A sequence of three interviews. 2022.
I finally finished the Film Festival circuit.
Splendor in the Grass
by William Wordsworth
What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now forever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower?
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
In the primal sympathy
Which, having been, must ever be.
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering,
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.
Fortunately, a few years ago, I went to a local synagogue for an art event. An artist was giving a lecture on creation stories and art. I was amazed at the insight and reflection in his presentation, but it was how he finished his talk with our own personal creation story.
He said,
“We can all render our own creation story as a painting, a poem… there are endless ways to tell a narrative of your life.”
I thought about my tenure as publisher, owner, editor of Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine. I was vague on the actual creation story for this fanzine.
Then it hit me hard to tell this narrative. So, I gathered the original staff of Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine, as many as could address the issue. X-8 declined, which was sad to me because he was the actual creator of this fanzine. Al is not interested and seems he has fallen off the edge of the world. Pooch and Pete gave me a run around.
Al and I produced a system that worked for us running a punk rock fanzine. You can ask someone once or twice to do something but never a third time…
“Just isn’t going to happen.”
We did it ourselves or someone else would jump in. That is how it was done.
This is how it is still done. Larry, Tory, and Adolescents singer Mr. Tony Reflex were there to do it. Even Mike Ness, from the band Social Distortion, was up for an interview. As we are old time friends. Yet he did not pass the test… so I had to move forward.
I am incredibly happy with what came forward with three honest great storytellers of the highest order in my mind. How grateful I am for a solid Los Angeles Flipside Creation Story.
I did a little research while in the process of achieving these interviews and how I presented them.
A little advice from my protagonist American film director Michael Moore, and even a tidbit from my nemesis, American singer, writer, spoken word artist, Henry Rollins.
I read that Michael said you begin with what you have around you and Henry said, once in a documentary, that a lot of us did not keep or preserve our stuff and that upset him.
I started this narrative creation story with Michael’s advice, and I was happy to disappoint Henry with a positive to his negative. I have a lot of preserved stuff from my “youthful rebellion days” as a fanatical fanzine punk rock journalist.
Hallelujah.
The details are not as important, but I worked with Zoom, my iPhone, Adobe Premier Pro, and many other little ‘willy nillies” of D.I.Y. learning as you go. Created all during the end of the California COVID-19 pandemic.
As I say it not the best or the worst, creation narrative or Epeisodion yet it does tell a story…. Flipside Fanzine is all in the voice of a punk, band member or artist or the old dame sitting at the edge of the pub surfing her stool, like me!
Mission complete.
Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine Narrative Documentary Film. “Epeisodion One, Two and Three
The Seminary of Praying Mantis Publishing.
~ Hudley Flipside
All three are now available on YouTube.
