# Austin Sun > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Austin_Sun > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Austin_Sun.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Sun > Source revision: 1325902697 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Counterculture newspaper}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = The Austin Sun | image = | caption = | type = [Alternative](/source/Alternative_rock) | format = Biweekly [Tabloid](/source/Tabloid_(newspaper_format)) | founded = {{start date and age|1974|10|17}} | founder = Jeff Nightbyrd and Michael Eakin | managing_editor = J. David Moriarty | ceased_publication = {{end date and age|1978|06|29}} | relaunched = 2016 | price = | owners = | publisher = Austin Sun Pub. Co. | publishing_city = [Austin, Texas](/source/Austin%2C_Texas) | editor = | language = | circulation = | ISSN = | website = }} The '''''Austin Sun''''' was a [biweekly](/source/Weekly_newspaper) [counterculture](/source/counterculture) newspaper that was published in [Austin, Texas](/source/Austin%2C_Texas), between 1974 and 1978.{{cite web|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86088074/|title=Publication History of The Austin Sun|website=chroniclingamerica.loc.gov|publisher=Library of Congress}} The publication was similar in nature to ''[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)'' during the latter's formative years. The ''Austin Sun'' was instrumental in advancing the careers of many musical artists, including [Stevie Ray Vaughan](/source/Stevie_Ray_Vaughan),{{cite book|last=Hopkins|first=Craig|date= September 15, 2010|title=Stevie Ray Vaughan – Day by Day, Night After Night: His Early Years, 1954–1982|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=978-1-4234-8598-8|page=103}} [Joe Ely](/source/Joe_Ely), [Marcia Ball](/source/Marcia_Ball), and [Butch Hancock](/source/Butch_Hancock).{{citation needed|date=January 2024}} It also covered the first American performances of [Elvis Costello](/source/Elvis_Costello), at the [Armadillo World Headquarters](/source/Armadillo_World_Headquarters); and the [Sex Pistols](/source/Sex_Pistols), in [San Antonio](/source/San_Antonio). The ''Austin Sun'' was notable for being the newspaper that started the careers of many persons who later became well-known in journalism and other media. Core former ''Sun'' staff members were involved with the publications ''[LA Weekly](/source/LA_Weekly)'' and ''[The Austin Chronicle](/source/The_Austin_Chronicle)''. ==Publication history== The ''Austin Sun'' was co-founded by Jeff Nightbyrd (formerly Jeff Shero), who had been the editor of ''[The Rat](/source/Rat_(newspaper))'' in [New York City](/source/New_York_City) and associated with ''[The Rag](/source/The_Rag)'' [underground newspaper](/source/underground_newspaper) in Austin.{{cite web|url=http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/back-in-business-of-stirring-up-trouble.html|title=What Ever Happened To The New Generation?|website=TheRagBlog|author=[Thorne Webb Dreyer](/source/Thorne_Webb_Dreyer)|date=December 30, 2007|access-date=2007-12-30|archive-date=July 8, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708070326/http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/back-in-business-of-stirring-up-trouble.html|url-status=live}} Nightbyrd established the paper with Michael Eakin,{{efn|Michael Eakin was murdered in Houston in 1979. His murder remains unsolved.{{cite book|chapter-url=https://rayreece.net/almost-no-apologies/ |first=Ray|last=Reece|chapter=Almost No Apologies (The Desecration of the Violet Crown)|date=1991|title=No Apologies: Texas Radicals Celebrate the '60s|publisher=Eakin Press|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207003559/https://rayreece.net/almost-no-apologies/ |archive-date=2017-02-07 |editor-first=Daryl |editor-last=Janes}}{{cite news|first=Michael |last=Ventura|author-link=Michael Ventura|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/column?oid=oid:82865|title=Look Ma, No Hands!|work=[The Austin Chronicle](/source/The_Austin_Chronicle)|date=September 7, 2001}}}} a former editor at ''[The Daily Texan](/source/The_Daily_Texan)'', the [student newspaper](/source/student_newspaper) of the [University of Texas at Austin](/source/University_of_Texas_at_Austin). They were later joined by J. David Moriarty as managing editor, and considered to be the only person at the paper with business expertise. Unlike [underground newspaper](/source/underground_newspaper)s (and despite being so categorized by the [Library of Congress](/source/Library_of_Congress)), which published much counterculture social and political commentary by volunteer contributors, the ''Austin Sun'' was intended to be a commercially viable enterprise, with formal advertising programs and paid staff positions. The paper's first issue was published on October 17, 1974. Despite intentions of commercial viability, most staff members of the ''Austin Sun'' needed to have full-time jobs elsewhere to provide for themselves. Jeff Nightbyrd regularly offered employees stock in lieu of salaries, though the stock, being printed paper in relation to a private company, bore no relationship to the actual value of the business.{{efn|As stated by Bill Hood, a former ''Austin Sun'' photographer and later the paper's art director.{{cite web|title=To Hell with Houston!|first=Bill|last=Hood|date=March 7, 2009|website=TheAustinSun.com|url=http://theaustinsun.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216142459/http://theaustinsun.com/|archive-date=Feb 16, 2016}} }} The ''Austin Sun'' published its last issue on June 29, 1978. == Legacy == Following the cessation of publication of the ''Austin Sun'' in 1978, several of its writers — [Michael Ventura](/source/Michael_Ventura), Ginger Varney, [Bill Bentley](/source/Bill_Bentley_(producer)),{{cite news|first=Margaret |last=Moser|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:75120 |title=Back Door Man: The Man Behind ''More Oar'', Bill Bentley|work=[Austin Chronicle](/source/Austin_Chronicle)|date=December 17, 1999}} and "Big Boy" Medlin{{cite news|first=Michael |last=Ventura|url= https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/1998-10-02/520317/ |title=Report From L.A.|work=[Austin Chronicle](/source/Austin_Chronicle)|date=October 2, 1998}} — relocated to Los Angeles, forming the core first editorial group of the ''[LA Weekly](/source/LA_Weekly)'', which commenced publication that same year.{{cite news|url=http://www.laweekly.com/news/la-weekly-founder-jay-levin-on-the-vision-that-started-it-all-2157271/ |title=''L.A. Weekly'' Founder Jay Levin on the vision that started it all|work=LA Weekly|date=December 4, 2008|first=Jay|last=Levin|author-link=Jay Levin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529222210/http://www.laweekly.com/news/la-weekly-founder-jay-levin-on-the-vision-that-started-it-all-2157271|archive-date=May 29, 2016}} Some of those same writers, such as Ventura and Bentley, became key contributors to ''[The Austin Chronicle](/source/The_Austin_Chronicle)'' when it commenced publication in 1981.{{cite web|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A82873|title=Chapter 1: Before the Beginning – September 1981 – August 1982|work=Oral History of the Austin Chronicle|date=September 7, 2001|publisher=AustinChronicle.com}} Both the ''LA Weekly'' and the ''Austin Chronicle'' continue to publish; both also remain associated with persons who were originally with the ''Austin Sun''. The social and cultural impact of the ''Austin Sun'' is recognized through the publication being indexed by the [Library of Congress](/source/Library_of_Congress).{{efn|The ''Austin Sun'' is also included as part of the Alternative Press Collection of the [University of California, Santa Barbara](/source/University_of_California%2C_Santa_Barbara),{{cite web|url=http://www.oac.cdlib.org/data/13030/nx/ft400003nx/files/ft400003nx.pdf|publisher=University of California, Santa Barbara|title=Guide to the Alternative Press Collection}} as well as through ongoing reunion activities.{{cite web|url=http://theaustinsun.com/|title=The Austin Sun Reunion Group: FOR THE RECONNECTION OF ALUMNI OF THE AUSTIN SUN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216142459/http://theaustinsun.com/ |archive-date=2016-02-16 |website=TheAustinSun.com}} }} A reunion of ''Austin Sun'' staff members was held in October 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.jrcompton.com/photos/AustinSunPix/40-YearsLater.html |title=The Austin Sun Reunion, Halloween 2009|first=J. R. |last=Compton|website=The Party at the End of the Universe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042923/http://www.jrcompton.com/photos/AustinSunPix/40-YearsLater.html|archive-date=Mar 4, 2016}} A website was established by former staff members Bill Hood and Deborah Stall Nelson, where former staff members and readers of the ''Austin Sun'' regularly shared recollections and updates. Protection of the ''Austin Sun'' name appears to have been lost, in that for many years the name was used by a [news aggregation](/source/news_aggregation) site run by the [World News Network](/source/World_News_Network), with no evident association with the original ''Austin Sun'' ownership.{{cite web|url=http://austinsun.com/ |title=Austin Sun Internet News Site|website=AustinSun.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503090038/http://austinsun.com/ |archive-date=May 3, 2012}} ==2016 relaunch== In June 2016, the ''Austin Sun'' was relaunched as a website in the spirit of the original publication. Founding ''Sun'' writers Bill Bentley, James BigBoy Medlin, and [Michael Ventura](/source/Michael_Ventura) were contributors to the new site, along with original art directors Dan Hubig and Carlene Brady.{{cite web |url=http://www.austinsun.us/ |title = Austin Sun: A Journal of Humor, Music, Art & Politics for Austin & the Surrounding World, Since 1974|website=Austin Sun}} The relaunched ''Austin Sun'' has not been updated or posted new content since the spring of 2021. == Notes == {{notelist}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.austinsun.us/ ''Austin Sun'' relaunched website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20160216142459/http://theaustinsun.com/ Archive of the ''Austin Sun'' alumni group] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110713234058/http://www.jrcompton.com/photos/AustinSunPix/SUN.html Archive of ''Austin Sun'' photographs from 1975-1976 by J.R. Compton] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042923/http://www.jrcompton.com/photos/AustinSunPix/40-YearsLater.html Archive of ''Austin Sun'' reunion Photographs by J.R. Compton from 2009] Category:1974 establishments in Texas Category:1978 disestablishments in Texas Category:Alternative weekly newspapers published in the United States Category:Defunct newspapers published in Texas Category:Newspapers published in Austin, Texas Category:Newspapers established in 1974 Category:Underground culture Category:Underground press Category:Defunct weekly newspapers --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Austin Sun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Sun) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Sun?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.