Local Mag 'Sup Moves on Up in NYC

For those who aren't acquainted with 'Sup or don't remember its days of underground campus circulation, don't fret. It looks like 'Sup, now based in New York, is on its way back up in a very big way.

After leaving The Daily Tar Heel to start 'Sup in 1998, Brickman found moderate success in the Triangle. She worked closely with clubs like Cat's Cradle interviewing bands, reviewing CDs and assembling the 40- to 100-page zine that came to be known for its rough journalistic style and jam-packed layout.

Taking the proverbial bite out of the Big Apple, the 22-year-old Brickman relocated to New York in August. Claiming that she would never be able to truly apply herself to another magazine while continuing to publish 'Sup, Brickman joined Jupiter Media Metric, formerly Jupiter Communications, as a Web coordinator.

She settled into a Brooklyn apartment and finally began to call New York her home. "I really can't imagine being anywhere else right now," she said.

Brickman decided to coordinate the release of the latest issue of 'Sup with her move to New York. The Luna Lounge hosted 'Sup's NYC premiere party in mid-August, with performances by Dog and Pony and Deep Throats.

As more issues make their way across the city, 'Sup is gradually earning respect among the locals, Brickman said. "Everyone who I give (a copy of 'Sup) to seems to be very receptive. Even though you think this kind of thing would be very hard to do in New York City, a lot of people seem to like the content, which is pretty eclectic."

Artists and media moguls such as Jurassic 5 and Raymond Roker of URB magazine will be included in the next issue of 'Sup, due out within the next three months.

Brickman is currently focusing on developing a business plan that will allow her to trademark the 'Sup name and to become incorporated. By 2002, Brickman hopes to quit working in the nine-to-five world and launch 'Sup full scale.

She says she is learning a lot about the business world in the meantime. "I'm not trying to get venture capital, I'm just trying to find people who believe in what I'm doing and support it for those reasons. Through it all I'm learning how to delegate responsibility a little better, undertaking any kind of project you have to learn how to trust people," she said.

'Sup's next print run is expected to hit the 10,000 mark. Most issues will be distributed in New York, but Brickman said that Chapel Hill should also count on receiving its fair share of the zine.

Although 'Sup will be returning to Chapel Hill, Brickman will not. "In Chapel Hill you can only succeed to a certain level. Maybe if you're in a band it's a little bit different because you can tour, but you have much more access to things in a big city like New York. There are more people to read ('Sup), more people to help, more people to talk about it and more artists to interview."

So the next time you're in New York and your traveling companion asks "What's up?" just tell them to go look for a copy of 'Sup.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.