Vile. Collection of four issues

Vile magazine was a parody of General Idea's FILE megazine, which itself parodied Life magazine. Published by Banana Productions in San Francisco, edited by Anna Banana and Bill Gaglione. Eight issues were released between 1978 and 1983. The magazine contained mail art contributions, performance documentation, art reviews, texts and manifestoes, and (faux-)advertisements, with a recurring introduction by Anna Banana.

(1) Vile No. 3 aka Vol. 3 No. 1 Christmas Special, 1975. Staple-bound, 28 x 21 cm, 66 pp. Contributions by Bay Area Dadaists, Buster Cleveland, Daddaland, Dynamite Dave, General Idea, Ken Friedman, Geoff Hendricks, David Det Hompson, Ray Johnson, Tim Mancusi, Opal Nations, Daniel Spoerri, Raul Marroquin and many others. (2) Vile No. 4 aka Vol. 1 No. 2 / Vol. 2 No. 1, aka No. 2/3, Summer 1976. International double issue. Softcover, 28 x 21 cm, 108 pp. Mail art special edited by Gaglione, featuring works by artists from 23 countries around the world, made between 1972-1976. (3) Vile No. 5 aka Vol. 3 No. 2, Summer 1977. Softcover, 28 x 21 cm, 98 pp. First edition of 1000 numbered copies, this issue rubberstamped by Anna Banana and handnumbered 162/1000. Features a 'merging of artistic and literary works'. (4) About Vile aka No. 8, 1983. Edited and produced by Anna Banana in Vancouver. Featured is a history of Vile magazine, as well as journal excerpts from Banana's European performance tour, and Mail Art news. With inlaid introduction letter adorned with Banana Productions stamp. (5) Added is a letter written on the back of three Vile 'Cover Series' postcards, sent by Anna Banana to Reinhold Amman, informing him of Vile's publishing history. All items rare, and in very good condition. Ref: Gwen Allen, Artists' magazines, MIT 2011, p.308. (total 7)