LEVEL "magazine" was a publication produced between 1982 and 1988 to provide an outlet for artists, writers and musicians to promulgate their work in an open-ended format. Not so much a magazine than a "non-linear newsletter", it was created by three friends loosely connected to Indiana University, Bloomington: Victor Vanix, BC/Frater X, and nick, with D..M. The original plan was to produce a glos
sy, printed and bound traditional magazine, but the cost of doing that was out of the reach of three young people fresh out of college. Contributors were asked to submit 100 copies of their artwork. Each contributor received one copy of the finished issue, with the remaining copies offered for sale or sent out for promotional purposes. LEVEL was one of those independent publishing ventures made possible by the availability of cheap photocopies, and offered more freedom of expression than a formatted magazine. Later issues branched out to include cassette tapes, that being made possible by the advent of affordable multitrack home recording. It was definitely a DIY affair, and contents were not censored or edited -- what you sent it what you got. The LEVEL staff, in addition to being contributors, were mainly facilitators, deciding on the packaging and presentation and handling distribution. LEVEL was certainly not the first or only publication of its type, but was unique in the sheer diversity of contents, often with a humorous slant. This page is an attempt to document the history of this avant garde publishing venture.
