The Black Flame (magazine)
Cover of the vol. 6, no. 1/2 issue | |
| Categories | Religious magazine |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Irregular |
| Publisher | Church of Satan |
| First issue | 1989 |
| Final issue Number | 2005 16 |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | New York |
| Language | English |
| ISSN | 1523-410X |
| OCLC | 35367287 |
The Black Flame was the official outlet of the Church of Satan, launched in 1989 when The Cloven Hoof, another Church publication, went on hiatus. The Black Flame was originally a quarterly newsletter, subsequently evolving into a biannual publication. Printed by Hell's Kitchen Productions Inc., the magazine ceased in 2005 following the publication of issue #16.
History
The Black Flame was launched by Peter H. Gilmore and Peggy Nadramia when The Cloven Hoof, another Church of Satan (CoS) publication, when that went on hiatus.[1][2] It was initially not a successor but a companion to The Cloven Hoof, but that was eventually shuttered and The Black Flame replaced it as the official outlet of the CoS.[3] It was printed by Hell's Kitchen Productions Inc.[4] in New York.[5]
The Black Flame was originally a quarterly newsletter, subsequently evolving into a biannual publication.[2] Its schedule was inconsistent.[2] The magazine ceased in 2005 following the publication of issue #16.[4]
Contents
It was the official outlet of the Church.[6] Scholars have noted it as representing "Satanic orthodoxy"; it discussed Satanic ideology and the Nine Statements of LaVeyan Satanism.[5][7] Scholar Graham Harvey noted that, as with LaVey's writings, "continually speak about Satan as if the name referred to an actual entity who speaks, acts, plans, desires, inspires and is addressed and summoned".[8] The magazine served as a major nexus for independent CoS supporters and as the international forum for the organization.[5][9] According to a self report, issues generally sold between 7 and 8 thousand copies each.[10]
As with its predecessor, it published CoS founder Anton LaVey's essays on a variety of topics, including cultural and music topics as well as Satanism.[11] Blanche Barton edited, as did Gilmore.[1][6] Essays from, among others, Kerry Bolton,[12] Michael J. Moynihan,[13][6] also appeared in the magazine.[12] Nick Bougas at times drew covers.[14] Moynihan did several interviews for the magazine, including with LaVey.[6]
References
- ^ a b Petersen 2009, p. 76.
- ^ a b c Mathews 2009, p. 94.
- ^ Mathews 2009, pp. 58, 94.
- ^ a b "Black Flame Magazine #16". WorthPoint. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- ^ a b c Petersen 2009, p. 30.
- ^ a b c d Sunshine 2024, p. 244.
- ^ Lewis & Petersen 2014, p. 409.
- ^ Petersen 2009, p. 29.
- ^ Lewis & Petersen 2014, p. 425.
- ^ Lewis 2002, p. 329.
- ^ Mathews 2009, p. 58.
- ^ a b Coogan 1999, p. 619.
- ^ Coogan 1999, pp. 530, 622.
- ^ Sunshine 2024, p. 234.
Works cited
- Coogan, Kevin (1999). Dreamer of the Day: Francis Parker Yockey and the Postwar Fascist International. Brooklyn: Autonomedia. ISBN 978-1-57027-039-0.
- Lewis, James R. (2002). Satanism Today: An Encyclopedia of Religion, Folklore, and Popular Culture. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-57607-292-4.
- Lewis, James R.; Petersen, Jesper Aagaard, eds. (2014). Controversial New Religions (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-931531-4.
- Mathews, Chris (2009). Modern Satanism: Anatomy of a Radical Subculture. Westport: Praeger Publishers. ISBN 978-0-313-36639-0.
- Petersen, Jesper Aagaard, ed. (2009). Contemporary Religious Satanism: A Critical Anthology. Ashgate. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-315-25944-4.
- Sunshine, Spencer (2024). Neo-Nazi Terrorism and Countercultural Fascism: The Origins and Afterlife of James Mason's Siege. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-57601-0.