The Basics

From Izzy's Guide to Starting and Running an Underground Paper

The Basics: Give the following some thought.

1. Assemble Your Staff

To wage a war in print, you'll need geeks to fill the ranks. Geeks are loyal, reliable, intelligent, computer savvy, and socially inept, meaning they'll have lots of time to devote to your cause. As I am somewhat geeky myself, I mean this in the most positive light. Code geeks can churn out a website to archive back issues and receive reader feedback. Design geeks can churn out cool graphics and a layout that will make your school publication look like used toilet paper.

The more eclective and diverse the staff, the more interesting your paper will be. I'd suggest throwing in a few artsy types who can decorate the issues by hand. Finally, it doesn't hurt to have a couple of people who don't really know too much but are there for general support and to distribute the paper.

2. Establish Objectives

At your first couple of meetings, create positions and delve out tasks. Pick a name for the paper that you all like. Create a written statement establishing your objectives for the project. Since you want to run an underground paper, you will need to decide whether or not to adopt aliases to keep you all anonymous (and out of trouble), or to keep the articles nameless.

3. Decide Layout Means

What will you use to create the issues? If you have a computer geek, he'll know of some design software. Or, if you have artsy types who prefer to draw, the traditional cut and paste method isn't a bad idea.

4. Printing

Where will you get your issues printed? This is the most troubling question for most kids. Who the hell has money to afford it, right? This is where knowing someone at a print shop, such as Kinko's Copy, is useful. My staff and I were fortunate enough to know kids who worked at Kinko's and Staples, and all our issues (300 at a time) were xeroxed free of charge. If you don't have that option, your parents' workplace or office might have a copy machine that you can use, with (or without, ha) permission.

5. Funding

You're probably broke. Most high school kids are. If you have a job, you probably make shit money. In any case, this is the biggest hurdle to tackle for most people in your situation. You could all pool in your money together but that would only last for the first few issues, so you need to think in terms of the long run.

6. Distribution

Since you're anonymous, how do you plan to get your issues out without getting caught?