Adbusters shouldn’t really need an introduction. Over the past few years, the magazine has become famous for its combination of news and guerilla tactics, both aimed at attacking and exposing the commercial and selling strategies of major corporations. The foundation that runs it attempts to counter particularly distasteful ad campaigns by buying ad time or space of their own to attack the products and companies involved. In this issue, as usual, the in-depth news stories (on presidential elections and the American Economic Association) are far less interesting than the magazine’s renowned ad spoofs — such as this issue’s Joe Chemo cigarette ad) or the short stories offering information on corporate moves and ways in which people are fighting back. Adbusters is always worth reading.
magazine / Winter ’96, 66 pages / publisher: Adbusters Media Foundation / main creator: Kalle Lasn (editor) / $5.75 or $32 for 8 issues / 1243 7th Ave. West, Vancouver, B.C., V6H 9Z9