Orbit Magazine
Encyclopedia
Orbit Magazine was a Detroit-area publication that billed itself as "an alt newsweekly, with neither news or a weekly schedule."
, known as Jerry Vile, co-editor of White Noise Magazine and the oft-costumed singer for the band the Boners.
Orbit launched in August 1990 as a free fortnightly publication, but switched to a stapled and trimmed monthly publication schedule in 1993. A mix of irreverent feature stories, arts and entertainment reviews, local listings, and comics, Orbit was lauded for its cutting-edge design but often ran afoul of various Detroit-area media figures and business establishments for its gleefully impertinent—at times bordering on vicious—editorial tone. Orbit’s long list of editors included Doug Dearth from Fun, the late Matt Beer (formerly Monthly Detroit and Detroit News
gossip columnist
), Dave Merline (formerly of Motorbooty), Scott Sterling (who went on to be editor of Urb), and Jeremy Harvey, who pulled off some of the publications greatest pranks such as disfiguring his genitals with special effect
s make-up and visiting a nudist camp and operating the World’s Worst Garage Sale, where unsuspecting shoppers were subjected to overpriced and completely undesirable items (such as a suspiciously stained mattress or single sock with holes) in a filthy environ.
Among the glut of free local papers, Orbit earned national attention for its clean layout, sense of humor
and striking graphic covers. Every year, Orbit's Anniversary Cover issue featured Jerry Peterson's nephew as he grew up from birth onward. Master photographer Gene Kruger photographed years one through four. Orbit's cover five was photographed by esteemed photographer Stacy Wootten. Issues after that remained murky as to who photographed the Anniversary Cover, but they were heavily doctored by the Art Director. Much credit is due to art director
Terry Colon, Terry Colon, later of Suck.com
as well as the Fun Magazine regulars Mark Niemenski, Chris Kassel (whose irreverent restaurant reviews influenced the style of several local mainstream critics) and Gary Arnett, co-creator of the "Tasty wear" clothing line. Tristan Eaton was one of in-house illustrators for Orbit, as was Matt Feazell
, creator of The Amazing Cynicalman series. Orbit covers featured some of the first published images from artists such as Glenn Barr, Niagara
, and Tom Thewes. Orbits logo was "Orby," the blissfully countenanced, globe-headed mascot created by another in-house illustrator.
, director/actor Quentin Tarantino
wears an Orby t-shirt
, partially obscured by his robe during his pivotal scenes with John Travolta
and Samuel L. Jackson
. Tarantino had been given the t-shirt by an early Orbit contributor, Geek Monthly
s Paul Zimmerman, a film writer who was editor of Film Threat
magazine at the time.
Orbit was also known for its parties. Orbit’s All-Star Karaoke Night at the Royal Kubo, a Filipino restaurant. The night featured many local Detroit icons among them Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker
, Dennis White (Static Revenger
), Dan and Tra-cee Miller (Blanche), Meg White
, and Jimmy Doom. The evening was broadcast live, on an obscure AM radio
station “for the shut-ins” and Peterson has publicly proclaimed this radio exposure is what got the musicians record deals.
, which he described as “Orbit Lite”. This ended up in legal limbo, eventually settling out of court in 2003. Peterson went on to become the impresario behind The Dirty Show, a Detroit erotic-art exhibition: the inaugural Dirty Show was held in the Royal Oak, Michigan
offices of Orbit in 2000.
History
Born from the ashes of Fun magazine, Orbit was published by Jerry Peterson, a software executive with extensive ties to Detroit's early underground punk scenePunk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
, known as Jerry Vile, co-editor of White Noise Magazine and the oft-costumed singer for the band the Boners.
Orbit launched in August 1990 as a free fortnightly publication, but switched to a stapled and trimmed monthly publication schedule in 1993. A mix of irreverent feature stories, arts and entertainment reviews, local listings, and comics, Orbit was lauded for its cutting-edge design but often ran afoul of various Detroit-area media figures and business establishments for its gleefully impertinent—at times bordering on vicious—editorial tone. Orbit’s long list of editors included Doug Dearth from Fun, the late Matt Beer (formerly Monthly Detroit and Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
gossip columnist
Gossip columnist
A gossip columnist is someone who writes a gossip column in a newspaper or magazine, especially a gossip magazine. Gossip columns are material written in a light, informal style, which relates the gossip columnist's opinions about the personal lives or conduct of celebrities from show business ,...
), Dave Merline (formerly of Motorbooty), Scott Sterling (who went on to be editor of Urb), and Jeremy Harvey, who pulled off some of the publications greatest pranks such as disfiguring his genitals with special effect
Special effect
The illusions used in the film, television, theatre, or entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called special effects ....
s make-up and visiting a nudist camp and operating the World’s Worst Garage Sale, where unsuspecting shoppers were subjected to overpriced and completely undesirable items (such as a suspiciously stained mattress or single sock with holes) in a filthy environ.
Among the glut of free local papers, Orbit earned national attention for its clean layout, sense of humor
Humour
Humour or humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement...
and striking graphic covers. Every year, Orbit's Anniversary Cover issue featured Jerry Peterson's nephew as he grew up from birth onward. Master photographer Gene Kruger photographed years one through four. Orbit's cover five was photographed by esteemed photographer Stacy Wootten. Issues after that remained murky as to who photographed the Anniversary Cover, but they were heavily doctored by the Art Director. Much credit is due to art director
Art director
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
Terry Colon, Terry Colon, later of Suck.com
Suck.com
Suck.com was one of the earliest ad-supported content sites on the Internet. It featured daily editorial content on a wide variety of topics, including politics and pop-culture and was targeted at Generation X...
as well as the Fun Magazine regulars Mark Niemenski, Chris Kassel (whose irreverent restaurant reviews influenced the style of several local mainstream critics) and Gary Arnett, co-creator of the "Tasty wear" clothing line. Tristan Eaton was one of in-house illustrators for Orbit, as was Matt Feazell
Matt Feazell
Matt Feazell is a Hamtramck, Michigan comics artist, primarily working in minicomics. He is best known for his wryly humorous The Amazing Cynicalman series and the simple “stick figure” art style he uses for it...
, creator of The Amazing Cynicalman series. Orbit covers featured some of the first published images from artists such as Glenn Barr, Niagara
Niagara (artist)
Niagara is a musician and a painter. She was the lead vocalist of the punk rock bands Destroy All Monsters and Dark Carnival.-Biography:...
, and Tom Thewes. Orbits logo was "Orby," the blissfully countenanced, globe-headed mascot created by another in-house illustrator.
Pop References
In the 1994 film Pulp FictionPulp Fiction (film)
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
, director/actor Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
wears an Orby t-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
, partially obscured by his robe during his pivotal scenes with John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
and Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
. Tarantino had been given the t-shirt by an early Orbit contributor, Geek Monthly
Geek Monthly
Geek Monthly is an American print magazine that was launched in 2006 under the guidance of editor-in-chief Jeff Bond by CFQ Media, who was previously responsible for relaunching the classic science fiction/fantasy magazine Cinefantastique and its sister publication "Femme Fatales"...
s Paul Zimmerman, a film writer who was editor of Film Threat
Film Threat
Film Threat is a former print magazine and, now, webzine which focuses primarily on independent film, although it also reviews DVDs of mainstream films and Hollywood movies in theaters. It first appeared as a photocopied zine in 1985, created by Wayne State University students Chris Gore and André...
magazine at the time.
Orbit was also known for its parties. Orbit’s All-Star Karaoke Night at the Royal Kubo, a Filipino restaurant. The night featured many local Detroit icons among them Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker
Uncle Kracker
Matthew Shafer is an American rock musician known as Uncle Kracker. His singles include "Follow Me", "Smile", and "Drift Away". His music was more rap rock-based at the start of his career before turning in a more rock and Top 40 style music direction on later releases.-Biography:Shafer was born...
, Dennis White (Static Revenger
Static revenger
Dennis White, better known as his stage name Static Revenger, is an American record producer, video director, and DJ based in Los Angeles. He is best known for the worldwide club hits "I Like That", "Happy People", and "Everything is Beautiful"...
), Dan and Tra-cee Miller (Blanche), Meg White
Meg White
Megan Martha "Meg" White is an American drummer best known for her work in the Detroit rock duo The White Stripes.-Early life:...
, and Jimmy Doom. The evening was broadcast live, on an obscure AM radio
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
station “for the shut-ins” and Peterson has publicly proclaimed this radio exposure is what got the musicians record deals.
Legacy
In characteristically irreverent form, the final issue in November 1999 featured “The Weasel List”, a cantakerous compilation of local businesses whose accounts were in serious arrears with the magazine's advertising department. While Peterson had urged his readers to “blame these deadbeats” for the publication’s demise, Orbit was doing better than ever and Peterson had started a secret partnership publication called Real Detroit WeeklyReal Detroit Weekly
Real Detroit Weekly is a weekly newspaper distributed free of charge every Wednesday, that focuses mainly on entertainment news from Hollywood and the metro Detroit nightclub scene...
, which he described as “Orbit Lite”. This ended up in legal limbo, eventually settling out of court in 2003. Peterson went on to become the impresario behind The Dirty Show, a Detroit erotic-art exhibition: the inaugural Dirty Show was held in the Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 57,236. It should not be confused with Royal Oak Charter Township, a separate community located nearby....
offices of Orbit in 2000.