VISTA
Complete 14-issue run of this short-lived VISTA, home to staff editor Douglas Coupland's early defining article and continuing comic strip about Generation X, anticipating his novel of the same name.
Near fine.
Price: $1,500.00
VISTA
"[I]t's odd that Gen X was the thing that would change my life, because everything about the book reeked of disaster and bad decision-making." - Coupland
Coupland's first article on what used to be called the Postponed Generation appeared in a 1987 issue of VANCOUVER magazine, calling his subject Generation X after the scholarly inspiration of Paul Fussell and Billy Idol. The young writer followed editor Parry to the new and short-lived VISTA, where he profiled the peculiar qualities of the Gen X workforce in a new article for its premiere issue. Illustrated with comic panels by Paul Rivoche, and inaugurating the never-ending journalistic cycle of quasi-anthropological examinations of aimless people in their twenties who don't want to leave the house. Coupland identified the prototypical Xer as overeducated and easily bored, perfectionistic and full of ideas if not achievements, independent-minded and certain of their own worth but unable to plan for the future, anti-idealists with a special loathing for baby boomers but (a note for employers) fatally susceptible to flattery. "Are we never going to get these children out of our lives?" asks one long-suffering mother of an Xer, perhaps not meaning to echo Henry II on Thomas Becket but doing so all the same.
Coupland and Rivoche followed that introductory article with an ongoing Generation X comic strip series, following "Brad X, toiling away in his cubicle at Excess Marketing," his sell-out boss, "Mr. Boomer," and his little brother Tyler, a Global Teen (i.e.: a member of Generation Y). Building on this foundation, Coupland produced a fuller fictional portrayal in his first novel, 1991's GENERATION X, solidifying for good a label which would soon be defined out from under him.
As the world turned, Generation X eventually lost its shaky hold on cultural prominence as the "Young and Restless" objects of concern, replaced by a cohort which later learned to rile up its predecessors by confusing them with baby boomers. These were the days of their lives.
Read more: Coupland, "Douglas Coupland on. How He Came to Write Generation X," The Guardian; Coupland, "Genesis X," Vancouver Magazine; "The Douglas Coupland Gen X Comic Strip You've Probably Never Seen," The Jennifer Chronicles.
The Object
First editions. (Toronto): (Vista Publications), (1988-1990). 10.75'' x 8.75''. Original color pictorial wrappers. Housed in archival box. Light edgewear to some issues.
The Fine Print
We work hard to meet our ethical responsibility to describe our material accurately. All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned for any reason within 30 days. Please notify us before mailing a return.
We guarantee the authenticity of our items. All materials are original (meaning not facsimiles or reproductions) unless otherwise noted. First editions (meaning first edition, first printing) are explicitly stated. TPM is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and upholds their Code of Ethics.
All photographs are of the actual item for sale. We're happy to provide additional images on request.
All domestic orders ship gratis. For orders under $250, free USPS media mail shipping is included; orders $250 and over ship USPS Ground Advantage. International orders over $1000 also ship gratis. Expedited, overnight, as well as other carriers (UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.), may carry additional costs beyond quoted rates. All orders receive tracking information and a direct contact in case of any questions.
International buyers are responsible for any customs, taxes, and related import fees. Please note that we are unable to accomodate requests to misrepresent, misdeclare, or otherwise falsify customs documents when shipping internationally. We appreciate your understanding.
We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, Venmo, check, money order, and bank wire. We are happy to bill institutional buyers' needs. Sales tax will be added to applicable purchases. Items subject to prior sale.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact us. We prioritize our long-term relationships far above any individual purchase, and we want you to love your item as much as we loved cataloguing it.
