that time printing costs were around $300! Because of a world-wide
paper shortage, and increased print run, costs have quadrupled. At the
same time, kink-oriented businesses have an increasing number of
options for their advertising dollars -- and the time investment it
takes to get those dollars is, unfortunately, more work than it's
worth for small publications like CU.
Why didn't we just charge a cover price? Well, CU was started with
the principle of being freely distributed, since most other magazines
and information resources about SM cost a pretty penny. Plus, it takes
at least several thousand dollars (that we didn't have) to launch a
store-bought 'zine, since you have to front the publication costs for
3-6 months before being paid by distributors, who are infamously flaky
in the small 'zine business.
These fiscal reasons, along with the predictable burnout factors and
my own changing interests, led to the decision not to continue
printing Cuir Underground. However we're quite excited about
continuing it as an online endeavor, and I'm hoping that the time
saved by not designing, laying out & pasting up print boards will
allow me to spiff up the website! So please check it out.
We're still very proud of what Cuir Underground was (and harbor great
resentments against those shoddy sex zines that actually make
money!). Since its inception it covered controversial issues like Nazi
role-play, regulation of local sex clubs, sex-writer Dan Savage, and
now, satanic sadomasochism. We published brilliant, important writers
like Pat Califia, Gayle Rubin, David Aaron Clark, Carol Queen, Thomas
S. Roche and many more. We featured ground-breaking artwork by artists
such as Eric Kroll, John Abrahamson, Michael Manning, and Mark
I. Chester. We were supported by kink-community artists like Tala
Brandeis, Dawn Lewis, Darlene Wiede, Fish, and many more. We regularly
reported on community events from title contests to conferences.
We hosted a celebratory birthday party at the late Trocadero, an
inspiring reading at 848 Divisadero, and a fabulously fun Black Mass
sex party (we may have to do more of these!). Both businesses and SM
groups, as well as hundreds of individuals in various sex radical
communities, supported us financially, socially and spiritually. We
had inquiries from as far away as Finland! To all of you, we owe a
heartfelt "Thanks!"
Special thanks are due to those of you who volunteered and helped out
far above any expectations: Bertha Markowicz, Liz
Highleyman, Anna Bergman, Fish, Drew Campbell, Bernice Ferrer, Joshua
James Keels, Kris Hill Tax Service, Anne Williams, Lady Green, Dawn
Lewis, Wendell Ricketts, Dr. Beth, Unicorn Escobedo, Sally H., Karen
K., Scooter, Midori, Michael Manning, Mr. Marcus, Rebecca Harris,
Dhalgren 13, Sister Roma, David Cabral, Ken and Theresa, Drew, Jim
Rossen, and many more, as well as our founding supporters Sarah
Lashes, Pat Califia and Gina M. Gatta. We'd also like to thank our
financial supporters: our 40-or-so subscribers, Body Manipulations,
Leather Etc, Stormy Leather, Eros, Good Vibraitions, Castlebar, House
of Differences, PostFundamentalist Press, Black & Blue Tattoo, William
A. Henkin, Passionflower, Power Exchange, Black Stallion Inn, The
Black House, Stompers, Dark Garden, Panther Leathers, Something Fishy,
Fashion Fantasy, LeatherWercs, TLC Electrolysis, and others.
If you're an advertiser or subscriber who believes that we owe you,
please write to us and we'll do our best to honor our contracts,
either with a refund or through our website or another publication.
Kiki "Line 'em up" Scar, Founder, Design and Layout
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