Arthur 2002–2013

Founded by editor Jay Babcock and publisher Laris Kreslins in 2002, Arthur magazine combined musical coverage with highly opinionated writings on art, politics, and alternative lifestyles from a progressive perspective, until its demise in 2014. Indicative of the zine’s range, the first issue featured an interview with Daniel Pinchbeck, the author of Breaking open the head: A psychedelic journey into the heart of contemporary shamanism; artwork by Alan Moore, author of the Watchmen comic book series; and an interview with the science-fiction author and futurist Arthur C. Clarke. Arthur magazine played a critical role in establishing the underground credibility and popularity of various musical styles from stoner metal to psychedelic noise to a genre known as “freak folk”, maintaining a sensibility distinct both from more commercially-oriented publications and from other alternative- and subculture-associated titles. The spirit of Arthur magazine lives on in Jay Babcock’s newsletter Landline.