Join Jessica Schwartz in conversation with Pleasant Gehman and Theresa Kereakes, as they discuss their pivotal roles in the early LA punk scene and the importance of recognizing the LGBTQIA+ foundations of punk subculture and communicating such significance across generations. Known for their influential first-wave punk zine, Lobotomy, they have found continued success in a variety of endeavors --from podcasting to photography to writing books and reading tarot to playing music to hosting War Stories, which gives a space for other notable early LA punks to share their stories. 

Artist Bios: Pleasant Gehman is a multidisciplinary artist and bestselling author. She is the creator of the legendary 1970’s punk fanzine Lobotomy. In the 1980’s-90s she fronted her bands The Screaming Sirens ,The Ringling Sisters and Honk If Yer Horny. Her podcast The Devil’s Music, explores the intersection of rock’n’roll and the occult. Her recent books are "Rock’n’Roll  Witch"  (Punk Hostage Press 2022) and the newly published "Belle, Book And Candle: Hollywood’s Dancing Coven"  written with her co-producer Shana Leilani, featuring photos by Alain Matz.

Theresa Kereakes was one of Los Angeles's original punks in the mid-1970s.  Together with Pleasant Gehman and the late Randy Kaye, Theresa contributed most of the photos and co-published the lauded punk zine, Lobotomy. Her photo work appears editorially and on album covers to this day. The only thing more interesting than the photos are the stories of how they came to be.  Those stories can be heard in the War Stories storytelling program that morphed from Pleasant and Theresa’s UCLA guest lectures. Professionally, Theresa has worked in film and television as a producer and director of photography. Under her stewardship in the 1990s, VH1 launched several of their iconic programs: Storytellers (born from a Lobotomy relationship), Legends, and series The Seventies, VH1 to One, Duets, and more.

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Song clips and audio samples 

Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack - 'Sweet Transvestite' 

Black Randy & the Metrosquad - 'Trouble at the Cup' 

Siouxsie and the Banshees - 'Happy House'

Summer of Sam - 'Hello From the Gutters'

The Mumps - 'That Fatal Charm'

Websites and Social Media 

Pleasant Gehman:

http://princessfarhana.net/

www.princessfarhana.com

www.pleasantgehman.com

www.thedivinationnation.com

www.facebook.com/pleasant.gehman

www.facebook.com/princess.farhana

www.twitter.com/PrincessFarhana

www.twitter.com/PleasantGehman1

www.instagram.com/princessofhollywood

Theresa Kereakes:

Instagram. @punkturns30

Web: punkturns30.com

And a brief history of Lobotomy 

http://lobotomy-magazine.blogspot.com/

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This episode was produced and hosted by Jessica Schwartz. Bella Gerard edited the audio and transcript.  Questions were furnished by a live audience of UCLA undergraduates in the Fall 2023 MSC IND 13 course.