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The NewPages Zine RackReviews by Sean StewartNumber Ten (Posted Feb 3, 2003)
I might be breaking some kind of reviewer’s ethic by reviewing a zine that I contributed to, but, since this is my column, I don’t care! The fact is that even if I hadn’t contributed to this, I still would think it was a great collection of anecdotes about grocery shopping, told from both sides of the counter. 12 Items or Less comes in an intriguingly-sized shape at 5 ½ inches square, and the first print run arrives packaged in an individually-printed grocery sack. A.j., the editor, has an eye for detail in her zines, and this one is no exception, featuring hand-colored illustrations and grocery-related clip art. The content is top-notch, coming from an array of writers, including quite a few well-known zinesters. A few comix mixed in with prose essays break up the text and round out this peek into people’s views on and experiences in grocery stores. Highly recommended! [5.5” x 5.5”, $3 cash to: A.j. Michel, PO Box 2574, Champaign, IL 61825, lowhug@yahoo.com, lowhug.blogspot.com] This intriguing zine is part of a series that explores people’s perspectives on life in various cities. Each issue is a result of editor Roger’s trip to a city, where he approaches people on the street and asks them variations on two questions. He then prints the responses he gets. Roger went to Portland to complete this issue, and asked the following questions: (1) How would you describe the people of Portland? and (2) How would you fit within that description? Interspersed throughout the responses are photo collages of some of the people who Roger spoke with. The results of Roger’s work are fascinating to read. I was struck by how many people answered similarly, yet, at the same time, a wide variety of differing opinions also existed based on what region of the country the respondents were originally from. Connected is a rare zine in that it gives the reader a glimpse into not just one person’s mind, but into the minds of a whole cross-section of a city’s population. Well done! [4.5” x 11”, no price ($2-3?), Roger Whiting, 17604 N. 39th Ave., Glendale, AZ 85308-3104, rbwmail@yahoo.com, www.geocities.com/rbwmail/Connected]
Ok, so I debated on whether or not to review this, but I’m just too excited about it to not review it. I know I’ve reviewed Cometbus here before, and the last thing it probably needs is more hype at this point, but this really is an accomplishment, and it deserves mention. Aaron has compiled a book out of material he originally published in his long-running zine (started in 1981), leaving out mostly stuff that’s either still in print, or writing that he just couldn’t bear to include (let’s face it, as writers, we all have those embarrassing selections we’d rather forget). For those unfamiliar with Cometbus, it’s a zine that definitely has roots in the punk rock movement (particularly in the San Francisco Bay area) but whose editor writes on far ranging topics and in such a way that makes much of his writing accessible in a universal way. Most of his back issues are long out-of-print, and so this book will be able to bring the joys of Cometbus to a whole new realm of readers! [5.5” x 8.5”, $14.95 (list price), ISBN 0-86719-561-4, published and distributed by Last Gasp, www.lastgasp.com]
Split I hadn’t read a split zine in quite a while. In the past, they’ve always seemed so hit or miss, and I just stopped seeking them out. I was pleasantly surprised, then, to come across this combination of two intelligent and thoughtfully produced zines. The Mala side comes from Bianca, with some help from contributors, and the Insurgente side is from Alejandro. There are some common themes, such as the different ways that their heritage (they both have Mexican cultural roots) affects their personal lives and their outlooks on life, but the two writers approach their topics using different formats, both of which work well to express their points. Alejandro chooses a continuous narrative, broken into sections, while Bianca uses mainly short essays and poetry. The majority of the writing in both sides directly addresses how it is for each of these two unique people to live in a country where white culture is so pervasive. The critical thinking and resulting insightful conclusions contained in these pages make this split zine a worthwhile read. [5.5” x 8.5”, $4 to: Alejandro Perez, PO Box 37105, San Antonio, TX 78237, insurgente@excite.com (current address verified) or Bianca Ortiz, PO Box 6884, San Pablo, CA 94806, messstiza@yahoo.com (mailing address unverified)] January 2003 Volume 3 Number 7 These days it seems like religion permeates so much of what is considered “news.” It’s often either the major focus of a news story or it runs throughout as a subtle but steady undercurrent. It was interesting, then, to read the opinions and thoughts expressed in here. This is an atheist zine, and it consists of essays, many of a political or philosophical nature, written by a wide variety of contributors. A lot of the discussion made clear and perfect sense to me, and most of the topics are of vital importance to current world events. Reading this left me mulling over how much pain and suffering in the world has been and continues to be caused by religious strife. In addition, I am reminded of how far this country has strayed from the separation of church and state. A thought provoking read. [8.5” x 11”, free from: Leland W. Ruble, 833 Orchard St., Toledo, OH 43609, lelandw@toast.net] Number 7 This is a pro-bike, anti-car zine but, unlike some others I’ve seen, this one is more on the pro-bike side, and keeps the anti-car rhetoric to a minimum. It’s kind of like they realize they’d just be preaching to the choir. Leapfrog is a neat and orderly, easy-to-read zine that includes columns, zine reviews (usually bike-related), interviews, and longer articles. This particular issue includes an interview with R.A.M.B.O. (a bike punk band), articles on critical mass and long distance bike travel, and an interview with Matt Chester (a bike frame builder). There’s a definite DIY/activist tone to the zine, which makes it a refreshing change from much of the commercialism that’s rampant in the bike industry. I really enjoyed the several issues that I have, and highly recommend it! [5.5” x 8.5”, no price listed ($2-3?), Scott Spitz, 6163 Carrollton Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46220, xpeoplespoetx@hotmail.com] Issue #2 “GrimSeason” I never used to read political cartoons until I started coming across Ted Rall’s strips in various places, and then Tom Tomorrow’s This Modern World after that. While I still don’t actively seek them out, I can appreciate their place, and I wish that they appeared in more mainstream publications. Sure, you see them in alternative newsweeklies (although sometimes these even end up dropping them), but they don’t appear in the places where I think they’d be most effective. This issue of Minimum Security deals mostly with topics related to the war on terrorism. Stephanie’s one-page strips condense racial scapegoating, xenophobia, loss of civil liberties, and other issues into panels of bitingly cynical dialogue and illustrations. The views represented within this volume are shared by quite a number of Americans, although you wouldn’t know it from observing the mainstream media, and so why shouldn’t this zine appear on your library’s periodicals shelves? [5.5” x 8.5”, no price ($2?), Stephanie McMillan, PO Box 460673, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33346, steph@minimumsecurity.net, www.minimumsecurity.net] Winter 2002 Issue no. 1 “Breaking the binding of patriarchy since 2001.” This zine is the latest I’ve seen in the genre of librarian zines, and it’s a fine example. A true, cut-and-paste typewritten fanzine, Riot Librarrrian provides book reviews, tips on how to get more feminist titles into your library, where to find books on women and feminism using either Library of Congress classification or the Dewey Decimal system, and a thoughtful profile of everyone’s favorite controversial librarian, Melvil Dewey. Rounding out the issue are website and periodical reviews and an essay by one of the editors on an experience she had in library school. The issue also contains information on editor Sara’s subject bibliographies on women pirates, feminism and Japan, and feminist theory. [5.5” x 8.5”, $1 to: Sara, 120 State Ave. NE, #135, Olympia, WA 98501-8212, or: Jenn, 1946 W. Bradley Pl. #2W, Chicago, IL 60613, riotlibrarrrian@hotmail.com] Winter 2002 Issue 76 “The quarterly, independent, radical newspaper published in the East Bay since 1988.” This is the first issue of Slingshot that I’ve ever taken a close look at. Some of the articles apply to issues in the San Francisco Bay area, but not all of them. There is a strong anarchist, anti-war slant to the newspaper and it’s printed in a zine-like cut-and-paste style. This issue includes a question and answer session with Noam Chomsky on war in the Middle East. Slingshot is associated with the Long Haul Infoshop Radical Library in Berkeley. It’s a good read, and cheap. They also have an “amazing national free distribution program,” where they’ll send free copies (no postage due) in the U.S. to distributors, infoshops, and bookstores, if they agree to give them out for free. Libraries would probably qualify for the same deal, although you might want to email about that. [11.5” x 17.5” (folded), subscriptions are $1 per issue (bulk mail prepaid) or $2 per issue (first class, after the issue comes out), international is $2.50 per issue, back issues available, Slingshot Newspaper, 3124 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705, slingshot@tao.ca, www.tao.ca/~slingshot]
From the intro: “Stolen Sharpie Revolution is about DIY ethics. this zine is about looking at things and saying “I can do that!” Well, I’m all for that attitude. This is a handy little resource for new zinesters, or ones who either need to brush up on their skills or are looking for some new tips. There’s even a table of contents (I’m sorry, but that always impresses me in a zine)! For those who are just into reading zines and not creating them, there’s an excellent list of tips for writing to zinesters. Most of these tips probably seem like common sense by now to veteran zinesters, but many people who are unfamiliar with zine etiquette probably would find them to be quite helpful. Other sections of this zine include a design skill share, tips on making copies, promotion ideas, distro etiquette, advice on navigating the USPS, and a lengthy list of zine distributors. Very well done! [4.25” x 5.5”, $3 ppd. or $1.80 wholesale for 6 or more copies, Microcosm, PO Box 14332, Portland, OR 97293, brainscanzine@ureach.com] |
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