Hotly anticipated, RAD magazine hit the ground rolling in May 1987. On the thirtieth anniversary of the magazines inception the Read and Destroy Archive launched a project to catalogue and re-release highlights and never before seen material from this vital record of skateboarding in Britain. Thousands of photographic negatives and transparencies, prints, original artwork, ‘zines, flyers, and magazines make up this significant archive.
July 2024 sees the publication of the READ AND DESTROY 272 page hardback book, covering the vibrant life and times of RAD magazine and it’s original creators.
PRE-ORDER HERE
The book and archive features the comprehensive work of editor, photographer and RAD instigator Tim Leighton-Boyce, along with fellow photographers Vernon Adams (AKA Jay Podesta), ‘Mad’ Mike John, Paul Sunman, Wig Worland and many others. Together these photographers captured the UK underground scene in all it’s exciting, messy and overlooked glory. In documenting this fast moving culture, they created defining images of British skateboarding from the 1970s, ’80s and into the early 1990s.
Pre internet, pre digital and before mainstream culture discovered skateboarding as a marketing tool for ’cool’, RAD magazine was the UK's beating heart of skateboarding counter culture.
HELP SUPPORT THE ARCHIVE. If you would like to contribute to the preservation of this important archive please visit our SHOP to purchase a PRINT or merchandise. All profits from sales finance our work to preserve and make available the archive for original fans of the magazine and future generations alike.
