Kaleidoscope (newspaper)
Encyclopedia
Kaleidoscope was an underground newspaper, founded by John Kois, radio disk jockey Bob Reitman, and John Sahli (a member of The Shag
s), which was published in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
from Oct. 6, 1967 to Nov. 11, 1971, printing 105 biweekly issues in all. The paper's first issue was printed with a borrowed $250 in an edition of 3500 copies, which sold out in two days.
In the first anniversary issue of Kaleidoscope a brief history of the paper's origins appeared:
From its first issue, Kaleidoscope was subject to censorship
attempts, including arrest of vendors in some suburbs and a drive to put their printer out of business; one case went to the U.S. Supreme Court
(after the newspaper had folded), which ruled in Kois v. Wisconsin
that the newspaper's publication of two photos and a poem entitled “Sex Poem” (although the “obscene” photos were a tiny part of an article about censorship) did not constitute obscenity
. "One of the requirements to get on this paper," John Kois told a reporter for Rolling Stone
, "is that you have to dig fucking and doping."
Kaleidoscope was an affiliate of the Liberation News Service
(LNS) and Underground Press Syndicate
(UPS). It finally succumbed after four years to a combination of financial pressures, internal factionalism and burn-out. The 1971 death of printer Bill Schanen, who withstood a boycott of his printing business after he started printing the undergrounds on his presses, may also have been a factor in the paper's demise. Schanen's son continued to print the paper but refused to extend any more credit. With the paper $15,000 in debt to 42 creditors, and revenues sinking fast, it soon folded.
At various times, Kaleidoscope also published several sister papers around the upper Midwest: the Chicago Kaleidoscope (merged with the Chicago Seed); Omaha Kaleidoscope
; Fox Valley Kaleidoscope (based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
), and the Madison Kaleidoscope. There was also a short-lived affiliate in Indianapolis
. These papers shared a common printer (Bill Schanen in Port Washington, Wisconsin
), and sold advertising space to national advertisers which ran in all the active papers of the chain. Each ran local and hard news in a front section which was combined with a shared second section edited in Milwaukee, containing less parochial material (mostly arts and culture) derived or reprinted from national and syndicated sources. This latter "Part II" was also sold to other underground newspapers to be used as a supplement to their local content. Advertising revenue from this source was greatly diminished starting in 1969 after the FBI allegedly pressured advertisers such as Columbia Records
to quit running advertisements in the underground press; although some observers have also attributed the sharp falloff in record company advertising which was experienced by all of the underground press to the rise of specialized rock music papers like Rolling Stone.
Kaleidoscope also operated two peripheral businesses in Milwaukee: the Granfalloon coffeehouse, and the Interabang bookstore at 1668 N. Warren Ave.
After Kaleidoscope ceased publication in late 1971 a number of staffers joined the Bugle-American
. Kois ended up working for Al Goldstein
's Screw magazine.
The Shag
The Shag - originally known as The Shags, and later simply as Shag - were an American garage and psychedelic rock band in the 1960s, best known for their 1967 single "Stop and Listen"...
s), which was published in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
from Oct. 6, 1967 to Nov. 11, 1971, printing 105 biweekly issues in all. The paper's first issue was printed with a borrowed $250 in an edition of 3500 copies, which sold out in two days.
In the first anniversary issue of Kaleidoscope a brief history of the paper's origins appeared:
"The need for a Milwaukee-based underground newspaper was apparent early in 1967. It was talked about, tentative plans made and loose alliances formed, throughout the spring and summer, but nothing definite was done until July, when George Richard, a happy man of business, offered to underwrite the first issue. The first "staff" meeting was held in the Knickerbocker Coffee Shop. It was quite a crew: Bob Reitman, cemetery managing rock freak poet; John Sahli, industrial designing former gentle Shag; and John Kois, drifter free lance writer recently escaped from the coast."
From its first issue, Kaleidoscope was subject to censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
attempts, including arrest of vendors in some suburbs and a drive to put their printer out of business; one case went to the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
(after the newspaper had folded), which ruled in Kois v. Wisconsin
Kois v. Wisconsin
Kois v. Wisconsin, , was a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of the obscenity conviction of Milwaukee editor-publisher John Kois, whose underground newspaper Kaleidoscope had published two small photographs of pictures of nudes and a sexually-oriented poem entitled "Sex Poem" in 1968...
that the newspaper's publication of two photos and a poem entitled “Sex Poem” (although the “obscene” photos were a tiny part of an article about censorship) did not constitute obscenity
Obscenity
An obscenity is any statement or act which strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time, is a profanity, or is otherwise taboo, indecent, abhorrent, or disgusting, or is especially inauspicious...
. "One of the requirements to get on this paper," John Kois told a reporter for Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, "is that you have to dig fucking and doping."
Kaleidoscope was an affiliate of the Liberation News Service
Liberation News Service
Liberation News Service was a New Left, Underground press news service which published news bulletins from 1967 to 1981.-History:The Liberation News Service was co-founded in the summer of 1967 by Ray Mungo and Marshall Bloom after the two of them were separated from the United States Student...
(LNS) and 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...
(UPS). It finally succumbed after four years to a combination of financial pressures, internal factionalism and burn-out. The 1971 death of printer Bill Schanen, who withstood a boycott of his printing business after he started printing the undergrounds on his presses, may also have been a factor in the paper's demise. Schanen's son continued to print the paper but refused to extend any more credit. With the paper $15,000 in debt to 42 creditors, and revenues sinking fast, it soon folded.
At various times, Kaleidoscope also published several sister papers around the upper Midwest: the Chicago Kaleidoscope (merged with the Chicago Seed); Omaha Kaleidoscope
Omaha Kaleidoscope
Omaha Kaleidoscope was a brief-lived countercultural, antiwar underground newspaper published in Omaha, Nebraska in 1971. Edited by Tim Andrews and published monthly in a tabloid format, it was part of the small Kaleidoscope chain of underground newspapers based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The first...
; Fox Valley Kaleidoscope (based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...
), and the Madison Kaleidoscope. There was also a short-lived affiliate in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. These papers shared a common printer (Bill Schanen in Port Washington, Wisconsin
Port Washington, Wisconsin
Port Washington is the county seat of Ozaukee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is about 25 miles north of Milwaukee and 110 miles north of Chicago. In the 2000 census Port Washington had a population of 10,467...
), and sold advertising space to national advertisers which ran in all the active papers of the chain. Each ran local and hard news in a front section which was combined with a shared second section edited in Milwaukee, containing less parochial material (mostly arts and culture) derived or reprinted from national and syndicated sources. This latter "Part II" was also sold to other underground newspapers to be used as a supplement to their local content. Advertising revenue from this source was greatly diminished starting in 1969 after the FBI allegedly pressured advertisers such as Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
to quit running advertisements in the underground press; although some observers have also attributed the sharp falloff in record company advertising which was experienced by all of the underground press to the rise of specialized rock music papers like Rolling Stone.
Kaleidoscope also operated two peripheral businesses in Milwaukee: the Granfalloon coffeehouse, and the Interabang bookstore at 1668 N. Warren Ave.
After Kaleidoscope ceased publication in late 1971 a number of staffers joined the Bugle-American
Bugle (newspaper)
The Bugle or Bugle-American was an underground newspaper based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and distributed throughout Wisconsin from September 1970 to 1978, publishing mostly weekly for a total of 316 issues in all...
. Kois ended up working for Al Goldstein
Al Goldstein
Alvin "Al" Goldstein is a former American publisher and pornographer. His company Milky Way Productions, home of Screw, and his long-running cable TV show, Midnight Blue was started in 1968 and went into bankruptcy in 2004...
's Screw magazine.
External links
- Zetteler, Mike. "The Oral Freedom League, Double Cheeseburgers and Fairy Marijuana: Kaleidoscope Revisited" Zonyx Report
- http://www.zamazur.50megs.com/use_of_obscenity_laws_to_silence.htm "The Use of Obscenity Laws to Silence Political Dissent: John Kois and the Milwaukee Kaleidoscope"
- Gehrman, Gloria. Index to vol. 1 (1967-1968) of the Milwaukee Kaleidoscope