RIP magazine
Encyclopedia
RIP debuted its first issue on December 1986. It was a 1980's/early 1990s Music magazine commonly seen in newsstands and purchased by mostly teenage readers. It was created by Larry Flynt Publications, effectively making it a sister publication of Hustler
magazine. Lonn P Friend was editor. RIP was a typical Music fan magazine
in the vein of Metal Edge
, Circus
and Hit Parader
, although RIP had a wider focus, featuring Thrash, Punk, Speed-Metal and Death Metal
bands along with the typical Pop-Rock
and Glam bands of the day. It featured news, interviews, celebrity columns (such as Idol Chatter, in which a rock hero would be given an entire page or more to express whatever was on their mind; and advice from the parent of a rock star, such as the mother of Great White
singer Jack Russell
or Lita Ford
's mother answering readers' questions mainly dealing with adolescence and growing up, or typical generational conflicts over the music/fashion tastes of the young between their biological elders), pictures and centerfolds. Another one of its more unusual features was an occasional quiz on the history of various genres of rock, such as punk, glam or grunge.
Quote by Matt Cale about RIP Magazine -
"Hit Parader was for greasy chicks, Circus a glam rag at best, and Kerrang!
too damned expensive as an import. As such, I stuck by Rip for several years, one as a subscriber. I looked forward to every issue, largely because they balanced their Skid Row, Guns N’ Roses
, and Great White
coverage with a little Sanctuary
or King Diamond
now and then. The mag worshipped Metallica
, of course, and was the exclusive source for the lead-up to the breakthrough Black Album
. It was all there – hyperbolic, overly positive reviews (to this day, I can’t remember anything they hated), inside scoops of tour information, upcoming albums, industry gossip, and unnaturally lengthy feature articles
that described every thrust, every load, and every deservedly objectified groupie on every tour bus you could imagine. As they said, if Jack Russell
slammed his meat axe into a stoned slut, Rip was there. And they did it better than anyone before or since."
Hustler
Hustler is a monthly pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. It was first published in 1974 by Larry Flynt. It was a step forward from the Hustler Newsletter which was cheap advertising for his strip club businesses at the time. The magazine grew from a shaky start to...
magazine. Lonn P Friend was editor. RIP was a typical Music fan magazine
Fan magazine
A fan magazine is a commercially written and published magazine intended for the amusement of fans of the popular culture subject matter which it covers. It is distinguished from a scholarly or literary magazine on the one hand, by the target audience of its contents, and from a fanzine on the...
in the vein of Metal Edge
Metal Edge
Metal Edge was a magazine covering heavy metal music published by Zenbu Media. It was founded in the summer of 1985, during the height of Glam metal's success.Both Metal Edge and its sister publication, Metal Maniacs, ceased operations in 2009....
, Circus
Circus (magazine)
Circus was a monthly American magazine devoted to rock music. It was published from 1966 to 2006. In its heyday the magazine had a full-time editorial staff that included some of the biggest names in rock journalism, including Paul Nelson, David Fricke, and Kurt Loder, and rivaled Rolling Stone in...
and Hit Parader
Hit Parader
Hit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
, although RIP had a wider focus, featuring Thrash, Punk, Speed-Metal and Death Metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
bands along with the typical Pop-Rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
and Glam bands of the day. It featured news, interviews, celebrity columns (such as Idol Chatter, in which a rock hero would be given an entire page or more to express whatever was on their mind; and advice from the parent of a rock star, such as the mother of Great White
Great White
Great White is an American hard rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1978. The band gained popularity during the 1980s and early 1990s. The band released several albums in the late 1980s and gained airplay on MTV with music videos for songs like "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"...
singer Jack Russell
Jack Russell (musician)
Jack Russell , is an American rock vocalist. He is a founding member of the American hard rock band Great White.-Biography:...
or Lita Ford
Lita Ford
Lita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
's mother answering readers' questions mainly dealing with adolescence and growing up, or typical generational conflicts over the music/fashion tastes of the young between their biological elders), pictures and centerfolds. Another one of its more unusual features was an occasional quiz on the history of various genres of rock, such as punk, glam or grunge.
Quote by Matt Cale about RIP Magazine -
"Hit Parader was for greasy chicks, Circus a glam rag at best, and Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
too damned expensive as an import. As such, I stuck by Rip for several years, one as a subscriber. I looked forward to every issue, largely because they balanced their Skid Row, Guns N’ Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, and Great White
Great White
Great White is an American hard rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1978. The band gained popularity during the 1980s and early 1990s. The band released several albums in the late 1980s and gained airplay on MTV with music videos for songs like "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"...
coverage with a little Sanctuary
Sanctuary (band)
Sanctuary is an American heavy metal band founded in Seattle in 1985. The band consisted of Warrel Dane , Lenny Rutledge , Sean Blosl, Jim Sheppard , Dave Budbill , and in the end Jeff Loomis.-History:...
or King Diamond
King Diamond
Kim Bendix Petersen , better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Grammy Award nominated Danish heavy metal musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his extensive vocal range, in particular his usage of falsetto. He is the lead vocalist for both Mercyful Fate and the eponymous King Diamond...
now and then. The mag worshipped Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, of course, and was the exclusive source for the lead-up to the breakthrough Black Album
Metallica (album)
Metallica is the self-titled fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. Mainly produced by Bob Rock, it was released on August 12, 1991 through Elektra Records to critical acclaim...
. It was all there – hyperbolic, overly positive reviews (to this day, I can’t remember anything they hated), inside scoops of tour information, upcoming albums, industry gossip, and unnaturally lengthy feature articles
Feature story
- Published Features & news :While the distinction between published features and news is often clear, when approached conceptually there are few hard boundaries between the two. It is quite possible to write a feature in the style of a news story, for instance...
that described every thrust, every load, and every deservedly objectified groupie on every tour bus you could imagine. As they said, if Jack Russell
Jack Russell (musician)
Jack Russell , is an American rock vocalist. He is a founding member of the American hard rock band Great White.-Biography:...
slammed his meat axe into a stoned slut, Rip was there. And they did it better than anyone before or since."