Angry Left WIng Mofo

history graphic
Or "How Not To Run A Fanzine"

By Conor Duffy

OK, let's talk about the history of Angry Left Wing Mofo. I suppose it would be best to begin with an explanation as to why exactly I started the fanzine. Simple really: I was bored. I'd like there to be more to it, but at the heart of it was an intense boredom. I had decided to take a year out after scraping through my final exams at secondary school. Unfortunately, I lived in the middle of nowhere and any grand plans I had sadly fell through, due to a lack of confidence and money. So I was stuck in the country, far away from anyone. Getting into Minor Threat at that time didn't help my mood.

At the same time, I became interested in fanzines and considered the possibility of starting my own. I noticed that while there were a wealth of popular fanzines in the USA and UK, we were seriously lacking the same here in Ireland. I was becoming a political little fecker, and that, coupled with a desire to find music of a more underground variety, got me going.

I didn't want to do it on my own, though. Fighting my impressively large id, in February 2003 I took advantage of classifieds and Teletext, requesting writers for this new fanzine. The response was pretty good, and soon there were about half a dozen people all wanting to write articles or send demos. Things were going pretty well, and though progress was slow, we eventually completed the first issue of Angry Left Wing Mofo some time around April. I was really proud of this little thing that I put together the old fashioned way, on a typewriter, leaving gaps for pictures that I glued on afterwards. Of those pictures, the one that always springs to mind is the dead blackbird I put on the cover, representing the death of democracy. I had to get pretty damn close to that blackbird, and it was the inspiration for the dead bird logo that would be used later (so there, I wasn't just ripping off Atticus.) I felt a great sense of achievement, and I was sure that the Irish public, sorely lacking in totally independent media, would take the fanzine to their hearts. I got that first issue properly copied - I was happy to go through the struggle of getting 100 copies home on the bus.

Unfortunately those 100 copies didn't get much further than my room. I didn't know why people weren't interested. That apathy, and the fact that the post office didn't know what the fuck Angry Left Wing Mofo was, meant that we probably sold no more than 10 or 15 copies. Eventually I ended up giving some away, hoping that it might result in a few more sales for issue 2.

Issue 2 came out near the end of the summer, if I remember correctly. Looking back, it was probably our best issue. There were some excellent articles in it, and I started showing my unhealthy interest in the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. I thought that perhaps people were wary of this new fanzine, but seeing issue 2 might make them feel a little safer about sending 2 Euros my way. I played things a little safer this time, getting my ever-understanding mother to run off a few dozen copies at work. I either owe her a great debt of gratitude or I can dump most of the blame on her, depending on how you look at it, as all that free copying got us to five issues.

That September I began my course in Applied Cultural Studies at Dundalk Institute of Technology. You'd be surprised how many props you get for saying you write a fanzine. Issue 3, however, proved that that props did not equal sales. I think I was trying too hard to make the fanzine out to be something cool and rebellious, and people weren't falling for it. At the same time, I was finding it very hard to publicise the 'zine, what with that pesky fear of rejection and humiliation. I did finally get round to making a website for the 'zine, which, while not increasing sales very much, did give me something to do, as well as a place to put any excess articles and reviews. Actually, if you're new to this place and you think the website looks pretty basic now, you should've seen what we used to look like. It was definitely a beginner's website.

Still, it was the first step to a more professional-looking fanzine. Horror of horrors, I typed up issue 4 on a computer. I was getting pretty tired of the gluing, the typing of articles I had to print off a PC anyway, and the sickening Tipp-Ex smell when I made yet another mistake. Issue 4 saw me getting more to grips with acting like a proper critic, something I'm not actually very comfortable doing (I want to give anyone brave enough to send complete strangers their work the benefit of the doubt.) But when I look back on it, it really was our weakest issue. As much as I like the guys in W@, I really should have split their interview in two or just cut it down. I also included the manifesto of the Natural Balance and Minimalist Enviornmental Intervention Movement, and as much as I respect the views of that group's members, I now regret letting the fanzine get so attached to the organisation. If you take a look at the "Articles" section, you'll notice the pieces promoting the NBMEIM are no longer there.

Truth be told, I was starting to get a bit fed up with it all. I was becoming more preoccupied with college and all that entailed, and I just wasn't as interested as I used to be. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret starting Angry Left Wing Mofo for a second. It introduced me to people and music I would never have known about otherwise, and for that I'm thankful. It also helped keep me sane, even when it was driving me round the bend. But I knew when to call it quits. I tried to deny it, but changing the name of the 'zine to Angry Left Wing Mofo Is Dead on issue 5 said it all. At least we went out on a creative high, and I got to hear Isobel Heyworth before shutting things down.

Actually, it took me a few months before I was finally willing to let go and announced that the bird was indeed dead. In an article uploaded onto the website I lamented the loss of thrilracer's The Easy Way 'zine, before letting the world, and more importantly my fellow writers, know of the fanzine's demise. That was early 2005, which means we lasted almost two years.

Wow, two years. I never really considered that I worked on Angry Left Wing Mofo for that length of time. And now I'm giving it another go, albeit in electronic form. Am I optimistic? Well, the site got a few hundred hits over the last year and a half, so I guess more people have seen the website than read the fanzine, and I wouldn't mind if a few hundred was all we got over the next year. That's all I wanted back at the beginning of 2003, and if some of those people read an article they enjoy or find a great new band because of a review I'll be more than happy with that. Perhaps the bird isn't dead yet, perhaps it's just saving up all that strength to really fly.

- Conor Duffy, 22 June 2005

	Or "How Not To Run A Fanzine" By Conor Duffy OK, let's talk about the history of Angry Left Wing Mofo. I suppose it would be best to begin with an explanation as to why exactly I started the fanzine. Simple really: I was bored. I'd like there to be more to it, but at the heart of it was an intense boredom. I had decided to take a year out after scraping through my final exams at secondary school. Unfortunately, I lived in the middle of nowhere and any grand plans I had sadly fell through, due to a lack of confidence and money. So I was stuck in the country, far away from anyone. Getting into Minor Threat at that time didn't help my mood. At the same time, I became interested in fanzines and considered the possibility of starting my own. I noticed that while there were a wealth of popular fanzines in the USA and UK, we were seriously lacking the same here in Ireland. I was becoming a political little fecker, and that, coupled with a desire to find music of a more underground variety, got me going. I didn't want to do it on my own, though. Fighting my impressively large id, in February 2003 I took advantage of classifieds and Teletext, requesting writers for this new fanzine. The response was pretty good, and soon there were about half a dozen people all wanting to write articles or send demos. Things were going pretty well, and though progress was slow, we eventually completed the first issue of Angry Left Wing Mofo some time around April. I was really proud of this little thing that I put together the old fashioned way, on a typewriter, leaving gaps for pictures that I glued on afterwards. Of those pictures, the one that always springs to mind is the dead blackbird I put on the cover, representing the death of democracy. I had to get pretty damn close to that blackbird, and it was the inspiration for the dead bird logo that would be used later (so there, I wasn't just ripping off Atticus.) I felt a great sense of achievement, and I was sure that the Irish public, sorely lacking in totally independent media, would take the fanzine to their hearts. I got that first issue properly copied - I was happy to go through the struggle of getting 100 copies home on the bus. Unfortunately those 100 copies didn't get much further than my room. I didn't know why people weren't interested. That apathy, and the fact that the post office didn't know what the fuck Angry Left Wing Mofo was, meant that we probably sold no more than 10 or 15 copies. Eventually I ended up giving some away, hoping that it might result in a few more sales for issue 2. Issue 2 came out near the end of the summer, if I remember correctly. Looking back, it was probably our best issue. There were some excellent articles in it, and I started showing my unhealthy interest in the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. I thought that perhaps people were wary of this new fanzine, but seeing issue 2 might make them feel a little safer about sending 2 Euros my way. I played things a little safer this time, getting my ever-understanding mother to run off a few dozen copies at work. I either owe her a great debt of gratitude or I can dump most of the blame on her, depending on how you look at it, as all that free copying got us to five issues. That September I began my course in Applied Cultural Studies at Dundalk Institute of Technology. You'd be surprised how many props you get for saying you write a fanzine. Issue 3, however, proved that that props did not equal sales. I think I was trying too hard to make the fanzine out to be something cool and rebellious, and people weren't falling for it. At the same time, I was finding it very hard to publicise the 'zine, what with that pesky fear of rejection and humiliation. I did finally get round to making a website for the 'zine, which, while not increasing sales very much, did give me something to do, as well as a place to put any excess articles and reviews. Actually, if you're new to this place and you think the website looks pretty basic now, you should've seen what we used to look like. It was definitely a beginner's website. Still, it was the first step to a more professional-looking fanzine. Horror of horrors, I typed up issue 4 on a computer. I was getting pretty tired of the gluing, the typing of articles I had to print off a PC anyway, and the sickening Tipp-Ex smell when I made yet another mistake. Issue 4 saw me getting more to grips with acting like a proper critic, something I'm not actually very comfortable doing (I want to give anyone brave enough to send complete strangers their work the benefit of the doubt.) But when I look back on it, it really was our weakest issue. As much as I like the guys in W@, I really should have split their interview in two or just cut it down. I also included the manifesto of the Natural Balance and Minimalist Enviornmental Intervention Movement, and as much as I respect the views of that group's members, I now regret letting the fanzine get so attached to the organisation. If you take a look at the "Articles" section, you'll notice the pieces promoting the NBMEIM are no longer there. Truth be told, I was starting to get a bit fed up with it all. I was becoming more preoccupied with college and all that entailed, and I just wasn't as interested as I used to be. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret starting Angry Left Wing Mofo for a second. It introduced me to people and music I would never have known about otherwise, and for that I'm thankful. It also helped keep me sane, even when it was driving me round the bend. But I knew when to call it quits. I tried to deny it, but changing the name of the 'zine to Angry Left Wing Mofo Is Dead on issue 5 said it all. At least we went out on a creative high, and I got to hear Isobel Heyworth before shutting things down. Actually, it took me a few months before I was finally willing to let go and announced that the bird was indeed dead. In an article uploaded onto the website I lamented the loss of thrilracer's The Easy Way 'zine, before letting the world, and more importantly my fellow writers, know of the fanzine's demise. That was early 2005, which means we lasted almost two years. Wow, two years. I never really considered that I worked on Angry Left Wing Mofo for that length of time. And now I'm giving it another go, albeit in electronic form. Am I optimistic? Well, the site got a few hundred hits over the last year and a half, so I guess more people have seen the website than read the fanzine, and I wouldn't mind if a few hundred was all we got over the next year. That's all I wanted back at the beginning of 2003, and if some of those people read an article they enjoy or find a great new band because of a review I'll be more than happy with that. Perhaps the bird isn't dead yet, perhaps it's just saving up all that strength to really fly. - Conor Duffy, 22 June 2005