The Kill Your Pet Puppy fanzine was a manifesto for an entire generation living at the intersection of music, mysticism, and street culture. Created by a collective in a Situationist style, it drew on influences from the underground press, radical political thought, and surrealism, all while remaining deeply rooted in the UK’s punk and post-punk scene. The magazine’s influence has been recognised by both music historians and subculture researchers, and a digital archive has preserved and spread its legacy to new generations. Read more on london-trend.
The History of Kill Your Pet Puppy
Between 1976 and 1979, Tony Drayton headed up one of the first punk fanzines, Ripped & Torn. Many acquaintances regularly asked about a revival, unaware of his lack of funds. Drayton jokingly kept up the illusion that he was waiting for the perfect moment and planning a triumphant return. In reality, after a brief escape to Europe, he got back to work on a new project. That’s how the Kill Your Pet Puppy fanzine was born, making its debut on New Year’s Eve 1979 at an Adam and the Ants gig in Camden, London.
The fanzine became a mirror of early 1980s punk reality in the UK, a time when Margaret Thatcher’s policies were sweeping the country. Its pages were a home for stories about squatting, clashes with neo-Nazis, drug use, anarchism, and the struggle for freedom in a bleak social atmosphere. The first issue included interviews and features on bands like Bauhaus, Crass, The Mob, Sex Gang Children, Southern Death Cult, The Associates, The Ants, and Alien Sex Fiend. It also featured texts on feminism, the gay punk movement, Sid Vicious’s memorial day, occultism, and the “glory of stupid songs.”
Five hundred copies of Kill Your Pet Puppy were printed and sold out on the first night, especially after Adam and the Ants performed a parody of “Y.M.C.A.” called “A.N.T.S.” The success was obvious, and soon people were asking for a second issue. Tony Drayton’s response was simple: a new issue would only come out when he had something to say. He wanted to avoid the routine of regular releases that had once constrained his work on Ripped & Torn. For him, a punk magazine was not a product but an event that only made sense when it came from the heart.
One of the boldest issues of Kill Your Pet Puppy was a real challenge even for dedicated readers. Tony Drayton decided to throw out everything familiar: no interviews, no reviews, and almost no musical themes. When he shared the idea with Jolie Macfie of Better Badges, the reaction was reserved. Soon after, Drayton took off on another trip to Europe, which lasted for six months. When he returned at the end of 1980, he was absorbed by a new wave of punk activity – the Wapping Autonomy Centre started hosting loud gigs and quickly became a new hub for him and his friends. The fanzine gradually took a back seat until Kill Your Pet Puppy finally faded from the scene in 1984.
But the story didn’t end there. In October 2007, the Kill Your Pet Puppy website was launched as an online archive for the fanzine. Its creation was a reaction to the trend of “cultural archaeologists” limiting all of punk history exclusively to music, ignoring the political, social, and everyday context. Over time, the site transformed into a vibrant community. It now hosts scans of the original issues, eyewitness photos, rare music recordings, and personal stories from those who lived and created punk culture themselves.
Tony Drayton
Recognition and Significance of Kill Your Pet Puppy
Kill Your Pet Puppy was one of the most vibrant and experimental punk fanzines of its time. Created in a Situationist style by a group of about 12 members known as the Puppy Collective, it went beyond the boundaries of a traditional music magazine. Its pages featured articles about key bands from the punk and post-punk scenes, including Adam and the Ants, Charge, and Cuddly Toys. In addition, members of the Puppy Collective were actively involved in significant events of British counterculture in the late 1970s and early 1980s, such as the Sid Vicious Memorial March (1979), activities at the Wapping Autonomy Centre (1981–82), Centro Iberico (1982), and the Stonehenge to Greenham Peace Convoy (1982).
