Kelly Cuenca
Jessica Norton
Daniel Kidd
IZ9 featured artist Allan Norico! Check out his work and a nice interview here! http://instigatorzine.com/featured/anorico.html
Issue 9 of Instigatorzine features writer Andrew Kolbenschlag's short story, "Gaviota." Go check it out right here! http://instigatorzine.com/featured/akolbenschlag.html
The 9th issue of Instigatorzine is now out! Go to our website at www.instigatorzine.com to download your copy for $1 or order your print copy for $3 + shipping!
From our website:
Instigatorzine offers adspace to local businesses! And check this out--if you purchase an ad with us, one of our illustrators will design the ad for you for FREE! So let your business be known!
To have an ad in just one issue, it's $10 per 1/4 page and $20 per half page. Not too schnazzy, eh?
Send an inquiery to questions@instigatorzine.com to arrange your ad!
To view the entire advertisement price sheet with all our options, click here!
One of our illustrators started a zine. Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/pages/POWzine/141961525856227 and http://thefakepowzine.blogspot.com/.>
Check out the issues section of our website to check out featured author, artist, and instigator of the month articles! From issue 4 to 9, they're all up for free!
In February we'll be releasing our anniversary issue! Wanna be included? Send your short story, poem or play to submissions@instigatorzine.com!
Instigatorzine posters are on sale! Go check'em out on our merch page. You can own a poster of our first five covers for $10 + shipping! I heard David Sedaris even has one.
http://instigatorzine.com/merch.html
Check out Michelle McGuinness's blog! Michelle appeared in the third issue of Instigatorzine. She posts everyday!
Becoming an instigator is easy! I started as a little boy when my father spanked me and I said, "That doesn't hurt!"
He responded in a menacing tone, "Oh yeah?" to which I ran upstairs and locked myself in my bedroom.
That's not all it takes to be an instigator though. Each month we print a mock definition of the term on the cover of our zine. Most of the time it's jokey (i.e. to wear white after Labor Day, to spit in someone's overpriced burnt coffee). The fourth issue featured a new article that has been printed and will be printed in ever issue following called the Instigator of the Month. The idea of this article is to publish articles recognizing people in history or local news that did something remarkable. To instigate always means to ignite change in the way things are done. I said, "That doesn't hurt!" to my father because his mode of punishment was not effective and needed to be changed.
So what can you do to become an instigator?
Earlier this year I made a list of things I believe and do not believe. Make this list yourself. When making this list I discovered a lot about myself that I hadn't known before. Many of my beliefs conflict with my non-beliefs. You will probably find the same. It's human nature to be inconsistent. It's the inconsistencies we must embrace. After you make this list, tell others to make their own list and find things that you agree on. Change occurs when there is strength in numbers. Without others following you, you might be crazy. Be warned though, having a very large following is also a sign you might be insane. There are extremes to both sides.
In the meantime, as you're doing all this and figuring out what you feel really strongly about, submit to the magazine! We want to hear your short stories and poetry. Tell us about when you were wronged, changes you think need to be made. We may just publish it!
Ryan Sprague published a story called, "Car Bombs and the Helmets of God" in the 6th issue of Instigatorzine. Now, you can read his inspirational novel, Grateful! Go to his website to order the book and maybe even go to one of his signings or readings! Who would've thought from his short story that he was a sports writer?
"Ryan Sprague takes you onto the field, into the huddle and inside the heart and mind of a Florida State football player, offering both the unique perspective of a passionate walk-on and the life-long lessons and unforgettable memories of a national champion."
You can read his short story, "Car Bombs and the Helmets of God," in the 6th issue of Instigatorzine.
In June we published our first Featured Author, Sandra Bazzarelli! Here is the whole article and interview by Jenna Kildosher! Check out her blog at http://sandrabazzarelli.blogspot.com/
Remember folks, you can purchase a digital copy of Instigatorzine on our website at http://instigatorzine.com!
Hey Instigators! Our one year anniversary is coming up in February! I know that seems so long from now, but it's really just two issues away! I'd like to take the opportunity to preemptively honor the magazine and send a request out to those who contributed to it.
We releaed the first issue of Instigatorzine in February of 2010. I had gotten the idea from reading through my writer's market book and finding only three magazines published out of New Jersey, none of which publish non-fiction. Having just taken a memoir class, I thought this was horrible. Non-fiction can be an incredibly crafty and skillful sort of literature that should be recognized and displayed proudly. I thought literature was dying, especially in New Jersey. However, after publishing the magazine, I found that New Jersey is very much alive and rich with wonderful authors who are just waiting to be published. It makes me feel incredibly proud to have published over 80 new authors in such a short amount of time, and even prouder to have published authors who went on to publish poetry collections and books as well, such as Peycho Kanev and Brian Nailer.
I am also very proud to have had the opportunity to work with such great artists as well. I have to thank Narciso for introducing me to them and making them a part of our time, further enriching the quality of Instigatorzine.I never knew it would come this far in such a short amount of time.
So, as I said earlier, our anniversary is coming up. We first released the zine in February of 2010. It was all black and white, featuring the following cover by Narciso Espiritu Jr (co-founder). As you can see, we were originally called The Instigator, but to avoid legal conflicts with another magazine called Instigator, we changed it to Instigatorzine.
In this issue, we featured literary works by Craig Wynne, Ashleigh Matkowski, Elizabeth Vosk, Angel Eduardo, Robert Jason Clark, Nicole Contreras, and artwork by Madelynne Dela Rama and Pablo Naranjo.
I would like to send an invitation to each of these authors to submit a work for our one year anniversary to be released in February. I make this announcement so early because our production process is two months. Thus, we are currently working on the January issue, and in December we will be working on the February issue.
Here's to an amazing magazine made amazing only by the authors and artists who contribute toward it!
In September, we published a poem by Peycho Kanev called "Closing Statement." He just released a new collection titled Bone Silence. Go on Amazon and check it out! It's available as a hard copy and for Kindle as well!
http://www.amazon.com/Bone-Silence-Peycho-Kanev/dp/0982917619/ref=sr_1_2?ie=U...
Check out Andrew Kolbenschlag's new blog! http://kolbenschlag.blogspot.com/
Andrew Kolbenschlag appeared in the sixth issue of Instigatorzine with his story, "The Trees Will Go, Too." His new story, "Gaviota" will be appearing in the November issue, so make sure you check it out!
Who's looking forward to the November issue? I know I am.
The November issue of Instigatorzine is featuring the following work:
"Gaviota" by Andrew Kolbenschlag
"Chocolate Defined" by John Berbrich
"Dark Circles" by Joe Marchia
"Laura's House" by Lisa Sofranko
Three pieces of flash fiction by Billy Frey
"Laugh Riot" by Michael Weems
"To a Stranger at the Tiki Bar" and "Driving Lesson" by Patrick Shea
"We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes" by Tabitha Vedaurri
"7 Settings" by Chris O'Brien
"Beyond Comprehension" by Mitch Holsten
"The Homecoming" by Matthew Reed
"A Little Snow" by J.A. Curcione
...and artwork by Erin Dodge!
Keep a lookout for it!
Guess which independent arts and literature editorial is being sold at Jim Hanley's Universe!
Photo I final project, one of three.
The wild tree in sunset blinks
For blindness wakes the moon that wanes
But wanes for sight to come about
For nature burning, churning, forlorn at night
The time for folklore told to stringent lights
Keith Chiappone
Narciso Espiritu, Jr.
Madelynne Dela Rama
Jenna Kildosher
To the Publishers/Founders/Board Members,
Allow me to begin by saying “congratulations” on your new publication. It is not easy to accomplish such a fine, well-intentioned goal. In fact, after reviewing your website, I truly appreciate what you are offering.
However, the fact remains that we have a copyright / trademark situation to deal with as far the actual name you are using. Since we are huge supporters of alternative press/art/viewpoints, I’d prefer to keep this matter out of our ferocious attorneys’ grubby lil’ hands and take this violation up with you directly on, shall we say, “friendly terms.”
Unfortunately, I am going to have to insist that you immediately STOP PUBLISHING under the title of “(the) Instigator” and change the name of your magazine to something that, well… hasn’t had our name stamped on it since 2003 – and brand name we seriously protect. This includes the URL as well – as it is too close to our own URL. Please understand that we simply wish to avoid any confusion between our company and your own publication – not to mention silly court fees, attorneys, etc. Keep in mind that this goes both ways as your own growing fan-base may be equally confused should they inadvertently find themselves at our doorstep. Like I said, I prefer to keep this on friendly terms, especially given the fact that, like us, you are each trying to make a positive impact on your part of the world.
If I hear back from you by Friday of this week… I will be happy to give you 30 days from the date of this email to abide by my requests before handing this matter over to our legal team. This should give you ample time to 1) decide on another title for your publication, 2) secure the proper URL, and 3) reroute traffic to that address. As honesty goes a long way, I recommend that you ‘fess up’ to your readers/fan-base that you failed to realize that there was another publication out there using the same name, and that you found an even better one. Post this up at the TOP of your new homepage …keep it friendly & respectful, and I see absolutely no reason why you cannot keep your current URL (www.instigatorzine.com) for a period of 6 months from the date of this email for the purposes of redirecting any visitors to the new website.
Simple, less messy… and NO confusion.
This is the best I can offer you without bringing this to the next level.
Sincerely,
MICHAEL THORN
Editor-in-Chief
Instigator Magazine
8205 Santa Monica Blvd, #1-280
West Hollywood, CA 90046
www.instigatormagazine.com
213-629-2936 office
213-596-0840 fax
707-833-4928 cell
Dear Michael Thorn,
I am sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused you. I had not realized that a 200-print photo-copied local college zine from across the country would have any threat on your 48-nation publication. First and foremost, we have never physically published a magazine titled "(the) Instigator." However, I see the mistake our webmaster has made by typing The Instigator on our website. We have changed our zine's proper name to instigatorzine, which, as you may be able to tell, is not actually a word. I have looked up records for your copyright here and here, but have not found a copyright that appears to belong to you. However, we recognize that material is copyrighted as soon as it is printed. Unfortunately, you are unclear about your copyright claim. You appear to be claiming "The Instigator" as your copyright. However, it appears that your magazine is titled "Instigator Magazine." Magazine being the modifier, if our publication was titled "The Instigator" as you have claimed, as per the cases below, despite similar words, it does not appear to be grounds for copyright violation. If I am incorrect, please let me know.
The following is an example of publications using the word, "Sun."
* Sun (supermarket tabloid)
* Arizona Daily Sun
* The Sun (San Bernardino), of California
* The Gainesville Sun, of Florida
* South Florida Sun-Sentinel
* Chicago Sun-Times, of Illinois
* The Baltimore Sun, of Maryland
* The Sun (Lowell), of Massachusetts
* The Sun Herald, of Mississippi
* Las Vegas Sun, of Nevada
* The Sun (New York), published 1833–1950
* The New York Sun, published 2002–2008
* The Sun (Sheridan), of Oregon
* The Sun (Hummelstown), of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
* The Westerly Sun, of Rhode Island
* The Sun (Carbon County, Utah)
* Kitsap Sun, of Washington
Some other examples of magazines with similar names:
Adventist Review, Adventist Today
American Heritage, American Heritage of Invention and Technology
The Amateur Scientist, The Amateur Astronomer
Architectural Digest, Architectural Record
Art Papers, Art on Paper
Audiophile, Audiophile Auditions,
Education Update, Education Week
Electronic Games, Electronic Gaming Weekly
Games, Games Unplugged
Fangoria, Fangoria Comics
Unfortunately, there will always be confusion because similarities because similarities aren't unlawful. Only replicas are. However, Our fan-bases reach an entirely different demographic. Our publication is a zine. We make them on a photocopier and sell them for two bucks on campus. Your publication is a magazine and probably mass produce your product everywhere. We sell our zine out of our book bags and you have distributors sell yours. Your readers will know immediately that they typed in the wrong address if they come to our site, and our readers will know immediately that they've come to the wrong site if they accidentally go to yours.
We have omitted mentions of The Instigator from our website. If you would like us to change our web address, you will have to go through the proper channels to purchase the address from me.
Sincerely,
Keith Chiappone
Editor-in-Chief
http://www.instigatorzine.com
Mr. Chiappone,
While I appreciate you asking your webmaster to omit mentions of “the Instigator” from your website, you nonetheless continue to refer to it as a “magazine” and not a “zine” in your ABOUT page. This is where my concern lies, Keith. Please understand that I am not trying to be a “dick” about this, but merely wishing to avoid circumstances whereby anyone (including potential readers or more importantly, a prospective advertiser) is told to “check out Instigator” and falls upon your site by mistake. There is simply not enough distinction between your magazine as an “alternative publication” and ours, and this can affect our organization on a financial level. THIS IS THE CRUX OF THE MATTER – and a distinction that any court will side with us over. Like I said earlier, I would like to avoid this.
Keith, you and I both are in agreement over the special nature of print publications at a time when print is hurting across the board. Responding to my request with a list of like-sounding examples that you are only half-correct about - in terms of copyright law - instead of searching for a resolution that is satisfactory to both parties reeks of being slightly hypocritical, bud. That you would be willing to potentially endanger our publication by holding steadfast to your ground is not the way to resolve this.
So how about this… would you be willing to clearly state that you are a “ 200-print photo-copied local college literary `zine based out of New Jersey to promote the recognition of local artists and writers” (or something to that effect) …as part of a mission statement posted up at the TOP of your ABOUT page AND change any reference to “magazine” to the stated “zine”? In other words, just re-tool your ABOUT page somewhat. No offense, but it sort of needs it anyway, stud… as you may want to fix a couple of typos while you’re at it – “The purpose of the magazine is to promote activiy for writers of all generes and styles who would otherwise have no outlet to put their material.” Making a clearer distinction between our publications – both of which promote artists and alternative points of view – should be enough. Keep in mind that while parties interested in your publication may clearly not mistake ours for yours, I am not so sure this holds true the other way round. (Gay guys are a bit scattered you might say!)
Basically, I’m looking for a bit more delineation between our endeavors to avoid any possible confusion. Make sense? Help me out on this and I’ll even owe you one, Keith. After all, guys who actually “get” what you are up against in this industry can be invaluable.
Sincerely,
THORN
Editor-in-Chief
Instigator Magazine
8205 Santa Monica Blvd, #1-280
West Hollywood, CA 90046
www.instigatormagazine.com
213-629-2936 office
213-596-0840 fax
707-833-4928 cell
Dear Michael Thorn,
I will comply with your request to put the mission statement at the top and change all references from "magazine" to "zine.". However, I see in your "About" page you also refer to your magazine as a zine. It would seem only fair, then, that you also change mentions of "zine" to "magazine" if you're really looking for more of a delineation between the two publications. I'm not trying to be a dick either, and I apologize if I came off as one in my first response. I am simply trying to protect my rights here, just as you are doing.
Changes to the website will be made by the end of the night.
Sincerely,
Keith Chiappone
Cody,
Can you make a quick change to our “About” page?
“All-inclusive. All encompassing... homogenized... gentrified... g/l/b/t/w/x/y/z fetish community oriented. Simply put, this is a ‘guy's 'zine.’ ...Don't read anything else into it” – Please change the reference to “zine” to “magazine.”
Thanks!
THORN
Editor-in-Chief
Instigator Magazine
8205 Santa Monica Blvd, #1-280
West Hollywood, CA 90046
www.instigatormagazine.com
213-629-2936 office
213-596-0840 fax
707-833-4928 cell
Fair is fair. Consider it done.
Thanks for seeing my point, Keith.
And good luck with your endeavor… like I said, if you ever need something, you now have an experienced ally to call upon.
THORN
Editor-in-Chief
Instigator Magazine
8205 Santa Monica Blvd, #1-280
West Hollywood, CA 90046
www.instigatormagazine.com
213-629-2936 office
213-596-0840 fax
707-833-4928 cell
Dear Michael Thorn,
I am glad to see that we can come to a compromise. Thank you for your kind words.
Sincerely,
Keith Chiappone
