My Comrade
Encyclopedia
My Comrade is a queer
underground
magazine
published and edited by Linda/Les Simpson, a drag queen
from New York City
. It was published between 1987 and 1994, and came back recently in 2004.
: a group of black and white photocopies stapled together. Over that period, 10 issues were published, and its success allowed it to continually grow in format and content.
The publication self-proclaimed itself the “court jester
of the queer press;” it opted for a camp
approach to gay lifestyle, talking ironically
about popular culture
, and parody
ing other types of magazines. The publication also acted as a showcase for photographers, illustrators, and writers of the queer subculture
. It was very popular among the underground queer scene of New York City, and is still considered by many a great embodiment of Manhattan
Lower East Side
’s and East Village
’s LGBT culture
of the period.
stars like Austin Scarlett
, along with drag queens, burlesque
performers, and artists.
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
underground
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
published and edited by Linda/Les Simpson, a drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was published between 1987 and 1994, and came back recently in 2004.
From 1987 to 1994
In 1987, Les Simpson (also a contributor to Time Out New York) started to publish My Comrade, using his alter-ego Linda Simpson, a drag queen involved in New York City’s gay nightlife, as editor. The original format was that of a zineZine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
: a group of black and white photocopies stapled together. Over that period, 10 issues were published, and its success allowed it to continually grow in format and content.
The publication self-proclaimed itself the “court jester
Court jester
A jester, joker, jokester, fool, wit-cracker, prankster, or buffoon was a person employed to tell jokes and provide general entertainment, typically for a European monarch. Jesters are stereotypically thought to have worn brightly colored clothes and eccentric hats in a motley pattern...
of the queer press;” it opted for a camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
approach to gay lifestyle, talking ironically
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
about popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, and parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
ing other types of magazines. The publication also acted as a showcase for photographers, illustrators, and writers of the queer subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
. It was very popular among the underground queer scene of New York City, and is still considered by many a great embodiment of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
’s and East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
’s LGBT culture
Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures
Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures are subcultures and communities composed of persons who have shared experiences, background, or interests due to a common sexual or gender identity. Among the first to argue that members of sexual minorities can constitute cultural minorities as well as...
of the period.
Since 2004
After a 10 year hiatus, Linda/Les Simpson decided to come back with the magazine in the fall of 2004. The gay press, especially in New York City, expressed its contentment with the publication’s comeback, and the new issue received excellent reviews. The second issue of the 21st century, released in spring 2006 featured the first color cover in My Comrade’s history. The magazine’s format thus evolved to resemble more to other popular magazines, though its inside design kept the “zine” aesthetic of the past issues. The content also kept with the humorous tone of the previous series. It features funny stories and reportage, as well as profiles of a broad range of personalities, from local go-go dancers to widely known reality televisionReality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
stars like Austin Scarlett
Austin Scarlett
Austin Scarlett is an American fashion designer and artist most popularly known for his appearance the first season of Project Runway and his recent series, On the Road with Austin and Santino.-Early life and education:...
, along with drag queens, burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
performers, and artists.
External links
- My Comrades official website
- http://www.myspace.com/mycomradeMy Comrades MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
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