Venus Zine Explained

Former Chicago magazine columnist Steve Rhodes launched the Beachwood Reporter (beachwood reporter.com) earlier this year, and though it has yet to produce the degree of original reporting Rhodes promised, he’s doing a fine job as a media watchdog. Of similar scope, if more scattershot and boosterish in tone, is Chicagoist (chicagoist.com), part of the national family of urban “ist” Web sites that began with New York’s popular Gothamist. Online, at the three-year-old Gapers Block (gapersblock.com), Andrew Huff and crew maintain an events calendar, blog about local news, and provide original content including sports commentary, a cooking column, and analysis of local politics. Hell–with CDs, a Web site (lumpen.com), and projects like the digital culture, art, and media festivals Select and Version, it’s become a brand.

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Our covers featured indiepunk stalwarts like Sleater-Kinney and Le Tigre as well as up-and-coming comedians and musicians at the time like Sarah Silverman and M.I.A. The magazine grew slowly but surely, making a miniscule dent in the counterculture media world. Venuszine.com was the daily updated online companion to the magazine.

A zine dedicated to women in music, art, film, fashion, and D.I.Y. culture

I sold the business for what seemed like a fair amount of money at the time, but in retrospect, was print-era peanuts. On the surface, I was meeting inspiring people who lived around the world, doing radio interviews about my work, and being featured in “30 under 30” lists. The more people who volunteered, the more people I managed. The more opportunities we provided for others, the more people volunteered. The more we told other people’s stories, the more people read. Did I know how to find business-minded people to help me?

• I applied for jobs, put my Humboldt Park apartment on the market while watching neighbors go into foreclosure, and visited New York a couple of times to scout apartments and interview for jobs.
• I sold the business for what seemed like a fair amount of money at the time, but in retrospect, was print-era peanuts.
• A race with many exciting twists and turns as you speed toward the Matsumi Great Bridge.
• Venus Zine and venuszine.com featured interviews with artists including Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, and Kim Deal in addition to edgy and up-and-coming musicians, designers, writers, actresses, and DIY entrepreneurs.

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A flat-out charge through the Ito Region to really test your nerve and control at top speeds. A scenic point-to-point run that speeds right through the Horizon Festival Site and out the other side. The extra wide roads on this fast-paced circuit provide plenty of opportunities to overtake. A short technical circuit with plenty of long, sweeping corners that keep the pace fast. A house in need of repairs in the Hokubu region.

A fast-paced point-to-point run that passes through the Tateyama Kurobe Snow Corridor. The circuit where only the best of the best can take on its challenging turns and blazing fast venuszine.com pace. Head along the coastal roads before a very sharp right turn as you race through the Shimanoyama Region.