Chainsaw

Chainsaw was a British punk fanzine edited by the writer and punk figure known as Charlie Chainsaw. It emerged in suburban Croydon in 1977, during the formative period of the British punk movement, and developed into a small but distinctive publication within the underground music and countercultural press. The zine ultimately ran for fourteen issues before ceasing publication in 1984. Like many punk fanzines, Chainsaw combined music coverage with an intentionally handmade visual identity. Its production incorporated hand lettering, cartoons, irreverent commentary, and material connected to emerging punk performers. A broken “n” key on the editor’s typewriter led to the use of a hand-lettered replacement that became a recognizable stylized mark in the zine’s articles. This accidental typographic device illustrates the resourceful, low-cost production methods associated with the British fanzine culture of the period. The publication also promoted new music directly. Some issues included a free flexi disc featuring two or three up-and-coming punk bands, giving readers access to recordings that might otherwise have been difficult to obtain. The zine’s 1980s issues added cartoon strips and included two notable colour covers designed by Michael J. Weller, expanding its visual range beyond the predominantly improvised look associated with earlier punk publications. Chainsaw also provided an early platform for the cartoon strip “Hitler’s Kids.” The strip was authored by Andrew Marr under the punk pseudonym “Willie D,” before Marr began his later career as a prominent journalist. This association gives the zine an additional place in the history of British independent publishing and in the early professional development of a major journalist. When Chainsaw ended publication in 1984, Charlie Chainsaw went on to form the band Rancid Hell Spawn. The zine is therefore best understood not as a conventional commercial media company but as an independent cultural publication and punk-era identity. Its significance rests on the combination of grassroots music promotion, experimental graphic design, DIY publishing methods, and links to figures who later became notable in music, journalism, and illustration.

Chainsaw began publication in suburban Croydon in 1977, at a time when punk culture was generating a network of independent newspapers, fanzines, record labels, venues, and informal distribution channels across Britain. Edited by an individual using the name Charlie Chainsaw, the publication operated within this DIY environment rather than according to the model of a conventional magazine publisher. Its subject matter and presentation were closely connected to the emerging punk scene and its preference for self-produced media. The zine’s production methods contributed substantially to its identity. A malfunctioning typewriter key meant that the letter “n” had to be drawn by hand. The resulting hand-lettered form became a recurring stylized mark in articles and functioned as an accidental visual signature. This detail reflects the practical constraints of small-scale zine production, where equipment failures, limited budgets, and improvised design solutions could become part of a publication’s aesthetic. Chainsaw was also involved in the circulation of new punk music. Certain issues carried a free flexi disc containing recordings by two or three up-and-coming bands. Such inserts allowed a paper publication to act as a direct promotional channel for performers and strengthened the relationship between the zine and the independent music scene. The discs also represented an important form of discovery for readers who were looking beyond mainstream music outlets. During the 1970s, the zine featured the cartoon strip “Hitler’s Kids.” It was written by Andrew Marr under the punk pseudonym “Willie D,” at an early stage of Marr’s career before his later success as a journalist. The appearance of the strip demonstrates the broad creative remit of Chainsaw, which combined music-related material with graphic satire and sequential art. The publication continued into the 1980s and eventually reached fourteen issues. Later issues included cartoon strips and two innovative colour covers by Michael J. Weller. These covers marked a more developed approach to visual presentation while retaining the experimental and independent character of the publication. Chainsaw ceased publication in 1984. Following the zine’s discontinuation, Charlie Chainsaw formed the band Rancid Hell Spawn, extending his involvement in punk from publishing into performance. Chainsaw’s historical importance lies in its role as an example of British punk’s independent publishing infrastructure. It documented and promoted emerging music, used constrained production techniques creatively, and gave space to visual and literary contributors. Although it was short-lived and small in scale, its surviving references connect it to broader histories of fanzine design, punk culture, illustration, and independent media.

• 1984

  Publication ends after fourteen issues

  [1]Chainsaw (punk zine)en.wikipedia.org

  Chainsaw ceases publication after producing fourteen issues.

• 1984

  Charlie Chainsaw forms Rancid Hell Spawn

  [1]Chainsaw (punk zine)en.wikipedia.org

  After the zine ends, Charlie Chainsaw forms the punk band Rancid Hell Spawn.

• 1980

  Flexi-disc promotion expands the music format

  [1]Chainsaw (punk zine)en.wikipedia.org

  Selected issues include a free flexi disc promoting two or three emerging punk bands.

• 1977

  Chainsaw begins publication

  [1]Chainsaw (punk zine)en.wikipedia.org

  The punk fanzine is launched in suburban Croydon under the editorship of Charlie Chainsaw.

• 1977

  The stylized hand-lettered “n” emerges

  [1]Chainsaw (punk zine)en.wikipedia.org

  A broken typewriter key leads to a hand-drawn replacement for the letter “n,” which becomes a recurring visual feature in the zine.

• 1977

  “Hitler’s Kids” appears

  [1]Chainsaw (punk zine)en.wikipedia.org

  The zine features a cartoon strip written by Andrew Marr under the punk pseudonym “Willie D.”

A DIY British punk fanzine combining underground music coverage, experimental typography, cartoons, and direct promotion of emerging bands.

• Independent music publication · 1977

  Chainsaw punk zine

  The core product was a handmade punk fanzine published from Croydon between 1977 and 1984. Across fourteen issues, it combined underground music material with cartoons, experimental typography, and visually distinctive cover design. Its production reflected the low-cost, improvised methods of British punk publishing.

• Music promotional insert

  Promotional flexi discs

  Some 1980s issues included a free flexi disc featuring recordings by two or three up-and-coming punk bands. The inserts extended Chainsaw’s role from commentary and documentation into direct music promotion and discovery.

• Illustration and comics · 1977

  Chainsaw cartoon content

  Cartoon strips formed part of the zine’s editorial and visual content. The best-documented example is “Hitler’s Kids,” written by Andrew Marr using the pseudonym “Willie D.” Later issues also carried cartoon material as part of their expanded 1980s presentation.

1. 1Chainsaw (punk zine)en.wikipedia.org