1994 Broadside "Twentieth Century Outlaws Vol. I No. I"

1994 Broadside "Twentieth Century Outlaws Vol. I No. I" is a vintage Trading Cards artifact by Twentieth Century Outlaws (Independent Publisher, Indiana) from 1994, preserved in The Record Institute Ephemera Archive.

Category: Trading Cards

Brand: Twentieth Century Outlaws (Independent Publisher, Indiana)

Year: 1994

Rarity Class: B

Last updated: September 26, 2026

The inaugural October 1994 issue of Twentieth Century Outlaws serves as a raw, localized time capsule of 1990s American true-crime anxiety. Published as a "Free Monthly Anti-Crime Newspaper" in Indiana, this first edition channels the era's soaring cultural fear into community vigilantism, featuring FBI wanted notices alongside guides on crack cocaine and police reporting.

Quick Read

Inaugural Issue: Volume I, Number I of an independent Indiana anti-crime newspaper published in October 1994. Historical Context: Printed exactly one month after the landmark 1994 federal Crime Bill, reflecting peak 1990s national crime anxiety. Citizen Vigilantism: The front-page editorial encourages citizens to "become angry enough" and act as "undercover reporters." Federal Focus, Local Reach: Features FBI and U.S. Customs wanted notices distributed freely at Indiana grocery stores and gas stations. Pop Culture Ties: Explicitly cites true-crime television shows like America's Most Wanted as inspiration for the publication.

Summary

The inaugural October 1994 issue of Twentieth Century Outlaws serves as a raw, localized time capsule of 1990s American true-crime anxiety. Published as a "Free Monthly Anti-Crime Newspaper" in Indiana, this first edition channels the era's soaring cultural fear into community vigilantism, featuring FBI wanted notices alongside guides on crack cocaine and police reporting.

A scan of the front page of "Twentieth Century Outlaws," a free monthly anti-crime newspaper. The masthead notes it is Vol. I No. I, dated October 1994. The layout features an editorial titled "Taking Back Our Streets," four wanted posters (for Murder, Illegal Arms Export, Bank Fraud, and Escape) with stark black rectangles obscuring the suspect photos, and a table of contents listing articles on crack cocaine, scams, and how to report a crime. Badges at the top read "Children 0 Found" and "Fugitives 0 Found."