Permission (magazine)
Permission was one of the largest gothic magazines of the 1990s. The magazine was first produced in Chicago in 1992 by Jayson Elliot. The first issue appeared as a newsprint 'zine, with a mix of articles about bands (such as Alien Sex Fiend and Young Gods), amateur poetry, disturbing comics (such as Scott Warren piece on serial killer Ed Gein), and fiction by local industrial musicians such as Jim Marcus (Die Warzaw). As the industrial and gothic scenes peaked in the US during the early and mid-nineties, Permission grew rapidly, putting out ten issues at the rate of about two or three per year. Before Permission, the pre-eminent goth magazine had been Propaganda; but its fan base began to stagnate just as Permission'''s began to grow. While Propaganda and its emulators (Ghastly, Carpe Noctem, Dark Angel, etc.) reflected a serious, almost dogmatic approach to goth, Permission took a more jumbled, even humorous approach. Though it was prone to slip into self-importance from time to time as well, regular features like "Why'd You Get Kicked Out of Denny's?" or "Science Geek" kept things light. Every issue had comics in the back, and readers were more likely to find a pin-up of