Roadrunner – Nostalgia Central

Inspired by the punk fanzines that were popping up in the UK in 1976 and 1977, this monthly Australian rock music magazine was founded in Adelaide by ex-pat Brit Donald Robertson (pictured above) and Flinders University student Stuart Coupe.

48 issues were published between March 1978 and January 1983.

Roadrunner (the name was inspired by the Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers song) began as a DIY punk fanzine – distributed only in South Australia (out of Adelaide record shop Modern Love Songs) – and grew into a national music magazine, chronicling the golden age of Australian post-punk, new wave, and independent pub rock.

After co-editing and writing for the first five issues of Roadrunner, Stuart Coupe moved to Sydney to join RAM (Rock Australia Magazine), where he worked as a staff writer for 18 months, eventually launching Green Records and moving into band management.

Notable contributors included Au Go Go Records founder Bruce Milne, 2JJ presenter Stuart Matchett, Clinton Walker, Ross Stapleton, Scott Matheson of The Riptides, Elly McDonald, Peter Nelson, Adrian Ryan, Keri Phillips, Larry Buttrose, Chris Willis, Toby Creswell, Mark Mordue, Richard McGregor, Richard Guilliat, David Langsam, Jillian Burt, and Dennis Atkins.

Publishing the magazine was a hand-to-mouth existence, with each issue of Roadrunner financing the next. Facing dire financial difficulties in 1982, the magazine moved production to Sydney for its final issue, published in January 1983.

Donald Robertson went on to work as an editor for Countdown Magazine, which sold 100,000 copies a month.