Raw was founded in the summer of 1988[1] by Dante Bonutto, Malcolm Dome, Mark Putterford and Steve McTaggart and photographer Tony Mottram drafted in from Metal Hammer.
The first issue went on sale on 31 August that year, as a fortnightly publication, featuring Ozzy Osbourne on the cover tattooing the RAW logo on himself,[1] photographed by Tony Mottram.
The idea, at that stage, remained that the new magazine could overcome the heavyweight Kerrang!, and that EMAP's money and publishing clout would allow the Raw team to achieve this.
The original Raw magazine, the staff, writers and photographers, remained largely intact, with the addition of Liz Evans, until the end of 1989 when Dante Bonutto announced he was leaving.
The beginning of 1990 ushered in a new regime and Raw established itself as a viable alternative to Kerrang!, with a fresh, more contemporary editorial approach, championing bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Hole, L7 and Alice in Chains, alongside the more traditional rock stable.