Posted on: October 29, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

While the previous two issues showed an upward trend in quality and interesting articles, this issue of Wonkavision just feels like a miss to me. We notice some color pages (8 to be exact) in this issue, but a total of seven do not have any content on them, either being ads for Wonkavision itself or for a number of larger punk labels. The issue was apparently delayed by the continual sicknesses of Justin, but nothing is really said about having a lack of material, my key problem with this issue. The columns are mainly hit or miss, detailing Bill Hicks (a definite hit), the experiences of someone going through college (miss!) and the albums to clear out a party (hit). The amount of reviews in this issue, while being extremely detailed, are the vast majority of content in the issue. Shuck those reviews away, and we are only left with 33 pages of material, slightly more than a third of the magazine. The poetry is pretty much the quality one can expect from an amateur section, but the major selling point of this issue really seems to be the cover piece – about the current state of hardcore music. Written by Andrew Parks, “Identity Crisis” details the rapid succession of major hardcore acts signing to majors, talentless hacks trying to make money, and how the musical genre has progressed from the days of Ten Yard Fight and Gorilla Biscuits. While the piece is long, it doesn’t cover in detail something that the cover alluded to – the various “softening” of traditional hardcore labels like Victory. I have seen the heights of the magazine, with the Homestar Runner issue (now sold out), but this is slightly weaker than before. I’m sure the next issue will be more of what individuals tend to expect from the magazine.

Rating : 6.0/10

Wonkavision #23 / $2.95 / Full-Sized / 92 Pages / http://www.wonkavisionmagazine.com / [email protected] / PO Box 63642, Philadelphia, PA 19147 / Released Winter 2003 / Reviewed 14 January 2004

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