We like to think we know a thing or two about Louisville newsletters — after all, we say hello to ~37,000 of you each morning.
But we also know there have been Derby City newsletters that came (and went) before us.
We recently uncovered a gem buried among the leopard print and cargo shorts of the 1990s: The Burt the Cat Fanclub Newsletter .
The newsletter was named after creator Paul Curry’s cat Burt, and covered Louisville’s extensive underground punk + hardcore music scene from 1995 to 2002.
The cover often featured Burt spoofing movie posters and other cultural touchstones. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Burt’s Photo finish — we don’t seem to remember a cat in the Kentucky Derby.
- Giant-Size Burt — come to think of it, 400 W. Market does kind of look like a cat toy.
- Raging Burt — imagine a cat throwing punches alongside Joe Pesci in the Scorsese boxing classic . Me-ow.