John Wilcock
Encyclopedia
John Wilcock is a British
journalist known for his work in the underground press
, as well as his travel guide book
s.
One of the five co-founders of the New York Village Voice, Wilcock shook up staid publishing in the USA. His influences extended to several continents, including Australia and the United Kingdom, where — in his mild-mannered way — he pushed the boundaries of image and speech. The counterculture was nothing but a dull puddle until Wilcock kicked out the jams and ignited the underground press, which attracted absurd prosecutions that of course boosted circulations. An unsung hero of the sixties, Wilcock also served three years as a travel editor at The New York Times
.
and the Daily Mirror, as well as magazines in Toronto, Canada.
.
While coordinating the Underground Press Syndicate
(200 papers worldwide), he guest-edited "underground" papers in London, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, returning to New York to publish his own underground tabloid, Other Scenes.
, Mexico On $5 a Day, following up with guides to California, Greece, Japan, and India. During this period he co-edited (with Elizabeth Pepper
) The Witches Almanac. Three more books resulted from their collaboration: Magical & Mystical Sites (Europe); an Occult Guide to South America, and A Guide to Occult Britain. At the invitation of the Venezuelan government he researched and wrote Traveling in Venezuela in 1979 and, in the 1980s and 1990s wrote/edited 25 books for Insight Guides.
, Wilcock audiotaped the enigmatic artist's closest associates, asking them to "explain" him, publishing the results in 1971 as The Autobiography and Sex Life of Andy Warhol
. This $5 biography became a rare book offered for sale on Amazon at prices close to $1,000. A revised edition of the book was released in 2010.
Wilcock co-founded Interview
magazine with Warhol in 1969.
, in 2001, Wilcock began publishing an international monthly magazine, the Ojai Orange, free to his friends in a dozen countries, and all issues of this are now available on his website, along with his weekly column (now in its 51st year) and his weekly Public-access television
travel show.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist known for his work in the underground press
Underground press
The underground press were the independently published and distributed underground papers associated with the counterculture of the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and other western nations....
, as well as his travel guide book
Guide book
A guide book is a book for tourists or travelers that provides details about a geographic location, tourist destination, or itinerary. It is the written equivalent of a tour guide...
s.
One of the five co-founders of the New York Village Voice, Wilcock shook up staid publishing in the USA. His influences extended to several continents, including Australia and the United Kingdom, where — in his mild-mannered way — he pushed the boundaries of image and speech. The counterculture was nothing but a dull puddle until Wilcock kicked out the jams and ignited the underground press, which attracted absurd prosecutions that of course boosted circulations. An unsung hero of the sixties, Wilcock also served three years as a travel editor at The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
Early career
Wilcock had began working for newspapers in his home country, the Daily MailDaily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
and the Daily Mirror, as well as magazines in Toronto, Canada.
Underground press
After co-founding the Village Voice in 1955, his Voice weekly column lasted from 1955 to 1965, when he left to edit New York's first underground paper, the East Village OtherEast Village Other
The East Village Other , was an American underground newspaper in New York City, New York, published biweekly during the 1960s. EVO was among the first countercultural newspapers to emerge, following the Los Angeles Free Press, which had begun publishing a few months earlier...
.
While coordinating the Underground Press Syndicate
Underground Press Syndicate
The Underground Press Syndicate, commonly known as UPS, and later known as the Alternative Press Syndicate or APS, was a network of countercultural newspapers and magazines formed in mid-1966 by the publishers of five early underground papers: the East Village Other, the Los Angeles Free Press, the...
(200 papers worldwide), he guest-edited "underground" papers in London, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, returning to New York to publish his own underground tabloid, Other Scenes.
Guide books
In 1960 Wilcock wrote the first of several travel books for Arthur FrommerArthur Frommer
Arthur Frommer is a travel writer, publisher and consumer advocate, and the founder of the Frommer's series of travel guides and Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel magazine. He has published many books for budget-conscious travelers and has been one of America's foremost budget travel authorities...
, Mexico On $5 a Day, following up with guides to California, Greece, Japan, and India. During this period he co-edited (with Elizabeth Pepper
Elizabeth Pepper
Elizabeth Pepper DaCosta was the editor and publisher of The Witches’ Almanac, established in 1971. The company, founded in Newport, Rhode Island, produces an annual publication in almanac format as well as a variety of related books...
) The Witches Almanac. Three more books resulted from their collaboration: Magical & Mystical Sites (Europe); an Occult Guide to South America, and A Guide to Occult Britain. At the invitation of the Venezuelan government he researched and wrote Traveling in Venezuela in 1979 and, in the 1980s and 1990s wrote/edited 25 books for Insight Guides.
Andy Warhol
During a five-year association with Andy WarholAndy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
, Wilcock audiotaped the enigmatic artist's closest associates, asking them to "explain" him, publishing the results in 1971 as The Autobiography and Sex Life of Andy Warhol
The Autobiography and Sex Life of Andy Warhol
The Autobiography and Sex Life of Andy Warhol is a 1971 book by the British journalist John Wilcock. It was republished in June 2010 by Trela Media....
. This $5 biography became a rare book offered for sale on Amazon at prices close to $1,000. A revised edition of the book was released in 2010.
Wilcock co-founded Interview
Interview (magazine)
Interview is an American magazine which has the nickname The Crystal Ball Of Pop. It was founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol. The magazine features intimate conversations between some of the world's biggest celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinkers...
magazine with Warhol in 1969.
Ojai Orange
Relocating to Ojai, CaliforniaOjai, California
Ojai is a city in Ventura County, California, USA. It is situated in the Ojai Valley , surrounded by hills and mountains. The population was 7,461 at the 2010 census, down from 7,862 at the 2000 census.-History:Chumash Indians were the early inhabitants of the valley...
, in 2001, Wilcock began publishing an international monthly magazine, the Ojai Orange, free to his friends in a dozen countries, and all issues of this are now available on his website, along with his weekly column (now in its 51st year) and his weekly Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
travel show.