80’s Zine Archive: Sad Mag #9

So I finally figured out who uses the A4 paper size. Lot’s of people in the UK, I’m sure, but hey, I never actually realized that until I went to scan in this issue of Sad Mag. The scans were all cut off, so I went back and noticed the pages fit nicely inside the “A4” markings on the scanner. Sad Mag is a zine from Shepshed, Leicestershire England. At least that’s where I think it is from. The mailing address is hard to read and I still don’t understand how the english system of addresses breaks down. This zine is actually a skateboarding and BMX zine! Who knew? I guess the scene over there was not segregated as much as it was/is here. They had Read and Destroy, which was a glossy skate/BMX mag that was actually respectable, especially as the BMX coverage dwindled. I guess we had Homeboy magazine here in the states too.

What’s with the guy on the cover? “Is he havin’ a laugh?“

Sad Mag: Issue 9, Winter 1987

Sad Mag was a like a lot of UK zines that I have seen from the era. They seemed to be more of an exercise in cutting an pasting from skate ads, tabloids and the UK equivalents of Mad magazine than they were about actual skateboarding items. There are actually some photos in this one. A lot of the UK zines seemed like they didn’t have any at all. The copy quality on my copy was pretty faint, I had to manipulate it a bunch and some of it is still illegible. The big crease make in the middle is due to the common practice of folding the zine in half and stuffing it into a regular size envelope. Maybe they were able to save on postage or something.

Date: Winter 1987
From: Shepshed, Leicestershire (U.K.)
Format: A4 (Hey that’s who uses that!) Folded and stapled
Type: typewritten, split Skateboard and BMX
Pages: 16

By: ?

Featuring: Andy Ruffel, Steve Scabellero. Terry Jenkins, Dave Young, The Stupids, Alferton Open (BMX contest), Talk about an upcoming contest called Holeshot (stoked that Hosoi, Grosso, Jesse, White, Wikerson, and Hoffman would be there.) A bunch of BMX guys.

Spots: Beeston Banks at Beeston Station car park , Leicster, Derby Skateboard Center, Lougborough University

Honorable Mentions: Zine reviews for “Lifes a Street” and “Crucial Mania.” Review of Thrashin. Discussion of crappy Bonite construction in Powell Peralta decks. Short spot reviews on tubeway map for South Bank, Meanwhile Gardens, Romford, London/Brixton, Fordham Park and Solid Surf.

Check out Sad Mag #9

UPDATE: Comment moved to the gallery now.