Backbone author talks Issue 7's Etsy ban, as well as both the zine's anniversary and digitization

Interview with the author of Backbone zine, year two

Upon the digitization of back issues and the anniversary of the series, we decided to ask the author what has changed about the project and what has stayed the same.

What's changed?

Everything, in a sense. The RISO lab moving off grid taught me a lot about gratitude to God, and the sense of entitlement that I have concerning modern conveniences. It's not always possible for things to run as smoothly as we [the author in conjunction with NMP] would like. We are learning about stretching non-temperature controlled equipment.  The zine issues seem to be coming out more in batches, or a few at a time instead of a more leisurely and consistent pace due to the logistics in place. It's just a different situation than back when you guys were plugging a chord into a wall. But it's all about the struggle, right? That and trying to honor the subscribers and their support as fast as possible. It's crazy the amount of brain power it takes to solve issues involving fighting against nature. When you hold a zine in your hand these days...you should probably know it definitely came with two solar inverters that caught on fire, a gallon of human sweat, and creative problem solving. 

What made you decide to let us digitize the zines? 

I guess the zine was originally extremely tech critical and coming from an opposition to crypto-accelerationist culture. Now that Nrx /acc is mainstream, it's such a clown world to me that I don't really care about being anti anything that's a meaningless secular construct anymore. My two goals in life right now are to refrain from scrolling and sinning. Like who cares about anything worldly anymore, when the media suddenly desperately wants you to know who Nick Land and Yarvin are? Who cares? Nothing is ever edgy, everything is so disappointing.

In issue 14, which is about to come out, concerning mainstream Nrx, I think the last words are "culture is starting to make me feel like how being a chaperone at Chuckeecheese would, I'm writing about phytochemistry next".

Even though I don't care about critiquing about crypto- Nrx and /acc culture anymore, I'm still loving the limitations of the zine masters being made without a computer. Solely analog distribution is just not a hill I’m willing to die on anymore. Exclusivity versus the actual spread of it. The political context of it, a year later, is different.

Is phytochemistry next on the list for you?

Let's just say I'm tired of the esotericists gatekeeping spagyrics. I'm also interested in discussing life off-grid from a different angle outside of the glamour of youtube monetization.

 I'm thankful for the subscription holders putting up with my interest-swings and that you guys aren't getting messages like "why is Backbone talking about SRA and using saran wrap for the mixed media portion? I signed up for something more neon-genesis or Akira-esque with a late stage bindery-revival art house feel"

How do you feel about issue 7 being banned from Etsy?

I mean, I think I saw a Free Palestine zine on Etsy have to jump through a lot of hoops and self censorship to be on there. So many dogwhistles for ai to adapt to in like, 2 seconds. It makes sense I'm getting blocked for wanting to even mention the "crypto-fash" era and explore depictions of National Socialist Black Metal. Even if my perspective is critical, you can't even mention these subjects anymore, people are actively working to make erase subjects from the collective consciousness.  I loathe the appeasement and pandering that people want spoon fed. It's tiring memorizing which apparatuses accept what....what Venn diagram of opinions and expressions are acceptable. Oh, so this platform is neolib, and supports XYZ country, and this platform is neocon but doesn't support XYZ movement, etc etc. I's exhausting playing the lazer maze game.

My understanding of your time on Etsy is that there's been a lot of suspensions and you guys wanting to circumvent a lot of commerce sites that you feel limit your expressive ability.  Are you going to put the issue 7 zine back up, with like, BRAT advertising? A neon pink image with text that says "Issue 7, but without the controversial band references?"

We might not even list it outside of custom orders, just because Ai might eventually be policing the item images themselves more thoroughly. We may have to remove Issue 4 for referencing Dugin on the cover eventually. Have you even ever listened to the BRAT album?

No, but I'm familiar with the marketing. I think that came out after I gave up music?

How is that going for you? We remember you discussing that in Backbone Issue 3

Maybe once a week I briefly get earworm logismoi, but I don't miss it...God can really take away addictions you never thought you'd be able to live without. I was talking about it with a friend who also doesn't listen to music outside of chant. The reason she stopped is because she was listening to old love songs after she had gotten exorcism prayers read over her and the music made her stop feeling as clean, she felt a shift, and she decided she wanted to maintain the blessing of having prayers read. I pointed out to her that even outside of audio (social) (sociopathic) (demonic) engineering, love songs are pretty much always concerning fornication and never sacramental marriage. I can't believe I would ever even say that but bro I just care about heaven. 

I think what the digitization comes down to for us is accessibility. We've gotten requests for the zine's digital downloads, we've been trying to navigate business requests, especially overseas. eBay doesn't deal with digital downloads, Etsy has been the most convenient for that.

May it be blessed. There's always that war, trying to conceptualize our own individual understanding of God and the adversary both being able to use the internet for their own plans.  I just can’t shake the loathing I feel towards a lot of tech apparatuses. Although, it’s the same kind of loathing you feel towards someone you perceive as being in a position of power over you, like when you suddenly see and become passionate about all the faults of a boss, an instated politician, a parent, an abuser, etc. The reaction has more to do with your perceived proximity to them, than them as complex humans with complicated experiences. It’s easier to love, forgive, or move on once you are removed from the situation. I feel like it’s easier for me to live my own life and be who I truly am outside of social media. I don’t want to die until my heart is swollen with fire and I become untouched in my ascension. I will not become this way by caving to doomscrolling. Is New Martyr Press on Instagram now?

We have always had to navigate similar feelings, as you know. We do have an instagram now, partially because we need to be aware of some of the things happening on there that concern our company. Our least social media savvy member is currently running it. During the set up, he commented that he has "never used hashtags, but they have always reminded [him] of the word "hash browns'". He is pretty much clueless when it comes to what most slang means, like "ghosting, catfishing, etc". It took him over an hour to make a single post on instagram. He wanted to keep adding hashtags, because they were "new and interesting" for him.

That's honestly for the best.  Godwilling he maintains his purity. 

The digital download version of issue 1 is now available on Etsy. More to follow.