SHEFFIELD'S ALTERNATIVE MAGAZINE

More commonly known as SAM mag, SHEFFIELD'S ALTERNATIVE MAGAZINE ran from February 1994 - March 1998 publishing 38 issues that covered all aspects of the Sheffield music and art scenes. It's very first issue caused an outcry for featuring an article on oral sex, written by a lady obsessed with the act which resulted in local councillors falling over themselves trying to score points and bringing the said issue to the attention of the Home Secretary who quite rightly dropped it in the bin and refused to make a fuss about it. Two years later the councillors tried again when the local paper carried a headline shouting, 'SEX SHOCK IN CITY ARTS MAGAZINE Girl, 11, reads of gay fantasy'. It concerned a column about inverse sexual prejudice that was taken out of context but as usual Sheffield MPs blew it all out of proportion and forwarded it to the Home Secretary, who dropped it in the bin! Shame really 'cos that issue did feature a rather fine early portrait of Jarvis Cocker taken by Karl Lang.

Stephen Stevlor photographed 25 covers for SHEFFIELD'S ALTERNATIVE MAGAZINE.

CLICK HERE TO SEE SOME SAM MAGAZINE COVER SHOTS