Before the Internet, there was TV. Before TV, there was literature. Before 2006, there was 2005. Late that year, Christophe and Ian met at university. The two became fast friends, bonding over many shared interests and a common distaste for ignorance and “entertainment light.” Throughout the course of their higher education, the pair snowballed various ideas, usually for films and the like. One such discussion yielded Grandiloquent Vagaries & Other Miscellany, a “per-zine” comprised of many varied writings from Chris, Ian, and a number of their then-fellow students that was released under the banner Low Standards for High Fives.
Though short-lived, “the magazine” as it was affectionately referred to, was a success creatively and critically. Chris and Ian continued to collaborate, as university drew to a close. Ian returned home to Northern Ireland, while Chris remained in England. Rather than diminish their collective creativity, their new-found geographical divide galvanized them. By December 2008, Grandiloquent Vagaries… returned in the form of an eponymous blog. By January 2009, Back-Talk, a further extension of the pair’s friendship – this time, in podcast form – arrived.
June 2009 saw the launch of this, the new Low Standards headquarters. The site, though very much in its infancy, already offers a window into what to expect: articles, podcasts, and more (hopefully) still to come.
Christophe and Ian are Low Standards for High Fives.
