The 405 Guest Mix (& Interview) // TSURUFOTO Nudiezine

We've been fans of Aaron Driggers for a long time now, we even had a mixtape battle with him a while back (which he definitely won). He's a lover, a zine maker, a photographer, a cyclist, a blogger and probably loads more. He started a 'nudiezine' a while back and it's wonderful. Great photography, backed with great articles, all within a DIY case (and a healthy dose of humour). We caught up with Aaron to find out more about the project. He also created a lovely mixtape for us. So check that out below too. You can check out the 'nudiezine' by clicking here, and the Kindle page by clicking here.
Firstly, how did the project come about? Well, I've been doing photography for such a long time, but it's not very "commercial". Besides giving it away for free on the superhighway of intertubal love canals, I've always been looking for something to do with it. Sell prints? Yeah. Make calendars? Sure. Put out a book? Some day I guess, but I felt there was something I could do that is just more fun, you know? I was thumbing through a zine at a local handmade indie-consignment shop called Wholly Craft and the seed was planted.... A NUDIEZINE! Of course! We went to Paris for our anniversary and during the down time I started sketching out ideas. When we got back, about a week later Issue No. 1 was ready and I was down at Kinkos (well, "fedex office", whatever) making zines! Is the photography mostly your work or do other people help out? It's all mine. I've had contributors for illustrations and mixtapes, the occasional saucy Letter To Tsuru, but the photos are mine. I hope to periodically make one of the photo sets a series from some of favourite photographers I've been lucky enough to get to know. Obviously some of the photos are NSFW. Has this been an issue for you at all? I would imagine working within this territory would propose some issues, or at least some hurdles? Well, I've been shooting nudes for a long time so that was all fine & normal (I remember shooting with my "fancy" whopping 2 megapixel digital camera, Oooo!). I think the tricky part is the tsururadio fans out there who don't realize or understand that I'm not just about music. Hell, the original incarnation of tsururadio was a nudie-music blog! Music is an important part of my life, but it certainly isn't everything. So yeah, I've lost quite a few Twitter followers & Facebook friends, etc, and that's fine. I'm a weirdo, I get it... But I rather be myself and have nobody give a shit than pretend to be something else. In relation to the last question but do you have issues with finding models? Not really. I've been very lucky to find some amazing women to work with here and around Columbus (or people who are travelling through). There are websites where people put up their model profiles and what not, I just write them, tell them what I'm doing, and ask if they'd like to shoot. A lot never respond, some respond then never communicate again, but the rest, well, there they are in the zine (or will be)! As well as making old school style black & white photocopied zines, you also make them available digitally. What inspired that move? Oh man... the kindle is awesome! Baby & I love our kindles. Fuck that iPad, give me a pure reader without twitter/email/apps/etc distractions any day! I've never read so much since I got that thing. And e-ink.... e-ink & zines are made for each other! Add in the ease that Amazon makes it to self-publish and BLAMO! easiest decision for the zine. To keep it extra zine-y, I actually scan the photocopied zine and use that for the kindle. Sometimes they are crooked, imperfect, I love it! You seem to be shifting a good few copies of the zine. Wheres the best place you've shipped one to? Besides around the states, I seem to have a few Canucks & Brits who like what I'm doing. A few have bought every issue! Maybe I should start a subscription? Well, let's get through the first year, eh? If you do become the Hefner of zines, what sort of mansion would you have? I'd probably downgrade from our little house now... MINIMIZE! The great minimization of the tsurus continues unabated! But man, I'd have a bike for every damn day of the week (and every type of weather pattern), that's for sure. Lastly, what do you have in store for the rest of the year and future nudiezines? Ah, well, we just published something new, something tiny, something fun.... The MINI! A single photo set in a small 12 page little nudiezine for 99¢! WOO! And... I plan to keep producing sexy short films from the zine shoots. Maybe get a fun contest going, and then, after a year.... I don't know, but something big. Go big, go small, but go naked! HA! Check out this Mixtape Aaron has put together for us: