Hey gang,

Well, the economic contraction has now officially claimed Arthur No. 32. The best we can do right now is make the entire magazine available online, for free, to everyone, in various formats. Digital is never a substitute for the real thing, but in this case, it’s better than nothing. We hope.

Please note: the only difference between the online verz and what would have been printed as Arthur Magazine No. 32 is that our “reviewers” C & D are refusing to release their precious insights on the internet until they’ve been published in the real world. So, you get their sorry excuse for a review column in Part 2 of the PDF. We know it’s not very satisfying. Tell them what you think by sending them actual mail to C & D c/o Arthur Magazine, 19 Clay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222. If you send some cash or a check (made out to “Arthur Publishing Corp”) or trinkets and a self-addressed stamped envelope, C & D claim they will mail you a signed xerox copy of their Arthur 32 “manuscript.” Remember: these yokels are self-proclaimed potheads, so buyer beware, etc.

Arthur remains free to all. Here’s five ways of supporting Arthur:

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Giving it away since 2002,

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DOWNLOAD ARTHUR 32 – DEC 2008

featuring Leon Kagarise was a teetotaling amateur photographer who captured the bucolic vibes of the now-forgotten country music festivals that flourished along the Mason-Dixon line in the ’50s and ’60s. Award-winning journalist Eddie Dean tells Leon’s story and shares some of his extraordinary photographs in this expanded excerpt from the new book, Pure Country. Read it here.

Oliver Hall takes an epic tea with The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde and James Walbourne. ‘Nuff said. Read it here.

“Trigger Hippies and Trimmer Girls”: A special 4,600-word report by “Do the Math” columnist Dave Reeves on life during harvest on a Humboldt cannabis farm. With an illustration by Arik Roper and photos by Daniel Chamberlin. Read it here.

Twenty-sided die? Check. Library card? Check. Frosty mug of homebrew? Check. You are now prepared to survive financial apocalypse. Joseph Remnant cartoonifies Gabe Soria‘s guide to the high life during the Great Bottoming Out. Check it out here.

Ian Nagoski reports on American record labels and blogs recovering musical jewels in international waters. Read about Dust-to-Digital, Mississippi Records, Yaala Yaala, Sublime Frequencies, Excavated Shellac and more here.

A centerfold of new Arthur comics by Matt Furie, Jonathan Bennett, Lisa Hanawalt, Ted May, Anders Nilsen, Al Columbia, Tim Hensley, Joseph Hanks, Helge Reumann, Tom Gauld, Jeffrey Brown, Souther Salazar, Laura Park, Charles Burns, Dan Zettwoch, P. W. E. and M.P. Coats. Edited by Buenaventura Press.

A four-page style pictorial photographed by Jeaneen Lund and designed by Alia Penner…

Byron Coley and Thurston Moore review choice finds from the deep underground in their Bull Tongue column… Read it here.

“Weedeater” columnist Nance Klehm on bacteria, digestion and old-Time kitchen folk magic… Read it here.

The Center for Tactical Magic on death and resurrection, vanishing and banishing, Bush and Obama… with a helpful “EXORCISE DAILY” worksheet! Read it here.

“Advanced Standing” columnist Greg Shewchuk asks “Why do we skate?” Read the answer here.

“The Analog Life” columnist Erik Davis on the pleasures of slowing down financially, gastronomically and metaphysically… Read it here.

Plastic Crimewave salutes the late Jimmy Carl Black…

John Adamian reviews the dvd release of the documentary film, “The Holy Modal Rounders: Bound to Lose”. Read it here…

Plus: C and D listen to new (and re-released) records by Allan Kaprow, THEUSAISAMONSTER, Chris Morris, Doug Paisley, Hush Arbors, AC/DC, RTX, Mythical Beast, Larkin Grimm, Funkadelic, Neil Hamburger, Ed Sanders, the Holy Modal Rounders, Those Darlins, Earthless, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band and Julian Cope, watch vintage live performances by Ween (’91) and Parliament-Funkadelic (’76) on dvds, read “Pop Surf Culture” by Brian Chidester and Dominic Priore, and play the board game “Playing Gods: The Board Game of Divine Domination”…

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