Date: 16 Apr 93 22:00:39 EDT From: Gordon Meyer <72307.1502@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: File 5--RU Sirius/Mondo interview (from GEnie) The following is an edited transcript of a GEnie real-time conference held with R.U. Sirius of Mondo 2000. The full transcript is available for downloading on GEnie. Reprinted with permission. Copyright (C), 1993 Jack Smith, the Writers' RoundTable All rights reserved. No part of this file may be reproduced or copied by any means (graphic, electronic, magical or mechanical) without the written permission of Jack Smith (GEnie address = WRITERS.INK, snail mail = 401 North Washington Street, Rockville, MD, 20850, MN3). This file was downloaded from the Writers' RoundTable on GEnie. To join GEnie you can signup via computer or by following these steps: 1) Set your communications software for half duplex (local echo) at 300, 1200 or 2400 baud. 2) Dial toll free: 1-800-638-8369 (or in Canada, 1-800-387-8330). When you see CONNECT on your screen, quickly type HHH. 3) At the U#= prompt, enter XTX99003,WRITERS and press Return. 4) Have a major credit card ready (or in the U.S., you can also use your checking account number). For voice information (in other words... a real person), call 800-638-9636. ************* <[Jack] WRITERS.INK> Okay folks tonight's guest is R. U. Sirius of the Mondo 2000 magazine and book. I'll start off with the first question... How did you come up with the name for the magazine? <[R. U. Sirius]> We had a publication called Reality Hackers that wasn't doing that well. We were moving in the direction of cyberpunk and those kinds of influences and wanted something that had more of an overall pop gestalt. I was watching tv severely wasted one night and there were all these ads for this and that "2000." and a whole show called Discovery 2000. I crawled into Queen Mu's bedroom and said "Everybody's using 2000 to sell shit. Why not us?" She immediately came up with MONDO 2000 cause she knew that all the 0's would make for a good looking logo. <[Barbara] B.PAUL> I keep reading cyberpunk is dead; is that why you want a more pop gestalt? <[R. U. Sirius]> Well, in a literal sense, cyberpunk was never really alive. It's all media mythology and as the culture complexities, less and less people want to conform to any sort of tribal identity for a long period of time. But basically we wanted to really be effective communicators and succeed at what we're doing. And part of doing that involves a bit of strategic thinking while at the same time working within whatever your obsessions and interests happen to be... It was always important to us that we published a very slick looking magazine. It's like dressing up to get inside an establishment dinner. It's much more subversive, I think, than picketing outside with your fist in the air. <[Barbara] B.PAUL> Actually, I like the nonexistent cyberpunk myself; the word has attached itself to a certain style and pov that are distinctive. Do you mean you've lost interest in it? <[R. U. Sirius]> I like the sort of tough post punk no bullshit aesthetic that was expressed through cyberpunk sci fi and the way that sort of took on a living breathing reality in hacker and in industrial performance culture. I just don't like to get caught up in movements or names like cyberpunk. The sense of the thing continues. I know very few people who actually want to call themselves "a Cyberpunk." you seem to have an idea in mind in publishing MONDO 200o, do you have a succinct philosophy? <[R. U. Sirius] PRESS22> HA!!!! The explanation for the meme changes every time I have to answer the question. I'll put it in two ways, one of them politic and the other one vulgar 1) MONDO is a magazine for the culture of cyberspace, for a generation that has grown up inside of media, inside of bits and bytes and who can recognize the fact that this is the primary territory in which our socio-political and economic lives are taking place. It's about consciously occupying that space. In fact, it's possible that a relatively democratic do-it-yourself "sub"culture has really moved into cyberspace more completely than the power elites. 2: MONDO 2000 is here to give the high tech culture of America in the 90's the enema it so desperately needs!!! <[Bryce] K.CAMPBELL14> What's your opinion on the media/corporations applying the 'cyber' label to everything (from Networks like GEnie to microprocessor controlled toasters). <[R. U. Sirius] PRESS22> It's good for MONDO and what's good for MONDO is good for Amerika! Seriously though it's just another bit of language manipulation that everybody 'll soon get sick of next everybody from GE to toasters will try to latch on to shamanism... like, Be all that you can be in the new shamanic army etcetera. <[Danny] D.PERLMAN> I have limited contact with the mag, having skimmed the book and read issue 8 in the last 48 hours (my mind is cyber goo) but, I found it fascinating. However, I noted right off the bat that the leadoff article on Information America had some stuff that didn't quite sit right fact-wise, and with about 90 seconds of computer time determined that, at least according to the databases of the two newspapers cited, the articles, used as bibliographic reference don't exist. What's the deal? Are your articles intended to be "factual", or more for amusement? <[R. U. Sirius] PRESS22> I believe that article was intended to be accurate although employing hardcore fact checkers is not in our budget yet. We've gotten a number of letters on that piece going both ways, challenging some of the details or adding additional paranoid data to the brew. We'd be interested in any specific details that you care to refute. <[John] J.BILICSKA> Do you foresee MONDO 2000 ever becoming a victim of its own success, a la ROLLING STONE (since mass culture absorbs every counterculture, eventually)? <[R. U. Sirius] PRESS22> If the magazine gets sold to somebody else, it might get wimp-ized. But as long as Mu and I are at it, it'll always be wierd. We can't help it. SUre, we might sell it some day and apply our wierdness to something else. <[John] J.BILICSKA> Are you contemplating a multimedia/interactive version of MONDO 2000? I think it would really blow the minds of suburbanites buying those CD-ROM drives. <[R. U. Sirius] PRESS22> Yeah, I'm talking with somebody right now about doing a cd rom version of the Guide. Also, might edit a cd rom version of Peter Stafford's Psychedelic's Encyclopedia, a return to my roots for me... hope CBS doesn't hear about it! <[CuD] GRMEYER> I've been enjoying the book and mag for quite some time now, thanks. I've wondered if you've ever run into any 'censorship' (at whatever level). <[R. U. Sirius] PRESS22> We've had problems with printers, I believe over female breasts, though the current printer, who we've been with for I think 5 issues, hasn't given us any problems. We've had some internal wrangles, which I won't go into... guess I'll have to write an autobiography some day. <[Jack] WRITERS.INK> Since magazines tend to be business and business means money, I was curious if you have control of the magazine or if you have investors who profer opinions and advice. Success doesn't always bring the best ... er help. <[R. U. Sirius] PRESS22> To be honest, Queen Mu is the majority owner and has complete control over the magazine. We do wrestle occasionally... ***end of conference excerpt*** Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253