Permission (magazine)
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Permission was one of the largest
As the industrial and gothic scenes peaked in the US during the early and mid-nineties, Permission grew rapidly, putting out ten issues at the rate of about two or three per year. Before Permission, the pre-eminent goth magazine had been Propaganda; but its fan base began to stagnate just as Permission's began to grow. While Propaganda and its emulators (Ghastly, Carpe Noctem, Dark Angel, etc.) reflected a serious, almost dogmatic approach to goth, Permission took a more jumbled, even humorous approach. Though it was prone to slip into self-importance from time to time as well, regular features like "Why'd You Get Kicked Out of Denny's?" or "Science Geek" kept things light. Every issue had comics in the back, and readers were more likely to find a pin-up of a professional wrestler The Undertaker than gothic makeup tips.
Publishing in the days before the
Permission's music coverage in the '90s reads like a guide to industrial/goth, from
A compilation album released by Permission was titled "TV Terror: Felching A Dead Horse" and featured covers of television theme songs played by some of the darkest, loudest bands of the time. The album had the distinction of being the catalyst for the first use of the word "
The magazine's creator Jayson Elliot was busy in the goth industrial scene and often travelled to throw Permission parties or tours with bands. In 1994, he managed Procession, the "world gothic tour" featuring goth bands from four countries traveling around the United States. While turnout was heavy for the tour, a series of mishaps and conflicts left him soured on the scene. Moving the magazine to San Francisco in 1995, Permission continued to grow, though as its circulation increased, Jayson took the direction further and further from its punk/goth/industrial origins. By 1997, the magazine had reached its peak of popularity, with over forty thousand readers. Still, the strain of running the magazine and his disaffection with the scene led Jayson to cease publication in 2001.[1]
In 2004, Permission re-formed in New York City, again under Jayson Elliot's direction. The magazine re-launched with an entirely new focus and design, much like the Details magazine in the 1980s did, without referencing the past. Now a fashion and lifestyle magazine, Permission bills itself as "life + style for emerging artists", and focuses on up-and-comers in all the creative fields.
References
- ^ a b "Team Members › Special Guest › Jayson Elliot". Gary Con Newsletter. Archived from the original on 2017-05-16. Retrieved 13 April 2017.