Book Review:
Dysfunctional
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Review
by The Chraveler |
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Compiled
by Aaron Rose, Ben Weaver, and Andrew Holmes |
With
an essay by Garry Scott Davis |
and
a skateboarding history chronology by C.R. Stecyk |
Also
included: a load of awesome photos and artwork |
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|
Dysfunctional
opens with C.R. Stecyk's twelve-page chronology of factoids directly relating
to the history of skateboards and standing sideways on a plank of wood
in general. It's way interesting and written with Stecyk's trademark dry
humor.
It continues with
another essay by Garry Scott Davis about the simply wacked sense of humor
and artistic style that skateboarders possess as a cultural group.
This book's Plates
section (photos and artwork) opens with a close up of a bruised, hairy,
zitty ass. If the general theme of all the artwork and pictures included
in this great collective book could be summarized with one piece, it's
this shot.
Dysfunctional is a
insider's look at the photographs, advertisements, and artwork that has
been produced by skateboarders and skateboarding over the past thirty
someodd years.
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| Yep
that's old Eddie Templeton face down on the cover of Dysfunctional! |
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| There are
shots of skatespots: legendary pools such as the nude bowl, unnamed and
secret spots, and one particular plate of a rather ghetto backyard ramp
that is two ramshackle quarterpipes facing each other in a cramped courtyard
- the essence of backyard skateboarding. |
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| There
is one two-page spread showcasing the seminal black & white xeroxed
fanzine. It shows covers of around 40 different publications, including
the infamous Kill Rocco Zine and The He Man Ed Hater's Club Newsletter.
There are several of the shit-starting World Industries ads from the early
1990's - ads that brought down the behemoth corporate skateboard companies
of the 1980's with their flat out "fuck you" wit and sarcasm.
Example: The Blind ad featuring Rudy Johnson, Jason Lee, and Mark Gonzales
with their Powell imitation skull decks and the "3 P's" Powell-Peralta
logo commandeered and flipped upside-down to become a brilliant Blind Logo |
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| My favorite
aspect of this book are the two-page spreads of skateboard graphics, from
the early eighties to the late nineties. Everything from the S.ALBA BEVEL
Santa Cruz Deck to the number of very controversial graphics produced in
the early 1990's when skateboarding was at a major low and companies didn't
give a fuck about offending any parental consumers because there weren't
any parental consumers to begin with at that time! |
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| The last
bit of gnar I will divulge about this book is the creepy actor's headshot
of Gator Mark Anthony, with his trademark smile and stats. It makes you
wonder just what the fuck went on inside that head of his (or anyone's head
for that matter.) |
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Here's
the difficult part: I believe as of this writing this book is out of print.
However, you may be able to find a used copy on eBay or Amazon.com. Hunt
this book down though, cuz you won't be disappointed. |
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Dysfunctional |
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| Compiled
by Aaron Rose, Ben Weaver, and Andrew Holmes. |
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| Paperback,
208 pages |
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| Publisher:
Booth-Clibborn Editions (June 1999) |
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| ISBN:
1861540531 |
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