Generation Exploitation

One of my new fave zines is Generation Exploitation (pictured left), which covers the world of unusual films and forgotten vinyl records. Any publication that devotes a scholarly tome to "The Sexual Undertones of Don Knotts Films" or puts teeny-tiny thespian wife-beater Herve Villechaize on its cover with the headline "His picture sells magazines" is pure genius in my book; I only wish I had heard about this zine in time to buy the now sold out first issue, with its review of "The Christian Action Films of Erik Estrada." Generation Exploitation, as well as its more mainstream sister zine Classick Film Journal, is written by a Vancouver Canuck cinephile with great taste named Kliph Nesteroff, who just happens to live around the corner from another Vancouver Canuck cinephile with great taste, Robin Bougie - who just happens to publish my other fave zine, Cinema Sewer (and who recently put out the insane-looking Retard-o-tron Video Mixtape, the latest in a line of the now blossoming video comp. tape genre - like the popular TV Carnage and Lost and Found Video series - which can trace their roots way back to Scott Huffines' Videoscramble brainchild). Who woulda figgered? And who, for that matter, woulda figgered that both Generation Exploitation and Cinema Sewer sell better in culturally-deprived Baltimore than in such big hipster Meccas as New York, L.A. or Chicago? But they do, according to Kliph and Robin. When I e-mailed them to tell them how much I enjoyed their work, they said they routinely sell out issues here. (Baltimorons can pick up these zines up from the fine folks at Atomic Books.)

Kliph Notes
Anyway, according to the bio provided by Ultra 8 Pictures, Kliph Nesteroff is also "a comedy writer with close to seven years of stand-up experience under his belt. He works for the CBC Radio One program "GO" as the resident expert on weird and unusual vinyl LPs. As a stand up, he gained a cult following in Canada under the pseudonym Shecky Grey, and as Kliph Nesteroff gained a following as a sarcastic spoken word performer."

The Generation Exploitation Blog
Kliph also has a cool blog, which I highly recommend that you sign up for. Just go to Kliph's MySpace page and click on the "Subscribe to this Blog" link.

His most recent blog is Spire Christian Comics or Why Archie Never Got Inside Veronica's Quivering Quim and it's a wonderful trip down Memory Lane. I remember seeing the Christian Archie comics in the late 70s and even used one as a flier for my old punk band Thee Katatonix. I remember being confused at first, because I wondered why Jughead and Arch were in India talking in parables and trying to convert Hindus to Christianity instead of chasing skirts at Riverdale High. And no wonder - they were drawn by the same artist, Al Hartley, who, before becoming a Born Again at Spire in the 70s was on the staff of the secular Archie comics. Before that Hartley worked at Marvel Comics in the 60s drawing girl comics with titles like Patsy Walker: The Prettiest Gal in Town!, Patty Powers, Sherry the Showgirl, and Linda Carter: Student Nurse. He even had a racy period in which he drew the adult-themed The Adventures of Pussycat comic, which Kliph Nesteroff argues exerted an obvious influence on Playboy's Little Annie Fanny comic strip.

Anyway, it's a great blog article and Nesteroff even ties in his Al Hartley profile with Generation Exploitation's premiere issue. Seems Hartley drew the comic adaptation of David Wilkerson's book The Cross and the Switchblade, which in 1970 was made into a Christian exploitation movie starring Pat Boone and first-time actor - and Generation Exploitation Issue #1 cover boy - Erik Estrada! According to an Erik Estrada biography, The Cross and the Switchblade is still shown in roughly 500 youth centers every week! Hartley's great cover is shown at right. Great research Mr. Nesteroff and a great blog! Check it out!

Zine Links:

Atomic Books carries the following great shit:

Generation Exploitation
Classick Film Journal
Cinema Sewer
Retard-o-tron Video Mixtape DVD

Christian Comics Links:

Spire Christian Comics
Mile High Comics' Guide to Christian Spire Comics
Wikepedia's Spire Christian Comics Entry
Al Hartley Bio (Christian Comics International)