Submissions for Laugh it Off Annual 4 Now Open

12 May 09 Categories: Laugh it Off

Laugh it Off is proud to announce that submissions are open for creative contributions to the Laugh it Off Annual Volume 4 (South African Youth Culture). We encourage all young South Africans bursting to be heard to send us their creative stuff for inclusion in what will be a wonderful showcase of South African youth culture.

From Adolescence to Zuma, and from the economic Apocalypse to ZA’s zeitgeist, Laugh it Off Annual Volume 4 will be covering everything from A to Z in South African Youth Culture. Now is your chance to contribute to the making of one of SA’s most relevant, youth-orientated books by submitting your creative masterpiece for inclusion.

2009 has been a watershed year for South Africa. Laugh it Off aims to capture the spirit of our young democracy at this point in time by publishing a full-colour 256-page A4 book filled with the feelings, thoughts, and ideas of young South Africans. Contributions can be in the graphic or written form: everything from final year art pieces to personal photos, and from short stories to poetry, will be gratefully received.

This year, Laugh it Off will be tapping into the minds of school-going South Africans in order to better understand and reflect upon where our country is at. Teachers are encouraged to give their students a related brief/project, as selected contributions will be published together with the name of the pupil as well as the school. The more submissions received, the higher the standard of the final published showcase.

Laugh it Off Annuals have found a pride of place in South African homes. The inaugural Laugh it Off Annual was a bestseller, the second was selected for Exclusive Books Publisher’s Choice (as well as being interdicted and then reprinted during Laugh it Off’s legal battles with SAB), and the third won a Loerie Award and launched Laugh it Off’s very own religion, Humourology.

To download Laugh it Off Annual 1 click here

To download Laugh it Off Annual 2 click here

For more information, please feel free to call us on (021) 788 3226.

All submissions should be e-mailed to: annual@laughitoff.co.za
Postal:  Suite 529, Private Bag x4, Postnet Sun Vally Cape Town 7985

Deadline: 30th June

SABMiller vs LiO Annual 1

28 November 08 Categories: Laugh it Off

This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Times on November 11, 2004

Laugh It Off again faces wrath of breweries
Nazma Dreyer
November 11 2004

SAB Miller is once again hauling Laugh It Off (LIO) before the Cape High Court – this time to stop the small T-shirt company’s annual publication and calendar.

This is the second time that LIO is doing battle with the second-largest brewery in the world.

In 2002 SABMiller took LIO to court over its T-shirt that sported the words “Black Labour, White Guilt. South Africa’s lively lusty exploitation since 1652. No Regard Given Worldwide.”

The words on a Black Label bottle read: “Black Label, Carling Beer. America’s Lusty Lively Beer. Brewed in South Africa.”

Earlier in 2004 the Supreme Court of Appeal rejected LIO’s appeal against a Cape High Court decision in favour of SABMiller.

Justice Roger Cleaver found the slogan was not a “harmless, clean pun” as LIO had argued, but “bordered on hate speech”.

Now SABMiller has applied for a fresh interdict against LIO to stop the printing of its annual youth publication and calendar as they include a picture of the T-shirt.

The LIO received a letter in October that said SABMiller was to apply for an interdict against the company.

The Cape High Court granted the brewery an interim interdict in November.

The matter is to be heard again next Thursday.

The annual publication is a collection of youth culture reports, stories, poems, graphics and photographs.

LIO owner Justin Nurse could not be reached for comment, but his business partner, Chris Verrijdt, said he would not comment as the matter was “delicate and there had been no developments”.

Adrian Botha, spokesperson for SABMiller London, said his company had sought an interdict to prevent Nurse from publishing material “that infringes the breweries’ trademark Carling Black Label and which would be in contravention of a high court and a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling”.

“Notwithstanding repeated requests, we have not received an acceptable undertaking from Nurse that he will refrain from publishing the infringing material.

“If we do receive an acceptable undertaking from him we will regard the matter as resolved.”

Asked whether SABMiller was not tarnishing its public image by taking the small T-shirt company to court again, Botha said: “The high court and Supreme Court of Appeal have ruled in our favour.

They pointed out that the issue had nothing to do with freedom of expression, which we strongly support.

The courts had found that Nurse’s company had abused its freedom of expression by taking a company’s trademark, distorting it and using it in products sold for its commercial gain – particularly where the effect was “to tarnish a brand without just cause”.

Annual Volume 2

26 November 08 Categories: Laugh it Off

Published in 2004

Preview the entire book here

Laugh it Off Annual (vol.1) South African Youth Culture

20 November 08 Categories: Laugh it Off

Preview the entire book here.

Laugh it Off has taken our unique brand of satire and social comment, and combined it with the voices of many other contemporary South African artists. This creative collaboration has led to the publication of a book that is bursting at the seams with what a young South Africa is thinking, feeling, and doing.

The Laugh it Off Annual features everything from graphic design to short stories, and from poetry to cartoons; as well as interviews, photography, and articles from the more established literary fraternity. The heavyweight contributions include Naomi Klein, Pieter-Dirk Uys, Zapiro, and Marianne Thamm. Controversial content to look out for includes ex-SL editor Andy Davis’s insight into the racist paradigms of South African media in his article entitled “Why I left SL”, as well as the mysterious pictures of Hansie Cronje that have surfaced suggesting that he is still very much alive. A younger South Africa will also no doubt recognise the names of contributors such as Karen Zoid, Tumi Molekane (Tumi & the Volume), Hagen Engler, Waddy Jones, The Most Amazing Show, Bastard Media, Nikhil Singh, Zef Sketse, Kgafela oa Magogodi, and many more….

Barry Ronge had this to say about the Laugh it Off Annual:

“This is not only a directory of talent, it’s a fascinating preview of what’s waiting in the wings for South African audiences over the next few years and a tantalising foretaste of the unique flavours of South Africa as it shapes a new legacy of creativity.”

Darrel Bristow-Bovey didn’t really have this to say about the Laugh it Off Annual:

“I don’t think I’ve read anything like this before”