Pansy Beat was a short-lived fanzine published by Michael Economy in New York from 1989 to 1990, totaling five quarterly issues. Each issue’s 50-some black-and-white pages documented the exuberant downtown gay and drag club scene of that era and included one free condom. The zine offered a glimpse into an exhilarating alternative universe during the darkest years of the AIDS crisis. Interviews profiled downtown personalities on the verge of global stardom, many still working to this day. Artists such as Lady Bunny, Billy Erb, Connie Fleming, Kenny Kenny, Lady Miss Kier and Larry Tee first shared their memorable selves in print on the pages of Pansy Beat. The zine also featured interviews with Edwige Belmore, Leigh Bowery and Quentin Crisp. This book celebrates Pansy Beat’s brief but influential life, including a reprinting of all five issues in their original format, previously unseen photographs by staff photographer Michael Fazakerley, new full-color artwork by some of the original contributors, plus new essays and interviews. Book design by Jan Wandrag.
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
i-D Magazine
Andre-Naquian Wheeler
Flipping through the pages of the short-lived East Village quarterly zine Pansy Beat (1989-1990) offers a brilliant glimpse at the joy — and concerns — of queer artists living in the midst of the AIDS crisis.
Paper Magazine
Michael Economy
A trusted source for downtown New York culture from 1989-1990, East Village-based Pansy Beat was a quarterly fanzine focused on spotlighting queer artists in the midst of the AIDS epidemic. LGBTQ culture at the time was thriving with underground parties and nightlife characters, and the zine (published by Michael Economy and co-edited by Donald Corken) closely documented it all.
Bookforum
Alex Jovanovich
Pansy Beat is the best kind of time warp, an exuberant chronicle of downtown Manhattan's gay goings-on.
This collection of archival fanzines illuminates a distinct gay and drag underground New York City scene that flourished in the late 80s and early 90s. The original Pansy Beat put out five quarterly issues before going on "permanent hiatus" in 1990. But during its brief tenure, the cult zine served as an uninhibited and celebratory platform for the exploration and representation of queerness in the post-AIDS era. This compact, campy, 416-page volume presents all five of the original editions, in their entirety, with features on icons such as Lady Bunny, Deee-Lite, Quentin Crisp, and plenty more. Pansy Beat is essential primary source material for anyone looking to relive the microcosmic yet expansive East Village queer and drag scene of 1989–1990. continue to blog
Friday, May 4, from 6-8 PM, Printed Matter presents a Pansy Beat book launch and video presentation premiere featuring Maxxx Pleasure and Billy Beyond. continue to blog
FORMAT: Hbk, 6 x 9 in. / 416 pgs / illustrated throughout. LIST PRICE: U.S. $35.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $47.5 GBP £30.00 ISBN: 9780692953099 PUBLISHER: KrimsKrams Island LLC AVAILABLE: 4/24/2018 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Out of stock indefinitely AVAILABILITY: Not available TERRITORY: WORLD
Pansy Beat was a short-lived fanzine published by Michael Economy in New York from 1989 to 1990, totaling five quarterly issues. Each issue’s 50-some black-and-white pages documented the exuberant downtown gay and drag club scene of that era and included one free condom. The zine offered a glimpse into an exhilarating alternative universe during the darkest years of the AIDS crisis. Interviews profiled downtown personalities on the verge of global stardom, many still working to this day. Artists such as Lady Bunny, Billy Erb, Connie Fleming, Kenny Kenny, Lady Miss Kier and Larry Tee first shared their memorable selves in print on the pages of Pansy Beat. The zine also featured interviews with Edwige Belmore, Leigh Bowery and Quentin Crisp. This book celebrates Pansy Beat’s brief but influential life, including a reprinting of all five issues in their original format, previously unseen photographs by staff photographer Michael Fazakerley, new full-color artwork by some of the original contributors, plus new essays and interviews. Book design by Jan Wandrag.
