Sean Gustilo of Philly Zine, Cabbage Collective

Joseph A. Gervasi interviews Sean Gustilo. Sean Gustilo was born in Pennsylvania but grew up the youngest son of Filipino immigrants in the town of Glassboro in South Jersey. His older brother turned him onto punk in the mid-'80s and he was soon attending shows in venues such as Club Pizzaz, Revival, and City Gardens. He met Jesse Townley (later Jesse Luscious and also interviewed in this project) and took over Philly Zine when Jesse headed for parts West. Through Philly Zine, Sean began to explore not only his interest in punk, but also the use of computers for design (which was rather new at the time) and the awakening "homo punk" scene. Sean was one of a small but loud chorus of voices of gay punks speaking out in a scene that at the time barely addressed matters of sexuality in the scene. As Philly Zine wound down, Sean came to work on NO LONGER A FANzine with me and operate the I Love You 'zine distribution service. As well, Sean was a founding and crucial member of the Cabbage Collective. Among other things, we talk about how Sean came out and the changes in greater American society's attitudes regarding homosexuals from when he came out to the present. Sean now lives in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco and works in the tech industry. His time of active involvement in the DIY punk scene had a lasting and tremendous impact on his life.

Sean Gustilo portrait by Karen Kirchhoff
Sean Gustilo portrait by Karen Kirchhoff
Sean Gustilo portrait by Karen Kirchhoff
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