In ’97, there wasn’t much of a metal music scene in Denver. Being a lover of metal magazines, I had come up with the idea to start a “fanzine” that would feature our band, but have other local bands interviewed as well.

Our guitarist at the time, Jimmy, was proficient on the computer. (The internet was pretty new at this point.) So, we sat down at his computer and created the first “Throat Culture Rag”. A one page, folded in half magazine was born.

After putting out a few magazines – designed in Word and printed at Kinkos – Nick Jackson became Throat Cultures guitarist. Not only was he an incredible player, but he was also an even better graphic designer. He started laying out the magazine and it started to become a professional looking ‘zine.

Then I had the privilege of meeting Brent and Boyd Fox. They became my business partners and helped the magazine grow to a new level. Brent took care of the website, and Boyd became the advertising director, financer of the magazine, and found us a great printing company. He also started getting the magazine distributed throughout the US and even internationally. I believe Tower Records were the ones who took the mag overseas.

I got into photographing bands back in 2000 and did many band shoots for all of these guys, throat culture magazine with Rod & Boyd as well as all the bands that were a part of Voodoo productions. I got into photographing for Riff Music magazine as well. I met Bill at an Ogden show and quickly became a Rogue groupie, and I remember spending New Year’s Eve 1999 with Rod Brown at the Gwar show at the Ogden with Rogue opening for them. I was also Maris the Great’s original AVA, and that is also a total IFYKYK!!

It was a rad experience for a young metal head like me. Here I was, new on this scene with my band and I’m doing work - REAL WORK - for a magazine. Metal journalism! I knew nothing about Poison the Well, but I studied my ass off, conducted a fun interview that was eventually published in the next issue. I was obsessed with an all female punk rock band at the time called “The Donnas” and wrote to their label to ask if I could interview them for the magazine. After some time, they got back to me and informed me that the magazine was “too metal” for The Donnas to appear in.

I initially met Rod Brown (Throat Culture Magazine), at a Buffalo Rose show supporting Silencer. Fast forward to around 2000, or so, Rod (a solid drummer as well) and I were in a little heavy prog-metal project. We got to know each other better, and at one point we got to discuss his magazine. I was aware of Throat Culture Magazine and even utilized it for some advertisements. During our discussion, he mentioned about needing proofreaders, and writers.

TO be honest, I had taken journalism in High School, and never and still don’t consider myself a journalism person. However, I took on a small role doing CD Reviews, he had tons of CDs to review, so he was looking for additional help. This led me to do about three interviews, with Doro Pesch, Vinnie Moore, and Lana Lane. If I recall only the Doro Pesch interview made it to final print. Doro was a character, her interview was energetic, and full “HEAVY METAL MAN!” as she constantly chimed. Though she was very down to earth, she truly waved the Metal Flag proudly.

On a side note, Rod also allowed me to dabble in photography, I got to take photos at the G3 Concert the year it was Satriani, Vai and Malmsteen, one of the best shows ever.

It was great to see the Magazine grow, from its initial black and white format to full color. Much respect and praise to Rod for taking on this mighty challenge, I am sure it was not always an easy task. It allowed me to be play a rock journalist on TV….LOL!

I have two interviews from TCM that stand out to me. One great, one not as much. Jimzilla Renner interviewed Devin Townsend and to me, it was epic. Devin pulled no punches about being in the industry "Wear some KY, you're gonna get fucked!". But the competence between the both of them was amazing, and I became a Strapping Young Lad fan ever since. The other was a band named Bitter. If you don't remember them, sorry. But Jeff Spicoli(Sean Penn's character in Fast Times At Ridgemont High) couldn't believe how unrealistic those four were about anything and everything regarding music. I got in some hot water on the Colorado Metal elist when Bitter posted they were playing a tuesday night at Iliff Park and I replied, "Can't make it. Trading used underwear with RuPaul". The way I saw it then, it’s not the public’s job to find bands, it’s the band’s job to find a following. I feel that way still.

I met Rod at one of the early Blitz Room shows. May even have been opening night. Throat Culture might have been playing. I don't remember. I saw them there with their original guitarist and liked what I heard. I was fearless socially (a good thing when you are trying to promote your band), and I saw him sitting across the room. I walked over and introduced myself. I think he was a little intimidated (I think I gave off a tough guy vibe or some bullshit back then), but he quickly realized I was a nice guy. I think we talked out Drudgery doing an interview for his new zine. I must have expressed interest in writing for him, too. I did CD reviews and a few national band interviews over the years under the pseudonym Louie the monk. I always liked Rod. He was even at my wedding.

Rod asked me to interview Deicide’s Glenn Benton and I couldn’t say no but I should have. I wasn’t a fan for starters, I read the interview TCM had with Corruption(They opened for Deicide) and I would had punched that “Legs For Arms” guitarist for being a D-bag to my friends. In fact, anyone who was a jerk to Nick Studen deserves a fist to the face at 200 mph. I had more interest in pandas fucking at the zoo than discussing anything Deicide was up to. So I was grabbing air for anything worth talking about but their label rep told me Glenn had to cancel and he felt bad about it. I didn’t and thanked God to be spared. Ivan Acala would had been a far more appropriate person for that interview, but we hadn’t met him and Serberus yet.

What's my favorite memory of Throat Culture magazine? I was in California for a wedding in 2002, so I went to Tower Records to look around. Lol and behold, I saw a hot metal chick reading issue 7. That blew my mind. I had no idea our small town fanzine was nationwide! Here I was in a world-famous record store seeing a "local rag". I asked her if she wanted to see something cool, and I flipped to the centerfold. She looked at the magazine, looked at me and squealed "That's you!" I said yep, and proceeded to autograph it for her when she asked. I tell you, I felt like a fucking rock star that day.

Not long after I met Rod, he asked if I wanted to be a part of Throat Culture Magazine, of course I said yes! At first, I was just conducting interviews, but later on, I had my own column.(Jimzillas Stomping Ground) For as much as I loved contributing to TCM, the one thing I've never forgotten was how Rod mentioned me in the credit list:

Jimzilla: Chum 

I'm still grateful to be his friend. Rod Brown is one of a kind.