Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.09.2009, Blaðsíða 16

16
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 14 — 2009
Feature | 101 Issues of Grapevine
2002 IN PRAGUE
Well, I'll be damned. I can't remember
half of it. It was fall 2002. I had just
moved into a little f lat in a rather large
suburb of Prague. It was during my
"post-college find your self phase,"
and on that mission, my wingman and
fellow self-seeker was my good friend
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson. Needless
to say, the mission’s goal was carefully
sought on a bottom of a glass, through
litres and litres of Staropramen beer. We
actually never reached the bottom. But
somewhere along the way, we ran into
this Prague based bi-weekly alternative
English-language newspaper, The
Prague Pill, or "The Pill,” if you will.
Since the notion of stealing The
Pill’s concept, adjusting it to Iceland
and starting our own publication was
born in a misty haze of lager, I can only
guess how the initial conversation went,
having no idea who said what:
A: I don't think we have anything like
this back home, do we?
B. Nope
A: Should we make our own version of
it and publish it in Reykjavík?
B: Sure.
During the next day’s hangover, we
bought a bunch of A3 paper, pens and
Post-its and drew up outlines to what
would eventually become the Reykjavík
Grapevine. They haven’t really changed
since, although they are much improved
by now.
FROM LAUGARVATN TO REykJAVÍk
I turned 21, I moved back to
Laugarvatn. I started work for my
old school along with Hilmar Steinn.
Then, in March 2003, and after some
discussions with Oddur Óskar, and
Eymar Plédel, who liked the idea, and
with the reassureance and support
of photographer Aldís Pálsdóttir, we
rented our first office space. It was a 25
square metre cellar at Blómvallagata 2,
101 Reykjavík. It was also my first home
in Reykjavik. I often slept on the f loor.
So did Oddur.
I was broke. I think we all were. But
we believed in our mission: To start a
bi-weekly alternative listings based
English language tourist magazine
in Reykjavik. How to accomplish
that mission? We had no idea. We
had no background in publishing,
no background in marketing, sales,
writing. Anything.
We didn't even know what to call
the damn thing. Eymar's friend, jazz
pianist and advertising mogul Ólafur
Stephensen, suggested we'd call it
Grapevine. As in "hearing things
through the Grapevine." Nothing we
had come up with was better than that.
By adding Reykjavik in front of the
Grapevine, we had a name. We had also
stumbled across two promising young
design students, Hörður and Gunni,
who handed over to us the first layout,
and Valur Gunnarsson, the editor to-be,
along with myself. Truly the only one we
had met in the preceding two months
leading up to the first issue, that had
any writing talent, myself included.
Aldís accepted the tough job of staff
photogrpaher, thereby becoming the
embryonic publication’s only trained
staff member.
The Reykjavík Grapevine has for some
reason managed to stay in business for
over six years and a hundred issues now.
This is interesting for several reasons.
More than anything, we were surprised
when we realised that we had indeed
made a hundred issues, and would be
making issues for a while yet.
So we sat down with a big pile of
our back catalogue and started flip-
ping through it. Ah, memories. But not
only memories, though. There was some
genuinely great stuff to be found in there.
Mostly we were awed by the ludicrous
amounts of hard work and dedication a
long, long line of editors and writers and
photographers and designers and ad-
sales people and illustrators and distribu-
tors and proofreaders and interns and
coffee fetchers have shown throughout
these hundred issues.
We felt an intense urge to mark this
occasion somehow, to celebrate all the
untold hours of hard work and all the un-
told (well, 4.644, to be exact) of discourse
on, about, with and for Iceland, its people
and its visitors. And the band t.A.T.u.
Spread around issue 101, you will find
the covers of every standard Grapevine
issue we’ve published, with commentary
and info from the people that created
them. In the next couple of spreads, how-
ever, you will find stories, photos, quotes
and statistics that emphasize the maga-
zine’s history, from its humble beginnings
in a cramped 101 Reykjavík basement
to its humble present in a cramped 101
Reykjavík penthouse.
We hope you enjoy.
Reflecting on The Grapevine’s First 100 Issues
Drinking Beer, Stealing Ideas, Founding The Grapevine
A founder reflects on the Grapevine’s formative years
I would like to be able to say that no animals were harmed in making
this issue, but I would be lying. One of our contributors was into
raw food, and I was rethinking my diet. Still am. After the traditional
Christmas blowout, we wanted to look at better ways to get nourish-
ment. Or just stick with the traditional sheep’s head. VG
Paul’s first feature. This was actually the only time we wrote a story
related to a sponsor. But the cause was a good one, and I was happy
to do it. A group of Icelanders took out an ad in the New York Times,
saying that Iceland’s endorsement of the invasion of Iraq was not
in our name. The ad was printed for the first time in Iceland in this
issue. Höddi and Paul both did a good job. VG
Having given Grapevine my all for the past two years, I was by now
a spent force. I went off to write a book and found I had nothing
more to say. The book eventually came out three years later. Watch-
ing Bobby Fisher come to Iceland was somehow a fitting end to my
editorial career. Not sure how, but the dark cover kind of illustrates
how I felt. Even if it was Höddi’s work. VG
Instead of putting Icelandic politicians on the cover, we got the
guys who make fun of them for a living. We were afraid that put-
ting Spaugstofan on the cover would be risky, because we would
seem to be to mainstream. Hip old us. This was the first issue of
twenty seven that was edited by the Madison, Wisconsin native Bart
Cameron. It was also the first issue to feature multiple covers, three
in total. JT/Ok
This is the first issue to state "You may not like but at least it is not
sponsored. (No articles are pay-for articles. The opinions expressed
are the writers' own, not the advertisers')" in its masthead. It’s been
there since, and we stick by it. JT/Ok
Grapevine 101
#22 - Issue 5 - 2005#18 - Issue 1 - 2005 #19 - Issue 2 - 2005 #20 - Issue 3 - 2005 #21 - Issue 4 - 2005
Words
Haukur S. Magnússon
Photos
From Archive
Words
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson
Photos
From Archive
Contributing Writers, issues 1-100
Compiled by our interns, thanks to Páll Hilmarsson
2009 - Reunited2003 - United
2003
2005
"Sika"
"Travis Bickle"
Aðalsteinn Jörunds-
son
Adriane Quinlan
Aftaka.org
Ágúst Bogason
AJB
Alena Krasovskaya
Alex Elliot
Alistair Macintyre
Andrew Clark
Andri Snær Mag-
nason
Angela Stokes
Anik Todd
Anna Brynja Bal-
dursdóttir
Anna Kaarina
Koskinen
Anna Sussman
Anonymous
Anthony Grant
Ari Alexander Ergis
Magnússon
Arnar Eggert Thoro-
ddsen
Árni Viðar
Ásgeir H. Ingólfsson
Atli Bollasson
Axel Jóhann
Björnsson
Baeta Rödlingova
Baldur Héðinsson
Baltasar Kormákur
Bart Cameron
Beerman
Beggó
Ben Frost
Ben H. Murray
Benedikt Reynisson
Bergrún Anna
Hallsteinsdóttir
Bergþóra Snæbjörn-
sdóttir
Bergur Ebbi Bene-
diktsson
Birgir Örn Steinarsson
Birgitta Jónsdóttir
Birkir Fjalar Viðarsson
Bjarni Bjarnason
Björg Elín Finnsdóttir
Björk Bjarnardóttir
Björn M.
Bogi Bjarnason
Bogi Reynisson
Börkur Gunnarsson
Bragi Ólafsson
Brian FitzGibbon
Bronson Lemer
C.O. Ryan
Cara Harvey
Caroline Ryan
Catharine Fulton
Chandler Fredrick
Chay Lemoine
Christian Hoard
Christopher Shillock
Colleen Kinder
Dagur Gunnarsson
Daniel Vallin
Darren Adam
David Brooks
Davíð Stefánsson
Deborah Coughlin
Desiree Andrews
Diddi
Dr. Gunni
E.A. Weinman
Einar Kárason
Einar Már Guðmunds-
son
Einar Örn Benedikts-
son
Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl
Electric Lights (Anna
Ehl & Josh Loar)
Elín Petersdóttir
Elísabet Jökulsdóttir
Eliza Reid
Ellen De Jong
Elvira Mendez Pinedo
Erik Davidek
Erna Kaaber
Ethan Gilsdorf
Eydís Björnsdóttir
Eyvindur Karlsson
Fabrizio Fascaroli
Filippa Guðmunds-
dóttir
Fiona Cribble
Florian Zühlke
Fríða Brá Pálsdóttir
Frosti Jónsson
Gabrielle R. Guðb-
jartsson
Geirharður Þorsteins-
son
Gerður Kristný
Gímaldin
Gísli Már Sigurjónsson
Greg Bocquet
Greta Ósk Óskars-
dóttir
Guðjón Abbes
Gulla Hermannsdóttir
Gunnar Hrafn Jónsson
Gylfi Blöndal
H. Gunn
H. Hakan Durak
H.A. Jónsson
Hanne Krage Carlsen
Haraldur Ingi
Þorleifsson
Harris Schaer
Hassan Harazi
Haukur Már Helgason
Haukur S. Magnússon
Heiða Eiríksdóttir
Heimir Már Pétursson
Helena Ósk Óskars-
dóttir
Helga Þórey
Jónsdóttir
Helgi Þór Harðason
Helgi Valur
Hera Sigurðardóttir
Herman Stefánsson
Hildur Edda Ein-
arsdóttir
Hildur Friðriksdóttir
Hildur Knútsdóttir
Hjálmar Gíslason
Hope Knútsson
Hrafn Þórri Þórrisson
Hrafn Þráinsson
Hugleikur Dagsson
Ian Watson
Ilmur Dögg Gísladóttir
Ingibjörg Elsa
Björnsdóttir
Ingibjörg Rósa
Björnsdóttir
Ingunn Snædal
Irina Domurath
Iris Goemans
Ivetta Gerasimchuk
Jade Augusto Gola
Jakob Frímann
Magnússon
James Crugnale
James David-Mann
Jamie Burton
Jan Kargulewicz
Janne Kristensen
Janne Makela
Jason Deign
Jennifer Ivars
Jennifer McCormack
Jim Rice
Joe Shooman
Jóhann Hauksson
Jóhann Jóhannsson
Jóhanna Friðrika
Sæmundsdóttir
John Boyce
Jón Gnarr
Jón Oddur
Jón Snær
Jón Trausti Sig-
urðason
Jonah Flicker
Jonas Moody
Jonathan Baker Esq.
Jóndi
Jórunn Helgadóttir
Josh Hetzler
Joyce Guzowski
Juho Salminen
Julika Huether
Ketill the Angry
Kjartan Guðmundsson
Klas Molde
Klemens Ólafur
Kolfinna Baldvin-
sdóttir
Kremena Nikolova
Kría
Kristin Stefansdóttir
Egekvist
Kristinn Hrafnsson
Kristján B. Jónasson
Kristrún Heiða
Hauksdóttir
Lana Vogestad
Lára Hanna Ein-
arsdóttir
Laurence Edmonson
Leslie Royce
Lizzy B.
Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir
Loki & Xor
Lowana Veal
Magnea Mat-
thíasdóttir
Magnús Björn
Ólafsson
Magnus Þór Snæb-
jörnsson
Marc Mettle
Marc Vincenz
Marcie Hume
Marcus Walsh
Margrét Örnólfsdóttir
Maria Alva Roff
Marie-Alexandra
Hertell
Marvin Lee Dupree
Merituuli Holm
Michael Dean Odin
Pollock
Michelle Mitchell
Mustafa Mutubarak
Nathaniel Flagg
Nathaniel Keegan
Nick Candy
Oddur Sturluson
Ólafur H. Torfason
Ólafur Páll Jónsson
Olga Markelova
Ölvir Gíslason
Ómar Örn Hauksson
Örvar Þóreyjarson
Smárason
Óskar Hallgrímsson
Padraig Mara
Páll Hilmarsson
Páll Ragnar Pálsson
Patricia Drati
Paul Fontaine-Nikolov
Paul Sullivan
Piia Susanna Mettälä
Prerna Desai
Quentin Bates
Ragnar Bragason
Ragnar Egilsson
Ragnar Jón Hrólfsson
Ragnar Kjartansson
Rebecca Louder
Richard P. Foley
Róbert H. Haraldsson
Robert J. Jackson
Roberta Ostroff
Sara Kolka
Sari Peltonen
Satu Rämö
Shain Shapiro
Siggi Eggertsson
Sigrún Davídsdóttir
Sigtryggur Ari
Jóhannsson
Sigtryggur Baldursson
Sigurður Harðarson
Sigurður Kjartan
Kristinsson
Silja Aðalsteinsdóttir
Sindri Eldon
Sjón
Sölvi Björn Sigurðsson
Sonny Greco
Stacy Steinberg
Stefán Helgi Valsson
Stefan Kubens
Steinar Bragi
Steinunn Jakobsdóttir
Stephen Taylor-
Matthews
Stevie Ward
Sveinbjörn Pálsson
Sveinn Birkir
Björnsson
Sverrir Hjálmarsson
Sy
T. Gunnarsson
Teresa Davey
Tero Mustonen
Þór Tryggvason
Þórarinn Einarsson
Þórarinn Eldjárn
Þórarinn Þórarinsson
Thorbjörg B. Gun-
narsdóttir
Þórdís Elva Þorvalds-
dóttir Bachmann
Þorgeir Frímann
Óðinsson
Þórir Georg Jónsson
Þormóður Dagsson
Þórvaldur Kristinsson
Þráinn Bertelsson
Tobias Münthe
Toshiki Toma
Valgerður Þórodds-
dóttir
Valur B. Antonsson
Valur Brynjar
Antonsson
Valur Gunnarsson
Vance Pollock
Viðar Þorsteinsson
Viðar Thorsteinsson
Vigdís Grímsdóttir
Viktor Banke
Vilhelm Vilhemsson
Virginia Zech
Vladur
Zoë Robert