Gene J. Stroner in an interview
November 23, 1995

>Q. I am studying publishing in Stuttgart/Germany and I would like to start
>my thesis about zines/e-zines. I am kind of far away from the place of
>the action and that's the reason why I need help from everybody out
>there. I am writing about zines from the publishing angle and I like to
>know some things:

>1) Why are you publishing zines?

  I began freeVerse in my last year of highschool for fun.  I was into 
creative writing but also had an interest in doing something like an 
underground magazine.  I got a few interesting poems and other little 
things written by myself and my friends and put it into a little 2 page 
'zine' using pagemaker 3 and a 386 laptop.  I printed it off on a portable 
bubblejet and then made about 30 copies.  Photocopies cost about 
7cents x two double sided pages x 30 copies.  I charged everyone 50 
cents for a copy.  Originally only those who wrote something were 
actually interested. I continued to do an issue each season, plus christmas
and valentines day.  Five issues in total.  With each issue we 
gained more help and more writers and fans.  We got up to about 150 
copies in one issue   We continued using  pagemaker but added clip art to the
proofs using good ol fashioned glue, whiteout and black markers.  
	We also made about 100 pens, embossed with the gold FV logo
Sold as souveneirs for $5. We had plans for mugs, t shirts, etc etc 
We made various posters, and stickers, and distributed those to fans.

	Why did we do it? Out of interest initially in writing and distributing 
it, also getting 'networked' with other writers.  Then it became an 
obsession with all the attention from fans.What inspired me? The opressive
attitude of the school and my enemies.  Mostly they were fearful of it's 
supressive ambiguity, and postmodern attitude towards life.  They didn't like
what they couldn't understand, because they were fearful of what it could 
really mean.  The magazine was based mostly on 'inside' jokes stories gossip
and poems.  We made sarcasm about almost anything, including the authorities
at the school.  So eventually they set us up for an 'inqusition'.  They 
demanded us to shut it down or put it under their control.  Initially they 
tried to coerce us into 'selling out' our fans by merging with the official
school paper, which was really pathetic.  It was our only, and lacking
competition.  Eventually for the last two issues of the year we were given 
a censor.  You can see how I eventually lost interest that year.

>- How much time do you spend on putting together everything till your
 zine is out?

	After all the writers got their stuff in, we had to type it up.  That 
was a few good hours of work.  I eventually got typers to do it for me.
Then I did layout.  My assistant editor worked with me.  We would 
ususally go all night.  Probably at least 12 hours or more of work just 
compiling everything into an issue.  and that's only for a 12 page issue!

	One note I should make is that of our editor.  Gene J. Stroner.  SHE is
a non-person.  A real celibrity at the school years later.  I picked the 
name at random.  Students still sign her name up for stuff as a joke. 
Kind of like "Kilroy was here".  We used pseudonames in the zine for it's 
underground appearance.  That's probably what made our enemies, becuase 
they had no control. Pseudos are a wonderful thing.  So is ambiguity.
The magazine overall really was a statement about life in the postmodern age.
We reflected our western culture in more ways than we realized at the 
time.  For all of us it was a very unserious very humourous joke, but at 
the same time there was a small significant grain of truth to it.  
It was freedom, in an oppressive environment.  We, really more other 'zines, 
had a real reason for creating the underground culture that we did.
	Since everyone graduated, the zine fell to the wayside, but everyone has 
tried to remain in contact.  It really has become a thing of nostalgia. 
Because of the distance seperating us all, and my access to the  internet, 
I continued on making more issues as text files.  freeVerse has 
become an E-zine.  Two advantages, it's free, it's easier to make, and we 
have access to a powerful distribution system.  From a small high school 
mag to a global sydicate, really.  One big disadvantage.  It lacks the fancy 
feel it used to have.  It's become cheapened.  On the net, words are a 
penny a million.  No more beautiful clip art or fancy fonts.