Bizarre (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Bizarre is a British alternative magazine published from 1997 to the present. It is currently published by Dennis Publishing
; it is a sister publication to the Fortean Times
.
through interviews with counterculture
personages; and articles about LGBT culture
, fetish subculture
, drug subculture
, and other subculture
s. It also reviews the work of avant-garde
directors, musicians, authors, and visual artists—and of those who have a cult following
.
The magazine's news coverage includes unusual news events from around the world; development and impact of legislation concerning sex offences, censorship
, civil liberties
; and, occasionally, incidents of abuse of human rights
. Articles in Bizarre have examined the Manchester police's Operation Spanner
of 1987, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
, British legislation banning 'extreme pornography
', and Terrorism Act 2000
. After the murder of Sophie Lancaster
in 2007, Bizarre campaigned for awareness of bigotry against people who exhibit some form of cultural deviance
.
Like lad mags, issues of Bizarre commonly feature a semi-nude female model on the front cover, and reviews of weird gadgets, films, music, and websites.
in February 1997 and was edited by Fiona Jerome. It was an immediate success and changed to monthly issuance a year after its launch. Circulation peaked at more than 120,000 in 2000, but later the same year declined to less than 30,000 when I Feel Good (IFG) bought the magazine for £5 million. IFG was a company founded by former James Brown, the former editor of Loaded
magazine. When IFG collapsed, Dennis Publishing
acquired Bizarre. The current editor of Bizarre is David McComb.
Dennis Publishing
Dennis Publishing Ltd. is an independent publisher. It was founded in 1974.As of April 2010 the company publishes 31 magazine or online titles, predominately in the UK....
; it is a sister publication to the Fortean Times
Fortean Times
Fortean Times is a British monthly magazine devoted to the anomalous phenomena popularised by Charles Fort. Previously published by John Brown Publishing and then I Feel Good Publishing , it is now published by Dennis Publishing Ltd. As of December 2010, its circulation was approximately 18,000...
.
Content
Bizarre covers alternative cultureAlternative culture
Alternative culture is a type of culture that exists outside or on the fringes of mainstream or popular culture, usually under the domain of one or more subcultures...
through interviews with counterculture
Counterculture
Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
personages; and articles about LGBT culture
LGBT culture
LGBT culture, is the common culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. It is sometimes also referred to as Queer culture. The term gay culture, though not synonymous, is sometimes also used though this may also apply specifically to the culture of homosexual men.LGBT...
, fetish subculture
Fetish subculture
Fetish culture is a term used to describe the lifestyle and arts relating to and influenced by the interest in sexual fetishism and paraphilias. This includes fetish magazines, and a particular style of fashion, photography, art and modelling. Also within fetish culture is a nightclub scene that is...
, drug subculture
Drug subculture
Drug subcultures are examples of countercultures, which are primarily defined by recreational drug use.Drug subcultures are groups of people united by a common understanding of the meaning and value of the incorporation into one's life of the drug in question...
, and other subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
s. It also reviews the work of avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
directors, musicians, authors, and visual artists—and of those who have a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
.
The magazine's news coverage includes unusual news events from around the world; development and impact of legislation concerning sex offences, censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
, civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
; and, occasionally, incidents of abuse of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
. Articles in Bizarre have examined the Manchester police's Operation Spanner
Operation Spanner
Operation Spanner was the name of an operation carried out by police in the United Kingdom city of Manchester in 1987, as a result of which a group of homosexuals were convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for their involvement in consensual sadomasochism over a ten year period.The...
of 1987, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, regulating the powers of public bodies to carry out surveillance and investigation, and covering the interception of communications...
, British legislation banning 'extreme pornography
Extreme pornography
Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 is a piece of legislation in the United Kingdom that criminalises possession of what it refers to as "extreme pornographic images". The law was enacted from 26 January 2009...
', and Terrorism Act 2000
Terrorism Act 2000
The Terrorism Act 2000 is the first of a number of general Terrorism Acts passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It superseded and repealed the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1989 and the Northern Ireland Act 1996...
. After the murder of Sophie Lancaster
Murder of Sophie Lancaster
The Murder of Sophie Lancaster was a murder case in the United Kingdom in 2007. The victim, along with her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, was attacked by a number of males in their mid-teens while walking through Stubbylee Park in Bacup, Rossendale in Lancashire. As a result of her severe head injuries...
in 2007, Bizarre campaigned for awareness of bigotry against people who exhibit some form of cultural deviance
Deviance (sociology)
Deviance in a sociological context describes actions or behaviors that violate cultural norms including formally-enacted rules as well as informal violations of social norms...
.
Like lad mags, issues of Bizarre commonly feature a semi-nude female model on the front cover, and reviews of weird gadgets, films, music, and websites.
Pornography
Earlier issues of Bizarre had a sealed section featuring censored pornography, in which images of genitalia, anuses, semen, and sex acts were obscured. The censorship was self-imposed to avoid alienating mainstream newsagent's shops and booksellers.History
Bizarre was launched as a bimonthly title by John Brown PublishingJohn Brown Publishing
John Brown, previously called John Brown Publishing, is one of the world’s largest customer communication agencies. While originally formed as a magazine company it now offers a broad range of services under a single umbrella - these include divisions for catalogues, digital, customer magazines,...
in February 1997 and was edited by Fiona Jerome. It was an immediate success and changed to monthly issuance a year after its launch. Circulation peaked at more than 120,000 in 2000, but later the same year declined to less than 30,000 when I Feel Good (IFG) bought the magazine for £5 million. IFG was a company founded by former James Brown, the former editor of Loaded
Loaded (magazine)
Loaded, first published in 1994, is a British magazine for men that is considered to be the "original lads' mag". Its motto is "For men who should know better".-History:...
magazine. When IFG collapsed, Dennis Publishing
Dennis Publishing
Dennis Publishing Ltd. is an independent publisher. It was founded in 1974.As of April 2010 the company publishes 31 magazine or online titles, predominately in the UK....
acquired Bizarre. The current editor of Bizarre is David McComb.