Creem Magazine 1st Offices

Born in 1969 in a beat-down building in Detroit’s infamous Cass Corridor at 3729 Cass Ave, Creem magazine emerged as America’s only rock ‘n’ roll publication. It’s original home was as much a part of the magazine’s legacy as the revolutionary voices it championed. On a street frequented by pimps and pros you could step up to the second floor for a peek into the mag’s take on Rock culture. Detroit’s Creem Mag became the creative nucleus where Barry Kramer, a determined Wayne State student, and Brit Tony Reray laid the groundwork for a publication that would go on to define a generation. Upstairs, Barry’s apartment and Mitch Ryder’s band practice space pulsed with the raw energy of the city, while the street below echoed with the sound of rock ‘n’ roll and the gritty pulse of urban life.

Creem - Mick JaggerFounded in Detroit, Michigan, Creem earned a reputation throughout the 1970s and ’80s as an irreverent tastemaker and foil to its main competitor Rolling Stone, helping promote local artists like the Stooges, MC5, and Alice Cooper. Contributors to the the magazine included Lester Bangs, Robert Christgau, Patti Smith, Cameron Crowe, eventual Pitchfork contributor Greil Marcus, and Dave Marsh, an early Creem editor who is credited as the first to use the term “punk rock” in a 1971 article on Question Mark & the Mysterians. “Having a certain sense of humor in the rock’n’roll culture–Creem nailed it in a way that nobody else has. It informed a lot of people’s sensibilities,” Thurston Moore said in a statement. –Pitchfork Magazine

As the magazine captured Detroit’s high-octane spirit, early contributions from legendary writers like Lester Bangs and Dave Marsh turned Creem into a cultural touchstone. Here, the raw, unfiltered energy of rock was not only celebrated but it was characterized and categorized for fans and the industry. Creem coined—the term “punk rock” debuted in May 1971 in Dave Marsh’s Looney Tunes column, and “heavy metal” was introduced in a review of Sir Lord Baltimore by “Metal” Mike Saunders. These pioneering genres, born of Creem’s fearless reporting, forever reshaped the musical landscape.

Robert Crumb’s Creem cover

The “Boy Howdy” logo seen on t-shirts and the classic R Crumb cover is a seminal symbol of Creem Magazine’s irreverent spirit, crafted by the legendary underground comic artist Robert Crumb. Allegedly, Crumb agreed to create this iconic design in exchange for the magazine footing the bill for a much-needed medical treatment, a deal as unconventional as the magazine’s own countercultural ethos. This striking emblem not only defined the magazine’s visual identity but also came to embody the raw, unfiltered energy of rock ‘n’ roll. The original title of the nostalgic film was, Boy Howdy! The Story of Creem Magazine, paying homage to this distinctive mark, celebrating a creative legacy that continues to resonate with fans and musicians alike.

CREEM - Michael Jackson

After its iconic beginnings in Detroit, Creem like most of downtown Detroit’s white residents, fled to the burbs. The magazine moved to Novi, only to return from rural Novi closer to its Detroit roots by 1973, ultimately settling closer to Detroit to the more artsy suburban city of Birmingham. Here, in the historic Theater Building (seen here), Creem thrived until 1986, embodying the relentless spirit of youth counterculture that defined its era. The journey continued as Creem made its final move to L.A. in the ‘80s, where it continued to influence and document the ever-evolving soundscape of rock ‘n’ roll.

Today, Creem magazine lives on—relaunched as both a website and a quarterly print magazine, with an archive that spans every issue from its original 1969–1989 run. If you want to learn more, the story of Creem is covered in a doc film. Take a look at the film on Creem Magazine trailer below. It’s a cinematic journey that promises to capture the rebellious heart and unyielding spirit of a publication that changed rock ‘n’ roll forever.

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187 S. Old Woodward, Detroit, Michigan

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