What a Year! THANK YOU!

As I type this I’m making the final corrections to my manuscript – it’s been almost 4 years since this crazy project started. But, 2014 has been an amazing year for putting the final pieces of the puzzle into action, receiving humbling support from backers, and digging into the details of what the final book will look, feel, and smell like. By this time next year you will have “Re-Entry” in your hands! I can’t wait for you to experience it, enjoy it, and bask in the stories!  

Would You Look at That!

UPDATE: 10:43am 11/22/2014

Kid Rock was on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last night where he showed the world what his forthcoming album cover looks like.

Check out Kid Rock's new song "Jesus and Bocephus" from "First Kiss".

For me, it's fascinating how this thing has flowed from Niagara's hand in the early 1990s to the original owner to my purchase in 2011. When I bought it that brought the piece back to Niagara's radar since she didn't have a photo of it. That opened the door for her to start making prints (get one NOW before they are GONE). I loved having the original on my wall, over my bed for about 3 years. Finally, it's a great honor to get Kid Rock's support of the book campaign, sending him my original, and now seeing this piece that was on my wall for years as his new album cover!

When I put the original up for $20,000 to help fund the campaign I never thought ANYONE would pony up the cash to get it, let alone someone like Bob who would find an amazing way to use such an iconic image. It is an image my friend Rick Manore (former owner of CPOP) says is Niagara's "soup can", a reference to Andy Warhol's iconic piece.

It's been an amazing to see how all this happened in just about a month!

The Campaign was a Smashing Success! THANK YOU!

I can’t believe we did it! Amazing! Thanks so much to the 84 donors who joined to help raise a grand total of $25,871!  Every dollar counts and Wayne State University Press will be putting it to good use making sure that this book gets the treatment it deserves in order to tell the history of Detroit’s alt-publishing scene from 1978 to today with heavy focus on WHITE NOISE, FUN, and ORBIT!

The Fundraiser Goal is CRUSHED Thanks to Kid Rock!

The headline says it all, but, not how it came to be.

Kid Rock in Detroit (08/19/13) - Photo by Dez Hughes 

A few days after the campaign started I received an e-mail. Opening it while half awake, it got my attention immediately. It was from Bob Ritchie’s sister, Carol. It said that he would like to make a $20,000 donation to Wayne State University Press as part of the fundraising campaign for the ORBIT book.

After I stopped screaming and dancing around my apartment, I think I scared my cats, I composed myself and wrote an e-mail back. I thanked Carol and her brother, better known as Kid Rock, and said I would make sure they received the paperwork they needed as well as the original Niagara painting I was offering for such generous support of the book.

Thanks! How about you?

It's been a great week! Over $2,000 has come in over the past 7 days to chip away at the $17,000 goal. Thank you to everyone who has stepped forward to make this campaign a success. But, we still have quite a hill to climb. 

This campaign is "all or nothing". That means, if November 21st rolls around and it has not collected the final $15,000 needed, the money will not be given to Wayne State University Press to make the book as great as it can be. You will not be charged. You will not receive your premiums.

I'm asking those who have to motivate others to do the same.

I'm asking those who haven't, yet, to do so, now, before it gets away from you.

Bring Orby's Story to Your Home - Support the Campaign!

Bring Orby's Story to Your Home!

Help celebrate Orbit's 25th in style 

15 years after Orbit was laid to rest, the time has come to tell the shocking true tale of Detroit's greatest alt-publication in Re-Entry: The Orbit Magazine Anthology from Wayne State University Press.

Your tax-deductible support will help create a lasting document to over 35 years of vital Detroit cultural history as told through Orbit, Fun, and White Noise magazines. This deluxe illustrated edition will not only feature reprints of popular articles but also tell the behind-the-scenes stories of how these landmark magazines covered Detroit's music film, art, food, and creative scene like no one else dared with a healthy dose of humor.

Coming Soon to a Coffee Table Near You!

Oh, it's getting exciting now!

Thanks to the great work of my good friend, Michael Pfaendtner, there is now a book trailer for you to enjoy and share!

Michael is filmmaker and editor by trade. He was kind enough to help me realize a vision for how to give you a look at what "Re-Entry" will cover.

Check out the trail, share it, and tell me what you think!

THANKS AGAIN!


Rob St. Mary

Book Update & ArtPrize

A quick update for you about the status of the book: Over the past few weeks the editors at WSU Press have been pouring over the final manuscript and all the selected images/reprint articles. Right now, it looks like there will be no additional cuts to the book. So, what I have selected, at this point, will go to the proofreader, designer, and to you in the final edition. I expect to share details on it as we go.

If you filling out of the Orbit stuff survey, thank you! We are working on how to re-create many of these classic things for you over the coming year. In fact, I can tell you, Orbit t-shirts will be making a splash in about a month. Stay posted for more on that.

Mr. Vile Heads West!

“For something that looks this crappy, it’s a ton of work!” – Jerry Vile on ArtPrize 

When this started, I didn't like Jerry Vile!

Well, the book is wrapped. Thank you for your suggestions on reprints for the book, filling out the “stuff” survey, and following me on facebook & twitter. It really means a lot.

Now that I have a little time to breathe, I thought I’d tell you a story about how this whole crazy ride came to be.

It was spring 1998. I was 20 years old. The previous fall some friends and I decided to ty our hand at low-budget, independent filmmaker. Inspired by what Kevin Smith (“Clerks”) and Robert Rodriguez (“El Mariachi”) had done, we set out to make a little vampire comedy called “Tainted”. To be honest, and I don’t think we were too honest with ourselves then, it was basically “Clerks” with vampires.

"Tainted" on the shelf at Thomas Video - Spring 2014.

So, after about 9 months of work, the film is done. We had screenings lined up. We need attention. I always felt the best way was to get someone to write something about it. That always seems to work better than advertising. And I always felt the best way to make that happen was to just stop in, press kit in hand, and, maybe, charm them a bit. We dropped off tapes; remember VHS, and press kits to the Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press, the Metro Times, and several other smaller community papers.

Then, we walked up those stairs above the bump shop to Orbit.

So, Do You Want a New Orby Shirt?

After asking the question, and getting an amazing positive response on Facebook, I decided to put together a little survey to help focus what should be reissued from the "Orbowear" store for all the good boys & girls everywhere.

Not only that, but I decided to ask those folks who are ready for Geritol and Depends what kind of Fun stuff they might want to buy before they are shipped off the the old folks home by their bratty kids (ED NOTE: you know, old folks have LOTS OF MONEY - so, be nice to them or they'll cut you out of the will).

Please fill out the survey, share your e-mail with me (I promise I won't spam you or sell it to your ex) and I'll keep you up to date.

As always, thanks for the support and let other Orbit fans know in 2015 we will celebrate Orby's 25th birthday in style!

Digging Through the Past

As I stated before, the whole saga started in early 2011. But, by Summer I was knee deep into collecting the things that would make this book possible: names, contacts, ephemera, and, of course, all the issues of the various magazines.

Most of the archive had been resting for several years inside the storage units of Jerry Vile. Between art being sent in for The Dirty Show, his own creations, collectibles picked up at various garage sales, sat in the climate controlled confines of a Ferndale self-storage what I had come for - "The Archive".

Suggestions - Give them now or never!

Suggestions - Give them now or never! 

Just got word from my editor that all my selections for reprints must be into them by August 15th, 2014 - just over a month from now. 

So, if you have any suggestions as to full articles or pieces that are absolute musts for this book - please leave them in the comments. 

Thanks for stopping by the new Orbit Book site!

Thanks for stopping by the new Orbit Book site!

Since you are here, I thought I'd give you a little background on how this whole project came together.