Press
Here are a bunch of reviews of the You Idiot and Whiskey Plus fanzines. Those zines are now all collected in the You Idiot book. I'll post some more, plus reviews of Pick Your Poison, in the near future. Cuz i'm sure you're dying to read them.

You Idiot #1
Almost Normal Comics
This is another one from Nate Gangelhoff. In this one Nate takes a look at anti-drug video games (never even knew they existed!) that were spurred on by Nancy Ragen's “Just Say No” campaign back in the days of Different Strokes. Nate writes to prepare for his immersion in these games he first had to get really stoned. Then, when sufficiently baked, he set off on his game playing. In addition to providing some reviews of video games, Nate also reviews some books. My favorite was the “Why Knock Rock” book. It takes a look at the demonic influences in Rock-n-Roll. The zine was a quick, entertaining read. Nate is very descriptive in his writing and manages to hold the reader's interest throughout!

Neufutur.com
After talking to my friend, Denny (from Supreme Nothing), this zine was recommended by eir after I had picked it up at AMC 2003. You Idiot is done by Nate (from Pick Your Poison), and seems to be a mix between Alco-Beat and Get the Strap. Discussing a slew of video games, including those with moralizing messages like NARC and Wally Bear and the No Gang, Nate continues to pound eir’s reader with a spot-on sense of humour. Moving onto religious video games, You Idiot dictates the history of Color Dreams/Wisdom Tree, which came from the ranks of secular game producers to slightly modify each of their games to pander to a Christian audience that “number about 9000 at any given time, and they all wanted to have our games. That’s even more stores than Toys R Us.” Moving on, and still focusing on fundamentalist Christianity, Nate tackles anti-Rock pamphlets in “Satan Lurks Within Journey Albums”, making sure to take a number of examples from “Why Knock Rock?”. All and all, You Idiot reads well, not too fast and not too slow, and Nate writes in a style that uses a laid-back feel. You Idiot is definitely a zine to check out.

Paniscus Revue (You Idiot #1 and #2)
“Debating the Obvious Since 2002.” Or you could say, ‘Fun With Dope, Government, Religion, and Big Business’ – these zines by Pick Your Poison publisher Nate Gangelhoff mix all of these topics together into a friendly, sarcastic, and easy-to-read pair of zines that are as well ‘researched’ as they are smugly humorous. Issue number one looks at fighting the war on drugs with propagandistic videogames like NARC and Wally Bear and the No Gang (empirical research of course requiring the games to be played while stoned, to better gauge their motivational effects), then descends into “The Hellish World of Religious Video Games” and takes a look at the hysterical warnings of the christian scare text “Why Knock Rock?” Also included: “The Sorry Saga of Nick Carter” and “The Rock Solid Scientific Field of Cat Astrology.” Issue two laughs at other forms of anti-drug propaganda, primarily goofy TV commercials, as well as giving a spin to the album Hulk Rules by Hulk Hogan and the Wrestling Boot Band, hitting the Dollar Store for cheap-ass shit, looking at product placement videogames, and tormenting the living hell out of the patrons of the “He-Man Message Board.” Now that’s good Saturday morning fun. Although both zines are composed primarily of essays there are plenty of graphics, and as mentioned above it’s all most reader-friendly. Check one out, or pick up a copy of Nate’s other more autobiographical zine, Pick Your Poison.

Poopsheet
This is a fun zine. Nate provides a valuable service here in that he's suffered through – and written reviews for – products no one should have to be subjected to. Brave Mr. Gangelhoff tackles several anti-drug video games from the '80s, religious video games and books about Satan's influence in rock music, Backstreet Boy Nick Carter (written by his mother) and cat astrology. My favorite articles are those about the video games. I was intrigued by the descriptions (and screen captures), mystified by the connection between religious and anti-drug games and now really want to play some of them. This zine could do with a little more editing, but Nate has a good sense of humor and knows lunacy when he sees it. If you enjoy laughing at the thing we call American society this will give you more reason to do so.

Proper Gander #45
Luckily Jim from Ride On shook some of my self indulgent notions and I realized once again why I sludge through the nonsense, in search of the diamon in the ruff. In this instance You Idiot is less like a diamond and more like a lil' homie. Again, I was thinking that I did not want to drag myself through another f'in zine, then I quit being such a baby and started reading. Guess what I found out? A whole bunch of useless yet fascinating stuff about video games in the 80's and their suspected links to the war on drugs, Nick Carter (don't feel bad if you don't know who that is - he's a Backstreet Boy, so you should feel proud if you were scratching your head going Nick Carter? Who the hell is that?), how a video game company in the 80's went from making crappy Nintendo rip offs to making crappy religious based Nintendo rip offs and finally about some crazy preachers that burn albums based on their masked lyrics (nothing new here except that their choices seem a little off; unless you think the Cars are not just crappy but satanic as well). I like laughing out loud while I'm readingl something about it feels very honest. Thank you Nate Gangelhoff for the good times.

Punk Planet #52
Touting the motto "Debating the Obvious", this issue gleesfully delves into well-trod topics. You Idiot may not be particularly insightful, but is certainly enjoyable, especially the pieces on 1980's antidrug and bible-inspired video game's as well as Nate's take on the antirock paperback he comes across in a Christian bookstore.

Razorcake #13
You Idiot is put together by Nate Gangelhoff, who is the same guy who does Pick Your Poison. It's comprised mostly of short articles about thoughts he had while working at a crappy temp job, and quick research he did while at the temp job. Right from the beginning, Nate claims to be "debating the obvious", and even goes as far as to say that, if this were a political zine, the depth of content would be equal to saying "Hitler is a bad guy". The zine can be basically divided into two halves: reviews of video games and reviews of books that Nate somehow found. The book reviews aren't typical in the sense that he covers a book about why bad mainstream eighties rock is satanic, a book about cat astrology, and a book about one of the Backstreet Boys. The best thing about the reviews are Nate's stories about how he came across these books (because, obviously, who's gonna read a zine called You Idiot and genuinely care about a book called Why Knock Rock? that's written by two fundamentalist preachers?) The video game reviews are about getting high and playing anti-drug video games and playing religious video games. These reviews are pretty funny. They also made me think all kinds of weird things about the people who would make anti-drug and religious video games (like, for instance, people who would want these games made obviously believe that video games really DO subliminally control the thoughts of the kids who play them, so the video game makers actively make games with the main intention of subliminal mind control. It's like they have no problem brainwashing kids, as long as the kids are brainwashed with the "right" thoughts. Weird). So, while this zine isn't incredibly deep, it is interesting and it made me think about things that I probably wouldn't have thought about, otherwise.

Reglar Wiglar #20 (You Idiot #1 and #2)
Pot smoking seems to be a common theme in You Idiot. Some of the observations on the Drug War are right on and should be obvious, I think, to anyone with at least one undamaged brain cell. The "Dollar Store Reviews" are entertaining enough. A slightly cynical zine from a twenty-something zinester, a natural fit. Other topics covered, "Crazy Preachers Who Burn Journey Albums," "The Sorry Saga of Nick Carter," and the "Rock Solid Science of Cat Astrology."

Slug & Lettuce #76
This zine makes me nostalgic for humor zines-a dying breed indeed. Once upon a time you could actually bust a gut reading a fanzine, or at least chuckle and be entertained. This zine carries the torch of that proud tradition. By the author of Pick Your Poison, this zine is dedicated to debating the obvious-editor Nate takes drugs, plays bad christian video games, and then spends multiple pages brutally reviewing them. Recommended. I thought this zine had even more personality than his regular per-zine.

Supreme Nothing
This is a funny zine written by Nate G. As indicated in his intro,this zine came about while Nate was trying to maintain his sanity at a temp job. The first part is an article about the introduction to drug awareness in Video Games. This is an awesome article that had me cracking up. He moves from drugs in video games to Religion in video games and he exposes the truth behind Wisdom Tree games. He reviews books from thrift stores. One is about how rock music is satanic, another is a frightening book by Nick Carter's mom. Nate actually does some research on this one and contrasts Nick's ideas of stardom with his mother's ideas of Nick's stardom. Finally there is a book that was too horrifying to read, Morris's Cat Horoscopes. Get this zine if you have a sense of humor at all.

Xeroxgraphy Debt #9
An entertaining look at video games designed to help kids "Just Say No," religious video games (which I didn't even know existed), a book devoted to finding every ounce of Satan in popular music, and "The Sorry Saga of Nick Carter." Good start to what could be a very funny series.

Zine World #18
This is a highly amusing zine that had me laughing from the first article in which Nate plays three old "anti-drug" video games to determine their effectiveness in the "War on Drugs". Nate's sharp wit keeps up through the Science of Cat Astrology and his piece about preachers burning Journey albums. I highly recommend everyone get a copy.

You Idiot #2
Alternative Press
Publication of the week and article of the week on May 12, 2003
Humorous historical analysis of the ineffectiveness and sheer stupidity of the anti-drug commercials over the past two decades, amusing analysis of Hulk Hogan's rap album, and in-depth examinations of other absurd and out-of-the-way topics.

HeartAttack #39
This is great. Awesome anecdotes and deconstruction of drug war propaganda and old school video games. They do a great job of destroying those commercials that we have seen throughout the years that probably get kids into drugs rather than preventing them. Well that's probably how the man wants it. Pushing money into fighting drugs while importing them. A harsh critique of Hulk Hogan's rap album. Dollar store reviews and much, much more. This is really cool and funny, but in a way serious. Funny letters to washed up rock stars and unassuming candy companies. Heh heh heh... Good stuff for a laugh on the the john. Oh hell don't be a chicken try it you motherfucking idiot. Pass the joint Timmy.

Poopsheet
You Idiot is about our crap culture that holds so much fascination for twenty- and thirtysomethings (myself included). Nate's a pretty funny writer, but what really makes the difference is that he researches the subjects of his articles. It shows that he really puts some time into it. The articles in this issue are depressing, embarrassing and hilarious all at the same time. Features include: an examination of ridiculous (most of them are) anti-drug tv commercials in the US, including the guilt angle of "supporting terrorism"; an indepth review of Hulk Hogan's album, Hulk Rules (man, I'd like to hear this); reviews of products bought from his local dollar store; and lots more still. My favorite feature (well, maybe tied with the anti-drug stuff) is "Selling Your Product Through Video Games", a funny rundown of video games designed to promote products from Reebok, McDonald's, Pepsi, Coke, etc. Screen shots, gameplay description, quotes from the manuals and the sheer absurdity of it all make it a fun read. Recommended. I feel dirty inside, but I kinda like it.

Punk Planet #57
Nate's proving to be one of the busiest zinesters around these days. The latest issue of You Idiot continues to entertain readers with articles written about his absolute favorite topics: video games (product placement games and anti-drugs games this time), cheesy finds, drus, and did I mention video games? Recommended.

Razorcake #15
You Idiot debates the obvious. It makes no claim to do otherwise. It makes fun of drug commercials (because of course buying a quarter bag doesn't support terrorists. It supports the hippie who grows the weed. Paying taxes supports terrorists), advertising-laden video games, Hulk Hogan's music career, the He-Man message board, and various dollar store items. And, though it's all obvious, it's fun to read. You can read Nate's rants and think, yeah, I thought of that, too. Anti-drug commercials are idiotic. It is better to laugh at the Hulkster than to laugh with him. And so on. It gives you a nice sense of superiority to know that you're smarter than so much of this stuff that's being pumped into your brain. It's fun to take the time to sit back and ridicule it. And that's the cool part of this zine. You're not exactly reading Noam Chomsky, but it is an intelligent conversation about the absurd world around us.

Slug and Lettuce #76
The subtitle of this is "debating the obvious since 2002" and it's very appropriate. What you will find here are familiar topics… the war on drugs, Hulk Hogan, video games, writing letters to companies and bands, but the twist is that Nate has a great sense of humor and does a lot of research on said topics. You Idiot is hilarious and informative. Like getting that darn chocolate bar stuck in the dang peanut butter. Mmmm. Two great tastes… oh, you know what I'm getting at. Get this for Kool-Aid Man and Pepsi Man alone. Fantastic.

Supreme Nothing
I don't know why, but every time i read this zine, i end up wanting to do drugs! This issue looks at the current commercial trend that blames terrorism on the drug purchase YOU made. Nate describes each commercial and takes a deeper look at them with witty, sarcastic commentary. This zine rules! Nate then saves us the pain of listening to the Hulk Hogan rap record, and describes all the reasons we shouldn't listen to this... even as a joke.

Xerography Debt #12
It would not be a stretch to call the “Try You Idiot” edition the insomniac’s almanac. If you’ve ever stayed up late staring at the ceiling, pondering such life-shaking questions as does “Hulk Hogan rap?” YOU IDIOT should definitely become your bedside fellow. It’s written with the flamboyance of infomercials without the Bacon Wave swagger. It especially appeals to those enthralled by the war on drugs, video games and a hodgepodge of social figures including pop diva Jessica Simpson, various clowns from the White House and The Dixie Chicks, Texas fallen country angels.

Zine World #20
Far-fetched hyperbole merges with inane mass-marketed items to screw with your equilibrium. Critiques of Hulk Hogan's rock, Godzilla key rings, and kandy komputer discs are no match for the brain-melting existence of some of the bizarre fast-food video games Gangelhoff reviews. His sarcastic reveries fall just short of transporting the reader into a corporate utopia. Don't stop now!

ZineThug.Com
Lots of commentary and discussion on modern commercialism. First up is a history of America's "War On Drugs" commercials (I still remember when Punky Brewster "Just Said No" and marched in the anti-drug parade-well, that was a TV show, not a commercial, but same thing.) Then there's a review of a Hulk Hogan album: "So, apparently, when offered drugs, you're supposed to reply to the shady dope-peddler, 'I want to be a hulkamaniac.'" Also includes "Dollar Store Reviews," (Cyber Talk Printed Candy from Necco-wow!), reviews of video games promoting products (Kool-Aid Man Atari game-yeah!), quotes from the He-Man e-mailing list (I named my cat after a He-Man character, Teela-"Teedy Weedy"!), and letters to washed up bands (remember Kriss Kross? How lame!) Entertaining and informative. "The first one's only $1."

You Idiot #3
Almost Normal
Man, when I finished reading this one I felt like I needed to get stoned! And here's a little irony for you, I read this zine while waiting for someone to get out of a D.A.R.E. meeting! Okay I'm getting ahead of myself here. If you haven't read an issue of You Idiot then you might not understand. This zine examines the anti-drug propaganda in our society and debates its effectiveness. In this issue Nate writes about several anti-drug comics that all sound about as lame as most mainstream comics gracing the shelves today. He also takes some shots at anti-drug rap music that's probably even more deserving of his ridicule. But the zine's not just about those things, Nate also works in a couple of pages dedicated to Macho Man Randy Savage's Rap album. Jake the Snake should feel proud, at least he's just a dope fiend neglecting his daughter and trying to deal with issues about his rapist father, but the Macho Man's singing Rap now?! That has to be rock bottom for a wrestler. And as if those subjects weren't enough, Nate even reviews a few books you're likely never to see, and he provides a brief history of drunken robberies! Where Nate finds all this stuff is beyond me but I'm glad he does because it makes for one entertaining read!

HeartAttaCk #44
I laughed my ass off! Who doesn't like reading about silly, sillydrug propaganda, particularly when it involves stoned dinosaurs and Hulk Hogan? Ha, ha, ha! The author writes about various comic books, cartoons, records (including my all time favorite- Devastatin' Dave the Turntable Slave and his Zip Zap Rap), and school lessons all devoted to frightening kids away from smoking pot. He does not, however, try to debate if drugs and alcohol are inherently bad or not-- but rather he mocks the government sponsored focus on teaching children about drugs, emphasizing the fact that perhaps kids realize as they get older that much of what they learned in DARE is a joke, and will reject the lump sum of what they learned about drugs. Kind of like how abstinence-only sex education tends to backfire as kids age and reevaluate those lessons. He also reviews some pseudo-science books that promise money and sex through chanting, thinking really hard about it, and chanelling the god Ishtar, and writes about drunken robberies. Nate is just overall a good writer, and I imagine this zine would appeal to both sxe kids and stoners.

Neufutur.com
The first issue of You Idiot I picked up at one of the AMCs I had attended, and the issue was brilliant. Talking about anti-drug and Christian video games among other things, I had a high bar set up for the latest issue of You Idiot to break. Using a lot of the same layout as Nate’s other zine Pick Your Poison, I found myself a little tired reading through about 120 pages total of things that are laid out the same way (even if Nate’s writing is still fresh and crisp). One of the major complaints that I have about this issue of You Idiot would be the extreme length of some of these pieces, including “Here They Come To Save The Day”, with 12 pages (yes, there are some pictures). If Nate would cut out some of the extraneous information and return to the succinctness of the first issue, chances are that the piece would be harder-hitting. A piece about the Macho Man’s album follows that and again, falls into a rut, due to Nate’s tendency to stretch out every piece. While this may work in descriptions of eir personal life, the material that is covered in You Idiot is finite – it is a CD or a 32 page comic, not something that Nate is intimately familiar with. “The brief history of Drunken Robberies” simultaneously suffers from lack and glut of information; Nate tries to cover too many cases and as such, leaves out some vital information. Some cases may be given adequate coverage, but most that Nate focuses on are just needing a little more in the way of information. Still, informational zines like You Idiot are rare, and in the vein of Alco-Beat or The Hungover Gourmet, You Idiot is a solid read.

Paniscus
Another 56 pages of mockery from the Pick Your Poison front. In keeping with the tradition of ridicule established in previous You Idiot outings, issue three mercilessly bags on a number of clueless anti-drug campaigns, showing them to be as self-serving as they are ineffectual. Ripped into this time are comics (Mr. T on peyote?! All right!), cartoons (the misleadingly trippy Cartoon All-Stars), rap songs (I agree with Nate’s position – “Devastatin’ Dave the Turntable Slave” seems to have waged his own personal war on drugs by buying up as many of them as possible, as evidenced by his “Zip Zap Rap”), D.A.R.E. essays and Christian school anti-drug propaganda. Each and every one of these examples not only seems tailor-made for an audience of ‘hopheads,’ but also seems to have been contrived by the very same. Also in this issue is a comparison of trite rap songs by Hulk Hogan and Randy “Macho Man” Savage, a look at get-rich-quick-by-sitting-on-your-fat-ass-and-just-wanting-it books (Chant-O-Matics, Psycho-Command Power, Ishtar Power) and “A Brief History of Drunken Robberies.” You Idiot is loaded with illustrations and comes presented in an attractive layout, and while 50+ pages may seem a bit much on the anti-anti-drug front, this weightiness itself satirizes the overkill of its subjects. Read on!

Poopsheet
The subtitle of You Idiot is "Debating the Obvious Since 2002," and unfortunately that's kind of an apt description. Nate spends most of the issue poking fun at the 1980s anti-drug campaign championed by the likes of Nancy Reagan. No denyin' there's a lot of material to work with here: anybody remember Cartoon All Stars to the Rescue, in which Bugs Bunny speaks out against pot? No? How about the LA Lakers' ill-advised 1987 rap song "Just Say No to Drugs"? In Nate's words, these are "further evidence that the '80s were truly a bleak and deranged decade."

These clueless modern-day versions of Reefer Madness have always been ripe for satire, and Nate's writing is pretty funny. It's just that after forty pages or so, the material takes on a one-note quality — especially since, in my case at least, he's preaching to the converted. Debating the obvious, that is.

As a historical catalog of anti-drug propaganda, though, You Idiot succeeds. I'd totally forgotten about Papa Smurf and Alf (who both could have been dreamed up in a drug-induced burst of inspiration) preaching the abstinence gospel in Cartoon All Stars. (I must have been stoned at the time.) But Nate sometimes overlooks the subtext of these little fables. Like the fact that most of them, rap songs aside, feature only white kids being warned about drugs. The crack epidemic was already raging full-on in the nation's 'hoods and ghettos, but to the anti-drug enforcers, the worst possibility was that Little Johnny might smoke a joint and start questioning their authority.

Likewise, Nate doesn't really talk about the long-range effects of exposing kids to such ignorant hysteria. On page 24, he finally brings up the point: "Within a few years...most kids will see that the absolute-worst-case scenarios taught to them...rarely happen...[leading to] a feeling of 'What else were they lying about?'" But he stops short of the next logical thought. Certainly in my case, and probably many others, this fostered a distrust of authority figures and the status quo that seemed so important to them. In other words, not only did the anti-drug propaganda fail to turn us into good little citizens who sit up straight and do as we're told... it actually laid the groundwork for our future radicalization!

Nate mentions that this is the last drug-themed issue of You Idiot. I'm glad to hear that future issues will contain more material like "A Brief History of Drunken Robberies" and "Omnipotence Through Pseudo-Science." Both play well to his editorial approach, which might be described as "pointing out the hilarity in the public's everyday stupidity." Best of all is his examination of the brief "rapping wrestler" craze, with in-depth study of the lyrical and musical stylings of Hulk Hogan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. I daresay T.S. Eliot himself couldn't have come up with lines like "When I hit ya with my power, your body'll start shiverin'/Hit ya to the head, to the gut, damage your liver." Wow... this shit is pure gold.

And it probably sounds even funnier when you're stoned.

Punk Planet #65
Word to the wise: anti-drug programs in this country are silly and pointless. That's what this zine aims to point out through essays about anti-drug websites and comic books. There's also a crazy piece on drunken robberies. The satire could be more finely tuned, but it was funny in parts.

Razorcake #24
You Idiot explores all the anti-drug propaganda and their ridiculous ploys to scare today's youth from drugs. Brainchild of Minnesota native Nate Gangelhoff, this fanzine is slick, well-organized, and hip. It is jammed with tons of examples of just how out-of-touch anti-drug comics are! Pot will cause you to kill! Use a joint and you will become a zombie! In You Idiot's pages, Nate takes on Crackbusters, superheros who go around beating up drug dealers, and the Drugosaurs. Yep, using drugs will lead to extinction! There is even an article lambasting rapping wrestlers like Hulk hogan and Randy "Macho Man" Savage. Nate brings up good points in a myriad of creative ways, and asks "Why, after fifty-plus years of useless propaganda haven't they learned how to speak to us?"

Swimmer's Ear #15 (review of issues 1 through 3)
You Idiot is put together by Nate from the band Rivethead, and I can honestly say that it is my favorite zine. I picked up #2 and liked it so much I had to go back and buy the others. I have never laughed so much at anything in print. This is hilarious. The writing is witty and sarcastic, and the content is perfect for ridicule. Nate examines such topics as anti-drug video games, comics, and commercials, celebrity albums, strange books, and a lot more. One of my favorite articles is Dollar Store Reviews, in which he takes a hard investigative look at the Godzilla Killer Key Chain and Magnetic Locker Lingo. "Everyone knows it's Swoosh as hell". Check these out for a good laugh. Multiple laughs actually.

Thrasher #290 (You Idiot #3 and Pick Your Poison #4)
Two more killer zines from the mind of Nate, these are both seriously top notch zines. The writing is excellent and hilarious. You Idiot! is the more "research" oritented of the two, and the theme this time around is anti-drug propaganda in the form of comics, cartoons, DARE essays, and rap songs. It's got some other funny shit in there too, such as the Randy "Macho Man" savage rap album, "Omnipotence Through Pseudo-Science", and "A Brief History of Drunken Robberies". Pick Your Poison is more on the personal side, and this issue deals with Nate's jobs, starting with an Aristotelean quote ("All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind") and a gas station job. If you've ever worked a shitty job where your boss expects you to have team pride, you can relate.

Xerography Debt #15
Nate assigns himself the task of looking at the absurdities of anti-drug propoganda and education in America. I really had no idea of the screaming hyperbole and lack of credibility involved here. One of the worst examples is the dual-purpose comic book produced by the Tandy Corporation in the 80s. This combination anti-drug propoganda and Tandy/Radio Shack product placement involves two annoying kids who foiled drug deals with their Radio Shack computer gear. Then there’s the obligatory Mr. T. anti-drug comic, which posits that the best way to get someone to stop using drugs is to beat the crap out of them. Nate also excerpts some of the “best” essays from the D.A.R.E. program (published on their website). If these essays are to be believed, smoking pot will ensure that you never get a good job, you’ll end up living in a cardboard box, and you may even want to jump off a bridge. Then there’s the anti-drug rap songs, which I won’t even get into here. Dizzying in their badness. On the non-drug related beat, there are articles about Randy “Macho Man” Savage’s new rap album, and a catalog of drunken robberies around the world. Nate’s done his research and makes his point with lots of humor. Recommended.