# Slash (fanzine)

Slash was a punk rock-related fanzine published by Steve Samiof and Melanie Nissen in the United States from 1977 to 1980. The magazine was a large-format tabloid focused on the Los Angeles punk scene. The fanzine also gave birth to Slash Records, an important punk record label.

## Description

Slash regularly covered such L.A. bands as the Screamers, the Skulls, Nervous Gender, The Bags, and X. It did not restrict itself to local acts; its first cover featured Dave Vanian of the Damned. It also featured articles and reviews on reggae, blues, and rockabilly, in doing so, introduced punk audiences to a wide range of then-unfamiliar musical genres.
Writers Claude "Kickboy Face" Bessy, Craig Lee, Richard Meltzer, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Chris D., Allan MacDonell and Pleasant Gehman, and cartoonist Gary Panter were among the major contributors. Photo contributors included David Arnoff, Susan Carson, Kerry Colonna, Ed Colver, Diane Gamboa, Frank Gargani, Jenny Lens, Melanie Nissen, Donna Santisi, Ann Summa, Scott Lindgren, and coeditor Philomena Winstanley.

## Closing

Slash magazine folded in 1980, as many of the main principals involved were increasingly concentrating on other activities. Bob Biggs was more involved in running the label; many of the writers were concentrating on their own musical activities. In addition, there was a widespread perception that punk rock was dying, as movements such as post-punk, hardcore, and deathrock were emerging while many of the original Los Angeles punk bands (such as the Germs and the Weirdos) were breaking up, and in such a changing environment Slash had essentially served its purpose.

## Issues

| Volume | Issue | Date | Cover subject | Cover by | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | May 1977 | Dave Vanian (The Damned) | Photo by Melanie Nissen | |
| 1 | 2 | Jun 1977 | John Denney (The Weirdos) | Photo by Melanie Nissen | |
| 1 | 3 | Aug 1977 | Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols) | | |
| 1 | 4 | Sep 1977 | Kerry Colonna (live collage) | Photo by Philomena Winstanley | |
| 1 | 5 | Oct 1977 | Debbie Harry (Blondie) | | |
| 1 | 6 | Dec 1977 | Exene Cervenka (X) | | |
| 1 | 7 | Jan 1978 | Local Scene Makers | | |
| 1 | 8 | Feb 1978 | Poly Styrene (X-Ray Spex) | Photo by Virginia Turbett | |
| 1 | 9 | Apr 1978 | Bobby Pyn/Darby Crash | | |
| 1 | 10 | May 1978 | Alice Bag (Bags) | | |
| — | — | — | Collage of prior issue covers | | Unnumbered one-year anniversary issue. Free. No date or volume number. |
| 1 | 11 | Jul 1978 | Spazz Attack | | |
| 1 | 12 | Aug 1978 | The Screamers | Photo by Melanie Nissen | |
| 2 | 1 | Sep 1978 | Pete Tosh | | |
| 2 | 2 | Nov 1978 | Siouxsie & the Banshees | Photo by Stevenson | |
| 2 | 3 | Jan 1979 | | Drawing by John Van Hamersveld | |
| 2 | 4 | Mar 1979 | The Cramps | Photo by Melanie Nissen | |
| 2 | 5 | May 1979 | Rasta | Illustration by Rick Monzon | |
| 2 | 6 | Jun 1979 | The Alleycats | Photo by Melanie Nissen | |
| 2 | 7 | Aug 1979 | "Jimbo" | Drawing by Gary Panter | |
| 2 | 8 | Sep 1979 | David Thomas (Pere Ubu) | Photo by Melanie Nissen | |
| 2 | 9 | Oct 1979 | Su Tissue (Suburban Lawns) | Illustration by Mark Vallen | |
| 2 | 10 | Nov 1979 | David Byrne (Talking Heads) | Photo by Kerry Colonna | |
| 2 | 11 | Dec 1979 | James Chance | Illustration by Mike Fink | |
| 3 | 1 | Jan/Feb 1980 | Lee Ving (Fear) | | |
| 3 | 2 | Mar 1980 | Winston Rodney (Burning Spear) | Photo by Scott Lindgren | |
| 3 | 3 | Apr 1980 | Malcolm McLaren and Johnny Rotten | Illustration by Bob Biggs | |
| 3 | 4 | May 1980 | Johanna Went | Photo by Scott Lindgren | |
| 3 | 5 | Summer 1980 | Hardcore punk | Illustration by Mark Vallen | Final issue |