And to start us off during this new year we are highlighting Lunchmeat VHS magazine! Lunchmeat is a specialty niche magazine targeted at fans and collectors of old school and out-of-print VHS tapes!
Each new issue focuses on VHS reviews (of both old and new print VHS tapes), interviews with members of the indie horror and VHS communities, spotlight and how-to articles for collectors, and even the occasional crossword puzzle and games.
And to learn more about the company and their publication what better way then to ask the creative mind behind the project: Josh Schafer. Here is our interview with Josh and what he can tell us about the magazine.
Why the name Lunch Meat VHS?
Because it’s delicious! No, VHSeriously, there is a little story behind it. I used to work for an indie metal label (Relapse Records) and while I was there, I met Ted Gilbert, who would end up co-founding Lunchmeat with me.
We’d eat lunch together nearly every day and discuss strange, obscure flicks that we watched, mainly on VHS. Once we decided we wanted to do a print zine about VHS, we threw around some names, but nothing really stuck until Lunchmeat was brought up. It just clicked. Lunch Meat is an obscure VHS-only backwoods cannibal flick that I personally adore and really embodies the essence of obscure VHS, and honestly, when we were talking every day at lunch about all these weird movies… you know what we were eating? Sammiches filled with… LUNCH MEAT! It just made sense to us. We thought it was a good, fun fit.
Well, I guess the previous answer gives a little insight to that, but we’ve continued to build the coverage Lunchmeat offers, adding a website a few years back, and then just getting more involved with all kinds of VHS-centric projects and events, becoming a brand that champions the VHS format and all of the culture that has surrounded it historically along with all of the newfound collecting culture that’s popped up in the past several years. I’ve co-produced a VHS Collecting focused documentary called Adjust Your Tracking: The Untold Story of the VHS Collector, produced numerous VHS releases, and offer radical rewind-inclined merchandise, and much, much more, all to help spread the love of VHS.
What does the company do to contribute in and among the horror community?
Quite a lot, really. Like I mentioned above, Lunchmeat has become a brand that’s synonymous with VHS love. The magazine offers celebration, appreciation and preservation of VHS-only movies, all kinds of incredible analog content and lots of coverage on obscure and cult actors, directors and other artists. While the website has that stuff, too, www.LunchmeatVHS.com mainly focuses on the current world of VHS collecting and culture.
I’m also involved with a lot of VHS-centric productions and events from VHS releases to VHS screenings to just about everything you can think of the champions the VHS format. We aim to be the ultimate beacon for VHS appreciation, celebration and preservation.
The main focus is obscure VHS content and culture. We review VHS-only flicks that will probably never make it to any other format, and really just embody the essence of the video era. We also interview obscure yet absolutely wonderful actors, directors and other artists that are relevant to the VHS era and wouldn’t really get any airtime elsewhere.
There is no specific theme per se. We really enjoy mixing it up as much as possible. There is always lots of horror, sci-fi, action, cartoons, and comedy since that’s the kind of stuff we really enjoy, but we always toss in random obscurities that are of interest. We also cover culture-based stuff like forgotten analog era gadgets, some wondrous video era promo materials, VHStrange but True items, and really just dig up the weirdest, most fun VHStuff out there. We’re always digging deeper and deeper and trying to make each issue as unique and exciting and informative as possible.
How often does a new issue come out?
We usually do two a year, but we’re always trying to do more. It’s tough since LM is really a passion project that is done on the side of my day job. Doing an indie magazine is a lot of work; it takes a tremendous amount of time and energy, so mixed with all of the other work I do with LM (e.g. online content, production projects, events, etc.) it gets tough to get it out more than twice a year. However, there is a ton of content online with the blog, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. There’s no shortage of coverage from LM on obscure and esoteric VHS culture – that’s for VHSure, man!
We did do subscriptions for a while, and got a great reaction with them; however, I stopped offering subscriptions because after issue #9 (which will be out in the Spring) LM #10 is going to be something very special, in a totally different format, that will cost a bit more than a regular issue, so I decided to stop with subs. That said, LM #10 is going to be something extremely exciting, and everyone can stay updated on everything LM by staying tuned to those online outlets I’ve listed above! We’re always cooking up something VHSpectacular, man!
Do you provide other services or products besides the magazine?
Absolutely. If you want to check out all the LM wares, just groove to the site and hit the Meat Market or visit LunchmeatVHS.Storenvy.com!
We offer all kinds of VHS-lovin’ goodies from shirts to stickers to pins to Limited Edition VHS releases.
Just that for the fan of obscure horror and cult cinema, the VHS format is utterly indispensable. That’s one of the essential missions of LM: to celebrate, appreciate and share out about some of the most insane, unknown and absolutely increible genre films only available on VHS; we want to spread the love and nostalgia that abounds within the video era. If you’re the kind of person that still has a VCR and loves watching weird movies, or is reading this and is scratching their head saying, “Why VHS? Who cares?”, then all the more reason for you to check out what LM has to offer. It’s all about diggin’ deep and showcasing some of the strangest entertainment material out there. Because you know what? It’s all on VHS. You have my rewind word on it.
Make sure to stay tuned to A Slice of Horror for all the newest reviews, interviews, and promotions in the indie horror community. Next week we will be doing a Terror Video Review to look at a few issues of Lunchmeat VHS Magazine!