We are currently taking a publishing hiatus from Profane Existence Magazine due to unexpected financial setbacks in 2008. Through fundraisers, benefits, and subscription sales we hope to raise enough cash resume publishing in the later half of 2009. Some decisions regarding the future publishing of the magazine are yet to be determined but we hope to kick this off again with a massive double issue and CD compilation.

Profane Existence magazine has been published erratically since the PE collective was formed in 1989. Its stated purpose has been to feature news and information relevant to the international activist and anarcho-punk movement. Most of the content of Profane Existence is written by our motivated staff of regular volunteers, but we also regularly receive writing, artwork, and photographic contributions from the community at large. Anarcho-punk is a truly global movement and for this reason we have contributors, subscribers and distributors in on every populated continent. Our articles are also regularly translated and republished in other zines the world over.

The contents of Profane Existence mainly includes coverage of the anarcho-punk movement and its related community and lifestyle. This includes interviews with many of bands, artists, activists, publishers that help keep our counterculture alive. We also feature opinions columns written regular contributors representing a diverse cross section of our movement, letters from our community, relevant news and current events, and tons and tons of music, print and video reviews. We also like to publish content that is relevant to the activist-oriented lifestyle of our readers. These include self-help primers, DIY healthcare, and even a vegan recipe sections. Our content is only limited by how often we publish and as many pages we can afford to print. For every magazine we send to print, another magazine's worth of content is sadly left on the press room floor (figuratively speaking of course - we can't afford an actual office)!

Profane Existence Magazine is a product of the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Punk Community. We believe in having as much control over the production and distribution of our magazine as possible. We work closely with literally hundreds of like-minded DIY bands, labels, publishers, distributors, and other organizations. In 1992 we practically wrote the book on DIY punk by co-releaseing the first ever Book Your Own Fucking Life DIY resource guide with Maximum Rocknroll magazine. To this day we still prefer to work within this community rather than sell ourselves to the corporate media conglomerates. Don't be fooled by the bar code on our cover - PE is still very much has the same DIY spirit as we always have.

Since issue one Profane Existence has been made available free or cheaply to those held hostage by the state. We believe that many prisoners are victims of economic or social conditions stacked against them. We also believe that a huge chunk of the prisons system exists simply to warehouse the poor, underprivileged, unruly and otherwise undesirable portions of the population. The prison system is a giant industry and it is no small coincidence that the world's largest economy is also home to the highest per capita rate of imprisonment. We do not deny that there are indeed those justly imprisoned for hardcore acts of anti-social behavior, but we will also assert that these people make up only a small fraction of the overall prison population. Until a more just and equitable economic and social system is established we will continue to feature prisoners' issues within the pages of Profane Existence and send as many copies through the walls as we can afford.

Throughout the years the magazine has varied widely in format and style. Profane Existence has been at times a magazine, a newspaper, and even published six issues as a perfect-bound book. This is a result of differing influences of an changing editorial staff as well as an ongoing evolution of content, design and style. The current format is comes in the form of an 80 page magazine, which comes in protective high-gloss, full-color cover. This design is intended to be a low cost compromise between a fancy archival journal and a newspaper that won't stand up to the punk rock lifestyle.

Since Spring of 2006 each issue of Profane Existence has included a free sampler compact disc. Much of the additional cost of the compilation is directly paid for by the bands and labels whose songs appear on it. This is truly a product paid for and assembled by many members of the community for the mutual benefit of all. In addition to CD song submission fees Profane Existence also accepts paid display and classified ads. Money raised from these activities help pay for production and postage costs and help keep a relatively low cover and subscription price.

Profane Existence Magazine does not have a paid staff and all materials are published for the benefit of the community without financial compensation for the contributors. This is not to say we don't want to pay our staff, but money making has never been our primary motivating factor for publishing. Maybe some day (when all of the other bills are paid) we will have money left over to pay some wages. Needless to say that nobody is holding their breath after 20 years of struggling just to get the next one out!