Isthmus: The first decade

A special supplement marks 10 years of Isthmus with a look back at the weekly's first decade, an imaginative pictorial history by cartoonist Brian Strassburg, and brief profiles of editors, contributors and staff, as well as key alumnae from Isthmus' formative years. "We had no money," publisher/editor Vincent P. O'Hern reminisces in an extended Making the Paper column devoted to the weekly's genesis, "but supportive parents stood us for $1,800. We had no staff, but we had friends with something to say and skills to contribute. We had no press, but we had the Yellow Pages. We also had a lot of chutzpah." Longtime contributor Jerry Minnich delves into Isthmus' archives, reminding readers of such high points as its coverage of the Peter Bear saga and the strike against Madison Newspapers Inc., George Vukelich's North Country Notebook and Listening In columns, Mike Wilmington's movie reviews and other Isthmus critics' coverage of local music, arts, theater and food. "Throughout its 10 years of publication," Minnich concludes, "Isthmus has never forgotten its original promise - to serve as a guide to the arts and entertainment scene in Madison."