This article was originally published on Hubpages in January 2022. How Smokin' Dragon Zine Began Smokin' Dragon began as a few simple photocopied sheets of penpal listings called Inklink. By issue three, a change of name and format was already directing this totally independent, non-profit project into the mighty DIY quarterly publication that it became. Smokin' Dragon's ISSN number was 1353-9973. While the front and back covers were photocopied to allow the use of photographs, the rest of the zine was laboriously printed by hand, sheet by sheet, using an antiquated mimeograph machine. I ran this non-profit making project from my home in Aigburth in Liverpool, where I was then living. The guys from techno-psyche band Timeshard lived just off Lark Lane, Aigburth, which was a five minute walk from my flat. Members of a goth band, Rosetta Stone, lived off Lark Lane too. Just down the same road as me lived The Wizards of Twiddly's manager, and on the next street lived ...

 This article was originally published on Hubpages in May 2020. Smokin' Dragon  was one of Britain's premier independent music zines during the 1990s, published and largely written by myself. A huge number of emerging bands, both signed and unsigned, competed to be included in its crowded pages. Interviews, demo reviews, tour date listings, pen pal listings, poetry, art and prose all jostled for space in this diverse and wonderfully DIY publishing project. This series revisits its lively issues. Smokin' Dragon #8 featured 31 rock bands! Smokin' Dragon #8 The eighth issue of Smokin' Dragon zine had Love Like Us, Voodoo Sioux and The Joeys on the from cover, and was published on October 31st, 1993, and featured 31 bands in total. The Joeys were based in Hull, and had played support gigs for Rich Rags, Xentrics and Swampwalk. In their interview, singer/bass player Fitz talked about the financial challenges facing emerging bands such as van hire, petrol costs, PA hire, ...

 This article was originally published on Hubpages in July 2020. Smokin' Dragon logo What Was Smokin' Dragon? Maintaining friendships with penpals was a popular hobby before the dominance of the internet and social networking. Any way of contacting new penpals was welcomed by many people. This was the initial, simple idea which initiated this writing/pulishing project of mine, which was first named  Inklink . The contents' emphasis quickly changed, as did the zine's name, and before long  Smokin' Dragon  had become one of Britain's premier independent music zines. A huge number of emerging bands competed to be included in its pages. Inklink #1, soon to be renamed Smokin' Dragon Inklink #1 The experimental pilot issue of  Inklink  was published in November 1991. The zine contents featured mainly penpal listings and poetry, plus a very small quantity of art by Charles Diquens and myself. Adverts included tour dates for unsigned bands, who also tried to sell t...