XIPHOID PROCESS

XIPHOID PROCESS
What: Fanzine
Where: Austin, Texas
When: 1979-82?
Who: John Slate

Xiphoid Process was a punk / new wave fanzine out of Austin, Texas, among Ground Zero, Sluggo, Contempo Culture and others. It was published by John Slate, known also as Control Rat X. The guy later played the JFK assassination expert on one of my favourite movie: Slacker (1991 Richard Linklater). The zine featured music reviews, art, games and interviews.
This attitudes for jokes and games lead him to create the Bodily Funktions a conceptual band that never played a show, advertising them with flyers organizing meetings in the parking lot of the legendary punk/new wave club Raul's.

"John Slate, using the colorful moniker Control Rat X, began producing handbills in 1980, including a series for his nonexistent "poster band" Bodily Funktions. Though his work occasionally lured small groups of confused Bodily Funktions fans to Raul's parking lot, he is best known for the punkish periodical, Xiphoid Process, which he published from '79 to '82." [from Postering in Austin Texas by Nels Jacobson]

 

 

He realized the artwork for the Reactors "It's Not Important / Cold Eyes" (7'' 1980) single on Stress Records. Two great sloppy art-punk songs from this Austin band formed by Mike Runnels (vocals, guitar), Steve Estes (bass) and Karl Schultz (drums).

 

Xiphoid Process No. 4 (1980)

8 1/2 x 11". 8 pages

Black and white photocopy with hand-colors. Inside collage....

 

Collage by Tim in Xiphoid Process, November 31,1980

Xiphoid Process No. 8 (1982)

Inside interview with Saccharine Trust, Top ten, Games and puzzles.

Xiphoid Process No. 15 (1983)

Inside article on Trouble Funk, Big Boys and three full pages of Bill Barminski comics..

[images from 1, 2, 3]