"I'm inspired by the DIY punk rock scene of the 1980s"
Edition 5: An interview with sports journalist and fanzine creator Spike Vrusho
On a sunny Saturday evening in May, we walked up to the entrance of the Dietz Stadium in Kingston to see the local, semi-pro soccer team Kingston Stockade FC play against rivals from Connecticut. We were a little late, so the chants and drumbeats were already in full swing; my little ones were agog at the “really big kids” playing on the field and the celebratory atmosphere among the home crowd on the bleachers, variously swigging on beers and biting into mangos-on-sticks. But my eye was caught by something else: a little stand inviting me to pick up a neon orange fanzine called The Fence Post.
Granted, it was my first time at a National Premier Soccer League game in the US and I’m not an avid sports-goer so I don’t know all the customs, but something struck me as special about The Fence Post. Like a piece of 70s punk rock culture transported into present day upstate NY, it is artfully low fi: a Xeroxed collage of black & white rough-cut images and handwritten captions, including weird features (“The Ol’ Onion Bag ledger of Stockade FC scoring”), shouty proclamations and deep in-jokes (a blurry goat saying “Don’t ask, if you don’t know, To you I am just an enigmatic red goat”), and unapologetic dry humor (“Pandemic Relocation Guide For NYCers Moving to Kingston… Congratulations on finding Ext 19 on the NYS Thruway.”) I had to find out more about its origins, so I got in touch with its editor and creator, Spike Vrusho.
Spike grew up in Ohio, lived for 20-something years in NYC and then moved to Rhinebeck, NY some years ago when his daughter turned six months old. He is, as you might expect, mad about sports and “Probably the only 57 year old zine maker in America,” he told me with a chuckle. But that irreverence is rooted in experience: he is also a respected sports journalist and writer. Over the years he has worked for ESPN, the Classic Sports Network and the New York Sports Express, and won a couple of Sports Emmy Awards for Yankeeography scripts and the YES Network via MLB Productions.
His combination of sports-obsessiveness, wit and writing prowess has resulted in him creating a number of successful zines, including Murtaugh which was inspired by the Pittsburgh Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh and chronicled the punk rock scene via baseball and pop culture; and in 2008 he expanded to writing a book: Benchclearing: Baseball’s Greatest Fights and Riots published by Lyons Press.
Now, he happily divides his time between taxi driving, cheering on his daughter as she emerges as a brilliant soccer player herself, and of course, supporting the Kingston Stockades in the stands and with The Fence Post. Here’s more from my conversation with Spike, exploring his rebellious streak and love for the Hudson Valley.
Spike Vrusho, in his hometown of Rhinebeck
AJL: Thank you so much for speaking with me, Spike! I love the energy and humor in The Fence Post. How would you define your style for the zine, and where does it come from?
SV: Thank you for contacting me and picking up the zine. The Fence Post is basically inspired by the DIY punk rock scene of the early 1980s. I have been cutting and pasting zine material since I was in high school. I had a zine called Stolen Mail, based on the Dead Kennedys’ song. For a soccer zine, I decided to go for over-the-top competitive snark based on what I have seen in English football fanzines. It is also fun to use orange paper for the cover, reflecting the club’s home kit.
Tell me about where the name for The Fence Post came from.
It is a play on a standard newspaper name (Post) and the history of the Stockade district in the city of Kingston. The Dutch settlers built a stockade style fence around the district for protection from rampagers and intruders. The Stockade front office used the city's history to name the club. Ownership had the great logo crest drawn up with stockade-style upright planks under the club name. The Dutch Guard supporter group (the guys with the drums) has a banner that reads “Defend the Fence!” so I combined the two for what I think is a direct, simple name for a zine. Even the flag lettering atop the zine is assembled with the pointy planks. And, almost all fences require posts. It writes itself.
You have created many zines over the years. Why do you love them and what drives you to continue to create them?
It is the control of self-publishing and the glorious sound of a Xerox machine clattering at full bore. Unfettered opinions, low-quality images, bad cellophane tape, last minute Sharpie additions with cartoonish dialogue balloons. What is not to love? They also shed light on odd combinations (baseball and punk rock or low-level semi pro soccer and, well, punk rock). Once you start producing zines it is hard to stop. I like that they become organic souvenirs of the game-day experience. Fans take them home, read them later. Or maybe in the car. They get thrown in a drawer and rediscovered a year later. It exists as a paper document, which I think is extremely important as the digital culture swamps everything. (No offense intended toward this particular online platform.)
There is also a generational aspect to The Fence Post. My daughter was in middle school when we kind of started the zine together while sitting at a Stockade match. She's done many illustrations and covers through the seasons. It was fun getting her involved. One day I came home from work and she handed me her own zine, called Quite Write, which contained asides about writing and art and present day teen pop culture. I was floored!
Old Murtaugh covers created by Spike from the late 1980s
What has the reaction been to The Fence Post from the Kingston Stockade FC community? I heard that Dennis Crowley, owner of club and Foursquare founder, is a fan…
At first there was some befuddlement, but then they started to get the jokes and it became a tradition having me in the Dietz Stadium parking lot with my trunk open, giving a copy to anyone who would take one. And it is free! No charge! Dennis Crowley apparently did a skateboard zine when he was a kid, so his Fence Post copy is hand-delivered pregame while he is doing a million things to get the ground ready for action. I’ve had great feedback from him, he even put a Fence Post sticker on the back of his laptop, which in the tech world is the equivalent of getting the corner table at Rao’s or The Odeon. The first few seasons, quite a few local seniors who live near Dietz would attend games out of civic pride, I believe. I would hand them a Fence Post and tell them it was the church bulletin, and they always smiled. There are also a lot of soccer nerds who come to Stockade FC matches and they know about overseas pro clubs having zines, sometimes five or six different ones, available outside the grounds. The Fence Post allowed me to enjoy meeting and greeting the fans as they arrived, and I quickly noticed what an incredible mix the fanbase is.
That punk rock edge to your zine work comes through loud and clear — like Malcolm McLaren meets soccer chants. Are you inspired by music and experiences you had while you were growing up?
Very much so. I grew up in a rural area in Ohio. I didn’t really feel like I fit into that lifestyle, especially after seeing punk bands on late-night shows like Saturday Night Live and Fridays. I am still very proud that Devo came out of Ohio and found huge success. Once I got my driver’s license, I drove an hour to Columbus and bought my first two albums: Black Flag’s Damaged and The Plasmatics’ New Hope for the Wretched. I was hooked. Throughout college, I sought out punk shows and even helped host a few in Athens, Ohio. Of course what would you find at these shows? Zines! Kicked Out of Church was a good one, and my group of fellow punk rock types at Ohio University put one out called Incentive. Husker Du was touring and I did a fun Q&A with them before their show in Columbus and ran that as the center-spread.
Center-spread from a recent edition of The Fence Post
I know you grew up watching Premiership games, which fueled your love of “the beautiful game.” Do you have a major team that you support, or are you all about Kingston Stockade FC from now on?
I take American liberties by rooting for several clubs. Fulham has always been at the top of my list because historically they have given American players great opportunities to thrive in top flight English football. The Clint Dempsey era at Craven Cottage was just brilliant. I have also attended matches at Chelsea (with a few relatives I have in England) and I’ve have been to the notorious Den at Millwall FC, which was truly a thrill. But around here, I am Stockade FC all the way... I am the type of supporter who doesn’t think twice about attending distant road matches.
You spent many years in the city but always had your sights set on moving to Rhinebeck when you had a family. What made you fall in love with the town and the Hudson Valley?
During the super-humid summers of the late 80s and early 90s, I would travel to Rhinebeck with my roommate, a Pratt Institute graduate, who grew up here. We would house sit for his mother. It was a great place to breathe fresh air and get some relief from the stifling heat of Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn. I thought to myself, if I ever settle down and have a family, Rhinebeck would be a good place to do it. It was my Plan A. I didn’t settle down until I hit 40, and after 9/11 happened and print journalism gigs began to dry up, I figured it was time to buy in Rhinebeck. Very glad that I did. Just driving to Kingston from Rhinebeck is very soothing for me, given the incredible scenery from the bridge.
The Kingston Stockade stands, including The Dutch Guard supporter group
As a sports fan and consumer and creator of culture, what experiences and places inspire you upstate?
I love the Stockade district before a Saturday night match. Walking the streets, spotting fellow supporters, having a drink outdoors and looking down Front Street and seeing the light towers of Dietz. Also, nearby on Sawkill Road, there is an independent league who play weekend matches at the Campo de Fe. You can see it from the road and it is a brilliant sight. The players are wearing colorful uniforms, and families are having picnics alongside the pitch. Aside from football stuff, I am a big fan of the light and open space of Germantown, the sheer elevation of Tannersville, a winter’s night at the Beekman Arms Tavern in Rhinebeck, the view from Vanderbilt in Hyde Park. There is much to appreciate around here.
You’ve lived here for many years now, well before the latest influx of house-buyers (like me). How has the area changed, and what are you optimistic or concerned about for the future? You can be honest...
I am optimistic as artists flood the area. More creativity is always good. I don’t necessarily want to be surrounded by hedge fund types, but they are of course welcomed as well. There seems to be plenty of room in the Hudson Valley, but maybe not enough houses? Real estate is definitely one of my least favorite topics.
Summer’s coming: lots of sporting events, sunshine, long days. What are you excited about that’s happening locally?
I play in a local USTA tennis league and that is an absolute blast. I’ve used tennis to improve my health over the past three years. It is so easy to find a good court locally, which you really appreciate if you have tried to play tennis in New York City. Plus, I like the cultish aspect of the Dutchess County Fair, which is in my neighborhood.
Thank you, Spike… and, don’t worry, I’m not offended. Long live lo-fi print media! I hope to see you and the family at a Stockades game soon.
The Kingston Stockades are playing their next home game on June 19th, taking on Boston City FC at Dietz Stadium. Don’t miss it, and make sure to grab a copy of The Fence Post when you go.
Next edition of Catskill Culture Club will feature a Publication Day interview special with a critically acclaimed author very close to home. Subscribe to make sure you get all the latest on creative wonder and weirdness from the Hudson Valley.