In the early to mid 1990s, a few friends of mine got together and started writing a local” zine”. It started out as more of a joke than anything but eventually ballooned into what closely resembled an actual music magazine. In 2010 I took most of the articles written for VAJ and compiled them together into a book and gave copies to both Chris & Jason who had helped form the zine so many years ago.
The book was never sold on store shelves as was put together more as a memento than anything else.
You can read the official description found from the back of the book below.
MDP Inc.
Definition: An organization developed solely for the production of useless items as well as the development of extremely odd and twisted concepts.
MDP was purely a name to put on anything three long time friends created. Whether it was computer software, their own fanzine, or even compilation tapes, if you saw the initials MDP attached to it, you knew you were in for a unique experience.
MDP consisted of Matt Klem, Jason Hyslop, and Chris Clarke. VAJ Magazine was the biggest and longest running item to ever come out of MDP Inc.
Previous to the days of the internet and the world wide web, zines were popular with many folks from the underground music community. Zines were easy to produce as it was merely just type-written text and photos pasted together on sheets of paper and then photocopied. Far below the quality seen in a newspaper or magazine, but all written by locals, these magazines or “zines” as they became known were a staple in the underground music community. No matter what city you went to, you could usually find a local music store that sold copies of zines.
In May of 1992, three friends from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada decided to release their own zine. Matt Klem, Jason Hyslop, and Chris Clarke decided they would take their own twisted sense of humour and translate it into a local zine. Originally just a pet project to give out to their friends, it turned into something else. What started out as a joke that they gave away for free, turned into something much larger, and would leave it’s own little mark on the city’s local music scene.
Within it’s five year run, VAJ produced 15 issues consisting of a wide variety of material. Some of the highlights include:
- More music reviews than any other local publication at that time
- The single best set of horoscopes ever written in the city
- Interviews with both independent and internationally renowned artists
- Distribution in Atlantic Canada, the USA, and as far away as Australia
- The only zine in the area to be produced almost entirely by computer
- Some of the funniest short stories and anecdotal tales from local writers
- Dedication to always trying to find something good even in the worst bands
- Coverage of more concerts & local gigs than any other local zine
- Contributions from authors in multiple cities providing a unique perspective
For every issue of VAJ that MDP released, the magazine seemed to improve either in the quality of the material being written, or the presentation and layout of the magazine itself.
Not only did the zine contribute to the local scene, Chris, Matt & Jason also found themselves immersed in the world of underground and independent music. VAJ served is their primary outlet to help bands and other artists find exposure when the resources available were limited. Remember, there was no world wide web, no Facebook or Myspace, and no band homepages. Bands had to get their name out the old fashion way and VAJ was just a means of helping. VAJ never charged for advertising and would frequently put band contact information within it’s pages.
This book serves as a means to compile all of the former VAJ material into a single medium for which people can enjoy. In the pages within, you’ll find a complete digest of all of the material from VAJ’s five year run, including their most infamous satire articles like the horoscopes, Bob’s Bitchin, Dear Not, and many others. You will also find every review and every interview they ever did.
This book is not available online or in bookstores for sale. If you have questions about the content, please feel free to reach out to me.