Maggot Death 15

Maggot Death was a punk zine created in Brisbane, Australia, during the late 1970s and into the 1980s, independently published by someone known simply as Sebastian. It became a key voice in the local underground scene, chronicling the raw, DIY energy of punk and hardcore music at a time when Brisbane was known for its conservative politics and heavy-handed policing of youth culture.

The zine was known for its chaotic design—collage-heavy layouts, cut-and-paste aesthetics, and hand-drawn elements—that matched the rebellious, anti-authoritarian tone of its content. It included band interviews, record reviews, scene reports, and even occasional inserts like calendars. It served both as a creative outlet and a documentation of the local and international punk movements from the perspective of an active participant.

Maggot Death stood out for its intensity and longevity, running for more than a decade and capturing the attitude, humor, and frustrations of Brisbane's alternative youth. It offered a raw, uncensored window into a scene that thrived on resistance and self-expression, and today it’s considered a valuable artifact of Australia’s punk zine history.