Exclusive First Look: Raymond Pettibon’s New Work To Adorn The Front Cover Of A Rebooted “Creem”
You probably don’t need me to tell you who Raymond Pettibon is, but for the record, I’m talking about the legendary artist who burst into Southern California’s early ’80s punk and hardcore scene, with his distinctly inked artwork that graced many of the band’s flyers and LPs. era. You might recognize the iconic Black Flag bars (Pettibon’s older brother is a guitarist Greg Ginn), or the two sunglasses-wearing hipsters (based on witnesses to a sensational British murder trial in the 1960s) from the oft-parodied cover of Sonic Youth’s 1990 masterpiece, goo. Or perhaps you’ve stumbled upon Pettibon’s contemporary work in such distinguished venues as the Museum of Modern Art or the David Zwirner Gallery.
Either way, here’s an exclusive first look at an original Pettibon piece that will soon appear on the rebooted first issue of Cream, the avant-garde rock and roll magazine that is about to be reborn after 33 years:
Courtesy of Creem magazine.
“I don’t remember if I ever wanted to do a cover for Cream, but that’s it,” says Pettibon Vanity Room. “I was thinking of the many garage bands that were inspired by Cream. The group depicted – two members of it – could come from anywhere. They could get big as this issue goes to print. This could be your band, on the cover of Cream.”
Founded in 1969 in Detroit as an irreverent and subversive alternative to rolling stone, Cream championed the cool-kid music of the era, eschewing typical FM radio boomer fare for the Stooges, the MC5, Roxy Music, T. Rex, the New York Dolls, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Blondie and d others, as well as early metal bands like Black Sabbath and AliceCooper. Editors and writers included Lester Bangs, Greil Marcus, Robert Christgau, Patti Smith, and Dave Marsh, who is credited with introducing the term “punk rock” in a 1971 article on Question Mark & the Mysterians. The magazine survived through the 1980s, giving exposure to new wave and alternative acts of the decade, before closing in 1989 following financial difficulties.
Relaunch attempts Cream in the 90s and everything failed. But now the magazine is returning as a website and a quarterly publication under the banner of Creem Entertainment, led by the president. JJ Kramer (son of fire Cream co-founder and publisher Barry Kramer), CEO John Martin (formerly editor of Vice), and Jaan Uhelszki (one of Creamthe original founding publishers and a pioneering rock journalist). Subscriptions to the print magazine, which will begin on September 15, provide access to CreamThe complete digital archive of , featuring all 224 issues of its original 20-year run. The relaunch follows Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine, a 2020 documentary that Kramer and Uhelszki co-produced for the director Scott Crawford. “I view the documentary as the beginning, not the end,” Kramer said. The New York Times ahead of the film’s theatrical and streaming premiere. “We’re all looking for something to capture our attention and passion, so to me, this sounds like a very strong signal that the world could use. Cream more than ever.”