News: Search & Destroy (Punk Zines, Vol. 2)

What else is there to say about Search & Destroy other than it is the greatest punk fanzine to have ever lived?

With $100 donated by beat poets Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, a Japanese American and English major at UC Berkeley by the name of V. Vail gave birth to a legendary punk fanzine called Search & Destroy.

In its two short years of existence, Search & Destroy featured some of he most influential underground artists to ever rock the screen, stage and page: Patti Smith, Vivienne Westwood, Nico, The Ramones, Throbbing Gristle, Devo, Iggy Pop, alongside writers and filmmakers such as David Lynch, William Burroughs, J.G. Ballard, John Waters, Russ Meyer and David Lynch.

Search & Destroy gave new meaning to the word "fanzine" - V Vale wasn't just a fan. He was an expert... and a master communicator. He grabbed the raging spirit of the late 70's punk scene and layed it out so honestly on a page, that today's readers can help but feel as if they were there.

About five years back, I was searching on eBay for old Search & Destroy issues... It took a couple weeks, but to my surprise a couple started to pop up... then some more, and finally, almost all the S&D issues were up for bid or sale. RE/Search, V Vail's San Francisco book publishing company today, was on eBay selling old issues as well as their current book releases. I wrote the seller to ask about shipping costs for multiple items and said how excited I was to find the issues of Search & Destroy I didn't have.

In a matter of hours I received a message back giving me my answers and thanking me kindly for my interest. The note was signed "VV". It made my day.

Various images of Search & Destroy covers:

Note

• Today you can pick up all the issues of Search & Destroy from RE/Search. Be sure to browse the rest of their site for tons of other great books and reading material.