OUT IN FRONT
Road Less Traveled
Curve Magazine, 2005
The first thing you may notice about Cristy Road is the hardness of her edge- in a good way.
"Im amused, annoying, inspired, Cuban, random, intimidated, forward, loud, and intrigued by the idea of being your friend," the 23-year old Philly illustrator introduces herself on www.croadcore.org, her official website. At 14, the Florida native started Greenzine, an alternative zine that focused primarily on the politics of punk rock and the honesty of adolescence. Roughly nine years later, Greenzine (and Road too) has evolved to encompass maturing ideas of gender, race, sexual liberation, and cultural identity.
"Im not into oppresive forms of control and power, any forms of sexism and racism" Road explains. "I find it easy for someone who is so engaged with their surroundings as a teenager to become jaded in their early 20s. But here I am in my early 20s, past the jaded slump. And while Im capable of criticizing the problems of the things that supported me, [like] punk rock, feminism, and radical politics, Im able to grow from this and continue being amused and in love with the positive aspects of these foundations."
Greenzine is far from the only thing on this dynamo's plate. Road's illustrations, each one a detailed manifesto, have appeared in various zines and as contributions to punk rock bands. In addition, she has performed for various causes, including a recent appearance at an event put on by Teens Organizing for Reproductive Choice (TORCH), where she also lead a workshop on combating sexual assault. "Knowing Im capable of supporting a group of people in this context is a reallyrewarding thing," she enthuses.
These days, Road is eyeing her options for reaching people on a grander scale. "Im working toward teacher certification," she says excitedly. "Thats what I ultimately wanna do. Its really important to me to provide ideas and support to people in my surrounding communities in a public and accesible way." Considering all she's done to date, we'd say she's well on her way. -Jocelyn Voo