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Back when this LAister was a dewey-eyed new Angeleno, we loved all things that were genuinely Los Angeles, that were cheap, that were a little bit strange (we haven't changed much). Back then we were drawn irresistably to Venice Beach, which was free — and a freakshow of street performers, muscle men and the scruffy hippie punks of Zendik Farm. The Zendik Farmers carried smeared newsprint zines that they wanted to sell you, and if they thought you were likeminded they'd invite you out to the farm, some commune-like place led by an old guy who called himself Zendik. A while ago, they all disappeared.
So imagine our surprise when we were in Washington DC and we were accosted by, that's right, Zendik Farm.
Apparently Zendik is gone, but the Zendik crew carries on in West Virginia — and the streets of Washington instead of Venice. Did you ever run into them on the beach? Do you remember the newspaper hucksters of Zendik Farm?
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The original Zendik Farm commune was in Boulevard, California, in the San Diego County desert. I mostly used to see the Zendik tribe hanging out on Melrose Ave, selling zines to the punks at the clothing and record stores back in 1988/89.
I had the same kind of experience you did--I was in D.C. with some members of my union local for the Million Worker March, when I was approached by somebody selling a colorful zine--it may even have been the woman in your picture (in fact, I think it was). I took a look at the zine, which was pretty interesting, and it actually took a minute or two before I realized that this was the same Zendik Farm zine I used to buy from these guys and girls in LA. I mentioned this, and she told me that she was one of the people who used to do that in those days. Then she explained about the move to West Virginia, and we had a nice laugh over the idea that I had probably bought zines from her in Hollywood back in the late eighties.
There are all kinds of anarchist punk communes out in the sticks now, but I believe they were one of the first large ones in the U.S.
Oh by the way this is not an ANARCHIST punk commune..... the rest of what u said is true but be careful when u say anarchist... that is exactly what they want to discard in society....
Zendik is a cult.
Read the lit, it's their way or the highway and their way is a far cry from what they preach. It's all about the Wulf Zendik blood line. "Stop Bitchin buy victoria secret so Fawn can seduce the newest teenager who visits."
Thats what the bumper sticker should say, Cause that is where your money just went.
Zendik IS a cult. It's too bad, 'cause they have some good ideas. I used to see them in OB, standing on the corner by The Black, in San Diego. Since Wulf and Fawn are hypocrites, and are a part of Babylon and the death-kultur they rant against, it raises the question, "how do you get out of Babylon, without betraying yourself back in again?"
So, the Zendiks inspired me to think about these things. Everything works together for good, after all.
I stayed with the Zendiks briefly during the mid 80's. At that point they had a base camp of sorts in Topanga Canyon and the main man, Wulf -- said to be a former, slightly daft bookie from NYC -- lived in San Diego. They were good enough folks but there was no farming, just the weekly papers about saving the enviornment. Last I heard they sold the place in the canyon and all moved to SD to sleep on his garage floor and hand out papers. They definitely weren't a cult back then and seemed more like refugees from the real world seeking a leader.