Search

Babyfish was a radical political zine published by Detroit-based poet, anarchist, and pansexual advocate Andy Smith, also known as Sunfrog, between 1988 and 1996.

The Babyfish papers consist of a variety of zines, most with a radical, anarchist and pansexual base. The actual zine Babyfish consisted of six issues; this collection includes the latter five. Each of these issues are of varying lengths and themes, but for the most part they address radical topics concerning urban living, with a particular emphasis on the decay of inner-city Detroit. Other papers in the collection include additional radical zines, some of which were created exclusively by Sunfrog, others being collaborative efforts. The collection also includes financial receipts which have to do with the printing of Babyfish.

The title zine is rich in anarchist commentary on social, political, and economic issues that affected the United States government from the spring of 1988 until the final issue was published in the winter of 1994. The Detroit "journey" of Sunfrog is made more palatable by the collaborative efforts of regular guest artists, musicians, poets and those involved with the radical politics of the city.

"With the dynamic skills of Pat Medicine working overtime, the 'fish organized itself into thematic sections which honed recurring motifs. 'Radical Sexuality' (feminism, US Out Of My Uterus, homocore, The Radical Faeries) & 'Earth vs. The Machine' (ecological, anti-nuke, anti-car & anti-incinerator raves) appeared alongside poetry, interviews & reviews which featured such local musical talents as: Only A Mother, Yeastie Girlz, Sleep, Gories, Viv Akauldren, Roger Manning, John Bartles, The Blanks & more." (Sunfrog, Babyfish, Issue #6, p.7)

Babyfish's radical nature "clearly articulated a response to Helms-era censorship hysteria by its use of wild graphics and explicit words, encouraging cultural debate & never compromising the ethic of a "free-form" journal." (ibid.) Sunfrog clearly recognized that his efforts at expression were not definitive. In his final editorial he passes on the radical torch by saying "As we put raps on the final issue of Babyfish, it is clear that there is still an enormous amount of unpublished work which the community deserve a chance to see…this is our final entry in a prolific Cass Corridor journey." (ibid.)

Politically and socially radical underground newspaper founded in Detroit, Michigan, in 1965. The tabloid reflected an anarchist-libertarian philosophy during the 1970s under the influence of the "Eat the Rich Gang," which included editors Peter and Marilyn Werbe. Throughout the 1980s, the Fifth Estate continued to cover local issues and events, along with critiques of modern industrial society and articles covering the radical environmental movement. In 1999, the "Alternative Press Review" described the paper as an "anti-technology, anti-civilization, anarcho-primitivist quarterly."Collection consists of correspondence, business and office records, submissions for possible publication, clippings, flyers, posters, and photographs documenting the activities of the Fifth Estate primarily from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. Financial documents, advertising, subscription and book orders, as well as legal documents regarding lawsuits are included. Correspondents include Bob Black, Peter Werbe, Marilyn Werbe, David Watson, John Zerzan, Lorraine Perlman, and editor (2002- ) Andy Smith (also known under the pseudonyms Sunfrog, Anu Bonobo, and Andrew Smith). The bulk of the audiovisual and digital media relate to Peter Werbe's Late Night radio show that dealt with similar topics as Fifth Estate.

The Fifth Estate Records document the activities of the Fifth Estate newspaper, one of the oldest underground newspapers in the United States. The records date primarily from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. The record group has been divided into eight series: Historical, Correspondence, Publishing Material, Business and Office Records, Topical File, Miscellaneous Anarchist and Social Protest Ephemera, Photographs, and Audiovisual and Digital Media. There is a good deal of overlap among the series due to the work processes of the staff at the Fifth Estate and the lack of organization among the various accessions received by the library.