Publication: Minneapolis Star Tribune [US]
Date: May 23, 1995
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Title: Miscellaneous Section
Written By: Cheryl Johnson

Symbolina seems hellbent on looking weird. Photographer Richard Avedon, who doesn't exactly glamorize subjects, shot one of the latest unflattering photographs of Chanhassen rock star P. Rogers Nelson for the May 22 issue of the New Yorker. His doe eyes are pleasing but he oughta give up the pencil beard. Nelson looks like Bambi in a fake crayon beard. And he's still making a political statement by writing 'slave' on his right cheek -- make that face; remember the yellow buttless britches? The mag takes a weak swipe at enobling Nelson's record contract squabble: 'Two years ago, in what may have been a moment of pique with Warner Bros. Records, "Prince" abandoned his world-famous moniker...he began referring to himself as "slave." Then, perhaps following Malcom X's lead, he changed his name to [Symbolina], driving home the point that, while the name Prince had been bought, his mind and talent would never be indentured,' writes Hilton Als. Oh, please.

...For othery weirdly Symbolina images, nothing beats his official 1995 calendar. He looks deathlike in the April photograph of the calendar -- images and design by Steve Parke, photographs by Nicole Nodland -- and yet better than he did for Avedon in the New Yorker.