Volume One

 

The first edition of Burning Issue Magazine - known as Burning Issue 'Issue One' (retrospectively retitled to 'Volume One') - was released on 23rd July 2016. It was an A4-sized stapled booklet of 28 pages (plus cover). Three 'Money Burning Propaganda' A3 posters (see below) were included within its cover price of £10. The print run was 75 and the magazine was launched at Festival 23 in Sheffield, England.

 

From the very first page of this very first edition it is made clear that the magazine is 'for burners only'. Volume One (and all subsequent iterations) exists primarily as a 'magical invocation' which seeks to immanentize 'Total Burn'. This when Money Burning (and/or the destruction of currency by other means) becomes the primary sacrificial ritual of humankind and when sacrifice itself, rather than self-interest, is recognised as axiomatic to exchange relations, the economy and individual sovereignty.

The opening statement in Volume One (and all subsequent iterations) is provided by 'Spirit of Burn' who is described in a footnote as an 'Entity-Object' manifested between a future 'Social Dreaming Matrix' and the reader's own mind. 'Spirit of Burn' then, exists beyond time and space - as an eternal witness to the 'becoming of nothingness'. All earthly events are viewed from the perspective of the 'nothingness event horizon'. Hence time and space and the materiality of the universe appear to Spirit of Burn as the fuel that feeds our eternally recurring transformation into 'the Divine Nothingness' of 'True Being'. This theology is captured in Spirit of Burn's sign-off which is repeated in all iterations of the magazine; 'Burn, Shine. Tick, Tock.'

 

Volume One had four original individual contributions in addition to the Editor MBG's input; Wil Hurst, Cassie Thornton, and Magnus Kelstrup each wrote about their own experiences of burning money in 'Fireside Tales' and Brighton based artist 'Shardcore' created the 'free' £23 note which featured Rupert Murdoch as the Sovereign. Also, internationally renowned currency collage artist Mark Wagner gave his permission for Burning Issue to reprint his 'The Greater Bear' collage.

Volume One Special Edition

 

The second edition of Burning Issue - also retrospectively retitled 'Volume One' rather than 'Issue One' - was released on 23rd October 2016. Again it was an A4 stapled booklet but this time with 46 pages (plus cover). The same three 'Money Burning Propaganda' A3 posters (see above) were included and the magazine's price remained £10. 75 'Special Editions' were printed.

 

The Special Edition was launched at the 'Poetry Can F*ck with Your Finances' event at The Cockpit (theatre), Marylebone, London. This was one of a series of events called 'Poetry can F*ck Up The Truth' featuring the words of Heathcote Williams. The launch night ended with a Ritual Mass Money Burning which was led by MBG.

Much of the content from the original Volume One was included but there were important additions. Chaos Magician Dave Lee contributed a Fireside Tale about a 1971 money burning and Michelle Olley, Mark Sampson, and Adrian Raggio also added to the tally of personal accounts of sacrifice. The artistic support evident in the initial publication continued with more work supplied by Mark Wagner and new work from CK Wilde. Film-Maker John Lundeberg provided an essay in appreciation of Mark Wagner's money collage work and Heathcote Williams allowed a re-print of his poem 'Is Money Black Magic'. A piece of short fiction was provided by Petalengro. Michelle Olley also assisted MBG with sub-editing duties.

 

Once again Shardcore provided the 'free' £23 note, but this time the note was a double-sided design (the 'Murdoch' note simply had text on the reverse) which featured Daisy Campbell as HRH The Queen and Bill Drummond (complete with machine gun and cigar) on the reverse.

Volume One SUPER DELUXE Special Edition

 

The release of Volume One SUPER DELUXE Special Edition on 23rd June 2018 was a major step up in terms of both the production and content of Burning Issue. The cover price was raised to £12 and, although there were no separate posters, an A3 foldout poster was included within the run of its 162 pages (plus cover). A new free £23 'Crossbones/Laura Lee' artist-signed note was especially designed and presented with a 'Crossbones Ribbon'. The magazine was produced to 'fine art quality' standards using a lithographic rather than digital process (see the Production Video). It remained A4 size but was PUR-bound (glued) rather than stapled and the finished magazine was presented in a sealed cellophane sleeve.

 

The magazine was registered with the British Library as a 'Serial Publication' and was issued the ISSN 2516-8738. 1600 copies were produced. MBG remained as Editor. He was joined by Jonathan Greet (Dumdum, October Gallery) as Art Director and Principle Photographer and Michelle Olley (SkinTwo, Journey to Nutopia) as Sub-Editor. Church of Burn (then called Church of the Cosmic Burn) was appointed as the key distributor. They were also tasked by MBG to 'advise and assist' with promotion of the magazine. Church of Burn's involvement began with the launch of the crowdfunding campaign in 2017. The BRC expressed strong reservations about this approach fearing that it might attract funding - and ultimately a readership - from outside the community of money burners and other destroyers of currency which the magazine had promised to serve exclusively.

The BRC sought reassurances in the form of strict adherence to 'Money Burning Protocols'. These are protocols endorsed by the Office of the Holder of The Staff [All Hail, The Staff!]. In their most basic form they require that;

 

1.You must never ask or tell anyone to burn their money.

2. The amount burned must hurt the burner.

3. You must only burn your own money.

 

The BRC were especially concerned that promotion of the magazine might potentially contravene the first protocol. Additionally the BRC has sought to ensure a stricter adherence to the universally acknowledged truth that destruction of currency is the most morally correct and righteous action one can undertake with money.

 

The BRC made the case that Burning Issue should not charged for, nor should the magazine attempt to raise funds, because such actions encourage spending - and, worse still investment - over destruction. MBG and the Church of Burn adopted what they called a more 'pragmatic' approach by arguing that without some form of monetary activity the magazine could not manifest in the material world. The BRC maintained that this approach was not pragmatic but, in fact, fundamentally immoral.

 

These differences have led to acrimonious public exchanges and ultimately to more stringent controls being imposed by the BRC on the production, distribution and promotion of the magazine. The Burning Issue twitter account, which is now directly controlled by the BRC, continues to openly criticise both MBG and Church of Burn.

 

The last significant collaborative action between the BRC and Church of Burn was the creation of a promotional video (see home page) for Burning Issue SUPER DELUXE Special Edition. Since then, although the distribution agreement remains in place allowing Church of Burn to stock and sell all iterations of Burning Issue Volume One, BRC members do not attend Church of Burn events in any official capacity.

 

The BRC has claimed publicly that MBG has been 'sacked' as its Editor. MBG has countered this assertion by saying that he is contracted for Editorial duties on all iterations and variations of Burning Issue Volume One and that until Volume Two is published, he remains in position. He has also threatened to withdraw from the magazine his permission for the use of his copyrighted materials.

 

Amidst the arguments and discord however, all sides were united in their appreciation for what MBG and his team created in the SUPER DELUXE edition. All agreed that they had successfully fulfilled their brief of creating a 'lifestyle' magazine to serve the money burning community. And, despite the profound disagreements over sales and promotional activities, the view was that the magazine's invocatory power remained undiminished. This was recognised by Spirit of Burn in the opening message;

 

"Whilst Burning Issue speaks directly with you - the money burners and destroyers of currency - the fact of its existence as the world's first magazine serving this community will, by the magic of its being, unlock new possibilities. As the flame does to a moth, we will draw the pitiable dwellers in the darkness toward the Divine Light of the Burn so for one precious moment without worth, they will experience the purity of being."

 

The SUPER DELUXE edition featured contributions from the world's leading money artists, from academics, writers and journalists, from activists, and from magicians and musicians. It involved the unpaid work and contributions of around 50 people all of whom were united by having burned or otherwise destroyed currency. 'Fireside Tales' from the previous iterations were included with additional contributions detailing 'lived experiences' of burning money recounted by Michelle Watson, Angela Piccini, Rev Dr Tommy Squeezebox, and Arthur Barrett Namirha.

 

For further information on the content and contributions please refer to the images below.