ThroTTle Magazine

ThroTTle

Throttle was an independent alternative music and culture magazine based in Richmond, Virginia. Throttle was founded in 1981 by Peter Blake, Dale Brumfield and Bill Panelas, all former editors of the Virginia Commonwealth University student newspaper, The Commonwealth Times. From its inaugural issue in January, 1981, Throttle grew to become the voice of the burgeoning punk and art community in and around Richmond throughout the eighties and nineties. During it peak years, the magazine claimed a circulation of over 30,000. The magazine published its final issue in 1999. (The Shockoe Examiner)

1981 November/December

Issue 6

Zappa's self portrait on the cover and accopanying letter on page 3.

ThroTTlemag blog:

In July, 1981, during the lull between issues of ThroTTle, Dale Brumfield found a review in a filing cabinet clipped from the Richmond News Leader of the November 3, 1972 Frank Zappa concert at the Mosque (now the Landmark Theater). Zappa reportedly performed an improv piece during that show titled “Why do they fry everything in Richmond (especially at my hotel)” – a piece which strangely has never shown up on any of the numerous compilation albums released by his family since his death. [The text of this review – "Music" by Barbara Green] Wanting to include as many big names as possible in the November/ December issue, Brumfield sent a letter to Zappa, asking him to do a drawing for the cover, mentioning the “Fry everything” reference. Zappa bit, and the self-portrait and accompanying letter arrived in late August, with postage due (“please leave 27 cents in the mailbox” the mailman wrote on the envelope).

Source: virginiachronicle.com