|
|
The
NewPages Zine Rack
Reviews by Sean Stewart
Zine Rack
Number Two
 Book
of Letters
Number 12
The Reverend Richard J. Mackin (ordained by the Universal Life
Church) writes letters to corporations and prints any responses he
receives in this long-running zine. At some point, he was dubbed
the Consumer Defense Corporate Poet, and, feeling a little dishonest
using that moniker since he didn’t actually write poetry, per
se, began occasionally sending haikus and limericks, as well. Some
of these praise a company’s products (to Q-tips: “Unwanted wax
gone/harvested by cotton stick/Q tips get mad props”), while others
aren’t quite so flattering (to Kelloggs Frosted Flakes: “Chemicals
In Bowl/Predator sells sugar high/Tony the Tiger”). In his letters
(representing the bulk of the content in most issues), Mackin often
gets his point across using the feigned innocent tone of a veteran
smart-ass. He addresses everything from incongruities in packaging
and advertising to bad corporate reputations regarding various
environmental and social issues. You can’t go wrong ordering this
zine. Oh, and he’s put out a couple of more issues since this one.
Visit his website for more
information. [5.5” x 8.5”, $2/issue plus $1/postage per order, cash
or checks payable to “Rich Mackin,” Rich Mackin, P.O. Box 890,
Allston, MA 02134,
www.richmackin.org]
 Clamor
November/December 2001
Number 11
Clamor continues to deliver a well-constructed,
information-rich alternative to mainstream news magazines. The
latest installment tackles environmental and ecological issues.
Highlights include reports on forest activism, an interview with
author and activist Derrick Jensen, and a discussion of indigenous
communities in British Columbia and their fight against economic
development on tribal land. Also featured this issue is a striking
photo collage by Chris Boarts Larson titled “Resisting
Colonization,” a series of photos depicting elements of the natural
world fighting to reclaim their territory. The articles and
interviews in this issue extract some of the ways in which humanity
is destroying the Earth, and document the ways in which some people
are defying that destruction. If you haven’t seen Clamor
yet, you’re missing out on an amazing resource. [8.5” x 11”, sample
copies are $4 ppd. (U.S.), 6-issue subscriptions are $18 ppd.
(U.S.), outside of U.S. – sample copies are $6, subscriptions are
$25 in U.S. funds, checks payable to “Become the Media,” Become the
Media, P.O. Box 1225, Bowling Green, OH 43402,
www.clamormagazine.org]
 Daybook
December 2000
Number 2
Daybook represents the essence of the personal zine genre.
This is a collection of days described by the people who lived them,
from the moment they woke up until the time they went to sleep at
night. Reading this gives you insight into how other people live
their lives, including all of the occasionally mundane details, as
well as some of the more intriguing ones. It makes you think about
your own life, and, perhaps, how differently you live from the ways
that these people do. In this particular issue, there are a couple
of people whose names you might recognize (especially if you’re an
avid reader of zines), and many others, all leading vastly different
lives. According to Rachel (the editor), a new issue is in the
works, and I’m sure it will measure up to, and probably exceed, the
high standards already established for this zine. [5.5” x 8.5”, $4
ppd. in well-concealed cash, Daybook, 1100 W 36th Street, Baltimore,
MD, 21211, rooster69@mindspring.com,
www.daybookzine.com]
 Indy
Unleashed
Fall 2001
Number 11
Review zines are, in some ways, the backbone of the zine community;
they are integral to the circulation of almost every zine.
Unfortunately, they tend to be fleeting in their existence, and are
rarely published in anything resembling a timely fashion. There are
a few diehard publications, though, that defy this stereotype. Owen
Thomas’ Indy Unleashed is one of those. Owen also publishes
The Ten Page News, another long-running title worth checking
out. In this latest issue of Indy Unleashed, Owen reports on
the 3rd annual Underground Press Conference in Bowling
Green, Ohio (which I also attended, and highly recommend attendance
in the future to any one who will listen – see this
link). There’s an
excellent article on zine libraries and related resources, and a lot
of mini-comix reviews. Owen had also attended the SPACE comix
convention, hence the proliferation of comix reviews. There’s
usually a healthy mixture of both zine and comix reviews, though.
This is definitely worth checking out for balanced and thoughtful
reviews. Also check out Owen’s
website for loads of
zine links and other information. [5.5” x 8.5”, “4 or 5 stamps or
so”, Owen Thomas, P.O. Box 9651, Columbus, OH 43209, vlorbik@aol.com,
members.aol.com/vlorbik]
 Miranda
June 2001
Number 6
I recently traded with Kate Haas for this issue of Miranda,
and was really impressed by the quality of her writing. This is the
“All Baby All the Time” issue, and Kate spares no details in her
description of what can in no way be described as the easy, painless
birth of her son, Simon (also intermittently known as Mr. Baby). We
then find out about Simon’s difficulties throughout the first few
months of his life: battles with the flu, problems gaining weight,
and his refusal to merely subsist on breast milk alone. Meanwhile,
Kate and Bruce play the parts of the raggedly distraught parents
with dogged (and sometimes flagging) enthusiasm. Hey, it’s all part
of the joys of being a parent, right? Although much of the issue
consists of tales of the baby, Kate also squeezes in some book
reviews, a pancake recipe, and her regular feature, “Motel of Lost
Companions.” Whether you’re a parent or not, this zine is highly
recommended! [5.5” x 8.5”, $2 ppd. in cash (a serious bargain)
from: Kate Haas, 3510 SE Alder St., Portland, OR 97214, bruceandkate@juno.com]
 Monozine
Spring 2000
Number 7
Todd Lesser compiles stories about, well…I’ll let Todd describe
them: “they’re about the other side of health and fitness…the
strange bumps, bruises, dizzy spells and body odors in all of us.”
One probably should have a sort of morbid curiosity about these
things in order to enjoy this zine. But, it seems to me that this
curiosity is a characteristic inherent in almost all of humankind.
I mean, what do people talk about at work? From my observations,
I’ve concluded that they mostly talk about their health problems,
and their mother’s health problems, and their great aunt’s health
problems, etc. Well, Monozine is a celebration of the health
problems of complete strangers! It’s like an anti-medical journal,
complete with descriptions of maladies that everyone can understand
and, sometimes, identify with. All stories are printed in exactly
the format that they are submitted to Todd – hand-scrawled, simply
word-processed, or printed with fancy fonts and headings. This
appears to come out about once a year, and back issues are available
by visiting the website.
[8.5” x 11”, $3 ppd. in cash, Monozine, P.O. Box 598, Reistertown,
MD 21136, monozine@yahoo.com,
www.monozine.com]
 My
Small Diary
1998-2000
Number 3
Anyone who says that mini-comix are of lesser quality than full-size
glossy-covered mainstream (or indie, for that matter) comix is
simply dead wrong. There’s lots of evidence to the contrary of that
statement, and My Small Diary should definitely be included
as proof. Each page is packed with Delaine’s amazing illustrations
of her seemingly whirlwind life, and would be equivalent in scope
and depth to several condensed pages of a regular print diary.
Delaine’s got quite a flair for graphic design, and she utilizes a
lot of it in the production of this comic. In this volume, which
spans several years, Delaine goes to Mardi Gras, wins a lot of money
from radio stations, gets married, and goes to see a lot of aging
rock stars in concert. And that’s only a small portion of what
happens in this issue – I was worn out by the time I finished
reading it! Not to be missed. Delaine also edits a compilation
comic called Not My Small Diary, which is filled with other
people’s comic diaries. [5.5” x 8.5”, $2 ppd. in cash to: Delaine,
1204 Cresthill Road, Birmingham, AL 35213, delangel3@hotmail.com,
www.mysmallwebpage.cjb.net]
 Scout
Number 5
Scout Finnegan puts together this zine, which features writing and
comix from both her and a semi-regular cast of contributors. The
theme for this issue is pets. Scout’s comix are one of my favorite
parts of her zine; this time she chronicles some adventures with her
new puppy (who’s also the cover star for this issue). Other
highlights this time around are Scout’s description of a perfect
Saturday, a comic by Delaine of My Small Diary, and Scout’s
reflections upon receiving an invitation to her 10-year high school
reunion. A few book and zine reviews, as well as other stories,
round out the issue. I told Scout recently that I enjoy reading her
zine because we’re both about the same age, and I find that there’s
a certain curiosity within me that is satisfied while reading about
the lives of other people who are the same age as me. I don’t think
that you have to be Scout’s age, though, to enjoy her neatly
designed and thoughtfully compiled zine. And, as the cover states,
it’s “still only $1.00.” You can’t go wrong. [5.5” x 8.5”, $1 ppd.
in cash to: Scout, P.O. Box 48522, Sarasota, FL 34230-0522, scout@liquidbutter.com,
scout.liquidbutter.com]
 Skatedork
Fall/Winter 2000
Number 4
Skateboarding magazines, in my opinion, have gone steadily downhill
in quality since the heyday of Thrasher ended. I can’t pin
down exactly when this happened, but I know that it’s been quite
some time. And I kind of miss reading those old issues of
Thrasher. So, when I was at the Underground Publishing
Conference this summer, I traded for a couple of copies of
Skatedork. It’s a zine published by a guy named Steve, who
loves skateboarding and feels that, to quote from the introduction
in issue #1, “there’s not enough written that focuses on the
personal side of skateboarding, instead of simply covering pro
skaters, and what the latest tech tricks are.” I tend to agree with
that statement, and that’s why I really enjoyed reading #4, which is
mostly a collection of personal stories about skateboarding. This
zine should appeal to anyone with an interest in skating. Also, be
sure to check out Steve’s
website, which actually inspired the paper zine. It’s got lots
of cool skate photos, writing, scene reports, and product reviews.
[8.5” x 11”, $2 ppd. or free in skateshops, Skatedork, 221 Spring
Ridge Dr., Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922, steve@skatedork.org,
www.skatedork.org]
 Xerography
Debt
October 2001
Number 6
Xerography Debt is currently one of the longest running
review zines, and this particular issue includes over 120 zine
reviews. Edited by Davida Gypsy Breier (who also publishes
Leeking Ink), it’s an interesting mixture of personal writing
and reviews. The individual reviewers (who are all zine writers
themselves) pick most of the zines they want to review, and each
reviewer gets a few pages to do what they want with. Usually, this
consists of short introductions leading into their reviews, which
are formatted in whatever style appeals to them. As the intro
states, “it is a communal experience from start to finish.” This
issue features reviews by Eric Lyden, Donny Smith, Fred Argoff,
William P. Tandy, Kate Haas, Violet Jones, and Davida. Issues of
Xerography Debt are also available on the Leeking Inc.
website, but, in my
opinion, the print versions are not to be missed. Number 6 features
great cover art from Androo Robinson. Oh, and you might know this
zine by a shorter name; those who are curious about the change
should read
this.
[5.5” x 8.5”, issues are $2 ppd. in cash to: Xerography Debt, Davida
Gypsy Breier, P.O. Box 963, Havre de Grace, MD 21078, davida@leekinginc.com,
www.leekinginc.com/xeroxdebt/]
To Cumulative Index of Zines Reviewed
|
 |
P.O. Box 1580