In late 1980 or early 1981, when I was living at 159 Middle Street (here is another post about interesting goings-on there), Phillip Augusta and I began working up ideas for what, after a few trial starts, became re:Ports. Arts and Entertainment Magazine. We began on the dining room table at 159 Middle Street, then got an office at 10 Commercial Alley, then a bigger office on State Street. We published every week for four years and sold it to a publishing company in Dover. Phillip and I took turns as editor and art director: for a month or two he was one and I the other, then we’d switch off. Hardest work I ever did but great fun.
The image above is a cover of the magazine, featuring a panel from one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic books. The two guys who invented the series lived in Dover, and one day one of them, either Eastman or Laird, I don’t remember which, walked into the re:Ports. office when I was art director and whipped out some art and said, “Hey we do this comic you want to use any of it in your magazine?” I remember the art was fabulous and I could have picked any of a number of great images. So that’s where this cover came from. They gave us signed copies of their first comic, and if I had known it was going soon be worth a bazillion bucks I wouldn’t have let spraymount get all over it. I don’t know what happened to Eastman and Laird, except that TMNTs took off and I hope they are living happily ever after.
Bill, good to hear your name again.
-Margaret, your former landlady
Hi Margaret, nice to hear from you. Every time I pass 159 Middle Street, your old house where I used to live, I have great memories. I hope you are doing well. B.