The Essential Danzig came out on Sony’s The Essential… series Oct. 25. Glenn Danzig has had a good year, especially compared to that year when a zillion people viewed that video of him getting decked by the roadie of an opening band he’d pissed off. An all-new album, Deth Red Sabaoth, got positive reviews, his time in The Misfits and Samhain continue to inspire tributes, and… well, I never really could stomach the guy so I’ll stop right there.
I will, however, draw your attention to the 49th issue of Roctober magazine, which features two separate interviews with Danzig (a wide-ranging one from this year conducted by Roctober founder Jake Austen and one from 1999 with the cartoonish Canadian arts connoisseur Nardwuar), plus cartoons about Danzig, and lots of freaky love for the Misfits—all part of a much grander special “Livin’ in the ’80s” concept issue.
Roctober is one of the few remaining old-school fanzines of the sort which have filled my basement to bursting. There’s crucial, unique information to be found here, popcult factoids which aren’t well archived anywhere—including here, where updates on past articles or ongoing additions to such worthy projects as listing every Sammy Davis Jr. appearance of masked rock band or Alvin & the Chipmunks project ever can be crammed into filler space on random pages. Each issue carries hundreds of record reviews, dozens of rock-themed cartoons and interviews with talents so long-lost you probably haven’t heard of them. Where Danzig shares equal billing with The Knots and Boyd Rice.