John Wilcock was already an experienced British journalist when he began writing "The Village Square" column for The Village Voice in 1955. These days, the 78-year-old writes a weekly column in The Montecito Journal, self-publishes a monthly zine called The Ojai Orange, and produces a public access television show. The twisted tale of his life, as revealed to the Ventura County Reporter, also includes stints as a travel writer for The New York Times and Frommer's, a columnist for LA Weekly, and an apprentice to a witch. Wilcock was friends with Andy Warhol and Abbie Hoffman, but says he "never really got along very well" with Norman Mailer, because Mailer was "a bit self-important."

Continue ReadingUnderground Press Icon John Wilcock Still Publishing

The first issue was a "disaster," says the Chronicle's co-founder, "a calamity so legendary that, for much of a decade, copies of it were not allowed in the office." The cover featured Shock Treatment, a movie destined never to open, and it was completely purple as the result of a miscommunication with the printer. The present-day Chronicle is "a paper as honest as we can get it," Black says. "We don't just create this paper, we're fans. We can't wait to see what's going to be in the next issue and the next and the next." In addition to Black's column in the Sept. 8 issue, the Chronicle posted a 25th anniversary photo album online.

Continue ReadingLouis Black Reminisces About 25 Years at the Austin Chronicle