Porkopolis was a tape label out of Cincinannati, Ohio, run by Ashley Allen (aka Jerry Allen). The label featured a number compilations of atists throughout the cassette underground, along with a regular stable of artists such as The Real Americans and others.

Ashley Allen, also known as Jerry Allen and Hobilly Allen, was the driving force behind the Cincinnati, Ohio cassette label Porkopolis, a key part of the American underground tape culture. More than a label operator, he was a connector, documentarian, and advocate for a local scene that had very little exposure outside its own geography.

Through Porkopolis, he strongly supported Cincinnati and regional artists by compiling tapes that featured local bands and home recordists alongside contributors from the wider cassette network. His compilations captured the sound and character of his local scene at the time. He also released material by underground bands that passed through the area, including Sub Humanz, as well as well-known cassette culture artists like Love, Calvin, helping link the local scene to a broader DIY music community.

Allen worked fluidly under his different names, not as separate personas, but as variations of the same creative identity. Whether credited as Ashley, Jerry, or Hobilly, his focus stayed consistent: supporting artists working outside the commercial industry and giving their music a physical presence through hand-duplicated, mail-distributed cassettes.

Porkopolis releases reflected the era’s handmade culture — photocopied covers, cut-and-paste artwork, and minimal packaging that valued connection and expression over polish or professionalism. The label functioned as both a distribution outlet and a cultural document of its time.

Ashley Allen / Jerry Allen / Hobilly Allen wasn’t just running a cassette label.
He was helping build and sustain a community, turning a local scene into part of a larger underground conversation.