Online archive of ¡The Blast!, an anarchist newspaper published by the Agitator Index Collective in Minneapolis in the mid 1990s. At least seven issues were published.
¡The Blast! newspaper (1990s)
The Blast! was an anarchist tabloid published by the Agitator Index Collective, which included Sister Erin of the Immaculate Conception/Erin Immaculate, joel [olson], Justine Abinni, Nikolas Kautz, Tod, Tricia Meleiko, Katrina and Gigi. It was named in honor of Alexander Berkman's anarchist newspaper of the same name, which Berkman published from 1916-1917.
The Blast! was founded in 1993 by former members of the anarchist punk Profane Existence Collective. The first issue appeared in the winter of 1994, and featured coverage of the recent Zapatista uprising. The Blast! eschewed the punk rock ghetto, and their musical coverage was heavily tilted in favor of hip-hop.
The Agitator Index was a member-collective of the Love and Rage Revolutionary Anarchist Federation.
The final issue appeared in 1996.
¡The Blast! #1 (April 1994)
First issue of this anarchist newspaper from Minneapolis. Including: anti-fascist Kieran Knutson charged, political statement of the Agitator Index Collective, Chiapas uprising, hip hop group Universal Vibe Squad, interview with Lorenzo Komboa Ervin, prisoners, reviews, etc.
PDF from The Mara Cagol Memorial Library on archive.org
Files
The-Blast-1-April1994.pdf
(6.77 MB)
Comments
¡The Blast! #2 (June 1994)
Second issue of this anarchist newspaper from Minneapolis. Including: local and international news, interview with Noel Ignatiev of Race Traitor, action against Clinton's welfare reforms, EZLN, sex workers speak out (several articles), Stonewall was a riot, Shaka Shakur "racism vs kkkolonialsism", homeless campsites, prisoners, letters, etc.
PDF from The Mara Cagol Memorial Library on archive.org
Files
The-Blast-2-June-1994_0.pdf
(7.16 MB)
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¡The Blast! #3 (August 1994)
Third issue of this anarchist newspaper from Minneapolis. Including: local and international news, D.A.R.E. campaign to keep cops out of Minnesota schools, 25th anniversary of Stonewall events, Shaka Shakur on prison Control Units, interview with Efrain Valdez of Chiapas, GATT and the WTO, anti-fascism, etc.
PDF from The Mara Cagol Memorial Library on archive.org
Files
The-Blast-3-Aug-1994.pdf
(7.45 MB)
Comments
The Blast! #4 (December 1994)
Fourth issue of this anarchist newspaper from Minneapolis. Including: local and international news, the Crime Bill and social control, protests against UK Criminal Justice Bill, 1994 elections, the politics of population control, prisoners, etc.
PDF from The Mara Cagol Memorial Library on archive.org
Files
The-Blast-4-Dec-1994.pdf
(7.08 MB)
Comments
The Blast! #5 (March 1995)
Fifth issue of this anarchist newspaper from Minneapolis. Including: local and international news, Mumia Abu-Jamal, religious right and the family, ten years of anarchism in Minneapolis, interview with hip hop group The Coup, gender oppression, interview with The Fugees, resisting school, anarchism and the Mexican labour movement, prisons, etc.
PDF from The Mara Cagol Memorial Library on archive.org
Files
The-Blast-5-March-1995.pdf
(8.02 MB)
Comments
Very interesting, especially the interview with the Fugees, that was a very impressive get!
The Blast! #7 (Summer 1996)
Seventh issue of this anarchist newspaper from Minneapolis. Including: local and international news, interviews on the street about imprisonment, prisons - what we think, borders, affirmative action, from gangsta to revolutionary, interview with hip hop artist Paris, Mexican bus workers fight back, the seduction of neo-Kolonialism, cops, prisoners, horoscopes.
PDF from The Mara Cagol Memorial Library on archive.org
Files
The-Blast-7-Summer-1996.pdf
(7.37 MB)
Comments
Interesting, had never heard…
Interesting, had never heard of this one
Yeah it was pretty good from…
Yeah it was pretty good from what I can recall, Active Distro used to have it. An interesting example of people being politicised by punk and their analysis developing to the extent that they realise the limitations of subcultural stuff...
I've uploaded all the issues…
I've uploaded all the issues from archive.org now. Issue 6 is missing.
There also appears to be an issue 6.5 which is for sale on ebay at the moment for quite a lot for a "mini issue" - $29.00
FYI . . . the description…
FYI . . . the description here of The Blast and Agitator Index collective is not fully correct. KK was never a collective member. I sent in private messages a month ago - but I guess no one at libcom or Fozzie reads them.
The collective was noted in each issue (on the inside cover usually, I
believe). Here are the names I see, looking at the pdf's:
Sister Erin of the Immaculate Conception/Erin Immaculate
joel [olson]
Justine Abinni
Nikolas Kautz
Tod
Tricia Meleiko
Katrina
Gigi
Sorry about that, Kdog. My…
Sorry about that, Kdog. My mistake. I’ll correct later today - thanks for pointing this out.