Big Brother 52

Big Brother Issue #52 (September 1999) captures the magazine at the height of its chaotic late 1990s run, mixing serious skateboarding coverage with the irreverent humour and offbeat features that made it infamous. Cover skater Stacy Lowery headlines an issue packed with road trips, interviews and the magazine's trademark willingness to wander far outside skate culture.

The lead feature follows Stacy Lowery, combining an interview with a substantial photo portfolio, while "Two Vans to Vancouver" documents a skate trip fuelled by junk food, long drives and street sessions across western Canada. The issue also revisits the notorious "197 House Fire," recounting the destruction of the San Francisco house that served as a gathering place for many skaters, and includes an interview with Chris Gentry, one of skateboarding's most influential but elusive photographers. Skateboarding content is rounded out with the regular News, Product Review, Ed Herrings, Skate Flicks, Goddamn Ams, Video Games, CD Reviews and Last Call sections.

Beyond skating, the magazine indulges its unpredictable editorial interests with interviews featuring Wu-Tang Clan member Ol' Dirty Bastard and shock-metal legends GWAR, alongside a collection of deliberately absurd extras including "Test Your WFC I.Q.," "Port-a-Poo Shower," "How to Make a Gum Tree," "The Wagon" and other tongue-in-cheek articles. Equal parts skate magazine, comedy publication and cultural time capsule, Issue #52 perfectly reflects Big Brother's anarchic editorial voice during one of its most influential periods.