Looking back.....

May of 2000, issue #5 of The Outcast is released.

This issue was a vast improvement in every way; grammar, spelling, questions on the same page, and of course, the overall layout. Like the previous issue, this issue also carries a theme. The theme in this issue is death and my experiences with death. Asking different questions relating to death in my interviews.

I'm going to let the zine do the talking from here on out. What else should I include that I haven't already mentioned in all of the intros.?

(Intro. from printed form, issue #5)

Hello fellow amigos! Welcome back to another adition of; "Mike Get's Personal!" Okay, okay, so maybe I am a little open for discussion about such topics in life that may be a little too personal for somone else. I didn't tell you to read my 'zine! I do have a line that I never cross about certain things, but most of the time I speak my mind. Whether I'm talking about an experience in life, or if it's something I feel strongly about, or if it's something really dumb, you know?

Anyway, hello again. Man, another issue, more debt in my life. What will conquer? Oh well, if I die today, I'll know that I died doing the thing I love most; writing. And that I have left my bills behind, un-paid at that, ha, ha!! Anyway, here's a quick intro. for all you new readers.

"The Outcast" was born a few months after I split with Tim, a former editor of the now deceased "Before Dawn 'zine", that we both had created. "The Outcast" was born to express Mike's (me) love for mucus, I mean music, and of course, the love for music of all the contributors involved in this creation (LOVE you guys!).I quit doing "Before Dawn" because of the way I wanted to expand with the 'zine. So to keep it easy, I started my own.

I also tend to write about whatever else that seems to cross my mind at that period in time. If I have a theme for the issue, I let the contributor know if they want to share something about the theme, or if anyone else (general public) who want's to contribute anything I might find acceptable to include as well.

In my last issue, the theme was Satanism and Christianity (tho some of the topics from the last issue, exist within this issue as well), and I shared some of the expereinces I've had with both paths. In this issue, and in the next issue (I'll explain later), my main topic is death, well, and life. But this issue is of a darker nature, I suppose. I guess it all depends on how you view death I guess. I've always been a "joker", and have always expressed my sense of humor, tho it will not be for everyone. So this issue isn't/won't be, all doom and gloom. I've kept most of the interviews "chirpy". But back to the "I'll explain later" part. I think it would be logical for me to release a 50 page 'zine sooner, than to release a 100+ page 'zine that takes over a year to release. But anyway, I've got enough material to release another 112 + pager, but like I mentioned above, I've decided to put the other half for #6. Not only because its cheaper, but I really don't have the $$. I'm still paying off the last one, so.... I'm hoping that I'll be able to release the next issue within 3 months, maybe 4, but who knows? It all depends on my $$ situation, and if any lables put ads within the 'zine (hint, hint). My next issue will have interviews with; SOD, SCSI, Earth Crisis, Dismember, Ars Macabra, Gorgoroth, Damad, Ballydowse, and maybe some other bands that shall remain nameless at this time.

I must say, I was really happy with most of the feed back from 'zine reviews (except for that one...), and from conversations with friends, contributors, and the general public, but I must say that I didn't get very many letters, which kind of surprised me. I recieved more letters about my first issue than this one! Letters will never be printed, unless upon request by the writer. So all letters expressing thought provoking questions, friendship, anything in general, are always welcome!

Here's a comeback for ol Mikey, I finally went back to school during last years fall semester, and I took some photography classes (my major?) that were really fun! (Hey class mates! Wuz up Julie!? Thanks for everything Mr. Reichman!) I've always been a camera happy kind of guy (thanks dad #1 and dad #2!), but when I finally learned how to develop the kind of pictures I liked taking the most (black and white), I went wacky taking / developing tons of pictures! It was a blast and I just can't to get back in the black/dark room with some new ideas!

Before I go on, I want to thank at this time C.R.F. and K.M., for the patience and the cold weather we three had to withstand! It was a blast! I also want to thank Aaron Jones for helping me out as well, by creating my visions on the computer. Hopefully I'll learn how to use Photo Shop better later on down the road? Thanks for the book!

As I was saying, I just can't wait to go back to school and start photo classes again. Oh, and by the way, I'm moving back to the big ol town of Ironton, joy! I just hope this will be more of a temporary address, at least longer than 4 months! I've moved more this past year, than I have my whole life, and that's a lot! Don't worry though, I will still have my P.O. box in Anna, but I will also have an address in Ironton, so write to the one in Ironton first I guess, but either address will do.

In my next two issues, you will see some of the pictures that I took of Carrie and Kari this past year. The "goth" or "dark" imagery style of things has always been a part of my life. Well, for example, when I was 5 years old, maybe 6, i took a pigs eye (from a dead pig's head, that for some reason was being cooked!), and I got some fake blood and put it on a cloth. I went running towards my mom with the eye in one hand, and the bloody cloth in the other, holding it up to my eye, "crying"; "Mi hojo, mi hojo!, My eye, my eye!" She went nuts! It was hilarious! I've always had a macabre sense of humor, but have feared the thought of death ever since I was 12. I've always surrounded my self with pictures/posters that were dark in nature. Either from something I took from a magazine, or whatever else. Well, I'm losing focus now, I could start writing a long story about my darkful youth, so.... the pictures of Kari (dressed in black), represent her as the "darker" side of death, if you want to call it that. I have many pictures that I took of her, so if you saw them all, you'd be able to see what I was going for. Carrie represents the "lighter" side of death, if you want to call it that. Again, there are many pictures of her that I have taken that will be on the web site as well that fit the theme.

Before I let you go, I would like to comment on this more recent remark made towards me and the 'zine. What is that? "How could you claim to be a Christian and feature the things you do in your magazine?" Well, good question. First of all, I never claimed this magazine to be a Christian magazine. I call it a secular magazine, that is created by a Christian. Am I wrong for doing such a publication? Opinions vary I suppose. Well, if you're commenting on one of the borders that had an inverted cross on the page, or anything else that would be considered "Satanic", the way I look at it is like this. With this creation, one will notice many moods and many personalities. People with different beliefs, ideas, topics. When I interview someone who claims to be a Satanist, I try to put pictures/images that represent the individuals personality/ beliefs. So if I have an inverted cross on a King Diamond interview, well, I think it's self explanatory. Is it wrong of me to try and capture the individuals "image", so to speak? Again, opinions vary. This started out as a metal publication, and it will die as a metal publication. Maybe not all of the bands preach good messages, but that comes with the metal territory. For the extreme.

Okay, well, there you have it. I wanted to keep this nice and short, so I hope this was okay for an intro. page. Well, I hope you enjoy another installment of "The Outcast."

His, yours, Mike Coles

Writers for this issue:

Lieff, Elisabeth?, Cyric, Graveworm, Tony, Mike, Rogue

Artists:

JB, David and the Dark Arts, Jeremy Clark, Jennifer Hathy, Russel Nolan.

Interviews featured and other:

The Kovenant, My Scarlet Life, Skyclad, Steve Digiorgio, King Diamond, I.H.Y.M.F. zine, Artist Troy Dunmire, Artist JB, In My Eyes Of Death

Other subjects/interviews that were NOT featured on the site that were featured in the magazine:

The Great Kat reprint from issue #2, The thank you page, Top 50 metal albums of the 90's for Cyric, Graveworm, and Mike