Cynic

The Infamous Daria E-Zine
Ah, the notorious Cynic magazine, my pet project; began mostly as an entertainment for my sister and I, and a way for me to convince myself that shirking my BVA course load wasn’t such a waste of time after all.

I started Cynic in October 2000. Still the only Daria Fanzine, it had an extremely small but loyal readership. I rather suspect that the virtual copies got passed about the place because the mailing list was rather smaller than the amount of people who came up to me and said "you write that?!"

Originally called BC Newz, the magazine was a light read with reviews and a serial fanfic, and up-to-date information on the ABC and what their intentions were with the show. It was first released in a limited print run of five copies at the Queensland University of Technology's art department. Of those, one was given to my sister, one was actually taken from the pile at QUT, and the remaining three were given out at the first ODC. An autographed copy is still owned by my husband Lew, whose fanfic “Heroes” had the honour of being the first reviewed in the magazine. Of the rest, as far as I know none exist. I hope the person who took a copy at QUT enjoyed it, but knowing the environment it was probably used as interim cigarette papers, blotting for paints, or both.

Around about November of 2000, Geoff Roberts got intimately involved in the beastie and made it considerably more shiny. At this stage, it was being advertised on the Paperpusher's Message Board, and the mailing list grew considerably. It was at this time that readers voted on a new name for the magazine. The choices were Cynic, Australian Cynic, and Lawndale something-or-other. There was also a write-in section. Cynic won with a total of five votes. Six people voted. My sister submitted my niece's request of "purple crayon squiggle" – an intriguing suggestion, but ultimately not the winner.

At the beginning of each month I'd flesh out ideas for articles and send the ideas off to my guest-writers. We'd have two weeks to pull together something. Regardless of whether they'd finished or not, they'd send what they had back to me. At that stage we'd race to finish the article and whose-ever version of the article read better got submitted, under the name of the person who started writing it.

At three weeks into the month, I’d hand it all to Geoff and start hunting down images. I'd submit the images, which he could use if he hadn't already found something better. At two days before the end of the month, the final was sent back to me. I'd proof it, and send any comments back to Geoff. Geoff would then make any necessary edits, and then email it out to everyone on the mailing list. One week into the following month, it went online and got advertised at PPMB. Of course, there is no longer any record of this since the original PPMB is now long-since dead.

This incarnation of Cynic continued publication through until February 2001, when I moved house. I considered it a good run and a fun project and that it had probably run its course.

In late 2002, I was approached by Cincgreen - who was inspired by Cynic for the Green Sink Website - to start it up again.

I quit from the magazine due to irreconcilable differences. I refused to permit the continued use of the name of my magazine. It was renamed Padded Walls at my departure.

Cynic (now Padded Walls) disbanded for the final time in late 2003, several months after I left.

Written, founded and loved by Tafka.