ORBIT MAGAZINE ANTHOLOGY RELEASE / SEPT 1ST
Author Rob St Mary will host several book signing events with many of the book's writers, publishers and subjects at various events.
Saturday September 5th, 2015 3-5pm
Inner State Gallery - 1410 Gratiot Ave. Detroit, MI 48207
Thursday September 10th, 2015 7-9pm
Book Beat - 26010 Greenfield Oak Park, MI 48237
Saturday September 12th, 2015 1-3pm
Green Brain Comics - 13936 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126
Sunday September 13th, 2015 1-3pm
Paperback Writer Books - 61 Macomb Place Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
Monday September 14th, 2015 7pm-9pm
Film Screening "Who Am I This Time?" (starring Jerry Vile) & Book Signing
Cinema Detroit (Inside the old Burton School) - 3420 Cass Ave Detroit, MI 48201
Saturday September 19th, 2015 1-3pm
Detroit Comics - 23333 Woodward Ave. Ferndale, MI 48220
Wednesday September 23rd, 2015 7-9pm
Punk Roundtable with Steve Miller (author of "Detroit Rock City: The Uncensored History of Rock N Roll in America's Loudest City") & Tesco Vee of The Meatmen (author of "Touch & Go: The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine")
Schuler Books & Music - 2820 Towne Center Blvd. Lansing, MI 48912
Friday October 16th, 2015 7-9pm
Schuler Books & Music - 2660 28th Street SE Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Saturday November 21st, 2015 2-4pm
Pages Bookshop - 19560 Grand River Ave. Detroit, MI 48223
With a mischievous globe-headed mascot that appeared in every issue and even on Quentin Tarantino's T-shirt in Pulp Fiction, Orbit was an instantly recognizable arbiter of 1990s Detroit culture. But its irreverent tone and unique editorial features could be traced to two earlier local publications from creator Jerry Peterson, a.k.a. Jerry Vile—White Noise (1978–1980) and Fun: The Magazine for Swinging Intelectuals [sic] (1986–1990). In The Orbit Magazine Anthology: Re-Entry, author Rob St. Mary details the full run of White Noise, Fun, and Orbit, collecting two decades' worth of Detroit's alternative publishing history into an oversized, heavily illustrated volume that situates the publications in the city's pop culture and media history.
St. Mary shows that while other alternative papers followed a tried-and-true focus on lefty politics and the arts, Vile's publications found their niche in biting satire and sharp design that fed on popular culture.
From the 70s punk scene in White Noise to audacious articles and irreverent "news" in Fun and a blend of reporting, satire, and culture in Orbit, St. Mary shows that Vile's publications were distinctive in their content and uniquely Detroit in their tone. In sections devoted to each magazine, St. Mary details their recurring features (including dining, movie, and music reviews) and interviews former staffers. Numerous images and page spreads reveal the notable Detroit musicians—like Destroy All Monsters, the Gories, ICP, Jack White, Kid Rock, and Derrick May—and artists—including Niagara, Glenn Barr and Tristan Eaton—that graced their pages.
A foreword by Jerry Vile and an afterword by Ben Blackwell round out this one-of-a-kind volume.
Anyone interested in Detroit arts and culture or the history of alternative publishing will be grateful for The Orbit Magazine Anthology.