LASER ROT SPEAKS! logo!
For April 1997

"WE'RE BACK!"



We are very pleased to announce the introduction of Laser Rot, a non-profit internet LaserDisc & DVD informational database located at www.laserrot.com. Laser Rot officially premiered on April 1, 1997 (no foolin'!), and our goal is to become the foremost guide to the wonderful world of LaserDisc & DVD entertainment.

Our internet edition of Laser Rot is by no means our first foray into the world of laserdiscs. Our humble beginnings date back to 1989 with our first published issue of Pond Scum, our monthly "laserdisc infotainment guide." Pond Scum soon grew to 24 monthly pages and was receiving worldwide distribution through subscriptions and newstand sales. Our unconventional thinking, tongue-in-cheek attitudes, and extremely in-depth "no holds barred" reviews made up a favorite with casual readers, the serious laserdisc fan, film industry professionals and laserdisc companies alike. After 29 issues, Pond Scum unfortunately ceased publication due to a family crisis and some serious medical problems. During our heyday, we were hailed as "the best laserdisc publication around," a title that still seems to follow us to this date.

Because we still receive regular correspondence from people worldwide inquiring about current issues or subscription information for Pond Scum, the idea for Laser Rot was born. We have incorporating all the popular features from Pond Scum, updated it to included DVD-related information, and have included a wide variety of additional sections. Additionally, our internet-based site allows for instant worldwide access to all the information contained within these pages at absolutely no charge.

Unlike printed publications which generally have a one-month shelf life, all our materials will remain permanently online, either as current features or as archived materials. This is especially valuable in the case of our DVD & LD Reviews section, since our vast database will allow you to read up on newer releases as well as older catalog titles. We have over 650 previously-published reviews which are currently being placed online, and newer reviews will be appearing shortly. Additionally, our online facilities allow us to "instantly" update sections without any of the usual lag time you have with printed publications. At the time of this writing, most of our sections are currently available for your perusal, and are being updated on a daily basis. Take a look around and let us know what you think!

And for those of you wondering how the name came about, we started out with a number of prospective and suggested titles, whittled them down to a nice selection, and conducted a poll. Laser Rot was chosen unanimously, winning out over titles ranging from the horribly mundane (such as The Laser Web or The Laser Net) to the strange (LaserOptik, Laser Frenzy, Laser Mania or Laser Maniac).Thanks for the name suggestion, Steve H. - your "no prize" is in the mail! Anyway, most people definitely approved of the tongue-in-cheek "word play" nature of Laser Rot, thought it was a hysterically-apt name for a Pond Scum successor (well, those who knew there used to be such a publication, anyway...), and also liked it because it stood out from the crowd and was very easy to remember. A couple other people just liked the name in general, and thought it referred to "Laser Rotation" (don't ask me...I didn't say it). Personally, Laser Rot to us means two things: 1) "Laser Rot" as in the slang, "What's all this rot you're talking about," i.e., stuff information, etc. - it's a phrase I tend to use a lot in everyday conversation; and 2) "Laser R.O.T." as in "Laser Rule of Thumb," which we hope this online guide will become. We believe this title describe our website and our playfully-serious nature perfectly. We sincerely hope you'll agree as well!

Enjoy and happy hunting!

Jeff Krispow
Publisher & Editor,
Laser Rot

            

Created: 04/01/97
Last Updated: 09/13/97