About Stanzine Publications

Stanzine Publications has been in existence since 1981, when Stanzine #1 was published in a print run of 100 copies. It was a music-based fanzine which lurched along sporadically through 11 issues, in print runs increasing to 1000, up to the year 2000. During that time its name changed several times - Hyperdermic Hedgehog, Polychromatic Porcupine, The Virgin and the Witchdoctor - finally settling on A 'Sex' hat dance from #6 onwards. #11 was the Misinformation Manual, and had got about as far away from being a music fanzine as was possible, without actually abandoning its musical background.

As well as the music-based fanzines, Stanzine published other, non-music publications throughout the years - poetry chapbooks, quasi-political booklets, mini-comics and the like. It also took on the role of creating the booklets which accompanied various Pumf Records album releases.

These days, publications are few and far between, and with no specific theme or content easily definable. It's fairly sure that there will be future publications, though as for what or when . . . you'll have to wait and see.

- Review by Muuna Takeena #8, 2002
A 'Sex' Hat Dance #11: Misinformation Manual
Stan Batcow is a mysterious and comical fellow. When I first started getting into cassette music (i.e. music that was only released on cassette, you get the picture) one of the first artists I stumbled upon was Howl in the Typewriter, one of Stan's more personal projects. I've been a minor fan of the old kook ever since, and his zines have always been a pleasure. However, I've never found out what the title of this one means . . . perhaps I should just ask him . . . but anyway, it seems that this chunky collage / rant / scrapbook will be the last sex hat dance ever. Stan tells us all about how he started the zine back in 1981 as an angry young punkster, and how disillusion and the press of other projects has led him to abandon the dance. It's kind of sad and kind of joyful, like so much else in our little world. His cynicism is only one thread of the Batcow carpet, so maybe we'll see number 12 one day. This issue is a pile of stuff that Stan has meant to print before, and serves as a tying up of loose ends, of which there would seem to be plenty. This is a mixed bag, ranging from some cool rants and wacky pictures to some fairly pointless stories and collage wank. However, because Stan has such a unique take on things the whole thing makes perfect sense, and gives a perfect image of the comically serious / seriously comical British cheap supermarket underground that we have produced here in our fair and rain-lashed land . . . Stan is the Man, and you are all his babies.