Elizabeth Renstrom, Photo Editor at VICE

Elizabeth Renstrom: I'm not sure if this is too niche, but I was obsessed with the Rollerderby zine and Lisa Crystal Carver ie. Lisa Suckdog growing up. I became aware of her zine in the middle of high school when I was going through a huge Riot Grrl discovery in music and performance. I was listening to Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville (which is still one of my favorite albums) and reading about Vaginal Davis, who both led me to Lisa's beloved zine. I bought a bunch on ebay and my older brother then purchased the paperback version of the first 16 issues as a gift for me. I think what attracted me most was Lisa's approach to interviews and also the random collection of things like virginity loss stories. I was so hungry for stuff that was discussing female sexuality frankly but not exploiting it. I wanted the gross, quivering, bloody, and erotic admissions—and Rollerderby provided. She still hasn't got her due IMO, because people are still terrified of actually putting anything as raw out there ESPECIALLLLLY if it's from a woman. BOO. Thank you for getting my hormone bomb self through high school, Lisa. Your work still inspires me today.

SPD: What year?
ER: 2006-2007 (?)

SPD: What were you up to?
ER: I was just discovering and falling in love with photography and painting a lot as a medium. Very emo, very female singer songwriter, very horny, very high school.

SPD: What magazine?
ER: Rollerderby

SPD: What was it that so enthralled you?
ER: I was really sick of reading glossy magazines for anything related to sex and relationships. They weren't interviewing the artists and musicians I was beginning to get into and I felt like I wanted something gory and obscene. I didn't want friendly advice on 'Omg, what do I do when I get my period at my boyfriend's house?" I wanted a range of female sexuality and rage that wasn't peddling to advertisers or curated by men.

SPD: Do you know now who the creatives were?
ER: Lisa Crystal Carver

SPD: How does that inform your creative now?
ER: I am still, especially in my personal work as a photographer, constantly referencing the way Rollerderby made me feel as a young woman. I can only hope to be as fearless in my choices as an artist and editor as Lisa was with her mag and performances through Suckdog.