HSA Launches HOWL Magazine Archive

This week the HSA launches an online archive of its magazine, HOWL. First published in 1973, HOWL has been in continuous production ever since, making it the longest-running – and best – animal rights magazine in the world.

Over 120 issues have been painstakingly scanned and – in the case of fragile older editions – digitally restored, so that they can be read ‘flipbook’ style. The resulting archive is an extraordinary resource likely to be of interest to hunt sabs, animal activists, and social historians everywhere.

Together with our recently published book Sabotage, the archive tells the story of the HSA’s decades-long fight against blood sports. Along the way, sabs have faced down endless hunt violence and state repression – including the 1986 Public Order Act and the 1994 Criminal Justice Act which specifically targeted sabs – and of, course, suffered the deaths of two of our comrades, Mike Hill and Tom Worby. As the archive also makes clear, sabs realised within weeks of hunting being banned in 2005 that ‘trail hunting’ was simply a smokescreen designed to disguise illegal hunting.

While the design, typeface, and sab fashions on display in HOWL have changed over the years, one thing is consistent throughout: the HSA’s simple philosophy of uncompromising, grassroots direct action against all blood sports. It is this unwavering commitment that explains why the HSA will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year.

A HSA spokesperson commented:

“This online archive is largely a labour of love by one person – veteran hunt sab and investigator Mike Huskisson. When Mike suffered a stroke in May 2021, he immediately offered to scan his complete collection of HOWL magazines as a way of continuing to support the HSA. We are extremely grateful to Mike for his work and send our heartfelt best wishes for his ongoing recovery. We are proud to name the project in his honour – the Huskisson Archive.”

You can explore the Huskisson Archive here.