Pete Falkous is punk rock. Real punk rock. So punk rock that he doesn’t care if you even read this article, because he will keep making zines regardless. Pete grew up in the UK hardcore punk scene and has been skateboarding, going to shows, shooting film, and producing zines for over 30 years. But here’s the thing: he hasn’t sold out, and has no plans to do so anytime soon. His company, Static Age, combines the DIY ethos of the hardcore scene with his professional talents as a graphic designer and art director to produce a wide range of photobooks and zines for the photography and art lover.

Although Pete officially made his first zine in 1996, a 4 pager entitled Justify, featuring a picture of Rob Fish from the punk group 108 on the cover with an interview with the band Unbroken inside, Static Age didn’t officially begin until 2017. Up until that point, Pete had been doing what had always been doing: publishing zines, putting out music, and supporting other artists by relying on the concept of community and word of mouth. He grew up putting bands on at independent venues, letting them stay at his house before their next tour stop, and releasing work under his own bands and labels. From this, his network grew and he got to travel, meet new people, and keep doing things the way he wanted: without any outside commercial influence. There were times when he had offers from bigger labels or from individuals who wanted to be involved along the way, but it felt wrong to him to “not do it himself”.

Pete has continued this DIY ethos with Static Age, which started as a way to publish his own photography, on his terms, with his own set of deadlines [hint: there aren’t any]. At the time, he had zero intention of publishing other artists’ work and was just doing what he loved. Well, as you can see, passion is contagious and other artists can spot true inspiration from across the globe. After printing two of his own projects, and selling out rather quickly, people began approaching Pete to publish zines on their behalf. He shared with us that “the quality of what I was putting out (material and design-wise) seemed like it made other people think I can do that [for them], so it kind of happened organically”.

Since those first photographers reached out to Pete to publish their work, Static Age has evolved into a full-fledged independent producer of photo zines which has released 14 projects to date. He has published work from various artists including Noah Zyla, Lisa Toboz, and Analog Forever Magazine’s founder Michael Behlen, of which he has sold close to 1,350 copies. The best part about his company is he doesn’t care how many he sells, how fast, or if at all. Pete produces all of his projects as an act of love and stays as true as possible to his punk rock roots. He is adamant about how he approaches each project: “I just want to put stuff out that I like and regardless of how popular a release will be. I really don’t care. If I love the work being published then that’s all I am bothered about”. In the same vein, Pete can’t be troubled to work with people who are in it for the wrong reasons: “Doing this should be fun- not a job or something to get people to notice you, if that's your intention, then I am not interested”.

In order to tell Pete’s story behind Static Age, we are thrilled to present to you this interview with him conducted by our Founder, Michael Behlen. Connect with Pete Falkous on his Website and Instagram! Before you read our interview make sure you head over to their website to pick up Static Age’s latest release: Cyan Sand by Francesca DeLuca!

Interview

How did you get into photography and what led you into the world of photobook and zine publishing?
I have been a graphic designer and art director for the past 24 years, which now seems crazy, but it’s something I love doing and I am able to make a living from it. I have also been taking photographs from an early age, since I was 16 or 17. At that age, I also began skateboarding and took my point and shoot camera out with me. During that time, most of the pictures I took were of people messing around; however, I still loved trying to capture the skating scene from my own perspective. That interest lead me to take a photo course in college, which made me really fall in love with it. There’s nothing like shooting your first roll of film with a proper camera and going back the same day to develop, make contact sheets, and produce a final set of prints. I still have some of those to this day.

Over the years I continued to shoot but still always with a point and shoot camera, as it was just easier. I would always rather spend my money on boards and having fun than more expensive cameras. At the same time, I started to get more into music and eventually started playing in bands which evolved into me becoming involved with the hardcore and punk scene. I somehow ended up designing flyers for gigs, which then lead me into designing artwork for band’s demos and releases. It kind of snowballed from there.

Those beginning stages of my career really took form from those early DIY activities. Most of my positions I have held over the years have come from people I know (through music and skateboarding) or via people finding me from the work I have done with past bands and skateboarders. I owe so much to skateboarding and music for influencing my style and life path, and I feel like my approach, even today, still has a lot of those same DIY ethics.

It’s crazy to think about: I get to basically color stuff every day and get paid for it. In the same vein: photography has allowed me to pursue creativity in my work (mostly), I have been lucky to covers and features for magazines, do product photography (not fun), sports events, all on a mix of digital or film, depending on the job. However, let's face it though: anyone who wants to shoot 7 angles of 600 pairs of shoes on film needs to have their head examined. Each format has its own merits and good and bad points, but I feel like film is something i just love to shoot. The process itself, and the wait to see if anything turns out is still exciting. 

I have been shooting longer than I have been designing and although most of what I shoot now is of my family, I am more than happy to do that as there is nothing better than having those images to look back on those moments. I still have my own photography projects; however, time is always the main factor in completing them. Trying to fit everything into life is difficult, but sometimes, things just happen. All of a sudden you have a project take shape just because you were just there and it happened without you even noticing. 

Static Age started as a way to publish my own zines and at the time, I had no intention to do anything but that. In 2017, I had released 2 of my own zines and although they were printed in really low numbers, they seemed to get enough attention to sell out pretty quickly. People liked the quality of what I was putting out (material and design-wise) and it seemed to make other people think I could do it for them, so it just kind of happened organically. 

Honestly, I feel lucky that anyone wants to work with me. Static Age is a new and small publishing company, which I do on top of my full time job, freelance work, and more importantly having a family.Running Static Age is fun to do and I don’t put pressure on anyone (well I hope not) and the best thing about it is that there are no deadlines. When I think a project is done, then it’s done. I would rather make something right than just rush it. Everyone I deal with is in the same boat as I am, so creating zines and books is something they do when they feel they have the time and resources to do so. I am happy to help design, art direct, or voice my opinion, but at the end of the day: it's the photographers’ work and they have to feel like they have something they are proud of. Luckily, I have worked with people who have so far been pretty easy to deal with and I feel like some strong friendships have spawned from it as well.

When did you produce your first ever zine, what was it about, and what inspired you to create it? 
Zines where always part of the hardcore scene and the first one I did was 4 pages called Justify and mostly I remember it had a picture of Rob Fish from the band 108 and inside was an interview with a band called Unbroken. I think there where about 100 copies and I am sure it was just given away. After that, I put a handful of other zines out mainly full of pics and very little text as writing is not my strong point. I pretty much did them to get my photos and artwork out there and it felt like I was doing something creative as well. I have copies in the attic and my mam’s so I might dig them out one day.

Punk/Hardcore culture has played a huge role in your inspiration for Static Age. How has this influenced your DIY ethos in creating photobooks and zines?
I have been into Punk and Hardcore since I was around 11, around the same time I discovered skateboarding and zines. Back then we didn’t have the internet or niche magazines, the only form of communication we had was word of mouth, flyers, and zines, sometimes brought by touring bands with themselves on tour. Punk and Hardcore had and still has in most cases a DIY ethos that I embraced at a young age, as it was a pretty simple thing to follow. The name Static Age was ripped off from the Misfits record of the same name and somehow, it just seemed like the words themselves had some representative meaning that related to photography, so it just stuck. I used to put bands on at independent venues, let them stay at my house, and release zines and demos from my own bands. These activities allowed me to grow a network, travel, and meet new people. Most importantly, it allowed me to do things the way I wanted to: without outside influence. Yeah at times, there where offers from bigger labels but it felt wrong to me to go that direction. I have kept that mentality from my early childhood. “You want it? Go do it yourself!”. It’s the same way I view zines and photobooks. On the other hand, I think it’s ok if someone doesn’t want to put out your work. You should do it yourself, regardless of the outcome. If you are happy than that’s all that should matter.

What do you think makes Static Age different from other photobook and zine publishers?
That’s a great question, and it’s one I have asked myself before. When I started I knew there were loads of people releasing zines and books, but I just wanted to put stuff out that I liked, regardless of how popular a release would be. I really don’t care about that as long as I love the work being published.

I know in publishing there is this whole being DIY arty farty approach, but most of those companies are businesses who are in it to make money. I am different because I am doing it for the love and fun of it all, making money isn’t even something I care about. If a zine sells 200 copies or 2 copies, I am still just as excited about it. If I lose some money on one, I will will just make it up on the next one. But in all honesty, after all the costs are accounted for there isn't a huge amount left over, if anything anyways. Printing, promotional items, packaging, and postage adds up and after a few releases, it all evens out over time.

Having worked with you personally, I know that deadlines just aren't your thing. Can you explain how this helps the creative process and why it's important to not rush a project? How do you know when a project is "ready"?
I think because I have worked in an industry for so long where deadlines have to be in place. Not missing deadlines helps to avoid a huge knock-on effect down the entire supply line. I would like to think that Static Age is more about making something the best it can be, regardless of how long it takes. If it takes 2 weeks to happen that's amazing, but I will also be happy if it took 2 years to complete. We all have lives, families, jobs… the list goes on. A project is ready when everyone is happy with the finished product. Deadlines can sometimes add to the pressure of creating, but sometimes the creative process needs a little more freedom as well.

How has working with other photographers and publishing their work impacted your own photographic process?
In all honesty, I think it has shown just how much I need to push myself and take myself out of my comfort zone. I love that I get to work with people who have all different styles of photography, not just the same thing over and over. I think you can learn so much from peoples’ approaches and techniques that it can be inspiring to learn about their work. I would love to get out more and shoot, but there’s just not enough time in the day. Here in the UK, it gets dark at 4pm in the winter and turns really bloody cold. So during this time of the year I get to spend time on all my other projects.

How do you find photographers that you want to work with and how do you determine what might make a good photo book? 
You know, it’s a mix of people getting in touch with me and finding other’s work online, emailing, and asking them about it. I really don’t send out loads of emails. I only ask the ones I think I would love to work with. Of course, some people say no and some people think I am offering them a publishing deal, and then ask for thousands of pounds. At which point, I never hear back from them once I say no. At this point, every artist is getting the same deal which I hope is fair. The last thing I want to do is make anyone feel undervalued or ripped off, but so far so good. What makes a good photo book for me is something I look at and get excited to know more about, something that gets a reaction or a feeling from me, good or bad.

Do photographers tend to come to you with finished projects ready to publish or is it more of a collaborative process?
It's a mix. What I tend to find is that if I start talking to someone about a book or zine it usually turns from an idea into something much more. Sometimes it just the idea of something coming out that makes them think about their work in a more tangible way. It sparks an idea they have had or the beginnings of one. Sometimes artists have a full idea and have their project pretty much ready and it’s done in a few weeks. Regardless of which way it goes, I have to trust everyone just as much as they trust me to work with them. I do however think that over the next few years things are really going to shift up a gear in so many ways.

During the process of producing a book, how do you communicate with the artist about the design of the book, such as the paper selecting or color?
I would love to say it's a huge complicated process but in all honesty: it is just as simple as sending emails back and forth with ideas and proofs. As for paper etc… I just recommend what I think will work best. If a change in paper from my direction or the artists’ will make their book stand out or feel better, than I am happy to go with whichever we agree on.

I have always been open to different sizes, finishes, and formats too. Luckily the printer I use is able print pretty much whatever I want without ripping me off money-wise. When designing someone's book, I will do a rough draft and go page by page with them to ensure everything is perfect. If someone wants to use another color or add one, I will do what I can to make it work. I generally only protest when I believe it won’t work at all. This process has allowed me to get things done fairly quickly and without any problems.

Since I have been art directing for years now, choosing and sequencing images feels like second nature to me. Some people may take months but I think working with crazy deadlines in the publishing world has allowed me to get used to working quickly and with confidence in what I am doing is right.

What is your favorite part of the photobook process? Finding an artist, finalizing the edit, smelling the freshly printed paper…? 
I think it's a combination of all of those, but the most exciting thing is when a zine comes back and you open the box for the first time. There is nothing like that smell (I know it’s kind of sad) when you pick up the first copy from the box and flick through it and you just know its right straight away. 

Though, a few times, I have piked one up and within two seconds knew it was fucked up. I would get mad and run straight to my laptop to email the printer. But to be honest, the printers I use are amazing and if there is anything wrong, they immediately get things done ASAP.

I also love it when the artist gets their copies for the first time. Yeah, it’s nerve-racking, but so far everyone has been stoked and excited to hold their books in their hands. At the end of the day, it’s not my work and they have to just as or more happy than I am with the finished book.

What goes into decisions regarding the size of an edition? Do economics play a role or is it based on your audience?
It’s funny, I usually go with my gut instinct on how many a run should be. It varies from 50 to 200, but most are around the 100 mark. I don't want to overprint nor do I want something to be become immediately unavailable and out of print, only to find copies second hand on eBay.

I think the coming year’s runs will start to creep up to the 200 mark, as things have been selling quickly. I only have a handful of copies of the books I have made now. I also know that it will take time to establish the Static Age name to a wider audience, which I am hoping to work on in 2020.

What was one of the most challenging books that you have published and why? 
I would like to say I have one in mind, but they have all been pretty easy. However, as far as putting together the boxset I did for your zine, Searching for Stillness Vol II, was a huge pain. The people producing them took a few weeks longer than expected but I think that’s me just being impatient more than anything. I think because of the relaxed approach I have combined with my enthusiasm things are pretty much in hand and there is never any rush to get things done.

Have there been any books that have been particularly rewarding to produce or that you felt a special kinship with? 
I think Noah Zyla’s The Rest Is Delusion is one of the most memorable. It was first artist zine I put out and his work is incredible. Even now, I still think it’s crazy he wanted to work with me and I am so grateful that he did. I think it was his release that really made Static Age what it is today and me a set of standards that each release need to achieve. I would love to do more with him in the future, but I am sure one day that someone will snap him up for a big publishing deal.

Have you ever come across an artist and thought “not yet,” but then returned to their work later on? If so, can you identify what changed in their practice that cued you to move forward with a book?
You know, there are one or two people who have been in touch and and can see potential in their work, but maybe they are not ready for a release just yet. That doesn't mean they shouldn’t do a DIY run on their own and see what happens though. I think the biggest thing I noticed or felt was that their work didn't have any real feelings behind it, some great images, but nothing really more than that.

It seems that many new photographers are seeing photobooks as their way to break into the industry, do you have any advice for emerging photographers in regards to publishing?
It’s a funny thing. There are people on Instagram who see their success in the number of followers and likes they get, but find it hard to sell a zine of 25 copies of a zine. Whereas, Static Age doesn't have a huge following but manages to sell 100 copies of a zine within a few days or weeks. So it makes me think that the number game means nothing when it comes to online sales. Ultimately, its the actual quality of work which will ultimately help sell the work. I would also say that in some ways, Static Age isn’t even apart of the “industry”. Maybe who I am who knows, but what I am doing is pretty small in my eyes.

As for advice… just be honest with what you’re doing and don’t worry about what other people think. You have to love what you’re doing regardless and have fun. Go out and shoot, and if the story and images are good people will see them if that's your goal. Talk to people and interact with other photographers and like most things, friendship and networks will naturally happen. Just don’t be a dickhead.

There are lots of interesting modern trends in the photobook world—self-published and handmade books have been getting a lot of play in recent years. A lot of artists are also publishing digitally. What do you see as the next step in photobook innovation, and what do you think it says about the industry as a whole? 
I think in all honesty that publishing something as a digital version when it’s something like photography is just lazy. Photographs are meant to be printed and held by someone. I love all the digital platforms showing work, but not many are doing both. I am not just saying this, but the way Analog Forever Magazine is done is a perfect example of how it should be done, it just works. Both digital displays and prints are important, but it’s having that confidence to go and get something printed that really makes me care more about a project. It’s something that takes time, money, and a lot of love and patience.

I am not really the most up to date with trends as such, but with making zines and books, I think it's always good to try and look at different processes and ways of making things a little different, but at the same time, keeping it simple. I would rather someone remembered a Static Age release for having amazing photography rather than the binding or paper used. 

I see photo books getting more popular over the next 10 years, but like most things, they will die off again to be resurrected again years later by a new generation. 

A common phrase is that photobooks are made by photographers for photographers. Do you think this is still true and why?
I would say mainly photographers do buy them, but I think it depends on the subject matter and whose work it is. I think it also depends on the book’s reach and how they are placed into shops and retailers. It’s possible to reach new audiences, but it’s a slow and organic process.

Do you collect photobooks and zines yourself? 
Yeah, I probably buy anything from 1 to 8 zines a month. I search all over as well and I get excited when I find new work. I have recently picked up a few and thought to myself, “Man, I would have loved to put this out!”. I am a massive collector and I just keep looking for more. Also, I can never get rid of anything either: records, cameras, books, toys, and skateboards… just the normal stuff which takes over your house and life right?

What can we expect from Static Age going into 2020?  What are some forthcoming titles are you particularly excited about?
2020 it is going to be a really amazing year with releases from Jason Connelly, Bob Price, SOAP, Ruby Berry, Barry Phipps and a few others. The pipeline is ful but I am looking at doing 5-6 release this coming year, max. I wish I could do more, but it's a matter of time. I also don’t want to over saturate the market, as there are so many good artists and companies putting out their own books and zines.

To name just one for next year would be impossible as I genuinely can't wait to get them all out! I am not sure which will be first yet for 2020, but would like the first to be in January if possible.

Finally, any closing remarks? What's something that you wish you could tell us without being prompted?
Thank you so much for the interview. I honestly find it very humbling as I don't see myself as anything slightly interesting or exciting. I hope to keep doing what I am doing and just have fun with it. I would like to travel more and meet up with more photographers and publishers. So maybe I will do some more book/zine fairs. I will be going to Barcelona in September to start shooting a new project I am working on and I am pretty excited about that, but it's a secret so no spoilers! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Behlen is a photography enthusiast from Fresno, CA. He works in finance and spends his free time shooting instant film and backpacking in the California wilderness, usually a combination of the two.  He has been published, been interviewed, and been reviewed in a quantity of magazines and online publications, from F-Stop and Blur magazine to the Analog Talk Podcast. He loves the magic sensuality of instant film: its saturated, surreal colors; the unpredictability of the medium; it’s addictive qualities as you watch it develop. He is the founder of Analog Forever Magazine. Connect with Michael Behlen on his Website and on Instagram!

RELATED ARTICLES