HIRED GUNS

SAM McPHEETERS, WRITER

Born in Ohio and raised in upstate New York, he was a published author at age 12, the vocalist for Born Against, and has toured 21 times across Europe, Japan, and North America. In 2020, Rare Bird published his latest book, Mutations: The Many Strange Faces of Hardcore Punk. Sam’s brutal masculinity and electrifying charisma have made him a hero to millions, and his lean, muscular prose has caused readers to wet themselves in bookstore aisles. Women want to be him, men want to beef him. What kind of insane shit will Sam get up to next?

SHAMIR BAILEY, WRITER

America’s favorite flop star (that’s “former pop star” to you) has been trying on genres and other mediums, like budgetless shopping sprees, for the entirety of his career. Over the past seven years, he’s released eight critically acclaimed albums. He’s also an avid writer, having been published in publications other than this one that we (CREEM) refuse to highlight here, on principle. Aside from music and writing, Shamir also founded the record label Accidental Popstar Records, where he focuses on developing new artists.

RANDY BLYTHE, PHOTOGRAPHER

In addition to snarling and barking about endof-days scenarios with metallic titans Lamb of God, Richmond-based vocalist Randy Blythe can also be found discussing Dark Days, his memoir of life in a Czech prison; espousing the virtues of heavy music; and waiting for the magic hour behind the lens of his trusty Leica. His band has taken him to the far corners of the earth, while his photography work has been featured across multiple photo shows and publications, with this being his first appearance in CREEM. It’s all downhill from here.

KATE KILLET, PHOTOGRAPHER

A photographer, music documentarian, viral meme (we don’t talk about that one), and creative director of Posi Vibez Collaborative Music & Arts Society, a registered not-forprofit seeking to create more diverse, safe, and supportive spaces in the arts based in Toronto, Ontario, where she is Queen of the Scene. When she is not tirelessly working to make the music industry suck less, she lives under the tutelage of her soulmate, a 3-year-old punk pug named Edie.

NATE TURBOW, CARTOONIST

A cartoonist, painter, puppeteer, talk-show host, life coach, and spiritual adviser, known around New York City as a total asshole, a complete asshole, and occasionally just an asshole. He doesn’t vape and only smokes cigarettes when he parties. He smokes two packs a night. He collects friends from bars and furniture from the street, and as a result there are a lot of things in his life missing a leg. He recently launched his own version of cryptocurrency called imaginocurrency, and so far it is not performing well. He grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

LEAH MANDEL, WRITER

A writer from NYC who’s been “working in music” since she was a DJ at WOBC (iykyk), she writes mostly on music and digital culture, but don't ask her about it unless you want to hear a whole spiel and/or the words “cringe,” “information theory,” and “justice for_” repeatedly. Obsessed with toys, crosswords, pickles, and her cat Prince, her pet peeves are dysfunctional technology, disrespect of bar etiquette, and people who think “Bee Gees are the greatest band of all time” is up for debate. She has a booger on her face in this photo.