Maximum Ink music magazine was founded in March of 1996 by Rökker and co-founder Black 'n Tan. The name "Maximum Ink" is derived from a few origins. The "Max" part of the name is dedicated to Black 'n Tan's brother Max Ward, a Madison area vocal instructor and very popular in the area. Many of the established, local singers would admit having taken lessons from Max. The other part of the name was at the suggestion of the Onion's Philly, whom Rökker had played in many bands with including the Sequentials and Cornerstone. Philly suggested that since we intended to have massive black backrounds and super colorful art on the covers, we will be using the "Maximum Ink" possible on the page. Hence our motto, "It's finger inkin' good!
By the time Maximum Ink was ready to publish its first issue, Max was very sick with the AIDS virus. Sadly, Max passed the day after the first issue of Maximum Ink was published. That is what drives us.
The other half of the naming's origin is that the front cover of Maximum Ink has always used the "Maximum" amount of color "Ink" on the cover! Which led to our motto "Finger 'inkin' Good!
Maximum Ink features articles, interviews, monthly columns, CD/DVD reviews, rockstar death-notices, monthly live music calendar and more. Maximum Ink's writers are based locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
Maximum Ink distributes 30,000 hardcopy monthly through out the Wisconsin area and surrounding areas including Minneapolis, Duluth, Chicago, Rockford, Dubuque and more!
Maximum Ink can be found in bars, nightclubs, restaurants, coffee shops, retail shops and other cool places throughout Wisconsin in cities like Madison, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Appleton, Fond du Lac, Wausau, Stevens Point, Superior, Ashland, Eau Claire, Janesville, La Crosse, Platteville, Racine, Kenosha, Prairie du Sac, Richland Center, Lodi, Baraboo, Wisconsin Dells, Whitewater, Menomonee and more!
