Rolling Thunder (zine)

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Rolling Thunder
First Issue's Cover (June 6th, 2005)

First Issue's Cover (June 6th, 2005)

Editors Anonymous
Categories Anarchism
Frequency Biannual
Circulation 3,000 per issue [1]
(Distributed Internationally)
Publisher CrimethInc. Workers' Collective
First issue June 6, 2005
Country Flag of the United States United States
Language English
Website http://www.crimethinc.com/a/rt/

Rolling Thunder is a biannual "anarchist journal of dangerous living" published by Crimethinc. ex-Workers' Collective since the Summer of 2005.

"It is our attempt to offer a wild-eyed, fire-breathing, militant periodical that can cover the adventures of a dissident high school student skipping class as easily as a street riot that sets an embassy aflame: that neither reduces the organic impulses of revolt to inert theory nor prioritizes conventional activism over the subversive elements present in every other walk of life but instead focuses on sharing the stories of those who step out of line (that is, of all of us, in our finest moments) and sharing the skills developed in the process (not to mention the poetry) so that many more may do so and do so more boldly and so that liberty and community and all those other beautiful things may triumph."

[edit] Issues

Descriptions from the publishers:

Issue 1, summer 2005

"The debut issue includes an extensive analysis of the preceding decade of direct action, feature articles on consent in sexual relationships and alternative conceptions of education, and testimonials from maniacs who squatted their own workplaces and set themselves on fire while fighting police… and that’s just the beginning! All told, this is 116 pages of radical commentary, history, poetry, artwork, fiction, parlor games (!), comics (!!), skills (e.g., “how to survive a police raid”), and culinary advice, all with an emphasis on personal narratives and celebrating the ways subversion thrives in the most unlikely places."

Issue 2, winter 2006

"The lengthiest articles in our second issue are an analysis of last summer’s protests against the G8 meeting in Scotland, a retrospective on squatting and resistance culture in northern Europe, and an in-depth discussion of subcultural marginality and refusal that is to dropping out what the first issue’s sixteen-page feature article was to protest activism. The last of these is rounded out by an inside report on the workings of current labor unions, a memoir of gender mutiny, and an account of how to establish a squatted community center; other highlights include an intimate reflection on the patterns by which abusive relationships perpetuate themselves and a primer on communications technology for direct action. This issue also features plenty of the unorthodox fare that distinguishes CrimethInc. projects from the sometimes listless work of other radicals: a haunting fairy tale, cutting edge games to play between more serious adventures, a crossword puzzle, and sheet music for a classic blues song about the preponderance of bread products in the dumpsterer’s diet."

Issue 3, summer 2006

"International reports from last Mayday’s pro-immigrant rallies! Analysis of the Bush regime’s strategy to promote terrorism worldwide! Discussion of the latest wave of federal repression! Testimony from a convicted anti-war arsonist! Anarchist perspectives on and reports from the struggle against domestic violence! A tell-all interview with notorious graffiti artist(s) BORF! A shocking exposé on German pro-Zionist lunatics! A how-to guide to funneling resources out of universities! A spy’s-eye-view of immigrant labor in factory farming! A narrow escape from the flaming Pentagon on September 11, 2001! A history of direct action and rioting in queer liberation struggles! A cartoon recounting the riots at the canceled World Bank conference in Barcelona! A mad-lib for radicals with poor social skills! A satirical guide to writing reviews! Visionary storytelling, technical advice on computer security, eulogies and poster designs and more, more, more!"

Issue 4, winter 2007

"The fourth and best yet issue of Rolling Thunder! The centerpiece of this one is a full-color photoessay chronicling the popular uprising during which the people of Oaxaca, Mexico wrested control of their city from the government for a period of months. Continuing that theme, other feature articles cover the defense and eviction of South Central Farm in Los Angeles, the Really Really Free Market as a model for reclaiming public space from capitalism and bureaucracy, the resurgence of squatting in Buffalo of all places, the university occupation movement in France, and the ins and outs of urban exploration. The remainder of the issue includes a comprehensive guide to supporting prisoners and defendants, the lyrics to “The Big Rock Candy Mountain” as interpreted by acclaimed comic artist Nate Powell, a gallery of ready-to-use stencils, and plenty of the edgy artwork and poignant prose you’ve come to expect.

Issue 5, spring 2008

"This issue focuses on different ways of conceptualizing strategy, exploring the ways anarchist efforts can be repressed, assimilated, and neutralized only to reappear in new forms. It opens with a study by David Graeber of the successes and stumbling blocks of direct action movements over the past thirty years, followed by a special report distilling lessons from the recent wave of federal repression known as the Green Scare. Two features give the inside story on anarchist mobilizations overseas via interviews, personal narratives, and 16 pages of full color photos: an examination of the riots following the eviction of Denmark’s beloved social center Ungdomshuset, and a full review of last summer’s G8 protests in Germany. The issue is rounded out by a subject’s analysis of the medical study industry as a case study in modern day precarious labor, a spotlight on anarchist organizing in Modesto, California, and reviews of controversial works by anti-art duo Brener and Schurz. 100% ad-free."[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ Rolling Thunder #5 Arrives!. CrimethInc. Far East Blog. CrimethInc.. Retrieved on 2008-02-26.

[edit] External links