Through the massive ebbs and flows of modern media, through the turn of a century, Alternative Press has prevailed. Once a Cleveland-focused fanzine spanning both local news and underground art scenes, the brand became a glossy book nestled on the shelves of Barnes & Noble, wallpaper for the sloped ceilings of teenage bedrooms, and a logo synonymous with early aughts alt archetypes like Warped Tour, Hot Topic, and music dropping on MySpace. Over the years, the “alternative” net cast by the publication has shifted, settling on a space that is as fluid as the contemporary cultural landscape while holding onto the rich identity and purpose that’s been at the brand’s core for 40 years.
Travel through four decades of alternative history, from Nirvana’s first national U.S. magazine cover to Green Day and blink-182 recreating the Damned’s Damned Damned Damned to My Chemical Romance’s Black Parade era to Scowl taking us around their hometown of Santa Cruz. The 120-page book features a foil-embossed cover paying homage to our logos through the years, rare images, and tells the 40-year-old story of Alternative Press.
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Like many of the faces who have graced the cover, these days AltPress is obliged to consider the idea of “nostalgia.” Is our purpose to take people back in time, to be the bearers of good memories and embarrassing hairstyles — or do we keep things fresh and moving forward? Ultimately, our responsibility is both and neither. We hold a torch that is uniquely our own at AP, one that shines light on artists and their craft, with the widest possible scope: unpacking the past and honoring how it has led us to the present.
Legacy is a fragile ecosystem — one that requires the utmost respect while also requiring a willingness to take risks. “Everything that you’ve been through, everything you’ve experienced, has gotten you to where you are today,” Frank Iero points out, in a 2024 cover story. “There’s no sense in hiding from that — but at the same time, there’s no sense in rehashing who you were and what you did then. We did that already. Go listen to that, if that’s what you want to listen to. But we’re not saying that we wish it didn’t happen. No, I love that it’s there. I believe in, appreciate, and stand by 99.99% of the things I’ve ever created.”
Printed in very small quantities, so preorder yours today.
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