by Jörgen Holmstedt
The youth magazine was called OKEJ and is legendary by now. The teenies of the 80ies loved it. At least everybody who was into pop, rock, film and tv. OKEJ had it all!
OKEJ was founded 1980 and its span reached from the brutal thrash metal kings Metallica to the sweet boyband The Pinks. In OKEJ you could read all about artists like Kiss, Noice, Depeche Mode, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Herreys and Carola. The magazine closely followed tv series like ”Fame”, ”V”, ”Nord & Syd”, and movies like ”G”, ”Dirty Dancing” and ”P.S. Sista sommaren”.
OKEJ increased its circulation more than any other Swedish press in 1984. The magazin sold 156 000 copies and was read by 500 000 teenagers - by almost everybody of the target group. The success was total.
This book is filled to the rim with everything that made OKEJ so hot: the pictures, scandals and world stars. Re-experience Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. gormandising meat shreds, topless pictures of Samantha Fox, Dee Sniders sharpened front teeth, Christer Sandelin in his leopard-patterned bodysuit, Peter LeMarc with a gun and 15 year old Anna Book in her wet swimsuit. Meet Per Gessle, who demanded to be payed for appearing in OKEJ. See the shower pictures of Dag Finn which caused a major outcry, and read the interview with Carola, which could have ruined her career, and which her manager asked and begged for should not be published.
The book ”Boken om OKEJ – 80-talets största poptidning” is insightfully written by longterm OKEJ-editor Jörgen Holmstedt. The legendary OKEJ photographers Göran Lindsjöö and Michael Johansson opened their archives especially for this book - a sparkling piece of deliciously designed music and magazine history. No one will remaine untouched! Regardless your attitute towards the popular culture of the 80ies.
Preface by Hammerfall. Richly illustrated with hundreds of previous unpublished photos. All editions from the 80ies are pictured with an evaluation guide for collectors. Bonus poster with Kylie Minogue and Angus Young (AC/DC) is included!
Sample pages
