On the skateboarding scene in the 1980s: "At the time, independent music seemed to be fueled by the punk rock phenomenon, which was basically a do-it-yourself (DIY) aesthetic. And in the early-to-mid 80s, skateboarding really fit in with (that) aesthetic. Such as, transporting yourself around without supporting the oil companies. And I think the punk rock scene and the skateboarding scene kept each other alive."
On the skateboarding scene in the 90s: "Skateboarding became, instead of a DIY thing, a parental-fueled fad. Then when the recession happened, the parents had to tighten up their wallets a little bit. At the same time, the prices for equipment went up and the product quality went down."
On the compact disc revolution and the vinyl counter-revolution: "When stores phased out vinyl, our sales increased. And then it kind of levelled off as people started getting their CD players. But now, vinyl's coming back...The DAT and the mini-discs seem to have failed miserably, so the companies are probably saying, 'Pearl Jam went to the Billboard charts before they put out their CD--just on vinyl! Maybe we better do that.' I'm just surprised that people will still buy a lot of CDs because I think they're really over-priced. I think that's, of course, another good thing about the independent record labels, that a lot of them have kept their CD prices down."
On Fallout's role as vendor of indie 'zines and comics: "We can draw from the whole region because people know we might have some independent product that they're not going to find in mainstream stores. Whereas, if you have a mainstream store, you're only going to draw from the convenient neighborhood."
On comics as an art form: "Comics have tried to gain acceptance as a cultural commodity, much in the same sense as a good movie or a good novel, and it just hasn't hit. And who knows why? Back in the 50s, comics were on the newsstands and everybody was buying them, but somehow it was established--in this country--that comics were only for kids. And for some reason, we've been living that for the last 40 years."
On self-censorship vis-a-vis potentially objectionable material: "I like to have something that's more accessible to all ages for our store. If we do carry something that's a little bit racy, we'll try and not keep it on full display. We'll have it available for people who want it, but I like kids being able to come into the store. We like to have challenging material, of course, but I resist carrying (X-rated or shock-value comics) unless maybe it connects with the underground comics of the 60s."
On indie artists joining the mainstream: "It's kind of a blessing and a curse for us in a way, but I'm willing to give up some sales to see Pete Bagge (HATE) do well. And just like Mudhoney. They signed to Reprise, great. We would sell a ton of their records before Reprise, and now we don't sell as many. But I'm happy to give up those sales to see them doing well. Better for Dan Clowes (OK Soda part-timer) to get the check from Coca-Cola than some hack."
On Fallout competing with the record store chains: "It would be financially impossible to do so. It seems that while a lot of big companies are fighting it out for market share and everybody's opening mega-stores left and right, it all just floats above our heads and we just consistently cruise along doing what we've been doing."
You are highly encouraged to check out Fallout Records, Books and Comics located at 1506 E. Olive Way, Seattle, WA, (on Capitol Hill). You can also talk to the amiable owners by calling (206)-323-2662.
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Contents on this page were published in the October/November, 1995 edition of the Washington Free Press.
WFP, 1463 E. Republican #178, Seattle, WA -USA, 98112. -- WAfreepress@gmail.com
Copyright © 1995 WFP Collective, Inc.