Xerography Debt #11
Table of Contents
| Xerography Debt Issue #11 June 2003 Davida Gypsy Breier, Editor Fred Argoff, Androo Robinson, Donny Smith, Eric Lyden, & Bobby Tran Dale, Founding Reviewers Mark Hain, Matt Fagan, Josh Bowron, Erin Quinlan, Eric Lyden, Gavin J. Grant, Dan Taylor, Brooke Young, Maria Goodman, Rick Bradford, Mariah, Kathy Moseley, Ted Mangano, & 710 Bishop (Zebulun and Dan), Reviewers Androo Robinson and Matt Fagan, Artists Androo Robinson and Maria Goodman, Proofreaders Xerography Debt is a Leeking Inc., publication. It is scheduled to appear 3 times a year. Issues are $3. Send cash/stamps, zines, and correspondence to: Xerography Debt Davida Gypsy Breier PO Box 963, Havre de Grace, MD 21078 E-mail: davida@leekinginc.com Website: www.leekinginc.com © June 2003 #12 Due out October 2003. You can pre-order today! |
To order a paper copy of this issue, please send $3 (cash, stamps, money order, or check) to Davida Gypsy Breier, PO Box 11064, Baltimore, MD 21212
Distribution: Atomic Books, Quimby’s, SoberBrothers.com, Stickfigure Distro, & Tower Records |
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Introduction
I was behind the counter at Atomic Books when punk rock's answer to Tracy Turnblad walked in with two friends. She and her female friend were showing their dorky male friend underground comics that they enjoyed. He was clueless, but interested. It is easy to get disheartened by the world, but watching teenage girls proselytizing about comics to teenage boys shows me the revolution is already here.
This issue kicks off the start of a series of columns addressing The History of Zines. As I see it, the history stretches much further back (and in many more directions) than the often cited science fiction fanzines of the early 20th century. There have always been people publishing outside of established literary circles. Each of our personal zine histories is intertwined with, well, history's histories. There are hundreds of roots and thousands of branches.
I've been writing a column regarding zines for Atomic Books for some months now, but The History of Zines series means they will likely not be printed here. Recent topics have included tips on printing your zine and tips for writers. You can read the columns online at: www.atomicbooks.com/bastardspawn.html. If you don't have internet access, but want to read them, get in touch and I'll send copies.
This time around I sent about 10 zines to the reviewers and they selected whichever ones they wanted to review. A few added picks of their own. I have been trying to cut down on the number of repeat reviews. You can't suppress a true democracy and more than one reviewer chose the same zines to review on their own. So be it. A recent review of Xerography Debt mentioned that the reviewers often tend to review one another. Ideally, this says to me Xerography Debt is made up of fantastic writers who are recognized by their peers. At the same time it can appear cliquish. The difference between a clique and a community is that a clique is exclusive, while a community is inclusive. We are all about community here, baby, please join us.
Enjoy!
Davida Gypsy Breier
June 2003
Basic stuff you should know
If this is your first issue, XEROGRAPHY DEBT is a review zine for zine readers by zine writers. It is a hybrid of review zine and personal zine. XEROGRAPHY DEBT has its own freestyle approach. It is all about communication, so each reviewer has used the format or style most comfortable to him or her. Also, each reviewer "owns" the zine in a completely communal, non-possessive sense. We are individual artists and writers coming together to collaborate and help keep zineland flourishing. It is a communal experience from start to finish. Do your part by ordering a few zines from the many reviewed here and, if you self-publish, please consider including a few reviews in your zine.
XEROGRAPHY DEBT's reviews are selective. To explain the “system”: Some reviewers choose to review zines they have bought or traded with, some review zines that are sent to Xerography Debt for review, and some do both. Also, I buy zines at Atomic Books, my local zine store, and zine events, so if you see your zine reviewed and you didn’t send it in, that might be where I found it. Generally the only reviews you will read in here are “good reviews.” Constructive criticism is given, but basically we don’t have the time or money to print bad reviews. If you sent your zine in for review and don’t see it listed, wait a few months and see if it appears in the following issue. I read and then distribute the zines to the reviewers about two months before the print date. If the reviewer passed on reviewing your zine, it will be sent out again for the next issue. So, each zine gets two shots with two different reviewers. Ultimately, many of the review copies stay in the XD archives, but some are donated to zine libraries. Occasionally mistakes happen, postal or otherwise, so if you have a question about a zine you sent in for review, please contact Davida at PO Box 963, Havre de Grace, MD 21078 or davida@leekinginc.com.
XEROGRAPHY DEBT is receiving more and more zines for review. Until issue #6 complimentary copies were sent all of the zines reviewed. That just isn’t feasible any more. If I have your e-mail address, I’ll try and email a copy of the review and a link to the new issue on the website. If I can afford the time and postage I’ll send a postcard or letter with the review. If I am unable to do this, please bear with me, I’m doing the best I can.
It is available for free online (some reviews and artwork will only be available in print) or paper copies can be ordered for $3.
If you have an event, announcement, or project you would like to share, please get in touch.
The lack of paid advertising within these pages is deliberate. Despite reviewing our friends and lovers, we try to be somewhat objective and free to do as we please. Needless to say, this brings up the point of needing some help to stay afloat...
Sponsors
I see Xerography Debt as the PBS of review zines. It is by us, for us, with no financial incentive, just a dedication to small press. If you have a few spare stamps or dollar bills to help support us and the zine community, it would be most appreciated. Also, let me know if you wish to remain anonymous. This issue's sponsors are:
William P. Tandy, Androo Robinson and Maria Goodman,
Bobby Tran Dale, Dar Veverka, Jeannie McStay, Scout, Josh Bowron, Lydia Ricci,
DB Pedlar, Al Cene, Owen Thomas, Billy McKay, Delaine Derry Green, Anne
Thalheimer, Matt Fagan, and a few anonymous benefactors.
The
spring offered a new and improved brand of hell. I know I must have forgotten
to write a few names down. If you sent a contribution and your name isn't
listed, please let me know and I will list it in the next issue. My deepest
apologies.
Announcements
Submissions for HOME wanted
“Daina Mold (KITTY!) is
seeking contributions for a zine called HOME. It will be about places people
have lived: shacks, mansions, cars, boxes; stories of roommates, neighbors,
parents, solitude. Also: what the idea of “home” means to you.
Essays, comics, photos, etc. Deadline: August 1st. Daina Mold, PO Box 6681,
Portsmouth, NH 03802”
GETUNDERGROUND.COM
“GetUnderground.com is a
noncommercial website community dedicated to the promotion of underground
creative arts and culture, featuring new articles, columnists, art, music, and
poetix on a consistent biweekly basis. Our HotSpots section is the only
continuously updated national database of performance poetry venues in the
USA.”
Portland Zine Symposium
This summer, independent publishers
from across the country will gather for the third annual Portland Zine
Symposium. The symposium is a three-day conference and social celebrating
independent publishing. It will be held at the Portland State University campus
on the weekend of August 1-3, 2003. For more info visit:
http://www.pdxzines.com/ or write: Portland Zine Symposium, PO Box 5901,
Portland, OR 97228-5901
The focus of this year’s symposium is It Takes
All Kinds. Workshops and panels are plentiful during the weekend to support
this theme of diversity. During the three days you could take a class on Zines
and Motherhood, The History of Zines, Bookbinding or How to Distribute your
Zine. In between the classes zine enthusiasts will have ample time to peruse
other people’s wares and socialize.
Microcosm CUT & PASTE Tour
“Looks like we are
hitting the road again this summer with the CUT & PASTE tour! Egads. The
fun just doesn’t stop, does it? Do you live in one of the fine towns
below? Do you want to acquaint us with the locals? Help promote and create a
really fun evening event? Bake us brownies? That would be swell. Our cast of
characters this time around includes Dave Roche (On Subbing zine), Josh
Browniekid (Zen and the Art of Brownie Baking), Joe Biel (Perfect Mix Tape
Segue), Abner Biel (CIA Makes Science Fiction Unexciting), and Alex Wrekk
(Brainscan, Stolen Sharpie Revolution). Our shows will consist of us presenting
from our zines as well as doing spoken word, performance art, selling zines,
and any other words for interacting with an audience.”
August 1-3 @
Portland zine symposium www.pdxzines.com ; Aug 5 - Eugene, OR @ Mother
Kali’s, 720 E.13th Ave, 7 PM; Aug 6 - Ashland, OR @ Evo’s, 376 E.Main
St, 7 PM; Aug 7 - San Francisco, CA @ Needles & Pens, 7 PM, 483 14th St,
415.531.7718; Aug 8 - Berkeley, CA @ Long Haul, 3124 Shattuck Ave. ; Aug 9 -
Reno, NV @ Ark-aic, 555 E 4th St, 3 PM ; Aug 10 - Salt Lake City, UT @ SLC
Public Library, 1:30 PM, 210 E 400 South, 801-524-8200 ; Aug 11 - Denver, CO @
Breakdown Books, 1409 Ogden ; Aug 12 - Lawrence, KS @ Grimshaw Gallery, 731 New
Hampshire ; Aug 13 - Minneapolis, MN @ Arise! Books, 2441 Lyndale. ; Aug 14 -
Chicago, IL @ Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W North Ave, 7:30 ; Aug 15-17 -
Detroit, MI @ Midwest Zine Fest, 4208 Trumbull Ave. ; Aug 18 - Bloomington, IN
@ Boxcar Books, 310A S.Washington St ; Aug 19 - Columbus, OH @ the park ; Aug
20 - Cleveland, OH @ Mac’s Backs, 1820 Coventry Rd. ; Aug 21 - Pittsburgh,
PA @ Mr Roboto Project hardtravelin@yahoo.com ; Aug 22 - Philadelphia, PA @
A-Space, 4722 W Baltimore ; Aug 23 - Manchester, CT @ Krystina’s house, 63
Coburn Rd.
For up to the minute info and questions -
www.microcosmpublishing.com
LOW HUG MOVING
“Hi everybody. This is A.j. Michel of Low
Hug Productions (incorporating Low Hug and one-shots like 12 Item or Less and
Moving Images). I will be pulling up stakes from the Midwest at the end of the
summer, and my biggest concern is not being unemployed or without a couch to
crash on, but how I’m going to get mail. As for now, the standard address
(A.j. Michel, PO Box 2574, Champaign IL 61825) will be good until about
September 2003. After that, please please PLEASE either e-mail
(lowhug@yahoo.com) or check the blog (lowhug.blogspot.com) for address updates.
After working on building a good zinester reputation for the past five years
(filling orders on time, etc.) I do not want miscommunications to sully it.
Thanks very much for your understanding and patience during this
transition.”
Cullen Carter in Serious Accident
On April 1st, 2003 Cullen
Carter, the publisher behind The Secret Life of Snakes (which was reviewed in
the last issue of XD) and also My Moon or More, was struck by a pick-up truck
as he biked home. His injuries were severe and at press time he was in a coma
rehabilitation facility. His wife, Allyson, has been sending weekly updates
regarding his condition, which can be found online at:
www.ashabot.com/cullen.htm. They have a two-year-old daughter, Veronica.
The zine community has been working together to help his family with mounting
medical bills and also provide support. Below are two ways to lend a hand to
Cullen and his family.
To help Cullen’s family with bills and
expenses, please give to the Cullen Carter Benefit Fund. To do so, visit any
Bank Mutual (formerly Mutual Savings Bank) location throughout Wisconsin. To
find a branch location near you, you can visit their website at:
http://www.bankmutual.com/locations.html
If there is not a branch location
near you, you may also send a gift via the U.S. Postal Service to:
Bank
Mutual
Corporate Headquarters
4949 W. Brown Deer Rd.
PO Box
245034
Milwaukee, WI 53224-9534
attn: Legal Department
Checks
should be made out to: Cullen Carter Benefit Fund
To contact Bank Mutual
with questions, please call (414) 354-1500 or 1(800) 358-5070, fax # (414)
354-5450.
Benefit for Cullen Carter reading in Chicago
August 3rd, 2003
8 p.m., at the Barrel Cafe at 820 W. Jackson. Among the zinesters scheduled to
read: Jeff Somers “The Inner Swine,” Dr. Wred Fright, Frank
Marcopolos, Emerson Dameron, and many others. Tickets are ten dollars and can
be ordered by mail to King Wenclas Promotions, re: Cullen, P.O. Box 42077,
Philadelphia PA 19101, check or money order pay to “Cullen Carter Benefit
Fund.” More info at www.ashabot.com.
How to Order Cullen’s Zines
Clint Johns at Tower Records
is handling orders for The Secret Life of Snakes while he recovers. Copies can
be ordered from:
Clint Johns / Tower Mag Hell
2550 Del Monte St., W.
Sacramento CA 95691
attn: CULLEN
Kate Haas on Maternity Leave
Email from Kate Haas (Miranda):
“I was hoping that two hours of walking and the overall excitement of the
big January 18 peace march would bring on labor, but Nathaniel made his
entrance on February 9, after a rather hairy 13 hours of back labor (if, you
don’t know what that is, believe me, you don’t want to); on the
upside, I didn’t have to be induced this time. I’m keeping my fingers
crossed, but so far young Nathaniel is a very mellow and contented child. He
takes naps, does not have inexplicable screaming fits, and – oh miracle! -
only gets me up a few times at night. There is justice in the world after all.
So far Simon’s reactions to the baby have ranged from, “I want to
hold him, I want to kiss him!” to, “Let’s take him outside and
break him.” We trust the former sentiments will prevail.”
The Inner Swine Weds
Oh, and since we are just getting all
community newslettery now, Jeff (The Inner Swine) Somers done went and got
hitched.
WHAT'S YOUR STORY, BALTIMORE?
This city holds a million
stories, most of them unwritten. Undrawn. Untold. And whether you're a native,
a transplant, or just passing through, chances are that one of them is
yours.
Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore! celebrates all things Baltimore,
good and bad. From the routine to the quirky to the downright bizarre, Smile,
Hon is interested in your stories: everything that defines what it means to
live - or simply be - in Charm City. Work, home, neighborhoods, pastimes,
nostalgia. Saturday night, Sunday morning, and everything in between. Good,
bad, and ugly.
Submissions/queries are welcome via e-mail at
esp@leekinginc.com, or by writing to Attn: William P. Tandy, c/o Smile, Hon,
You're in Baltimore!, P.O. Box 963, Havre de Grace, Maryland 21078;
www.leekinginc.com/esp
Editor’s Note Leeking Inc. Moving to Baltimore
In the
last few weeks there have been some major changes around Leeking Inc.
Headquarters. I finally got what appears to be a sane, decent job, after months
and months of looking and four months at an insane job. The glitch is that the
job is 70 miles from Havre de Grace. I signed a lease on an apartment in
Baltimore last night. For the moment I’m keeping the HdG PO Box (I’m
very fond of the box and the postal staff there), but I’ll probably only
be able to check my mail once a week. If I am tardy in my responses that is
why. For now I have to finish this issue, get it printed, and in the mail
before moving day (one week from tomorrow)...
The Columns
The History of Zines: Civilian Public Service Newsletters
By Donny Smith
PO Box 411, Swarthmore, PA 19081
dwanzine@hotmail.com
www.geocities.com/dwanzine
Not everyone thought World War II was “the good war.” Pacifists who refused both combatant and noncombatant military service had to go into Civilian Public Service (CPS). Generally they were shipped off to Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps set up during the Depression.
These objectors were a mixed group. Most came from several dozen sects of Mennonites, Brethren, and Quakers. The rest ranged from Methodists and Congregationalists to Parsees, “Negro Moslems,” and traditional Hopi. There was also a small but vocal minority of members of the War Resisters League and other “philosophical” objectors. (Jehovah’s Witnesses often refused to serve in the camps and were sent to prison.) One camp published statistics on its workers: 64% had been farmers; average age, 25; average education, 2-3 years of high school; 83% Mennonites, from 11 sects (Weeping Water News Drops (Weeping Water, Nebr.), vol.1, no.7, p.7, no date). The average objector in a Friends camp had over 14 years of formal education, in Brethren camps over 12, and in Mennonite camps over 10. This was high compared to the armed forces, where the average enlisted man had a little over 9 years.
Most campers entered CPS full of zeal, eager to put their belief in peacemaking, service, and brotherhood into practice and be witnesses to “the Light.” Soon, however, the drudgery of the work, the poor conditions of the camps, the strain of being thrust among strangers with differing beliefs, the lack of pay, the filth, the poor food, and the difficulty of disentangling themselves completely from the machinery of war hurt their morale and in some cases stunted their spiritual growth. One objector wrote that “CPS is a tough place to convince ourselves that human beings are capable of an ideal state of society. The frustration induced by years of forced labor at relatively useless tasks makes one think instead of the ugliness and bitterness of life.” However, he went on to say that “With life stripped of its conventional frills and pleasures, we have had a chance to see through practice that the deepest satisfactions of life are found in friendly and cooperative living” (“Working toward the ideal” by Purnell Benson, The Germfask Newsletter (Germfask, Mich.), no.4, p.2, Aug. 27, 1944). The most successful camps were those that allowed the objectors to perform direct altruistic service: working in hospitals, caring for the mentally ill, being subjects of medical experiments, doing agricultural research, fighting fires. The less successful camps were those that took over CCC “make-work” projects: digging ditches, clearing brush, building fences.
Because the objectors were by nature thoughtful and idealistic and many came from churches with traditions of printed personal testimonies, most camps had at least one publication. These were usually typewritten, illustrated with simple line drawings or crude cartoons, then mimeographed on low-quality paper and mailed by folding in thirds and sealing with a postage stamp. The newsletters had titles ranging from boring—News, News & Views, News-Letter, Bulletin—to ironic—Pacifism for Other People, The Journal of Unitology, The Irresponsible, Chips (at a forestry camp), The Last Ditch (at a soil conservation camp), The Dope Sheet (at a mental hospital), and Raising Kane and Kane Penn (in Kane, Pa.). They were distributed within the camps, in neighboring towns, in the objectors’ home communities, to peace organizations, to other camps, and to government officials.
Newsletters tended to be earnest and very practical, but varied wildly in content and aims. Weeping Water News Drops was fairly typical, with information about camp residents, calendars of events, and articles on the roots of war next to articles on hog feeding. The other Weeping Water newsletter, On the Level, focussed mostly on social issues, with articles on poverty, racial integration, and a visit from Bayard Rustin (“Negro pacifist visits” by Boyd Nelson, On the Level, vol.1, no.4, p.1, Nov. 1942). The newsletter from a Lincoln, Nebr., camp, The Ruralogue, looked almost exactly like a church bulletin, except that mixed in with the notices about prayer meetings, softball, youth fellowship, and choir practice, were lectures about insect control, irrigated pasture, and building chicken coops.
All the newsletters attempted to draw connections between the objectors’ ideals and their assigned tasks. The motto of Mennonite Farmunity (Malcolm, Nebr.) was “To conserve rather than destroy.” The motto of The Conservator (also Malcolm, Nebr.) was “Learning to save souls and the soil.” An editorial from another soil conservation camp expanded on the theme: “The earth is holy, therefore, that which comes from it is holy in the sight of God. … Men have sinned against the Lord by misuse of its resources. When the soil goes the people go. To lose the soil upon which men live is to lose the souls of those men. Through our project training and work we strive to learn how to build and maintain good soil” (The Ruralogue, no.14, p.1, Apr. 27, 1945).
Newsletters from the medical experiment camps had titles like Guinea Pig Gazette, The Pig’s Pen, and The Daily Grunt. The overall tone of these was light-hearted, with sarcastic verse and comments like “Guinea pigs must not worry … SSS [Selective Service System] takes care of funeral expenses up to $100.00 and $50.00 for railroad fare” (The Pig’s Pen (Pinehurst, N.C.), vol.2, no.1, p.2, Jul. 9, 1945). They also had the usual lists of new arrivals and departures, explanations on the purpose of the projects, political commentary, and exhortations to keep up pacifist ideals (and help with housekeeping).
The camps also produced a few “cultural magazines.” Unlike the newsletters, these attempted more complex graphic design and higher-quality printing. They also included contributions from campers all over the country, not just from one camp. The Illiterati (Wyeth, Ore.) was saddle-stapled with stenciled or relief-printed color cardstock covers. The interior pages were mimeographed and featured poems, stories, and line drawings (including male and female nudes), as well as collage, linoleum prints, and tipped-in illustrations. The Compass (Waldport, Ore.) looked like a standard magazine, offset printed with half-tone photo illustrations, and lino or silkscreen spot color on the cover. (The Illiterati later gained access to a letterpress for printing.) Both these magazines featured established or soon-to-be writers and artists like William Everson, William Stafford, and Morris Graves. The content did not entirely avoid discussing pacifism or war, but mostly it was “literary” or “humanistic.” There was some discussion among objectors whether this was right. One of the editors responded, “But is art important to pacifism? … to the pacifist, the original question should have been, is art important to life? … the individual who includes pacifism in his philosophy and has chosen some form of art as his work is confronted with the necessity of fusing these two into a productive, effective function of his existence” (The Illiterati, no.2, p.1, summer 1943).
The objectors’ ideas could still be found in a zine today: “In this Atomic Age which we have entered men everywhere are faced anew with the problem of eliminating war and retaining liberty in the face of the gigantic technological power now in the possession of the national States. In an age of violence, in fact, in an age when we have the power to destroy ourselves and the world with us, each man has the moral duty of exercising his individual responsibility as a human personality to the extent of following the dictates of his conscience rather than the dictates of the state…” (“Recapitulation” by Roy C. Kepler, The Germfask Newsletter (Minersville, Calif.), vol.3, no.2, p.3, Feb. 1946).
And like current zinesters, the objectors waited for the mail carrier: “Although technically we are no longer ‘humans’ … we still like to get mail!” (Guinea Pig Gazette (Minneapolis, Minn.), volume one and only, p.1, May 1943).
sources: Conscience in America: A Documentary History of Conscientious Objection in America, 1757-1967, edited by Lillian Schlissel (Dutton, New York, 1968).
Conscription of Conscience: The American State and the Conscientious Objector, 1940-1947 by Mulford Q. Sibley & Philip E. Jacob (Cornell University Press, Ithaca NY, 1952).
Thanks to the Swarthmore College Peace Collection for access to the CPS Newsletters Collection (index at www.swarthmore.edu/ Library/peace).
The History of Zines: IN PRAISE OF THE BLACKSHIRT
By Cali Ruchala
Diacritica Press
100 E Walton #31H, Chicago,
IL 60611
www.diacritica.com
cali@diacritica.com
It’s often been lamented that zines, for all their diversity, present a very narrow view of the world, and particularly of politics. Every political zine that has crossed my desk in the last few months has told me why I should be opposed to war in Iraq (a view which is, incidentally, close to my own). The opposition to this view isn’t just muted; I can’t even find it.
Throughout history, it’s true, zines and the small press have had an incurable left-wing orientation, including, most famously, the self-published rants of rebellious anti-monarchists like Ben Franklin. But being the type of guy that I am, I prefer to look to a much darker tradition of self-publishers: cult leaders, fascist progenitors and, of course, horribly bad poets. Instead of the tracts put out by America’s first millionaire, modern zines probably have much more in common with the work of an obscure Italian Socialist who took up self-publishing, as so many of us do, in search of warm bodies to lead. You might have heard of him: his name was Benito Mussolini.
After becoming il duce and introducing the word “fascism” to human discourse (and what would modern zines be without that?), Mussolini dispatched some of his more literate blackshirts on a mission to destroy every trace of his wobbly sallies into the wonderful world of self-publishing. Fortunately, copies had been smuggled out of Italy (some were even reprinted from abroad as a jibe by his bitter ex-comrades), so it’s possible to reconstruct the contribution of the Supreme Leader to our glorious small press heritage.
In the first decade of the century, the young Benito was a volatile (if well-read) vagabond, drifting from city to city and bed to bed in search of bread and love. His ingenuity and his desperate need for an audience filled the kiosks in the small towns he passed through with a series of publications to which he was the primary (and in some cases the only) contributor.
It was while working as a teacher in Oneglia on the Italian Riviera in 1908 that Mussolini either began or took over a publication called La Lima, or The File. Though its origins are difficult to determine, The File at its height had a circulation of less than two hundred copies. Mussolini wrote every issue from cover to cover, wielding a variety of clever pseudonyms. His favourite was signed beneath his anti-Catholic screeds (it seems that Mussolini pioneered zinedom’s penetrating critique of organized religion as well): “The True Heretic.”
In The File Mussolini found an escape. He liked it as a place of shelter from the rest of the world, particularly the dreary reality of small town, provincial life, where he was merely a substitute teacher taken to bribing his uncontrollable students with candy. Already he showed an instinctual feeling for pleasing an audience. Even if a reader wasn’t overwhelmed by the need to bash his neighbour’s head in and move into his house, he was entertained by the furtive scribblings of a sociopath who was. Based on the not inconsiderable notoriety such a tiny periodical had brought (most of all from the police), Mussolini thought he might well make a career of it. He fished around for a more respectable newspaper job in Italy, but none was forthcoming.
Mussolini’s job at the school in Oneglia lasted only four months, and his tenure was not renewed. In early 1909 he crossed the border to Trent, an Austrian border province with a considerable Italian population. His Socialist connections enabled him to gain control of a moribund weekly called L’Avvenire del Lavoratore. Though the party had a strong local base of support, L’Avvenire was not considerably larger than his own La Lima.
One of Mussolini’s duties as publisher was to organize the workers behind party directives. Within a few weeks he was grumbling that he was forced to spend more time rappin’ with the proles in local beerhalls than working at his desk. Once again, his contract was allowed to lapse after a few months. His next job - as an assistant editor at the non-Socialist Popolo - lasted only weeks.
At the age of 26, the future duce returned to his hometown of Forli, washing mugs and wiping down tables at his father’s tavern. Frustrated by his lack of progress, he considered for a time emigrating to America. We can only regret that the young Mussolini didn’t follow through and launch a preemptive strike in the Zine Revolution.
Instead, the local Socialists asked him (based more on his father’s reputation as a radical than his own) to create a vehicle for the party in Forli. Without much assistance except credit from a unionized print shop, Mussolini began a four-page weekly he called La Lotta di Classe, or The Class Struggle. Over the next two years, Mussolini devoted himself solely to publishing, filling the pages of The Class Struggle with calls to violent revolt and treating politicians (Socialist as well as others), church leaders, local industrialists, sandwich makers, and pretty much anyone who looked like an inviting target or did him wrong, to his scathing attacks.
The Class Struggle was one of hundreds of small Socialist weeklies published throughout Italy, produced mainly by other small town intellectuals. Unlike most of them, Mussolini had total control of his organ (though the circulation never topped more than 1,000), and by way of attacks on his own party and calls for strikes and violent revolution alienated nearly everyone he came into contact with, except for those who already agreed with him. He wasn’t publishing Socialist propaganda so much as his own.
Mussolini’s independence from the party mainstream paid off two years later, when in July 1912 he was asked to speak at the party’s national congress. A radical faction which opposed the Socialist leadership’s cooperation with the government used the young publisher as an attack dog. The Socialists thereby engaged in their favourite pastime of purging their ranks, with Mussolini’s speech denouncing the guilty leaders for supporting the imperialist Libyan War tipping the scales. At the age of 28, Mussolini’s performance vaulted him from zinedom in Forli to a leading position in the new party leadership.
Four months after the congress, Mussolini sold out. He was offered the editor’s position at Avanti!, the leading Socialist newspaper in Milan, as payment for services rendered. Though he had gone commercial, Mussolini did carry something of his old DIY ethic with him to Milan. While he pushed Avanti! into a more militant direction, he also began a second publication, solely financed by himself. This was the little-known Utopia, an intellectual plaything for the rising star of the party. Though he put more work into Utopia than Avanti! for a time, it never struck a chord, and his later efforts to suppress it have left us with few indications as to its contents.
In the October 18, 1914 issue of Avanti!, two years into his editorship, Mussolini famously confessed that he was having doubts about Italy’s neutrality in the First World War. The party elders called him to account and he was sacked. Two weeks later, he published the first issue of Il Popolo d’Italia, an overtly “interventionist” rag in the pages of which he glorified war and called for Italy’s immediate intervention on the side of the Allies, while threatening to empty a revolver in the stomach of one of his enemies.
The speed with which he was able to launch such a massive undertaking led to suspicions that the man who moved from The Class Struggle to Avanti! on the backs of his victims had been even more handsomely rewarded for abandoning the Socialist cause. This was true, and with the payments from various Allied governments came checks from Italian industrialists (including the car manufacturer, Fiat) eager to speculate on war profits. After being drafted and injured, Mussolini went on to found the Fascist Party, and the rest is small press history.
Curiously, Mussolini was never able to shake the idea that he missed his calling when he left The Class Struggle. Ten years into his reign he was still submitting articles and letters to the editor anonymously, written in his own hand, and would under his true name advise the nation’s editors on the finer points of the trade. “Put the duce’s words in a box,” he told one, “under an eight-column headline.”
Later he made one last, nostalgic run at zinedom, ghost-editing a magazine from his palace. Gerarchia was Fascist Italy’s version of People magazine: a sort of bizarre lifestyle publication devoted exclusively to the comings and goings of the pathetic and venal creatures Mussolini surrounded himself with, the high chieftains of Fascism. It sold poorly, though because Gerarchia’s featured subjects were also in charge of its distribution, Mussolini went to his grave believing it was yet another hit in his unbroken chain of successful publications.
Ravaged by syphillis, Mussolini spent his final days reading newspapers through thick glasses, leaving snide comments in the margins and ordering what was left of his Ministry of Popular Culture to initiate new, even grander publications than Gerarchia. Hung from the gallows with his mistress, the duce remained a zinester to the end.
IT MEANS IT’S WANK
By Jeff Somers
P.O. Box 3024, Hoboken NJ 07030
mreditor@innerswine.com
www.innerswine.com
“So what does that mean? It means it’s wank.”- Vic Flange, www.fleshmouth.co.uk, describing my zine.
NO BITCHING ZONE
... ...in which Jeff Somers considers the folly of
talking back to a bad review.
Shockingly, even mega-talented hipster-doofus Zine publishers who look good in tight pants, like me, get bad reviews sometimes. I’ll give you a moment to recover from the shock. Now, I’ve already discussed the proper response to a bad review: Take it like an adult and use it as ironic advertising fodder. Or, simply ignore it with the serene confidence of cult leaders and geniuses alike. Sure, reading that you write like your ass chews gum* is no fun, but the words lose some of their power if you just smile mockingly and let it slide over you. It’s even better if you take no notice of reviews at all, aside from the aforementioned advertising-fodder. Life’s too short to be worrying over what other people think of your stuff. Unless, of course, no one is actually reading it, and you’re greeted by the calming noise of crickets in the night whenever you release a new issue. That’s a problem, I’ll grant you, much worse than bad reviews.
Sadly, a lot of people can’t seem to control themselves, and they spend a lot of time and energy responding to bad reviews. They write indignant letters to the reviewing publication, they post angry rebuttals on their web sites. This is not only silly, it’s counter-productive. Like playing tic-tac-toe with a huge supercomputer, there is no winning, only degrees of losing.
First of all, for the most part the people reviewing zines are doing so because a) they think their opinions are worth hearing or b) out of a sense of serving the zine community. While I think a lot of zines use reviews of whatever they can think of just to fill some scary white space in their idea-challenged zines, a lot of fine publications review zines earnestly, and there is certainly a value to these reviews, especially if the reviews come from a respected place like, say, Xerography Debt or Zine World. Or even maximumrocknroll, which has never given me a good review, ever. A good review gives you an idea of the content and tone of the zine in question, and a decent recommendation of whether it’s worth your dollars in the mail. After a while you get to know which reviewers you find to be reliable, and can make decisions based on their opinions. This is all a Good Thing. None of these people are getting paid to review zines, I don’t think. There’s nothing in it for them but giving honest opinions.
So why bother complaining? One of the most entertaining aspects of Zine World, for me at least, is the pathetic letters in the beginning of each issue complaining about bad reviews. The indignant protests! The insults! Every time I read these letters, I hear a baby crying in the background (but I’m prone to these sorts of audio/visual hallucinations, so that’s not too surprising; sometimes entire issues of my zine are dictated to me by a small Leprechaun named McEgo. So what? Doesn’t make me a bad guy). Same thing goes for screaming updates to web sites which hurl vitriol at the shadowy conspiracy of reviewers bent on undermining people’s hard work and genius–they resemble all too well the pathetic flame wars you witness in chat rooms, forums, and newsgroups. No one wins, no one admits being wrong, and everyone else just killfiles the idiots.
First of all, complaining about a bad review just makes it seem like the reviewer hit a sore spot. It’s like admitting that people have been telling you that your writing blows since third grade, and you can’t take it any more. People get testy about things they’re insecure about, after all. If you’re confident about something, you can accept criticism about it serenely, sure that everyone else is a moron if they don’t like your work. Complaining about a review, in my opinion, just confirms that the reviewer got something right about you.
Second, arguing about an opinion is ignorant and a waste of time. If someone thinks your zine sucks, that’s what they think. It’s like arguing over their favorite color. Don’t waste your time.
Finally, and most importantly, it’s useless. The reviewer is not going to publish a retraction. They are not going to apologize. And, most likely, you’re not going to change anyone elses mind about your zine. Chances are the readers of the reviewing publication are familiar with it and have learned to trust it’s reviews–they have a relationship with it. If they’re not already familiar with your zine, they have no reason to believe anything you say, and since you’re all pissed off and self-righteous about a bad review, it’s doubtful they’ll take you seriously anyway. All you’ll probably do is convince them that the review was right. Complaining about a review will, most likely, just embarrass you.
Obviously, since the world is still a madhouse and I have not yet been named the Poet Laureate of Hoboken, New Jersey, with the associated liquor and beer stipend, no one is taking what I say very seriously. That’s probably for the best. Still, I think if people would listen to me on this one thing and stop bitching about bad reviews, we’d have a better world. Plus, that liquor and beer stipend would be good, too.
*This is a quote from a rejection letter I got from a magazine called Samzidat when I was about thirteen years old.
The Reviews
Dan Taylor
PO Box 5531, Lutherville, MD 21094
www.dantenet.com; dante@dantenet.com
His head hurts, his teeth itch, his feet stink and he don’t love Jesus. But that doesn’t make him a bad person, it just makes him The Hungover Gourmet. Check out the journal of food, drink, travel and fun at hungovergourmet.com or send a SASE to PO Box 5531, Lutherville, MD 21094-5531 for more info.
GOMETRIC #16 Winter 2002/2003 (15A South Bedford Road, Pound
Round, NY 10576; after 7/1/03 verify address at gogometric@yahoo.com; $2 per
issue; 64 pages, half-legal)
Computers and desktop publishing software are
the best and worst things that ever happened to the world of self-publishing.
In the late 1980s, zines took a giant leap forward in terms of readability, but
lost some of their personality in the process. GO METRIC solves that
problem by combining desktop typesetting with a rough, hands-on, cut and paste
kind of layout. That said, a zine still needs to deliver some compelling
content and GM has that in spades - there’s an interview with 8-TRACK
MIND editor Russ Forster about his documentary on tribute bands, why Queen
“ruled,” Godzilla flicks, The Boys vs. The Dead Boys, and the
obligatory pages of record and CD reviews. Best of all, who knew The Figgs had
a new CD?! Good package filled with heaping helpings of smart-assitude, though
I could’ve done without Rev. Norb’s thoughts on the SPIDER-MAN movie.
The headache-inducing layout made it impossible to get through the first page!
CLAMOR #19 March/April 2003 (PO Box 1225, Bowling Green, OH
43402; $4 per issue; 68 pages, full-size)
Despite protestations to the
contrary, sports and an alternative lifestyle are not mutually exclusive. But I
can probably count on two hands the number of zines that have any kind of
regular sports content or admit to liking something so corporate and
mainstream. The “Everyday Pros” issue of CLAMOR tries to
rectify that by presenting how real do people do all sorts of sports -
everything from candlepin bowling and kickball to triathlons and something
dangerous looking and sounding called “volcano boarding.” Since the
mag has an admittedly alternative and activist slant, some of the contributions
do come off a bit whiny, which makes it hard to appreciate the singular drive
that’s required of any athletic endeavor. That said, pieces like the chat
with boxer Ernie Terrell (who fought Muhammad Ali in 1967) and a look at the
“sport” of cockfighting in America are excellent examples of writing
in any venue.
CABOOSE #3: The Modular Karaoke Issue (PO Box 476802, Chicago,
IL 60647; $2 per issue; 44 pages, digest)
My trips into the world of
karaoke have been liquored-fueled performances of tunes by the Go-Go’s
(which almost resulted in me getting my ass kicked), Fleetwood Mac (a heartfelt
rendition of “Landslide” that thrilled the crowds), and a medley of
songs from ‘Grease’ (the less said the better). CABOOSE editor
Liz gathers her karaoke circle of friends for an issue-length conversation
about the intricacies of the karaoke experience. I particularly enjoyed the
discussions of Paper Lace’s “The Night Chicago Died,” Canadian
rockers and the frank declaration that “Ya always look like an ass when
you get up and do karaoke.” Brother what a night it really was...
REGLAR WIGLAR #18 (PO 1658 N Milwaukee #545, Chicago, IL 60647;
$2 per issue; 48 pages, full-size)
Yet another punk zine full of band
interviews and CD reviews. Best part is a couple pages of reviews for the likes
of a Rock & Roll McDonald’s (what a great concept!) and Hooters, a
chain I’ve never set foot in. Based on the writer’s description of
the crummy food and uncomfortable seating I don’t think I’ll be
heading there any time soon.
CHUMPIRE (PO Box 27, Annville, PA 17003-0027; 1 stamp or trade
per issue; a few pages, various sizes)
One of the problems with many review
zines is that the material is often wildly outdated by the time it lands in
your mailbox. CHUMPIRE solves that by reviewing anything and everything
in a no frills format that takes on everything from news about the local school
system, zine reviews, new and old CDs, movies... even the state of Florida.
Think an on-line blog in paper format. A fast, breezy read well worth your time
and effort!
LUCID FRENZY: A Belated Best of 2002 (8 Brewer Street, Brighton,
East Sussex BN2 3HH, England; $2 per issue; 20 pages, digest)
Collects
editor Gavin Burrows’ thoughts on the ten best gigs and flicks of last
year.
Daina Mold
PO BOX 6681, Portsmouth, NH 03802
kittyzine@yahoo.com
Hi, my name is Daina and this is my first time reviewing for XD. I’ve been reading, making, and obsessing over zines for almost 10 years. My current zine, KITTY!, can be had for $1.00 or trade.
12 ITEMS OR LESS: A GROCERY SHOPPING ZINE
23 contributors
come together to dissect the pleasures and pains of food shopping. As a lover
of all things grocery, I find this zine to be positively dreamy! But even if
you’d rather eat your own skin than join the supermarket sweep,
you’re sure to find enjoyment in at least a few of these tales. Memories
of favorite stores, noxious odors in the aisles, insulting product labels,
shopping do’s and don’ts, grocery store politics, and yes, love found
and lost amongst the produce. Includes submissions by some of zineland’s
brightest stars (Dan Taylor, Davida Gypsy Breier, Shawn Granton, Delaine Derry
Green, Eric Lyden, Sean Stewart) plus, well, me!
$3 (while you’re at
it, send an extra buck and get LAUNDRY BASKET, the first installment of
the LOW HUG Life Maintenance Series!); A.J. Michel, PO BOX 2574,
Champaign, IL 61825
ON SUBBING #4
I wish more teachers made zines. While
hundreds of zine kids regularly describe the ups and downs of student life, we
very rarely learn what it’s like to be on the other side. Dave Roche takes
on this task with a seemingly endless supply of humor, heart, inspiration, and
curiosity. As a substitute teacher working in special ed, Mr. Roche has to deal
with much more than the usual crap (which is difficult enough). The diary-style
entries effectively narrate both the amazing (hilarious quotes, shit fights in
the bathroom) and the routine (rude teachers, math worksheets). His quest to
change the world, one juice-stained smile at a time, absolutely melts my heart.
I volunteer at a local special ed class, and I can tell you straight up: this
ain’t no easy shit, my friend. (“AIN’T ain’t a word cuz it
AIN’T in the dictionary!”)
$2 (?); David Roche, 1036 N. Shaver
St, Portland, OR 97227
ROTTING FROM THE INSIDE #’s 1-4
RFTI is probably
the least zine-like zine I’ve ever seen. If you subtracted the random
illustrations (one per cover), you might think that you accidentally received a
personal letter meant for someone else. Every issue is only a couple of typed
pages in length; no introduction, no closing, no fuss, no muss. This unimposing
style works, though, because it draws the reader right into the stories. Join
Mick as he makes a jump rope out of rat intestines, witnesses a brutal cat
fight, pisses circles in the road, busts his head open one too many times...
OK, these examples might lead you to believe that the writer is an uneducated
brute, but that is not the case at all. Mick’s rollicking tales may scream
“Jackass!”, but underneath it all you can tell that this is just one
smart guy having a great fucking time. I do kind of wish that I knew more about
the writer’s background, motives, and life. However, the stories are
entertaining enough by themselves and I’m glad to see something that
isn’t like everything else.
$2? $3? (It IS overseas mail, but I’m
sure you can get a few issues for only a few dollars. Maybe e-mail him to be
sure of the price.); Mick Sols, PO BOX 5817, West End, QLD, Australia 4101
prodigal_hobo@yahoo.com
MISSIVES: PLAYING WITH BANDS
This is an interesting project.
In an effort to revive the lost art of letter writing (a cause that is very
near & dear to my heart!), DB Pedlar sent a sort of form letter to several
musicians. In it, he explains how much he loves letters and music, asks about
each artist’s inspirations, wanders off into some odd & funny
tangents, and basically hopes that he will get some replies. Oh, and he lets
them know that the letters might be printed in a zine. The result is a
collection of responses from people like Dahlia of Dahlia & the Llamas,
Brian Dillon, and Bop Monroe of Pocket Monster. While I’ve never heard of
these musicians, their letters are still intriguing. Once in a while, I send a
letter or zine to someone I think would never EVER write to me. The signed
Lynda Barry drawing on my wall tells me that some people WILL write back!
(I’m still waiting to hear from Amy Sedaris.) When you admire someone, be
it writer, artist, or performer, you tend to believe that they throw all of
their mail in the trash & couldn’t give a fuck about what people
think. But everyone needs feedback & everyone needs letters! Yay to the old
skool mail revolution! Oh, I’m supposed to be reviewing a zine, not
freaking out about how much I love mail. Anyway, I enjoyed this zine & am
curious to see DB’s other projects. He seems like a fascinating
fellow.
$2(?); DB Pedlar, 25727 Cherry Hill Rd, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403
THE INNER SWINE Vol.9 Issue 1 “Violence” (30th
issue!)
I’ve only seen two issues of TIS, but I am hooked. Unlike
almost every zine I receive, I can’t read it all in one sitting. This
thing sits around my house for weeks, sometimes months, beckoning me every now
and then to take a little jaunt through Jeff Somers’ mind. And what a
place that is! Full of hilarious humor, extreme sarcasm, harsh truth, intense
self-indulgence, and severe leaps of imagination. Beneath it all lies a very
genuine, intelligent person that knows way more than people give him credit
for. This is what I would be like if I actually voiced my real (mean!) opinions
instead of locking them up in a secret vault. This issue explores the violent
nature of humans, both philosophically and superficially. While many of the
essays are quite thought-provoking, I can’t help mentioning that I, too,
despise “People Who Don’t Dress For the Weather.” I live in New
England, and the moment the thermometer hits 35 degrees I am forced to witness
hordes of shorts-sporting idiots flitting about like it’s the middle of
fucking August. For shame! My new, related pet-peeve is when people wear
flip-flops or sandals in torrential downpours. Maybe it would be acceptable if
there was some sort of unexpected afternoon rain, but these people put on
flip-flops even when it’s been pouring from dawn til dusk, for days on
end! Who wants wet, stinky feet? Not me! Anyway, THE INNER SWINE is much more
thrilling that my hatred of unseasonal footwear. I promise you’ll either
love it or hate it vehemently. There seems to be no middle ground.
$2; Jeff
Somers, PO BOX 3024, Hoboken, NJ 07030
SHOT BY A RAY GUN PRESENTS: THE MOON-BEAM CREATURE
Billy
McKay and Jamie Easter collaborate on this dreamy, magical little story about a
“kind man named Therman Zukjam” who enjoyed “lendin smiles to
butterflies.” Therman meets a strange creature he’d never seen
before, & a short, delightful romp ensues. The drawings are unique and
captivating; the story is simple and sort of wistful. I’d definitely like
to see more from both artists. I imagine they could create a wonderful, huge,
crazy children’s book that might rival THE LITTLE PRINCE.
$1; Billy
McKay, PO BOX 542, N. Olmsted, OH 44070
HAVE YOU SEEN THE DOG LATELY? Trash issue, Spring 2003
Two
sisters (twins?) take on the ever-present subject of trash. The introduction
got me all excited about exploring the issue at hand, but the subsequent pages
left me a little cold. Besides a really funny fake episode of “Blind
Date” featuring Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, nothing managed to grab me. I
can relate to Stevie L.’s love for Bulky Trash Day, but he writes as
though he’s the first person to ever think of raiding the neighborhood
garbage stash. Much of the zine is overtaken by a reader’s response to the
“analysis” issue. I tried really hard to follow the 9-page analysis
of analysis, but it just plum tuckered me out. The last essay, by Dr. Eileen
Baker, is about desiring material stability while her mate tries to simplify
his existence. I enjoyed this as much as the introduction, so I guess I entered
and left on the same note. However, the in-betweens seemed like just that:
filler. I’ve heard some great things about this zine, so maybe I just
haven’t read the right issue. Or maybe it’s just not for me. Try it
out for yourself!
$2; Jenny & Serena Makofsky, 456 38th St, Oakland, CA
94609
BROOKLYN! #’s 38-40
Fred Argoff sure loves Brooklyn,
that much is clear! In fact, “it’s a party— and you’re
invited!” His adoration is infectious, because it made a city-hater like
me wish I was living right next door to him! It also made me realize that
exclamation points are quite contagious! Fred devotes his spare time to
learning about the history, culture, people, and life of Brooklyn, NY.
Highlights include a running glossary of Brooklyn slang; interactions with
nutty panhandlers, neighbors, and strangers; Floater Week (you have to read
about it! The idea of this sort of thing has never entered my mind, but now it
will never leave!) & more. In between the juicy bits, Fred shares a lot of
historical facts about the area’s neighborhoods, streets, and buildings.
Much more interesting than any textbook, and filled with a million times more
love!
$10/year for 4 issues, $2-3 each?; Fred Argoff, 1800 Ocean Parkway,
#B-12, Brooklyn, NY 11223-3037
KRAZY KAT LADY pack of 5 mini zines
As a crazy,
purr-zine-making cat lady, I have to mention this incredible project! KRAZY KAT
LADY is a series of 5 mini zines devoted to author Tiff’s fabulous
felines. Gracie, Jack, Baby Kitty, Salvador, and Dan are fascinating characters
that you must get acquainted with! Every issue is brimming with fun facts,
anecdotes, drawings, and photos of each individual kitty. While the zines in
themselves are quite wonderful, I haven’t even told you the best part: all
proceeds from the zines are donated directly to a local cat-related charity.
For instance, Baby Kitty’s zine gives money to the Feral Cat Coalition of
Oregon, while Jack’s zine supports House of Dreams, a non-profit, no kill
shelter. This is such an amazing, heartwarming idea! I can’t believe I
haven’t thought of this! And even though, generally speaking, zine sales
don’t exactly rival Microsoft, the dollars DO add up. So support a sister
cat lady AND some needy cats! Buying zines never felt this good.
$1 each,
$5 for the whole set; Tiff Noreuil, 3558 SE Morrison St, Portland, OR 97214
Donny Smith
PO Box 411, Swarthmore, PA 19081
dwanzine@hotmail.com; www.geocities.com/dwanzine
Ambiguous Ambrosia (2003)
write to Paul Moore #650402, 12120
Savage Dr, Midway, TX 75852 USA, for more information
what it is: a
“comic supplement” available to zinesters for insert in their
zines
quote: They don’t like my whip, but I don’t like the
jocks’ bats or the rednecks’ belt-buckles. My vote doesn’t count
in this democracy, though.
overall: very well drawn; strong stories
Autistic eye #1 (January 2003)
available from Nicholas
Miller, 635 Chapel Terr, Havre de Grace, MD 21078 USA, for $1 or “a page
full of drawings suitable for issue #2” hominyandsausage@hotmail.com
subtitle: art is retarded: focusless theme-jumping sketch art from
around the country!!
overall: A mixed bag—some brilliant, some
lame. My favorite was an anonymous drawing of a hotrod car with rolling dice
and playing cards (maybe a tattoo pattern)—caption: Saturday Nithgs (with
a heart for a dot on the i). Below that is a drawing by Dan Phillips of a
Vegas-style sign that says JEFE. Below that is a drawing of someone’s
backside in frilly spotted panties. It’s helpfully labeled PANTIES and has
flies swarming around the panties.
Double Underground #1 (winter 2003)
available from Ted
Mangano #50157, WSCC PO Box 7007, Carson City NV 89702 USA, for free, but
self-addressed 5x9 envelopes with 60¢ postage appreciated (do not write
Double Underground on the envelope; do not send cash, checks, or loose stamps;
inquire before sending trades)
inside: an editorial on
“personal sovereignty”; an essay about lock-down in prison before a
big thunderstorm; a story about a crazy dollmaker and her family; a story about
a girlfriend and a shark attack; some poems and drawings
quote: The
sturdy louvered window is designed to keep the prisoner in and the rain out in
any position. I crank it fully open and the smell of warm, damp dirt enters
with the wind. It is only just beginning. In the field beyond the fence, what
looks to be a sheer, gray wall of water closes in fast.
overall:
vivid, personal writing—a solid first zine!
Hello James (2003)
available from Dorchester Dog Hip Press,
C. Dodge, 2712 Pillsbury, Minneapolis MN 55408 USA; cover price is 50¢,
but send $1 at least (or send more dollars for some of the press’s other
excellent publications)
subtitle: Selections from letters by the
editors of zines, mini-comics, newsletters, tracts, and other self-published
periodicals in response to a postcard from the Wisconsin Historical Society
(formerly State Historical Society of Wisconsin), with a few words about WHS
Newspapers and Periodicals librarian James P. Danky
quote: Thanks
for your interest! Here’s a copy of VHFPH [Vicious Hippies from Panda
Hell]! It costs 45¢ to mail if ya wanna reimburse me, if not - I’ll
live! P.S. Don’t you have any thing better to do? Love John
overall: A personal inspiration! (Right now I’m working on a
collection development policy for the library where I work. I’m going to
take Danky’s advice and try to “collect all of the materials
published in [our] service area,” so we can do our part “to create a
bibliographic universe of unparalleled diversity.”)
I Hated, Hated, HATED This Zine (2001)
maybe still available
from Yul Tolbert, PO Box 02222, Detroit MI 48202 USA, if you send him something
nice
quote: Shortly after canceling [my review zine], I concluded
that most zines are crap and scrap. In my recent experience, most zines seem to
be similar in content and lacking in creativity. It’s as if the so-called
“mainstream” media have taken over the small press and now most zines
are as mediocre and bland as the movies, TV shows and music that the
“mainstream” media produce these days.
more quotes: this
shameless ball of crud … such trite zine tripe … this malarkey …
this pukafying puke tank … Another big-time, big hoopla zine that sucks
like a giant sucking sound … this sloppy slopola …
overall: Hey, I’m all for positivity, but sometimes it’s good
to stick a pin in a few people. I’d love it if Yul made this an ongoing
project (but then he’d actually have to look at these bad zines all the
time, and I wouldn’t wish that on him).
It came to pass … by Maria Goodman (May 2003)
on the
cover: a perfect (but hand-drawn) replica of an ornate Presser’s sheet
music cover
inside: zine reviews in the form of sheet music, with
one song for each zine
overall: like walking to school on a winter
morning, wondering when the first snowball will be thrown
note: I
dreamt this zine.
Leeking Ink Number Twenty-Seven (February 2003)
available
from Davida Gypsy Breier, Box 963, Havre de Grace MD 21078 USA for $2 or fair
trade
overall: Her best work so far. Spare language. Elliptic but
satisfying narrative. And so emotionally hard. Left me wanting to give someone
a hug (I mean that in a non-creepy way).
Opuntia 52.1A (April 2003)
available from Dale Speirs, Box
6830, Calgary Alberta T2P 2E7 CANADA, for $3 cash, trade, or letter of
comment
on the cover: the zine’s namesake, a prickly-pear,
talks about the experience of botanical description
inside: zine
reviews, book reviews, APA (amateur press association) contact info, mail art
listings, with rants about bookselling, library management, indexing practice,
original research, and zine organizations
quote: She happened to be
talking to the [library] book buyer who mentioned a title he was ordering for
$25. She walked him over to the library book bin where they sell discards and
pointed out three perfectly-usable copies of that title, 25 cents each in cost.
She suggested that he buy the three copies and then take her out to dinner on
the remaining $24.25. “Did he do it?”, I asked. “Yes, but we
only went across the street to the City Hall cafeteria.”, she replied.
overall: So many topics dear to my heart! Sharp (but only a little prickly).
Otro #3 (no date)
available from David Peña
García, Apdo 20011, 48014 Bilbao BIZKAIA (SPAIN) for 50 centavos (Spain)
or fair trade (elsewhere)
subtitle: zine anarquista sobre arte
“arte” y cambio social [anarchist zine on “art” art and
social change]
on the cover: a puzzling photo of what might be laundry
hanging to dry out of an apartment window
inside: translation of an
Italian interview with Stewart Home on his book The assault on culture; a
statement and counter-statement from the owners of the anticapitalist brand
name and store Yomango (whose main “product” seems to be shoplifting
information and paraphernalia); a translation of an article on
“bioprivateers” by Richard Stallman quote: … si bien puede estar
cuestionando determinado nivel de funcionamiento del “sistema” (a
saber, la circulación totalizante del dinero) no estará por otro
lado fortaleciendo uno de los pilares de dicho sistema: el sujeto inmaduro y
perpetuamente necesitado de objetos que le construyan y le reafirmen.
—Yomango
overall: One of the few anarchist zines I’ve
seen that has a sense of legible layout (not to mention style). Of course, I
would have liked more articles on what’s going on in Bizkaia and Spain and
less on English-speaking theorists, but I suppose most readers of the zine
already know what’s going on there and want to know about other things.
Peace Is Patriotic, and that’s the problem (2003?)
no
mailing address or price listed; a version available from
http://www.linefeed.org/~cactus/
subtitle: an anarchist perspective
overall: Can’t argue with their analysis of U.S.-Iraqi
relations over the past 20 years or their critique of capitalism. But I
distrust any group with a revolutionary agenda, particularly one that advocates
violence (probably the bourgeois Christian still lurking in me).
Pouèt-cafëe! No 3 (printemps-été
2002)
available from Christine Douville, 6595 St-Hubert, CP 59019,
Montréal QC H2S 3P5 CANADA, for $5 cash or good trade
subtitle:
Poésie et autres magies
on the cover: a girl on a flying
carpet
inside: poems in French and English, essays in French,
drawings with French captions
quote: Amante de l’engoulevent /
posée comme une amande sur le portique du rêve /
accélératrice de feux-follets / attise-colibris / piège
à baisers / je cherche encore la flamme / qui ne se consume jamais
[Nightjar lover / possessed like an almond on the portal of dream /
will-o-the-wisp accelerator / hummingbird stoker / fuck trap / I seek again the
flame / that never burns out ] —Nadia Capolla
overall:
attractively constructed—color cover, light brown paper, bound with
ribbon—but with the usual litzine mixture: some laziness, some
self-indulgence, some charm, and some insight
Some zines 2 by Tom Trusky (1996)
available from Boise State
University Bookstore (www.boisestatebooks.com) for $19.95 plus shipping
on the cover: silkscreened title with ink spatters on gold-painted
cardboard
subtitle: alternative & underground artists &
eccentric magazines & micropresses
inside: pictures of zines
displayed in an exhibition at Boise State, with extensive annotations
quote: True zine/ster sorts are tinged with or drenched in anger, wit,
perversity, clear-or-jaundiced-eyed innocence, iconoclasm, and imagination.
Such zine/sters may illustrate breathtaking chance-taking attitudes or
approaches. They may betray ignorance or scream modesty. Some provide a
terrifying footnote to an ego galaxy-sized and at least half-unhinged. Others
have an aura of Twinkie about them; yet, so pure, so distilled, so powerful is
their essence of Twinkie, it becomes manna. Neither are they faux; however, if
they are, their bogusness is beautiful to behold: we forgive them as we forgive
Wayne Newton and Naugahyde. Nor is their sincerity mean-spirited. If they spew
vitriol or inject venom, it is on or in a worthy victim or vein. Or is just
real funny.
overall: interesting snapshot of a moment or two in
zine history
Mark Hain
PO Box 411, Swarthmore, PA
19081
As usual, my reviews are late, so I’m sitting here on a Sunday afternoon, with my cat Midge on my lap, expressing opinions on these fine zines for you fine folks. I suppose it’s no great loss to be hunkered down at the computer on a weekend day, since here in Philadelphia we’ve had about five months of ceaselessly gray skies and rain. This time around, Davida has sent me a handful of zines about some of my favorite things: “vintage” films and pop music, kitties, Italy, and scary stuff. So, let’s get started….
Bloody Beautiful, Issue two
52 pages, 9 x 14”
As
someone who’s tried to write about and interest others in old movies,
music and art, my first reaction to this handsome, impressive publication was
“I hate them. They’ve stolen my thing and done it with such class and
elegance.” It didn’t take me long, though, to submit to Bloody
Beautiful’s rich evocation of the wonders of the late 19th and early 20th
centuries, from derby hats to spats and everything in between. There’s
always something off-putting about someone who was born in 1972 dressing like
an Edwardian fop and insisting there’s been no valid popular culture since
the death of vaudeville, but for the most part Bloody Beautiful avoids the kind
pretentious smugness that could so easily poison an endeavor like this.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the subject of a lengthy,
rather kowtowing interview in this issue with David McDermott, an artist who
has chosen to live in a turn of the century fashion, and who herein proclaims
Hitler the greatest artist of the 20th century. More appealingly, the rest of
Bloody Beautiful is substantial with pieces on British crooner Al Bowlly;
German film star Lilian Harvey; singer/comedienne Sophie Tucker; and perhaps
most interestingly, art historian, writer, artist, actor and all-around
aesthete Sadakichi Hartmann; plus the recollections of composer/performer
Kristian Hoffman on the mid-1970s New York music scene (complete with a great
“best of” pop song list.) My biggest criticism is that some of the
articles read a bit like book reports, without much suggestion of what it was
about these figures from an earlier era that broke through the span of decades
and spoke to these writers. With a generous amount of illustrations, at times
the layout’s a bit slapdash, and six pages reproducing sheet music covers
with no commentary or thematic groupings comes off a bit as filler, but why am
I being so critical? The writers of Bloody Beautiful have produced one of my
favorite zines in a long time— damn them…. “Ten American
dollars” in cash, check or money order drawn on a US bank
BUA
Productions, 1701 Broadway #347, Vancouver, WA, 98663
(Ed – this
also comes with a colored vinyl record that I forgot to send to Mark with the
issue. I concur, this is one amazing zine that encourages me with the limitless
possibilities zines are capable of acheiving.)
hey ho never be still., Issue one: god(s).
A spare,
beautifully rendered meditation, this latest piece by Androo Robinson unfolds
into four images of increasing size, creating a sense of development and
expansion.
Androo’s artwork communicates something beyond language,
indefinable yet powerful.
Send a dollar or two, and I’m sure Androo
will provide you with several examples of his fine work.
Androo Robinson,
Ped Xing Comics, 2000 NE 42 Ave., #303, Portland, OR, 97213
Kitty!, Issue one
28 pages, 8 x 14”
Editor Daina
describes her publication as a “fun-filled cat zine,” which is a
rather understated assessment of this charming, witty, sassy production.
Daina’s “triumphant return to zine land” was inspired by her own
kitty, Kitty, who reportedly told her “…there’s absolutely
nothing out there that caters to (cats’) interests. That’s why we
often shred newspapers with our claws.” Cats are weird— their quirks
and idiosyncrasies can be incomprehensible, and Daina and her contributors
transcend tedious “my cat is so funny!” tales to create warm yet
genuinely funny commentary on the bizarre vicissitudes of kittydom. Kitty!
profiles various cats, complete with photos and comics, including some by Dan
Moynihan that are among the finest zine illustrations I’ve seen. Perhaps
my favorite moment was the comic (by Cynthia M. Spanos?) detailing the feral
freak-cats of the neighborhood; it made me laugh and miss Mr. Peepy, the little
gray guy who used to come to our back door for petting and food but got run
over. Maybe I’m just too much of a sucker for photos of cats with blankets
wrapped around their heads so they look like old ladies in babushkas (for some
reason, this strikes me as about the funniest thing in the world), but I very
much enjoyed Kitty!; those types who don’t appreciate cats might want to
pass.
$1 or trade
Daina Mold, PO Box 6681, Portsmouth, NH, 03802;
kittyzine@yahoo.com
Leeking Ink Issue twenty-seven (February 2003)
Hopefully
I’m not coming off as sycophantic when I say that I think Davida’s
writing gets better issue by issue. Leeking Ink, a simple but well written
account of a life, is this time around infused with a strangely gripping
melancholia Davida’s writing has never revealed before, while still
retaining the typical humor and insight. Not that I’m some sick voyeur
that revels in other people’s pain, but I’m always amazed when I
realize how the negative experiences other people write about in personal zines
eases me: I guess it’s a combination of both finding out that I’m not
alone and seeing how others have gotten through. Davida’s writing here has
that magical soothing quality; there have been times in my life I could relate
exactly to the sensation of eating a doughnut and crying at the same time. $2
or fair trade
Davida Gypsy Breier, Box 963, Havre de Grace MD 21078
Mars: News, Views and Com-mentary, numerous issues,
2001-2003
Each newsletter one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet
A brief, chatty
newsletter with an informative neo-pagan and amiable sci-fi geek slant, each
issue features original pen and ink artwork, little tales retold from
literature or folklore, and recommendations for books, films, websites, zines
and artists, many connected with something called Dark Side of the Net. Much of
the focus is on the pre-Christian origins of holidays, and as editor Chris
Friend produces Mars seasonally, there’s a bit of repetition from year to
year. He writes “The whole point of Mars is to be cutting edge for all
groups. If it wasn’t a little threatening, then there would be no real
point at all.” That said, the writing’s friendly tone stands in stark
contrast to the images of rotting corpses and H.P. Lovecraft-like deformed
creatures. It automatically raises flags for me when I see the word
“magick” spelled with a “k,” but Mars isn’t
insufferable.
“A few dollars for sample copies. I’ll send along a
few from each season.”
Chris Friend, PO Box 14, West Union, WV,
26456-0014
Shouting at the Postman/ Ominous as the Postman, Issue forty-nine,
February, 2003
12 pages, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2”
Comprised of a
compelling travel narrative by Mary Miller titled “The Last Train from
Pompeii,” this issue of a well-established zine tells about the unpleasant
aftermath of a visit to Pompeii; namely, waiting endlessly for a delayed train
and then once it arrives, getting stuck on it for hours (shades of
Philadelphia’s regional rail system). Although the narrative focuses on an
unpleasant experience, it never totally loses sight of the fantastic aspects of
visiting Italy: the light, the incredible food, the fleeting glimpses of
countryside and unfamiliar lives viewed from a passing train, standing on
ground so infused with history it sends a shiver up one’s spine, and most
of all, the indefinable, life-changing sense of wonder imparted by the travel
experience. The story ends with late-night pizza and beer, and what could be
more satisfying than that?
“Send a US stamp, 2 IRCs or something cool
in trade”
ASKalice Art Exchange Net, PO Box 101, Newtown, PA,
18940-0101
Dwan, Issue thirty-five
For the tenth anniversary of his
fantastic queer poetry zine, Donny has included poems, fragments, translations,
journal entries and an impressive selection of submissions by a wide range of
contributors for an issue that simultaneously reflects on the past decade and
breaks new ground, as always. Astonishingly rich in content, what is perhaps
most amazing is that, in spite of the number of voices and writers, the
recurring themes of life, death, spirituality, dreams, love and lust, growth
and change weave together into a complex but startlingly unified vision (the
true sign of a gifted editor). The overall effect is that of a vividly
remembered dream, veering between sexual pleasure, disturbed anguish, and the
sense that something, just below the surface, is trying to communicate
something vital. With clean, beautiful design and nice cover art, a worthy
summation of ten years of publication.
$4 or fair trade; free to
prisoners
Donny Smith, PO Box 411, Swarthmore, PA, 19081
“Valerie Lives!” The Third Solanas Supplement to
Dwan
With this third exploration of Valerie Solanas— paradoxical
author, feminist, whore, now-and-then lesbian, mental patient and shooter of
Andy Warhol— the amazingly, aggravatingly prolific Donny Smith has once
again produced an exquisitely designed and fascinating account of an enigmatic
figure. Who among us in the zine community can’t relate at least a bit to
Solanas, a sharp, funny, insightful writer with something to say, a stand to
take, frustrated by being ignored and plagiarized into murderous rage? Although
I think the quality and care of Donny’s work speaks for itself, in
fairness, I can’t be counted on for an unbiased review. In our lives
together, his various obsessions have gripped me, and vice versa, and so I was
completely absorbed by this newest account of the life and death of Solanas,
told largely through an interview with some men who knew her, including her
common-law husband. Equally intriguing are the various responses to his
research and writing that Donny includes: “How patriarchal can U
get?”. $4 or fair trade; free to prisoners
Donny Smith, PO Box 411,
Swarthmore, PA, 19081
(Ed – After I read this issue I dreamt of
Valerie, which I think is a recommendation in and of itself.)
Fred Argoff
1800 Ocean Pkwy. #B-12, Brooklyn, NY
11223
Time for another fun get-together here in the zine community. Many of
you may not believe this, but since the last issue of XD I have moved my
personal timetable up by nearly a hundred years. Yes, it’s true: I
resolved to become computerized before the advent of the 22nd century, and now
it is an accomplished fact. Not only do I have a computer, but a connection to
the internet, too. (You may therefore reach me at wajasay@optonline.net in
addition to the “real” address I still maintain.) This computer stuff
has a practical side, I see, relevant to this here scribbling: I was able to
e-mail my reviews in, thus saving myself much in the way of the many and varied
headaches to which dealing with the Post Orifice is subject.
Ah, but
enough light chitchat. There are zines to be reviewed, so let’s sharpen
the pencil (figuratively speaking) and see what was inside the big, bulky
package this time around...
Modern Arizona. Excuse me, but I happen to be fairly enchanted when the title of the zine has absolutely no relevance to its contents. This is a political zine, and appears to have been inspired by the recent events in Iraq. I mean, of course, the War for American Corporate Contracts. But don’t let me go getting all political. Joe Unseen will do that for me. Issue #1 puts the magnifying glass to topics such as patriotism, the World Trade Center, voting, and Confederate flags. Then, when the real shootin’ war got started, issue #2 came out quickly with protest as a theme. Let me say this: even if you aren’t especially politically inclined, you will find yourself unable to put the zine down once you start reading. Therefore, the mere buck asked for by Joe to get yourself hooked up is quite reasonable. Cheap, even. P.O. Box 494, Brewster, NY 10509.
We shall follow Modern Arizona’s review up with The Weird News, because issue #57 has a similar theme. Editor Don Busky leads off with a thoroughly humorous bit of satire (or was it prescience?) titled, “Demonstrators Call for U.S. Out of France.” There’s also a piece on the Cliche President testifying at a Congressional hearing. If you’ve never seen this zine, here’s what you need to know: Don has quite the sly sense of humor. Very often, it’s hard to tell whether or not he’s being serious. But he assures me that he is, so who am I to argue? And here’s the best part: the zine is free! Yup—don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t get anything for free. Just dash off a missive to Don at 7393 Rugby St., Philadelphia, PA 19138-1236, and he’ll have a copy in the mail to you pronto. Tell him you read it here!
Now, here’s a zine you didn’t have to ask me twice to read. The Constant Rider, subtitled Stories from the Transportation Front. Being both a believer in mass transit, and in fact an employee of same (New York City Transit rules, and don’t let anyone tell you different!) this was a zine I could sit down to read knowing from the first that I wasn’t going to be disappointed. Davida sent me two issues: Vol. 2, No. 1 had drunks as a theme. Well, as we say here in Brooklyn, waddaya gonna do? There are drunks riding trains and buses in any city, so you might as well deal with ‘em tongue in cheek. And issue No. 4 will inspire you to do some reading on the subject of transportation. So even though neither issue comes with a price listed, you should stuff the usual couple of bucks into an envelope, rush it to Kate Lopresti on the double-quick, and start riding. P.O. Box 6753, Portland, OR 97228-6753.
Neufutur is a perzine. In his note to XD, James McQuiston describes it as covering “...all facets of my young life.” I find perzines fascinating, because I think they’re windows to another’s mind. If I had any problems with this one, it’s the unfortunate and unoriginal layout style featuring paragraphs of type laid in blocks on top of graphics. Call me picky if you must, but after the first time I saw someone do that, I decided I just didn’t care for it. Should you get this zine? If insights into other people are interesting to you, you should. $1 and trades are welcome, from James at 408 South Locust St., Greencastle, IN 46135.
Ah, here we go! A zine from Fort Greene—which only happens to be a section of Brooklyn. (Come on, Davida—you didn’t send this one to me purely by coincidence, did you?) (Ed. - Nope.) It’s styled a “fanzine,” and titled Abort! (exclamation point included, just like in my zine). Now, I must tell you that I’m never sure exactly what a “fanzine” is supposed to be. This one, though, seems to read more like a perzine. There’s certainly a lot of drinking going on, and rather more in the way of four-letter words than I use in my own writing. But what the hell? If it was all slick and professional, it wouldn’t be a zine, and then who’d care about it at all? I say, go for it. 32 pages of photocopied hellraising for only $1 plus two stamps, from Jonathan Spies, 40 Adelphi St. (#3), Brooklyn, NY 11205.
Once upon a time, I traded zines to get Infiltration. Then all of a sudden things got cut off from the other end without explanation. I still don’t know why, but I still love this zine. Why? Look at the subtitle, pal: it’s The Zine About Going Places You’re Not Supposed to Go. Is there a living, breathing human being who could resist a temptation like that? Nah, I didn’t think so, either. Issue #20 takes us to the Twin Cities of Minnesota (that’s Minneapolis-St. Paul, in case you don’t have immediate access to your atlas.) We’ll go poking around beneath Hamm’s brewery, as well as in telephone and power tunnels, and the Old Bank Cave. Can you do better than this? Nah, I didn’t think so. Although listed as an occasional publication, you should still get your copy right away, if not sooner. $2 to Infiltration, P.O. Box 13, Station E, Toronto, Ontario M6H 4E1. And please don’t forget that you need extra postage for letters to Canada.
How about another perzine? OK, let’s try Supreme Nothing. I will admit to being intrigued by the title, and roping in readers is half the battle. The intro to issue #14 is titled, “14 bottles of beer on the wall, 14 bottles of beeeer,” and welcomes you to Denny’s life, filled with spelling and grammar errors. Things happen—relationships, drinking, concerts—and, well, I guess I thought it was a good read, and what else do you want from a zine? No price listed (I wish people would tell you somewhere in the zine what it costs), so “the usual” will have to do, from Denny at P.O. Box 211, Burton, OH 44021.
Finally out of me this time, there’s My Strange Malady, issue #3. Some opinions about this-and-that, and a whole lot of zine reviews. The thing that bothered me about it was the small type size. As anyone who’s ever seen any of my zine work knows, I am definitely not allergic to photocopying. But come on, you can’t run eight or even six-point type through a xerox machine and expect it to be readable. Bigger type, less eye strain, OK? Other than that, I wouldn’t mind if maybe the next issue appeared in my mailbox. $1.25 or trade from James Dawson, P.O. Box 613, Redwood Valley, CA 95470.
Wait a moment! There's one more zine I have to cover. What would you think if you saw the word Chunk plastered across the cover of a zine? Would you imagine it was a music zine? Well--it is. Now I must confess that while there are many subjects upon which I might discourse, music is not one of them. To show you how much of a dinosaur I am, I've considered the book to be closed on rock 'n roll since the Beatles broke up in 1970. Still, the second issue makes up a fun and spirited zine...and not entirely filled with things musical, either. There are some restaurant and zine reviews, a deconstruction of the second Tyson-Holyfield fight, and most fascinating of all, an interview with a real, live milkman (perhaps more politically correctly termed a "dairy deliveryman.") Once again, no price listed, but since you already know the deal, get that envelope prepared and send it straight off to Jason Olcott, 2445 55th Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98116.
Brooke Young
c/o SLC Zine Library, 209 E 500
South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
byoung@mail.slcpl.lib.ut.us
Dude, did you guys see Arsenal totally lose the title to Man United? I would be upset, but Arsenal had plenty of chances to win. Now my soccer season has ended and Saturday mornings no longer contain a good reason to get up early. Sigh. Plus, poor David Beckham broke his wrist and when David Beckham is in pain, fairies loose their wings. Or something. I feel like I should mention in every introduction that I work at the Salt Lake Public Library and that we have a really cool zine collection. Anyway, feel free to email me - byoung@slcpl.lib.ut.us
Infiltration #20
I was so surprised about how much I liked
this zine. I have to admit to being a stereotypical girl who fears dark places
and things that have eight legs, but I love this zine. Infiltration bills
itself as “the zine about going places you’re not supposed to
go” which is exactly what it is. This issue is about exploring the
underground tunnel system in the Twin Cities and how they were discovered and
mapped out by the Action Squad (maybe I don’t like the name Action Squad,
if you name your group the Action Squad I expect crime fighting and cool
gadgets). I think what impressed me the most about the zine is that these guys
are great storytellers and each contributor did such an impressive job of
conveying the excitement of exploring the unknown parts of a city. Zines like
Infiltration are why I like zines; they are about how odd other people are and
how happy they are being odd.
Send $2 (cash only) to Infiltration PO Box
13, Station E, Toronto, ON, M6H 4E1 Canada, liz@infiltration.org
28 Pages Lovingly Bound with Twine #6
If you have never seen
this zine or if you have seen it but never read it, then your life is somehow
incomplete. There must be a nagging feeling that something just isn’t
right but you don’t really know what. You might be happy, but your joy is
somehow tainted by an unknown element. I am here to tell you that this zine
could possibly be that piece you are missing. It won’t make you richer or
cure your health problems or make your breath smell less like garlic (dude,
brush your damn teeth!!) but it will make you laugh and then go, “ahhh,
how cute.” I guess if you need something more substantive in this review,
this issue is about water heaters, Christoph’s kid Herbie, and his missing
Muse Pat. P.S. I didn’t just say nice things about this zine because I
fear Christoph’s fiery rage and didn’t want to receive an expletive
ridden letter. Really, I promise.
Send $2 (that is a steal!!) to Christoph
Meyer, PO Box 106, Danville, OH 43014
Thoughtworm #9
I love this zine. Very few people understand
the art of writing personal essays like Sean does. This issue of Thoughtworm is
the music issue and it is chock full of deep looks into how Sean infuses music
into his daily life. It also describes how being in a band changed him from
just a passive listener to someone who actively creates. Now that you all have
a brief summary of this issue, let me tell you how I have to read Thoughtworm,
just in case you need hints. I have to read the zine all the way through,
without stopping or taking a break. Reading Thoughtworm is one of the few
things I like to do when the house is quiet and there are no distractions. I
also tend to read each issue several more times, with weeks passing between
readings. Every time I read it again, I catch something that I missed in a
previous reading. I think it is remarkable that I never skip pages or skim to
the end of the zine to find out the conclusion, which I do with everything
else.
Send $2 to Sean Stewart, 1703 Southwest Pkwy, Wichita Falls, TX
76302, www.thoughtworm.com
Clamor Jan/Feb 2003 Issue 18
The first time I went to what
is now called the Allied Media Conference (formerly the Underground Publishing
Conference) in Bowling Green, Ohio I was, I think, 17 years old and extremely
terrified. If you want me to tell you the Snapple story, which just highlights
how terrified I was, email me. I bring this up, because the Allied Media
Conference is brought to you by the same people who produce Clamor and they are
forever twined together in my consciousness . I really respect Clamor for
several different reasons. One is that Jen and Jason totally get that you have
to infiltrate the system in order to make a difference. That makes more sense
to me then a lot of the snob rhetoric that is prevalent in the punk community.
Another reason why Clamor gets props from me is the quality of writing and art
they manage to find. The contributors are great, even if they are some times a
little serious. The final and biggest reason to run out and buy a subscription
to Clamor is how open minded they are. In this issue the theme is technology,
which is handled well with lots of grays and few easy answers.
Subscriptions are $18 for 6 issues. PO Box 1225, Bowling Green, OH 43402,
info@clamormagazine.org
Slug & Lettuce Winter 2003 #74
I feel somewhat
underqualified to be reviewing such a bastion on punk culture. I tend to be a
“wimp” and I often tell people, “I’m not really all that
angry, just melancholy.” The fact that I deal with my anger more in the
sad puppy kind of way makes most of the music reviews kind of pointless for me
personally, but for others they are at least well written. As for the regular
columnists, they were outstanding. This zine contains a good mix of different
kinds of people in the punk community which helps make their columns
interesting to read. I think that the more capable the punk world is at
adapting, the better they will survive. Look at the Catholic church, one of the
reasons they survived for such a huge chunk of time was their ability to change
(well, that and brutal oppression). Hmm…maybe my Catholic analogy
didn’t work, or maybe it works a little too well. You decide. Let’s
return to Slug & Lettuce, which is a great source of well-written articles
that are on subjects that are of interest to punks and zinesters alike. I
should admit that the type was just a wee bit too small for this myopic
melancholy lass, but those among you blessed with good eyesight and a fondness
for carrots might be better off.
Send postage (or $2 if you are not a
cheap bastard) to PO Box 26632, Richmond, VA 23261-6632
SWINJ #5
For awhile I was convinced that Trent Call either
did not exist or that he wanted to beat me and my melancholy ass up for not
being hip enough. After having actually met him, I have revised my opinion and
now think that I just have an overactive imagination and am paranoid. Trent is
legend in the Salt Lake zine scene and he deserves some sort of gold star or
prize. He has taken SWINJ from just a photocopied zine and turned it into a
performance piece that includes making the entire city of Salt Lake his canvas
by means of stickers on flat surfaces and an artistic use of the spray can.
This issue far surpasses earlier attempts at greatness, which is saying a lot
because #4 was damn fine. The art included in SWINJ is usually described as
“graffiti” art, but SWINJ also includes some impressive writing as
well as a truly amazing cover made out of either red or blue folders. If I had
to pick one representative to send to the zinester U.N. conference from Utah, I
would send Trent.
Please send $5 to Trent Call, 741 S. 400 West #3, SLC, UT
84101; tonic482@aol.com, www.swinj.com
Factory Wounds #3
I struggled to read this zine more then
any of the others sent by Davida this time around. I picked it up on several
occasions and just could not read more then a few pages. It took me awhile to
warm to the author’s writing style and to figure out what the point of it
all was. I guess this is a perzine, but it is extremely obvious early on that
Jacob Snodgrass didn’t publish the sort of vain musings that comprise a
lot of perzines. I don’t mean that to sound insulting to perzines, but
part of the reason why I like them so much is that voyeuristic look into a life
that the author felt was interesting enough for the world to read. I am also
not saying Jacob isn’t vain, because when it comes to name dropping his
smarts, he does that. On the other hand, his writings comprised of real life
events, movie ideas, and dreams all eventually have a point. As I read several
accounts of different dreams I was wondering what the point was because I got
the feeling Jacob didn’t necessarily enjoy exposing his unconscious to me.
Then you realize he is using his dreams to back up a larger hypothesis which
involves subconscious, Buddhism, Surrealism, and Japanese film making. Maybe I
should have read it more then once.
Send $1 or a trade to Jacob Snodgrass,
6648 Eastland Court, Worthington, OH 43085
Quest of the Moon Box
This is a zine about the importance of
quests. Once upon a time a great man named Sir DB Pedlar set forth to find a
magical box that would hold moonlight for him on cloudy nights. Sir Pedlar
prepares heartily for this treacherous journey, for which he knows he will have
to travel to new and far away places. After much feasting and toasting he sets
off on his quest. The toils were many and he fought mightily in order to find
the magical moon box, but yea, he did find it. All shall hear of his quest and
forever try and recreate his valiant deeds.
All ye of mighty spirit send $3
to DB Pedlar, 25727 Cherry Hill Rd., Cambridge Springs, PA 16403
Josh Bowron
Josh Bowron does Scatological Think Cap, #4 is right on the tip
of his tongue. He’s moving soon, so e-mail is best to contact him:
joshbowron@hotmail.com.
What do you do with Xerography Debt? After I
wrest my new copy from my beloved p.o. box I pore over it with my new
highlighter. By nightfall that baby is dog-eared, tabbed, annotated, and
highlighted. Next to XD I’ve got a stack of trades, letters, and dollar
filled envelopes. Hats off to Davida for her dedication and for putting out the
best and most consistent review zine out there. Without further ado, here are
the zines I reviewed in the order in which they are stacked on my table…
The Zine Dump #2
$? / Guy H. Lillian, P.O. Box 53092, New
Orleans, LA 70153
Zine Dump is to Challenger as Frasier is to Cheers; that
is: a spin off. Mr. Lillian understands, as not enough people do, that
“zines demand quick response.” So he has gleaned the zine reviews in
Challenger. Since Challenger is a sci-fi fanzine, The Zine Dump favors the SF
zines but still reviews “non fannish zines on the mere basis of
whim”. Zine Dump is a good read with the most well written review
I’ve ever received. Except I can’t decipher this sentence, “If
he reads SF, he’d be a great recruit for one of the rebel apas”. Guy,
if you’re reading this, throw me a bone!
Slush Pile: The Second Coming
$5; 84 packed pages / P.O.
Box 42077, Philly, PA 19101-2077
This publication from the Underground
Literary Alliance (ULA) is simply putting out “authentic American
writing”. The $5 price tag may leave some cold, but it’s worth it,
not one inch of space is wasted in this fine collection.
Fun Facts edited by Eric Lyden
$2 / 224 Moraine Street,
Brockton, MA 02301-3664
What follows is a direct transcript of my thoughts
upon receiving Fun Facts: What is this? Seems like a bunch of superlatives. Who
cares what jobs you wish you had. Silly, silly, lame, silly, stupid. Who cares,
silly, really? When you were 3? Silly, silly, cool, silly, cool. Hey me too.
Wow, really? After your mom’s dog? Final verdict: Fun Facts is
Entertainment Tonight for zinesters (i.e. you can’t help but be attracted
to it). Also has a nice contact section for those listed.
Out of the Blue #13
$3; 48 pp. / Larned Justin, PO Box 471,
House Springs MO 63051
The first half of Out of Blue is a collection of
stories and some excellent comics. The second half holds reviews.
Shot By A Raygun #5
by Jamie Easter and Billy McKay
Minicomic; $1/trade / Billy McKay, PO Box 542, N. Olmsted, OH 44070;
billyCSQP@aol.com
A whimsically weird tale, the opening line alone is worth
the ordering. The art is superb, two very different styles coming together
beautifully.
Opuntia #52
$3/trade/or letter of comment / Dale Spiers, Box
6830, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 2E7
Smart commentary, quirky history,
and a sci-fi convention. An excellent example of what I call a grown up zine.
28 Pages Lovingly Bound With Twine #6
$2 / Christoph Meyer,
PO Box 106, Danville, OH 43014
Four words: Herbie is zine gold. A few more
words: Herbie is Christoph’s child but don’t think that 28plbwt is
simply some guy showing home movies. Highly recommended. Also inside: the
cutest phrase ever uttered in English. and Christoph’s bathing habits
(speaking of which I just accidentally typed Crustoph). Christoph also puts out
The Heart Star for $1.50. A very well done, illustrated story of redemption
through acceptance. Block printed cover, nice thick paper throughout, a nice
handfeel.
Rock Out: ideas on booking DIY shows
$2 Megan Wells, PO Box
5027, Chicago IL 60627
Common and not so common sense on puttin’ on
shows. Beautifully classic cut and paste. Recommended.
For the Clerisy: Good words for readers #50
LOC/Trade /
Brant Kresovich, PO Box 404, Getzville, NY 14068-0404
Ultra-smart zine that
meditates on…everything. Featuring vast swathes of quotes of commentary
from the wizened Brant, the man’s been around and read a little too.
Highest recommendation.
Kitty
½ legal; 24 pages; $1 / PO Box 6681 Portsmouth,
NH 03802
The title says it all, a nice collection of anecdotes on life with
cats including one from yours truly. Nice cut and paste layout.
Child of the World
$6; 100+ pages / Michael Olaf, 65
Erickson Ct. #1, Arcata, CA 95521
Not a zine, not a book, not a catalogue
but somewhere in between. Child of the world is indispensable for anybody
who’s interested in alternative forms of education. The $6 price is more
than worth it.
Eric Lyden
224 Moraine St., Brockton MA 02301
Ericfishlegs@aol.com
Hey and howdy. What’s up, kids? Before we begin I’d like to
tell you all about a little problem I’ve been having lately. Not a big
problem, mind you, but a problem is a problem. What is this problem? Zine
trades. I just haven’t been getting enough of them. Why? My zine is a good
one. It gets plenty of good reviews (maybe even in this very issue) and good
notices and whatnot, yet day after day I go to the mailbox and find it empty.
Maybe this is partly my own fault because I’m not aggressive enough about
trading and just don’t send enough out to folks, but... Hell, why
don’t you initiate the trade? I’m happy to trade with just about
anyone. So c’mon, trade with me. Please?
God, that was the most
pathetic intro ever. By the way, I’m also going to be putting together a
second issue of Fun Facts so anyone wanting to contribute to that can
just get in touch with me. It won’t be out for a while, so this isn’t
an official announcement looking for submissions, it’s more of a prelude
to an announcement. Still, getting it done early is always cool. Anyhow,
reviews…
The Pornographic Flabbergasted Emus #3
You know what this
zine reminded me of? I’m probably the only one who would consider this to
be a compliment and Wred might be downright offended, but this zine reminded me
of the old Monkees TV show. Really, it’s about a band living together in
the same house frequently having nutty misadventures. Seriously, it’s like
the Monkees with more sex and booze. It’s like...Extreme Monkees! Oh man,
if I was a TV producer I’d buy the rights to the Emus from Wred and shop
them around to the networks as the Monkees of the new millennium and…oh
man, we’d have such a hit on our hands. Anyhow, moving on from this Monkee
nonsense, PFE is actually a serialized novel following the adventures of a band
by the same name. The idea of doing a serialized novel in zine form is a good
one and I’d like to see it done more though I’m not sure many zine
folks have the writing chops to pull it off. This issue contains chapters 6-8
and although it is just part of a greater story you should have no problem
getting into it right away without any problems (although you will want to see
what happens next and you will want to order back issues to see exactly what
you missed) 2 nitpicky details I must point out - sometimes the font will
change in the middle of a section for no apparent reason (ed. – this
indicates a change in character speaking) and Funnybear’s constantly
referring to himself in the third person is really annoying to read. I realize
that it’s sort of supposed to be annoying, but to me it was annoying in a
way that wasn’t intended. Still, this zine was great. Well-written and
funny with realistic (though still somewhat ridiculous) characters...I
can’t wait to order the back issues. Send $3 ppd. or trade (but write or
e-mail before trading) to Wred Fright PO Box 770984, Lakewood, OH 44107;
wredfright@yahoo.com
Out of the Blue #14
When you’re reviewing zines you
begin to appreciate it when zine writers include a little form with their zine
which contains all the pertinent contact info. Well, this zine contained the
form, but it was blank. I ask you, what is the bloody point of that? Do they do
this to mock me? Do they, huh, do they? (Ed. – Um, Eric, Larned usually
includes those in Out of the Blue so that people can send him their zines to
review. He uses the same basic form as XD, so I can see where that could be
confusing. Sorry.) At any rate, I liked this zine a lot. It’s an anthology
of sorts with comics (the best being Joel Orff’s) writings (including 2
columns by Christoph Meyer and a story by Matt Holdaway about almost getting
eaten by a bear) and plenty of reviews. Good stuff, though as with any
anthology you may not like everything, but you’ll find enough here to be
worth your while. Send $3 to Larned Justin, PO Box 471, House Springs ,MO 63051
candidcartoons@yahoo.com; www.candidcartoons.com
The Spazz Report #1
Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here
is a very first attempt at a zine. Round of applause and let us officially
welcome Joy into the zine community. And it’s a good one, too. This is far
better than most first attempts at zines, which tend to be sloppy affairs. This
one is clean with no fancy layout and a few nicely reproduced photos. The theme
for this issue is work with a funny yet oddly sad piece on what Joy wanted to
be when she grew up, various funny work stories, a piece by the author’s
dad which is the low point of the issue (but I guess you can’t tell your
dad that he isn’t good enough to be in your zine, can you? Still, the
piece is a low point in an otherwise fine zine) and a short fiction story that
is entertaining enough, but still comes across as “Shit, I’m done
with the zine, but still have 2 pages to fill. I guess I’ll just toss in
this story I wrote...” Good zine, especially considering it’s only
her first issue. I liked it a lot and am eager to see what she does next. Get
it by sending either $2 or trade to Joy Todaro, ASC Box #726, 141 E. College
Ave., Decatur, GA 30030
Thoughtworm #9
Thoughtworm has gotten plenty of good
reviews in XD in the past so in an effort to conserve space I’ll try and
be brief. This issue chronicles Sean’s lifetime of listening to and
playing music. No fancy layout, no graphics other than some well-drawn stick
figures, just writing and good writing at that. Good stuff, very highly
recommended. Send $2 or trade to Sean Stewart 1703 Southeast Pkwy, Wichita
Falls, TX 76302; www.thoughtworm.com
Maja Daoust’s comics
These are pretty cool, though
I’m not quite sure what to make of them. Squid and California Dreams
appear to be illustrated dreams; The Systern is an odd little tale of blood,
shit, puke and cum, and VS. is a comp zine put together by Lost Dog Press
featuring drawings of various epic battles such as tiger vs. python, Godzilla
vs. the Smog Monster, Lake Titicaca vs. Dick Butkus (my personal fave) and many
more. Odd, but entertaining. No contact info or price listed on the zine so for
info e-mail Maja at peeweerules@hotmail.com
Get Bent! #10
Wow, this is a pretty neat looking package.
For Get bent! #10 Ben did a series of 5 mini-comics titled “Can,”
“Anybody,” ‘Find Me,” “Somebody,” and “To
Love?” The 5 comics are all separate stories, but they all have similar
themes of loneliness and depression. It’s really a pretty melancholy
series of books, yet it still also manages to have a certain sense of humor
about them, though I wouldn’t really consider any of them to be what
you’d call funny. Great packaging and great comics. What else could you
want? Send $4 and .75 or postage (expensive, but worth it) or selective trades
(e-mail Ben for details) and not free to prisoners (he seems to be rather
adamant about that) Ben T Steckler, PO Box 7273, York, PA 17404;
bsteckler@suscom.net
Too Negative #1
Hey, more comics! Cool beans, as the kids
say. The title of this comic is Too Negative, yet this comic actually focuses
on the positive aspects of negativity. If that makes any sense to you and the
way I explain it, and it probably doesn’t, but if you read it you’ll
get what I’m saying. (Ed. – You are trying to kill me, aren’t
you?) Anyhow, this comic is funny. There’s at least one good chuckle on
every page (except for the “Bongwater Buddhists” strip which just
didn’t do it for me) My fave bit was White Boy Angst Comics which was a
pretty dead on parody of these auto-bio comix artistes types who just think
they’re so bloody brilliant. Funny stuff and a worthy object of mockery.
Plus Jenny actually uses her humor comics to actually express a point of view
about the world, which is really sort of rare when you get right down to it.
Send a few bucks or something to Jenny Gonzales, PO Box 22477, Brooklyn, NY
11202-2477; lilrenoir@aol.com; http://www.anglefire.com/ny3/devildoll. Oh, and
Jenny is also in a band called Ms. Pac Man (or maybe it’s Pak man...)
which is comprised of 3 (or is it 4? hell, maybe it’s 5. I dunno...)
really cute chicks. Just thought I’d mention that...
Damaged #7
OK, before I get started with this review
I’d better make a few things clear for some of our more sensitive readers
- this zine mocks fat people, the homeless, claims the Beatles suck, makes a
few jokes about pedophiles, and if you want to be picky you could say it also
makes fun of the mentally ill. Right now those of you reading this have either
fainted in disgust or are saying, “Where can I get me this wonderful
zine?” If you (like me) fall into the latter category you are a wise
person indeed. This is one of the funnier zines I’ve ever read. I’m
not saying it’s for everyone because it’s clearly not and I’m
not saying every bit is a classic because some jokes just fall flat, but at 50+
pages for just 2 bucks you can’t complain too much. Send either $2 or a
trade (free to Mexico) to Louis Fowler, PO Box 54572, Oklahoma City, OK 73154;
StrokerAce2k2@aol.com
FANgirl #1
If nothing else this zine has a message - women
can be just as obsessed with your geekier aspects of pop culture as men. This
zine is called FANgirl because it comes from a more female perspective than
your average zine focusing on comics and movies and anime. It’s a fine
concept and it manages to walk the fine line of being “girly” (for
lack of a better term and I know there’s a better one I should be using)
enough to stick to its premise, but never becomes so girly that it would scare
guys away. A very good, entertaining, funny read if you’re into pop
culture type stuff. The only part I wasn’t into was the piece on anime,
but that’s just because I’m not into anime. Overall a very enjoyable
read. Send $2 or a trade to Emily McCombs, PO Box 54572, Oklahoma City, OK
73154; misanthropegirl@aol.com (yes, it’s supposed to be the same address
as Damaged. No, I didn’t just screw up and type the same addy twice. Mind
you, I wouldn’t put it beyond me to make such a dumb mistake, but I
didn’t do it this time...)
Maria Goodman
2000 NE 42nd Ave. #303, Portland,
OR 97213
I’m still amazed that no matter how many crappy zines I get in the mail, or buy by accident thinking they’ll live up to their name or cover, the brilliant treasures keep sneaking in, rare and wonderful, raising the bar for my own zine, Secret Mystery Love Shoes. Here are some of the most recent pieces of gold:
Esperanza #2 and #3
by Jackie, PO Box 33441, Baltimore MD
21218, esperanzazine@yahoo.com digest, $2.00 or trade, 24 pages
When I
first got this zine, I was like “Esperanza? What is it, in Spanish?”
I opened it up and saw something about babies and immediately assumed (in my
harsh and hasty way) that it would be either precious or spiritual or just
really dull, because what’s so exciting about babies? The fact that there
weren’t lots of illustrations or a snazzy cover further fueled my
cynicism. But then I started skimming and one of those magical zine moments
occurred: every doubt I had was ERASED. This was in fact a FANTASTIC zine. I
was a FOOL. Jackie is such a good writer that illustration would be extraneous.
The first article I read was about accidentally peeing in public and I
couldn’t believe anyone would write such an honest and embarrassing story.
I kept skipping around reading articles, saving what I thought would be the
boring ones for last, but finally I was reading the Introduction and even THAT
was astounding. Who writes good introductions? Nobody! Except for Jackie.
I’m eating my hat.
I still don’t care much about babies, but I do care about women and books and food, and Jackie has this awesome ability to express her opinions and passions in a really thoughtful, enthusiastic way. You feel like since she had twins she’s suddenly looking at the world with brand new eyes and is all excited to describe what she’s realizing and learning, which is extremely inspiring. She reviews books and zines (especially mama zines), talks about activism, about writing, and of course, about her twins. And even that snagged my interest, because I’m a twin, too.
Check out this little sample from the introduction to her second issue and see if you aren’t moved: “I know why I read zines: to get glimpses into the lives of other people, usually people who are well-spoken and articulate, people who limn their daily details and make me remember them in the random moments of my own days...people who can voice feelings and emotions I always knew I had but never really saw clearly until some stranger handwrites it across a page.”
Issue 3 continues in this same great vein, with a description of her t-shirt collection, her hopes for a room of her own, her worries about raising mixed-race children, and the distro she’s starting for mamas (www.geocities.com/mamasunidasdistro).Plus, photos of her daughters so you can see their cuteness for yourself.
Zuzu and the Baby Catcher #1, #2, #3
by Rhonda, 2535 NE 46th
Ave, Portland OR 97213, rhon@Uswest.net; www.emeraldgiant.com/babycatcher mini,
$2, 32 pages
What’s with all the baby zines? You know what’s
weird is that on the same day I got a letter from Jackie (Esperanza) telling me
to check out ZBC, this zine was also in our mailbox. Mother’s intuition?
Written in small perfect handwriting and illustrated with hilarious perfect
drawings, ZBC is like a cute little present. Rhonda (the Baby Catcher) writes
zippily and smartly about life with Zuzu (her daughter) and Randy (the Geek
Daddy). Issue one describes Rhonda’s first pregnancy in high school (she
liked it!), her newfound fascination with feet, birth stories, and family
outings (I loved the illustrations of what they all got at Baskin Robbins one
stressful night). Issue two contains more birth stories, a list of things you
think you’ll never buy as a parent but DO, another family outing (sex on
the beach!), and the tale of what it’s like to have hypothyroidism. Issue
three is the fashion issue—there are drawings of various midwife outfits
(it seems a vest is essential), Zuzu’s favorite clothes, Randy’s
former mullet, and lots more. Also each issue features a suggestion box of
things to read and the Geek Daddy page, which is always funny and well-written.
This is one of those zines where you’re like “How can somebody write
AND draw this good AND lay everything out beautifully?” Tomorrow I’m
going to meet Rhonda in person, so I’ll find out if she’s really for
real or not.
Double Underground #1
by Ted Mangano, c/o Fanorama Society
Global Headquarters, 109 Arnold Avenue, Cranston RI 02905 digest, $2, free to
prisoners, 22 pages
You wouldn’t think someone in prison would have
perfect grammar and spelling or the ability to write short stories of a New
Yorker caliber or a friendly, chatty writing style complete with silly sense of
humor, but all this is true: Ted is amazing. Somehow he manages to put out this
zine neatly, adding drawings in COLOR—”I wrote and assembled it on my
prison bunk with just a roll of tape, a stash of paper, and two typewriters.
Like a good little convict, I trimmed the paper pieces using the fold-and-lick
method and employed no tool that might possibly double as a weapon— not by
any stretch of the most painfully paranoid imagination.” (Because he was
recently moved to another prison with rules that make copying and distribution
impossible, a distro is now helping him out—see address above.) With
cheerful honesty, Ted tells you why he’s in prison and in his stories
there are more details, all of them fascinating, because how many of you have
been in the slammer? There’s also fiction anyone can relate to, about
families and relationships and weirdo grandmothers. And stuck here and there,
almost bashfully, are short and good poems. This summer his second issue is due
out and man, I can’t wait to read it. He says it will be bigger and will
contain letters and reviews in addition to everything else. This is not a zine
you make excuses for. You will not say “Gosh, for a prison zine, it’s
pretty good” and you won’t temper your opinion with pity or make
special allowances because he doesn’t have the advantages you have. This,
my friend, is high quality stuff.
Moonlight Chronicles #33
by Dan Price, Box 109, Joseph OR
97846; www.moonlight-chronicles.com mini, $5, 120 pages
For several years,
Dan has been printing these gorgeous little books that are like drawn diaries
of his adventures traveling and observing. Infatuated with the hobo lifestyle,
he hops trains and camps in secret nooks and refuses to sell his soul to
corporate America. Beginning with issue 32 he’s been documenting his
“Great American Trike Tour” in which he rides a recumbent bicycle
across America, and his zine possesses the quiet humor and friendly acceptance
of Steinbeck along with the wide-eyed enthusiasm of Kerouac. His intricate line
drawings show the faces and buildings and scenery of Ameriea, and his tidy
handwriting describes with unbelievable cheer what it’s like to pedal
through storms, up mountains, along narrow streets, and into town after town
where people are kind, rude, curious, and bizarre. We get to hear about the
high spots (generous strangers and forgiving weather), the low spots (trike
breakdowns, family problems), and everything in between—it’s
completely, utterly satisfying. Take one of these brown-papered issues outside,
sit under a tree, and laugh, sigh, and doodle what’s around you— I
swear after reading it you’ll grow a new eye.
Trace of the Hand (issue # “Organic Pizza Please”)
by DSAME, PO Box 3405, Portland OR 97208; www.DSAME.com digest, $10
(includes price of mailing, a tape, and something to eat), 110 pages
This
is a very kind-hearted publication, full of information o