20 years. Two Decades.
In late 2001, I had put a post with an idea of a community magazine up on the DC Freaks forum. From that small grain, Carrie, Joshua, Christophe, Kris and I came together, and over the next few months created the first issue of The City Morgue Magazine. Issue 01 was released upon the world back in February, 2002. Brian and Victor joined us on the misadventures along the way. Four years, and twenty issues later it was clear that we had one astounding community that supported us the entire way.
No matter how much time goes by, I am incredibly proud of the work we did on The City Morgue. For a little 'zine, we really gave it our all. Of course you have to have your cultural components, such as music reviews and clothing articles, but we also tried to elevate it beyond just stereotypical snapshot of a subculture. We discussed politics and theology, taught you how to cook, or to garden, how to write a living will or survive in a corporate environment. So much of the Morgue was dedicated to being a platform for new artists, writers, photographers and musicians to get their voice and their art out into the world. As the Morgue expanded, so did the opportunities for writers and artists to collaborate together. Whenever I was asked to describe The City Morgue Magazine, I always said it was the goth / industrial community's readers digest.
For all of the hard work that editors did, it was easily surpassed by the support and enthusiasm of the scene, not just in creative submissions, but also in the support of time and energy. For those that don't know, The City Morgue was always a very scrappy, hands on kind of adventure. Every other month, after a week or so of the editors beating the magazine layout into submission, Kris and I would print out 44,000 sheets of double-sided tabloid paper on a giant, commercial-grade HP printer that we had no right owning. It would take 1 - 2 days to print everything for a single 1,000 copy issue run. The next day, an army of people - editors and supporters - would pack themselves into our one bedroom apartment to help us collate, assemble, staple, fold, roll and pack the latest issue. It was hours of grueling work sitting on the crowded floor, toiling away on homemade "assembly machines" and it was always a fabulous time with phenomenal people.
So, this website is for you, those who gave us wonderful articles, art and stories, those that helped us, and especially for those who have yet to discover The City Morgue Magazine. All twenty issues are here and freely available for you to download or read right here. There is a forum to share your thoughts and memories on the Morgue, we would love to see them. Enjoy the visit, but as we like to say - once you visit the morgue, you will never leave.
Damion "Skullkyng" Boulden
This website is such a great gesture. Not only was The City Morgue my first acceptance and publication (issues 9 & 10), but it was my first real dive into the world of small press horror/goth zines. Working with Christophe through the submission process was one of the most genuine and enjoyable experiences of all the zines I published in. What a skeleton crew! Thank you for the opportunity and for all the great issues. Reading this mag again, it's just as strong as it ever was.
Definitely some shenanigans. But a great time, lots of laughs, fun, and amazing content and people.
There was typically a little bit of adult beverages, food, and a few shenanigans involved too. Hence also the party aspect.