It's a Wrap

FISHWRAP, a 5-year-old 'zine with an editorial mission to poke fun at editorial hype and hysteria in the print media-think an edgy, evil twin of Brill's Content-has taken a fledgling step into another arena known for hype and hysteria: direct response.

Marty Wombacher, founder, publisher, editor, writer and chief fish wrapper, introduced two sections recently in an attempt to turn a profit: The Fishy Newsstand and Classless Classifieds.

The Fishy Newsstand is an advertising section for other glossy 'zines. Bust, Black Book and Giant Robot are probably the best known. The section was introduced in the current issue, so it's a little early to tell if any subs were generated.

Fishwrap itself has 250 subscribers, plus 200 complimentary subscriptions that go to the very publications Wombacher makes fun of. Subscriptions are usually generated through media mentions in such publications as Spin or Sassy, which lauded Fishwrap as "'zine of the month" in one issue.

Classless Classifieds are personals with a vengeance, not advertising. People can vent at $1 a word (and a 15-word minimum) in such categories as "I Hope You Slide Under a Gas Truck and Taste Your Own Blood!" or "You Lying Bastard!" among others. Wombacher writes half the rants himself, the rest being submitted by various readers.-JB