Rag Mag 33

What's up rag mag? Creature here in solidarity with all the regular everyday folks in Minnesota fighting back against these fascist cowards. RIP to Renee Nicole Good who was murdered by the cowardly fascist Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on January 7th 2026. For anyone wondering if things can "go back to normal" after the mid-terms, remember his words, "Fucking Bitch". In the video put forth by the government as some form of justification, he clearly and cowardly shoots three times and then casually dismisses her like a dog being put down. That is how they think of people who have the audacity to disagree with them and say no. This is what we are up against. Solidarity worldwide and solidarity forever. Keep up the fight.

This week we have hot new columns from Wasteland Chick, Splinters by Leela Corman, Fight Report with Chessy Renee, Creature on the Road - The Elizabeth's Run Part 4 by Mr. Mittens, Film Freak with Coco A Go-Go and Creature's Double Feature.

Hit us up at ragmagclub@proton.me with flyers, art, feedback, column ideas, or just to say hi. We archived columns and music reviews on the new site (rag-mag.ghost.io), so check it out.

Whats up Rag Mag friends. Hope everyone is hanging in there. I don’t really have a good intro this week. Shits just so heavy. Here, abroad, existentially ect.. I’ve been simultaneously thinking a lot about the future and the past . Most of the photos I show here are from a while ago so I guess thats the theme. David Lynch passed a year ago this week and I’ve also just been thinking a lot about his art , positivity and the dream world. I hope everyone is safe out there and finding happiness with the ones they love. - Coco

Boys at the beach , Cape Cod, MA , 2014? , 35mm

This was a really nice day. I think it was in early August or late July. Casey was in Provincetown, Colin had recently moved there full time. I took the ferry down to spend the day with them. I remember seeing them waving trying to embarrass me when I got off the boat.  We drove down commercial street in Colin’s car with a broken muffler ( it was loud and not everyone thought it was as funny as we did )saying hi to all the cute boys , but it was hard for them to hear us over the car. We hung out at Colin’s and then when his husband Frankie got off work we all went to the beach to go swimming. I think this beach is in Truro. It was one of those whirlwind days where we just hung out and I wanted to cry I was so happy to just be hanging and joking around with two of my favorite people. I caught the last ferry home and just wanted to stay.

Hilken plays guitar , Cambridge , MA , 2024 , polaroid 600

This was me and Simon’s 40th birthday show at State Park. It was actually on my birthday which was cool. It was Puke Pisstols first show and they all were gold and silver lamay ? Shirts. I love the contrast of Hilken’s gold shirt with the wood paneling. She looks so serious but we were actually laughing a lot that night. Puke Pisstols were so good . I love watching Hilken play guitar its always inspiring. She’s like my big sister so anytime we get to share the stage is a good time to me.  I made the lips and sun in the background they’re still floating around my apartment.

Also Puke Pisstols just put some songs on line you should check them out here:

https://themonsieurs.bandcamp.com/album/puke-pisstols-the-lost-recordings

Who’s car is that? Manchester, NH, 2024, polaroid 600

Speaking of birthday’s this was the morning after Linda’s 40th. Everyone was feeling as hazy as this photo. We turned their basement into a very sweaty karaoke club. I always look back at this photo because I had so much fun that night and love all the people in this pic. I came straight from the party after doing a overnight shift so felt just awake for ever. I think thats one of the reasons I love how the colors looks so washed out and melty , its like a really nice dream.

Splinters by Leela Corman

The Fight Report by Chessy Renee

Dying for America or dying to get out

The Fight Report

Sup punks

Yeah so it’s been a pretty shitty 2026 so far, wouldn’t you say?

I planned to write about healthcare this week but so much else is going on. I do wanna tell one story though:

I had a phone call that changed how I acted around my own healthcare a couple years ago. I had called my health insurance, and I was keyed up from the beginning - ready to fight with them and argue that I needed them to cover medical things that I had been told by my doctors that insurance definitely wouldn’t cover.

To my surprise, the person who I spoke to on the phone was schooling me. She said - “You need to make an appointment with your PCP and you need to tell them that what your concerns are MEDICALLY NECESSARY and they need to write that in their notes - then when it comes through to insurance they will have to sign off on it because your doctor marked it as necessary. And if they tell you it’s not, you need to tell them that they are wrong! They need to be more attentive to you!” I was like WOAH you work for the insurance company?

This changed my whole outlook on how I interact with my own healthcare and I read this week that DT is trying to push for some new healthcare bill that would further mess with the already broken system we have. So, if you do need a reminder to fight for your health care - this is it!! I know that open enrollment ends this week to sign up for or change your plan for the Mass Health Connector, and premiums have GONE UP. So if you need a reminder to check on that and make sure you know what you are paying - here it is.

Sometimes I feel like I am reading the news with my eyes half closed - like I’m trying to learn what is going on without the pain of learning what’s going on. Other times I feel like I am reading to confirm or deny my worst fears or nightmares of what possibly could be happening.

Most things that are happening these days are unimaginable. But the news is like, believe it! Minneapolis could be your town soon enough. And that’s true I think - and for my own slight bit of sanity that I’m clawing to hold onto, I have to believe that with every news story telling of insane and egregious events happening near and far away - there are even more reasons to fight, and to be smart about it how we fight!

I’m pretty dumb though, so being smart is a big ask!!! BUT, I’ve been reading a lot more and I found a book about fighting fascism. Here’s a quote:

According to this (The Antifascist Handbook) we have to create alternatives to all of these oppressive systems that rule our society. And often, I think resisting these systems starts on a small scale.

I was at the library yesterday and I overheard a lady speaking with someone at the reference desk about a set of books she was going to borrow. She was saying how she had been looking for this particular sheet music because it was what she had played when she was first string in an orchestra, and she went on about a composer she had played for or something or other. Then another librarian came up and told the lady she needed to go downstairs to tend to her dog who she had left with a stranger. The lady then got flustered and as she walked over to the elevator she said to herself “why do these things always happen to me? I can never do anything right.”

My first reaction was yeah you can’t leave your dog in a library with a stranger, but we’ve all been there right? Being dumb, and then getting down on ourselves about it. I don’t think it actually does anyone good just to think “goddammit I suck!! I never do anything right.” – like, start to do things right! Or at least start to do things better. You’re already at the library! A great place to learn :>.

It’s not bad to be an idiot, I don’t think, but you oughta learn dude. Resist getting down on yourself, just like you resist fascism! Resist idiocy and resist the system trying to make you feel like you’re an idiot and there’s nothing you can do to make yourself or the world any better. There is always something that you can do!!!

And honestly, the world probably won’t get better without you - so get up and do something! I know I’m trying – so far… eh! But I’ll keep at it.

Here are some events coming up, and s#!t to get involved with:

Capital One Boycott - Week of Actions signup (Jan 20th to Jan 24th)

Boston PSL - Stop ICE rally Jan 20th in Copley Square at 5PM

Call your representatives - 5calls.org - They have scripts and stuff to go off of, Robert Reich recommends it (watch here)

And support a local community fridge, or food pantry, as always.

Good luck out there dudes. Keep FIGHTING!

Wasteland Chick

Me when people tell me AI will replace my job as an artist. Greetings and Salutations, fellow Wasteland Chicks. It’s been way too long since I’ve done…..A MOVIE REVIEW!! Yes, you heard me right, the possibly long-awaited movie reviews are back (Heathers review will come soon!)! But, today we are tackling with a ten-pound metal door something out of the usual- An episode of the 1989 Beetlejuice Cartoon Show! Haha, I tricked you all! NOW WHO’S THE FOOL?! Just kidding, but this show is honestly too good not to review. Alrighty, no more talking, time for this dead girl walking to review the Disc 6 episode (I have every episode on DVD but I don’t know what season each one is 0_0) “The Sappiest Place on Earth” featuring the ghost, the myth, the unknown legend, Bartholomew Batt!

Anyway, the general plot of this episode starts out with an absolute BANGER of a theme song; The fluid animation, the dark color palette, the posing. Everything about it just screams: “Made for weird kids, by weird kids.” Okay, the actual story starts with Lydia, Delia, and her friends Bertha and Prudence and their girl scout troops “The Happy Face Girls” having their camping trip rained out, and Lydia (who makes the most fucking adorable faces ever animated in every episode of this show) goes to Beetlejuice to ask what they could do instead, and for some reason mention that one of their adventures required them to call the National Guard? But anyway, Beetlejuice gives himself boobs and sends the girls on a trip to Grislyland (Disney please don’t sue me), a whole amusement park themed after a suspicious looking cartoon bat who makes the goofiest faces on his posters. They vibe around for a while until stuff starts to get freaky, and we finally meet Bartholomew Batt! He prepares his evil plan and has the best reason why to do it: “Why? ‘Cuz I’m a typical cartoon villain, that’s why.”

Next, their boat ship ride crashes, and Delia gets hypnotized by Bartholomew’s glasses, dragging Bertha and Prudence’s weird ass knees with her. Bartholomew goes on a hilarious rant that I think the writers honestly live by when making this show: “We had uncensored cartoon violence, we had sound effects, we had corny laughs, we apparently had villains that had the same voice and said ‘nyah’ a lot.” But, it’s time to go on a rant of my own: So the internet has confirmed that the batty boy only has two episodes. TWO. EPISODES. BUT, in one of my favorite episodes, “The Neitherworld’s Least Wanted”, which is Bartholomew’s SECOND episode, they play random footage of Beetlejuice 1v1’ing Bartholomew. BUT THIS FREAKING FOOTAGE IS NOT IN HIS FIRST EPISODE, SO WHERE IN HELL DID THE ANIMATORS GET THIS FROM? I WILL NOT REST UNTIL JUSTICE IS GIVEN TO BARTHOLOMEW FRICKING BATT!! Whatever, anyway, BJ gets hypnotized too for plot reasons, and Lydia’s like “Oh crap, not again,” and goes off to find the gang.

Also quick side note, I love how Lydia’s always trapped somewhere and somebody has to find her, but she always ends up saving everybody’s ass one way or another. Anyway, she snaps Beetlejuice out of it, triggering the most epic boss battle I’ve ever seen: Beetlejuice and Bartholomew just keep dropping heavier and heavier shit on each other until BJ spawns a leaf that explodes Batty. But, then Bartholomew gets a telegram from a mail carrier with one of the funniest voices in cartoon history that says he gets his own show (which is weird because in his other episode, he gets his own show again), and is like “Alright, my storyline’s been resolved, you guys can go now.”, so the group goes home. I give this episode a Nyahhh out of ten, and this review takes up too many pages so I’m stopping. That’s all, Wasteland Chicks!

Sincerely, Wasteland Chick

Creature on the Road - The Elizabeth's Run Part 4 by Mr. Mittens

Elizabeth ‘Babydoll” Fleming was stolen from the front yard of a beach house her parents had rented for the 4th of July weekend. I wasn’t born when the kidnapping took place, but my mother had been just little girl at the time and she told me that it was all she heard about for months on end. Elizabeth, called Babydoll by her family, had been only seven years old when she disappeared. Her mother went inside to make some food for lunch and left her in view of the tiny square cut window above the kitchen sink. Elizabeth’s father and older brother had left for the beach earlier in the morning, so it was just the two of them alone. This had been their first trip to the ocean, and Elizabeth’s excitement for the sand and waves had been deflated by the reality of hordes of tourists all packed together on the hot sand like rows of meatsticks sealed in sweating plastic.

She’d refused to spend more than 20 minutes on her first outing, and by the second day of their trip, Elizabeth had demanded that she be allowed to play at home. Her father had given in immediately, a common thing I guess in that family. Her brother would say later that Babydoll had clearly been her father’s favorite, and that her disappearance eventually caused his breakdown. He died alone from alcohol poisoning in a live-in motel three years later. Elizabeth’s mother threw herself off the roof of a parking garage 6 months after that. Both of their deaths shined some interest on the case again, but then the oceans started rising and five years of hurricanes and drought pushed the entire family’s calamity from memory. Eventually, the ocean released its grip on the coast, and people moved back to town in droves building houses atop foul smelling heaps of mud and rotten sand. They even built a small replica of the boardwalk, a two mile slab of concrete that hovered above the broken shards of old houses and decaying boats. Since then, the ocean has receded so far out that even its original borders have been lost. What’s left is a far away blue swirl, a fetid mess of fish bones and the faint crash of far away waves that you can only see with optical assistance atop the tiny boardwalk.

Five years ago, it was at this boardwalk that two women were found nestled together ragged and asleep at the south entrance. The newest reshaping of the zones had displaced hundreds of people yet again, including residents from a Church of America funded mental health facility. Those who could stand were bused out to Zone 2 and dropped off in the dark at various places. Those who couldn’t were left behind in their beds to starve. The women on the boardwalk were taken to the local red shirts for intake and assessment, they would’ve probably been moved to the chip factory by mid day had they not both claimed to be Elizabeth “Babydoll” Fleming and demanded the tests to prove it. For the life of me, I can not think of a single reason why they even agreed to such a thing, but I guess boredom and morbid interest got the better of them.

The women were scanned and blood tested, and to the absolute silent shock of everyone, they were both proven to be the “Babydoll” herself. Being strong believers in the lord of America and all of his miracles, the red shirts called in the clergy and soon news of the Elizabeths spread as far as Zone 4. The older brother who’d been living on an oil rig was bused in to give his own blood sample. The results further proved their claim, and both the clergy and the government took advantage of a tangible miracle and direct sign of the lord of the USA’s abundance. Where one was taken, two were returned was the slogan spread across every screen. The women were interviewed and pampered, their tiny high pitched voices reverberated across the Zones in unison. The women claimed that after being kidnapped by a man with rough hands and a muddy complexion, Elizabeth was held captive for years in a crumbling top floor room of an Atlantic City hotel.

As the ocean crept closer and closer licking the walls with salt, both Elizabeth and her captor were pushed to madness. Two years passed inside the little room before Elizabeth began to despair. In an effort to fix her loneliness, she prayed to the USA lord for a friend to keep her company. The lord answered with another Elizabeth made from the first one like Eve from Adam’s rib. The pair survived with their captor for 7 more years until he died in front of them injecting a shit stupid and dangerous amount of bleached speed into his veins. The girls wandered the area looking for the little beach house, but the town had been flooded and abandoned. They were rounded up in a sweep of undocumented children and placed in a care home. Any attempts to tell their story were punished, and finally they were sent to the hospital and deemed unfit to work until further review, eventually they were bused away and dropped off exactly where they’d been taken so many years ago. It’s insanely rare that science, religion and a good story converge so precisely. The story had such symmetrical beauty that the government and the church stepped over themselves to verify every claim that came from the mouths of these two foundlings. Of course, like anything put under a microscope, the women’s story began to waver and fray at the edges. The longer you looked at them, the more you could spot the small differences between them. They weren’t identical, though incredibly similar, one of the Elizabeths had a small spray of freckles across her nose, the other had more lines around her eyes. Quietly, more blood tests were taken and the truth about the Elizabeths unfolded.

2026 is off to a hell of a start. Citizens being kidnapped and murdered off the streets as our government attacks our NATO allies and threatens war while escalating attacks on our own country all while covering up the government's failure to comply and release the epstein files. It is goddamn exhausting, but it left me feeling contemplative, leading to this week's double feature on a book and a movie.

First up, Some Day All The Adults Will Die! - The Birth Of Texas Punk book by Pat Blashill. I know of Pat Blashill from his punk photography book Texas is the Reason from several years back. While there are some great photos in the new book, this is straight up essay/oral history style. Texas made some of the best and wildest punk and hardcore (bloodstains across texas will always be a favorite) and there are endless crazy punk stories in this one. This covers everyone from the Big Boys to Bobby Soxx to the Bodysnatchers to the Butthole Surfers and covers mainly the late 1970s and early 1980s in Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas scenes.

With the glut of punk nostalgia books/merch coming out, Pat Blashill's book really stood out to me for it's openness to discuss the scene as it actually was. CW, there are discussions of racism, violence, sexual assault, underage groupies, drugs, and more. The book is guided with a strong leftist (ed. note - and accurate!) perspective setting the time and place historically from cultural and societal perspectives with both of the time quotes, memories, and the sober reflections of adults who went through a lot of therapy talking about their wild days as a kid. It doesn't shy away from valid criticisms of the racism, violence, homophobia and sexual assault that occurred within a diverse scene exemplified by Gary Floyd - the outrageous, gay, communist lead singer of The Dicks, screaming about a racist texas police murder dressed in drag while the audience used racial slurs against other people in the scene.

The lack of self-reflection is killing America, and reading this book gives me some hope that this can change as it is filled with people who did, but it all started with punk. Really loved this one.

I've been a big fan of Yorgos Lanthimos since I saw a screening of Dogtooth in the early 2010s. His dark humor just vibes with me. Mittens and I finally got a chance to see Bugonia, which is a remake of a South Korean film I haven't seen. I'm not here to review the film though, as I said in my intro I have been feeling a little contemplative. I've watched this a couple times now and the second time cemented this one for me. Just a brutal accurate critique of America. This film feels like Yorgos came to America for a few years and is sharing his thoughts. Yorgos to America - "it's funny, i used to think you were hilarious, but deep down, you're just a sad little boy"

Records of the Week

Rest in Peace Munehiro Narita, the Undisputed King of Motorcycle Fuzztone Guitar. In honor of his memory and his family's wishes to remember him through his music, records of the week are High Rise - II and his solo album Psyche De Loid.

The definitive statement by High Rise, II is an undeniable album of high energy rock and roll. Punk, psych, noise, whatever, turn this up loud and rock the fuck out - psychedelic speed freaks forever

High Rise II, by High Rise

8 track album

High RiseCptHatemonger

Up next is a solo album of psych rock covers called Psyche De Loid. For somewhat unclear reasons discussed in his liner notes, Munehiro Narita was asked to record an album of classic psych rock songs with vocaloid (computer software) simulated vocals. Bizarre choice, but even if the vocals take a little getting used to, when the motorcycle fuzztone starts ripping overtop in the stooges little doll, it doesnt matter. Good selection of covers too and shows some insight into his tastes at the time of starting High Rise.

Soul Song of the Day

Soul song of the day is The Blizzard by Robert Walker and the Soul Strings. I'm a sucker for a dance tune, and having ace Motown songwriter Robert Walker (also in faves the hit pack) handling both duties is a rare treat. I'll be damned if I can figure out what the hell the dance is supposed to be though.

That's it for this week Rag Mag. Here's some flyers and keep sending stuff in (ragmagclub@proton.me)