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                          UNDERCOVER AT ITS WORST?!
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It's late in the evening and  moondog is striking again. The idea for  this text
came into my mind  after reading more or less  sensefull articles about diskmags
in other publications, about writing for magazines and so on.

Furthermore I think it's  time now to write down the stuff  I thought meanwhiles
STsurvivors editorship and please let me mention some things at first.

- Dunno if STsurvivor did a good or bad work in your eyes with his time as main-
  editor of UNDERCOVER, for me in one  point he did a good  one because he saved
  the magazine for the scene for more than an year after my quit  and so he even
  made it possible for me to come back, even if he never knew  about my thoughts
  to take over the UCM again after he claimed its dead.

- STsurvivor had a hard stand from the first time on. I know, it would have been
  better to make a smooth  gliding takeover instead of kicking him into the cold
  water. But I don't wanted to wait any longer at that time and even the dead of
  the magazine was a solution of my  time problems at that  time. But he took it
  over and I must say thanx again.

- The third  and most interesting  point is, that UNDERCOVER was  maintained for
  nearly 6 years  by myself before. I wrote in every issue the most articles and
  so UNDERCOVERs contents were  mainly moondog's  thoughts. Furthermore I  never
  had other  big interests  while producing  UNDERCOVER, it  was nearly  my only
  contribution to this  scene and so I invested my most  free time in it... That
  was a point that made STsurvivors fight much harder. He was always standing in
  the shadow of the "mighty" moondog  and because UNDERCOVER was moondog, it was
  not possible  to STsurvivor to go  on with the  magazine like  I did. But, and
  this is the encourage just a few people  offer today, he tried it anyway, just
  to save the magazine for the scene and to help me like a friend.
  So I think we and I can't blame him for the different style of the UCM's after
  my quit.

After those  points I will say as well that  you shouldn't take the coming lines
not too earnest, they are  meant ironic and maybe sarcastic as well. They are no
offense in STsurvivors direction, but  just a roundup of the UNDERCOVER magazine
releases without me, from my point  of view... Ok, people, take care! moondog is
on the run again, grin... ;)

...UNDERCOVER 15... released in June 1999

That issue  was the last  one with  the "moondog touch", because a  few articles
written by me were still included.
Besides the  hard work STsurvivor  did in writing articles to fill  it up like I
did in my UCM times  as well, this issue was living from the connections and the
team I and MCL more or less built up for UNDERCOVER. So HAVOC of FUN finished my
menu grafix, RECTUM, an old  contact of MCL did the  loader picture, the writers
stuff was  nearly the same  as in the former issues, including  the big parts by
PARANOID and MCL. Maybe that  were points to make the people anxious to see more
of that... But no one  thought that it would change in the way it  did after UCM
15... Right at  the time as  I announced to stop several people  said to me that
they don't wanted to go on for UNDERCOVER or don't wanted to support it anymore,
because they did it more or less because of my editorship, just like mOd.

The facts of UCM 15

contents... nearly 7o articles, nice mix, not  reaching former  issues, but good
            anyway, including some traditions of UCM like the ARTFACTORY
loaderpic.. not bad, even if there were needed two versions :)
graphics... Havoc made the best out of my humble crap...
musix...... the old mukke guilde again, MCL, TAO, 5o5... great!
intro...... unfortunately it died with my quit... EARX made  something but never
            released it, also because of my missing parts :(
overall.... a good  start for  a new editor in  my eyes... but I was  wrong as I
            thought UCM will go on like that


...UNDERCOVER 16... released in August 1999

Not even 3 months later the first  STsurvivor-stand-alone-issue was released. At
first it kicked  ass a lot because of the great intro DHS, or better EVIL did in
cooperation  with  SECTOR ONE did  for the  magazine. After the not  so stunning
loader picture the menu graphix were the next kick! Huu! VULGAR did a great work
here! The first  knocking down came while checking the contents... It broke down
through the  6o articles-frontier into the 5o-somewhat. Ugh, a  short read! Even
if this  issue featured  the hard core  of writers like  STsurvivor, MCL and the
Paranoid, they don't matched  it to blew it up more, esp. because  several other
writers contributed as well. Maybe it was because of the summer hole...

The facts of UCM 16

contents... not even 6o articles, but a kewl mix anyway, reviews, views, reports
            and coding stuff, but the core posse seemed to be tired...
loaderpic.. not as stunning as the work before, done by SPINY of TORMENT
graphics... great stuff! maybe the best menu graphix so far!
musix...... still great, MCL, TAO, DMA SC
intro...... again a great piece of ST-blow-away! Done by EVIL/DHS...
overall.... an issue with  many collaborating people, but the chances to blew it
            up much more with those, were given away... but not bad at all


...UNDERCOVER 17... released in November 1999

What I have to say? I already wondered about the small data file and had no good
feelings... After the cruel  intro done by the FLA brothers, a not running intro
picture (just saw garbage on my screen) and the strange shell graphics I thought
that I made  a big step  backwards in time... Furthermore the underline "The one
that almost never came out" showed up  that some things  are happening that were
not good  for  UNDERCOVER. Except a  huge Jaguar  corner by  PEYLOW of TOYS, who
reviewed a lot of old Jaguar games, the magazine featured not even 4o articles.
Later on the writers core changed... STsurvivor and The Berserker of TEENAGE did
the most stuff, The Paranoid and MCL hided themselves somewhere and without them
as the ones who always supportet UCM very much, STsurvivor had a hard stand.
A few other articles are included  as well, but after the  bad intro, the not so
kicking menu grafix, several slagging articles, bugged articles  and intro pic I
must say  that this issue was the worst UCM so far  since it was re-activated in
1996... The whole style seemed to be kicked together loveless and in a hurry.

the facts of UCM 17

contents... without the Jag corner not even 4o articles, some personal slaggs in
            the articles darken the impression, shrinked writers core
loaderpic.. dunno, bugged
graphix.... hmmm... have seen better
musix...... the only highlight in this issue, even if TAO and MCL were alone
intro...... the worst since UCM 6...
overall.... the lack of collaborators and contents, as well as some  quarrels in
            the  scene at this time left a bad impression...

Here I must say that UCM 17 was the one that forced me to think about a comeback
in the scene. I made my first thoughts  at this time  because I don't  wanted to
see the UCM go down like this...


...UNDERCOVER 18... released in December 1999

What?! Just about  a month for  a new issue!? Can  it be? It can! And  after the
disturbing issue 17 STsurvivor matched  it to came back much faster  than anyone
has  thought. This issue  is thought as  Xmas special  and even  better than the
previous one. More collaborateurs, more articles (if you count the coding corner
not as one), nice loaderpic, interesting topics... A good  issue and the help of
several scene  people as well as the  reunion of the  writers core  with MCL and
The Paranoid  seemed to force  STsurvivor to  go on. Also myself... I started to
work on my own magazine at that time, you know about the ...inSTabil... project,
I think... but at first we thought to take over UCM, but we wanted to avoid more
quarrels in the scene and didn't do so...
Anyway, a point I don't liked were STsurvivors deadline politics under those UCM
seemed to suffer... he said more and smaller ones instead of stuffed ones... Not
my point of view, but I wasn't the editor...



the facts of UCM 18

contents... nice mix, cool coding corner by EARX/BAGGIO, kewl topics, and for an
            issue smashed together within a month very stuffed!
loaderpic.. nice one by VULGAR
graphix.... hmmm... quiet ok, but not the hype
musix...... TAO, DMA SC, CARBON and SCY... nice mix, but the module is old and
            was used in "TERRORISE YOUR SOUL"
intro...... nothing, and better so after the last one...
overall.... with the reuinion of the writers core the mag came back to life!


...UNDERCOVER 19... released in March 2ooo

After the nice Xmas issue I was waiting for  more but the coming  things made me
feel  really  sick. STsurvivor  released issue  19 without  consideration to any
losses. UCM 19 featured another cruel intro, this time  made by The BERZERKER of
TEENAGE. Ok... after the nice loading pic, I thought it will  go better, even if
I checked that the data  file doesn't even reached  the 3ooK this time. Also the
menu graphix showed  up that there  is something going wrong, STsurvivor did the
cool upper  part, and the  mediocre lower one was done by COSMOSH... It reminded
me to my end, where also two people were needed to create the menu graphix...
Not even 4o articles again, for a regular issue that isn't much! Furthermore MCL
left the UCM posse that time as well because he didn't liked the way of the mag.
Therefore with CIH joining the today's situation of the former UCM posse already
showed up. Again STsurvivor had to  write the most  parts, even if  there were a
lot of contributors... and as you all checked up he wasn't happy about that.
Meanwhile UCM was  going down I worked  harder on ...inSTabil..., announced some
release in April or May... but failed as well 'coz of the lack of time...

the facts of UCM 19

contents... another slimfast issue, a short read... moreover because of the many
            short articles... STsurvivor seemed to be tired of writing alone...
loaderpic.. a nice one by TINKER of TEENAGE
graphix.... strange mix out of good and mediocre stuff
musix...... DMA SC, MCL, MILHOUSE and SEABRUSH
intro...... argh!
overall.... Not as bad as UCM 17 but on the best way to top it... It didn't made
            fun to read it... :(


...UNDERCOVER 2o... released in August 2ooo

It took a long time untill UCM 2o came out and with the  time I thought it would
die before its release, esp. because STsurvivor's release  politics... so months
passed by and  nothing happened. And then?! In August suddenly  UCM 2o appeared,
accompanied with a marvellous intro  by DHS. Furthermore  the mag  and loaderpic
was styled by EXOCET of JFF/PYJAMA. Kewl graphix. The musical score was great as
always. But what me surprised after all those small and sometimes bad issues was
the ammount of articles  by many different writers. Even MCL striked  back again
and joined the forces, as well as several other people and so they reached about
the same ammount of text as with STsurvivors start in UCM 15...
The contents were  great, kewl topics and  articles, no  question. But, and that
was the  strange thing, STsurvivor  announced, curiosly on  his zenith, that UCM
will be stopped now, to create something new. That is very strange, but he don't
wanted to fight any longer against the shadow of moondog's editorship.
After all the fights of STsurvivor  I can understand his  decision  as well as I
wonder about it. But finally he  gave me the chance to come back once more, with
"my" magazine, UNDERCOVER...



the facts of UCM 2o

contents... nearly 7o articles, many topics, a mess to read!
loaderpic.. cool one...
graphix.... nice idea, matched to the loader!
musix...... 5o5 striked back after many  issues without  him, DFORCE, DMA SC and
            TAO as well...
intro...... The best intro since one year, one of the best at all!
overall.... this was surely the best issue maintained by STsurvivor. He matched,
            however, to unite a lot of  people for the magazine... a shame if it
            would be the last issue...

and now?

The rest is history... I kicked the ...inSTabil... project into the trashcan and
tried to reanimate UCM again, the result you're reading right now...

More or less  it was clear that it will end like this... As I announced to leave
the scene over one year ago, many people mourned about that, don't  wanted to go
on for UNDERCOVER, because  they liked me as friend and mate and did their stuff
for me, instead for UCM.. luckily they supported STsurvivor more or less anyway.
But the quit of STsurvivor was just a question of time. Also the most encouraged
guy would have  lost his motivation if he was compared again and  again with his
predecessor. You can't take over something that is bound  together with someones
name  and style and  try to make your  own thing of it, but STsurvivor  tried it
anyway, and he survived 6 issues more or less.

I'm happy about that, because so there is something left to  take over. If I had
released ...inSTabil... already, I dunno what I had done now. So I killed my new
project to take over the old one, maybe some people will be happy to see the old
sucker back, others surely not. But what counts is to let the UCM survive and to
give some  competition to  the new magazine "ALIVE!", esp. because  that new mag
bounds  two parties together that  fighted someday against each  other. So there
would be no competition anymore. And  what happened without  competition you can
see in the way of UCM, several bad issues  were released because no one was able
to kick someones butts in a review...

If you have in mind that someones eyes are directed on you and your releases you
think twice before releasing some shit...

Ok, again I have to thank STsurvivor. Yo mate, even if I had a bad feeling in my
stomach as I watched your moves with UCM over the past 1,5 year, I still believe
in you and your skills! Just create ALIVE! and  support the scene as  well as we
will do with UCM again...

That's it for moondog's look back into the abyss... :)

.tSCc.                                                                   moondog
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