The NewPages Zine Rack

Number Thirteen (Posted July 20, 2003)

Chumpire

#160

Any zine that has made it to issue number 160 deserves a medal, regardless of content.  In this case, Chumpire delivers on the content, as well.  Writing in a tersely personal style, Greg shares details of his life and his job as a teacher, mixed in with thoughts on punk rock and other noble pursuits.  A rabid reviewer, he covers his local Pennsylvania music scene with thorough enthusiasm, describing shows, records and CDs, and zines in each issue.  More people should be as dedicated to their local scenes as Greg is.  It might result in a strengthening of them that is rarely possible in the face of the common apathy that so often creeps in.  The issues of Chumpire that I’ve seen are fairly short bursts of information, but Greg usually sends a handful of them at a time.  Well worth checking out.  [format varies, 1 stamp or trade, Chumpire, PO Box 27, Annville, PA 17003-0027, chumpire@hotmail.com]

The Constant Rider

Number 3

“Stories from the public transportation front.”  Sometimes I wish I lived in a city where there was an active public transportation system.  Of course, I’d still probably ride my bike quite a bit, but it would be nice to have other options besides driving a damn car.  Reading The Constant Rider helped me to recall some of the fun times I’ve had in the past while using public transportation.  Editor Kate rides buses and trains on a regular basis, and then relates her fascinating experiences in this zine.  Kate’s writing totally impressed me, and kept my interest from cover to cover.  And, in case you were wondering, this issue will tell you just exactly what happens when you collapse on a Tri-Met train in Portland!  Very highly recommended.  [5.5” x 8.5”, $1 or stamps, Kate Lopresti, PO Box 6753, Portland, OR 97228-6753, depesto@earthlink.net]

Esperanza

Issue #3

Spring 2003

“The rites of spring.”  I ordered this zine a while back, and I couldn’t exactly remember what the review said about it before I started reading it.  Which, I think, can often be a good thing.  Obviously I thought it sounded good enough to order, but I still got to read it without any preconceived notions about content.  Inside this issue, I found a series of short personal essays by Jackie on topics ranging from her history with writing to her t-shirt hall of fame.  A particularly interesting essay deals with her continuing identification with certain aspects of Catholicism, despite having rejected the religion in the past.  Jackie is also a mother to two twin girls, and this has definitely had an impact on her life.  While a lot of parenting zines I’ve read lately deal largely with practical subjects, Jackie reflects intelligently and thoughtfully on how motherhood has changed her life in more tangential ways, and what else the future might hold.  Also included in this issue are book-related ideas for what to do in Baltimore, as well as zine reviews.  Oh, and she mentions that she’s moving this summer.  Not sure if that means she’ll have a new PO Box or not, so you might want to email first.  [5.5” x 8.5”, $2 or trade, $8 for 4 issues, cash preferred or checks to “Jackie Regales”, PO Box 33441, Baltimore, MD 21218, esperanzazine@yahoo.com, esperanzazine.blogspot.com]

I Was a Teenage Mormon

I find it very interesting that I’ve now read two zines by ex-Mormons that deal explicitly with Mormonism (see also review of Why I Am Not a Mormon in Zine Rack #9).  Whereas the other one was a measured effort to refute Mormon beliefs and ideas, this one is a personal account by Caitlin of her teenage years within the church, and her later rejection of it while in college.  It’s really a riveting story, and one that I could somewhat identify with, having lived my teenage years as a Christian, then later altering my path as a young adult.  I would highly recommend this to anyone who has had similar experiences, as well as to those curious about Mormonism.  It’s certainly not a positive portrayal of the religion by any means, and it drives home the point that the LDS Church, in fact, preys on its followers in order to maintain its own opulence.  Highly recommended.  [4.25” x 5.5”, $3 to Caitlin, 11901 4^th St. N. #810, St. Petersburg, FL 33716, caitlin@enix.net]

Ladylike

No. 2

August 2002

This zine is cute.  Not in a bad way, like sickly sweet cute, but in a neat pocket-sized cute way, if you know what I mean.  It comes from Penny, who lives in New Zealand and is a librarian at the Misfit Theatre Zine Library.  Penny has rejected computers for the most part, and so this issue contains neatly typewritten essays interspersed with cool cut-and-paste clip-art, as well as some of Penny’s drawings.  Topics of the essays include quitting drinking, Christians and punk rock, dropping out of Internet society, organization, and collecting.  Also included are “cool things” and “dumb things,” and book and zine reviews.  Quite a lot packed into a small package!  [mini-sized, $2 (plus extra for postage if mailing from outside N.Z.) to Megaphone Productions, PO Box 68939, Newton, Auckland, New Zealand]

Platform

Issue #2

Fall 2002

Well, I missed out on the first issue of Platform, which seemed to have caused quite a stir in the zine community (or at least one corner of it).  Luckily, Elizabeth continues to publish, and so I ordered issue 2 and wasn’t disappointed.  The heart of this zine lies in Elizabeth’s love of Irish fiddle music.  She loves it so much that she goes down into the subways of New York to play her fiddle on the platforms.  This practice of playing music or performing entertainment in public, usually while soliciting money, is called busking.  Elizabeth profiles ten nights of busking, and intersperses information about Irish music, as well as little personal stories, often related to music.  I can appreciate Elizabeth’s love of music, and her enthusiasm really carries this zine, even if you’re not a fan of Irish music or fiddle-playing in general.  This is well written and deserves a wide readership.  [5.5” x 8.5”, $2 to Elizabeth Genco, PO Box 22722, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2722, ebess@threeofcups.com]

Razorcake

Issue #14

This arrived mysteriously in my mailbox one day, and I’m glad it did.  A punk zine that rises above the rest of the punk zine swill out there, Razorcake delivers quality columns from such familiar names (to some) as Ben Weasel, Ayn Imperato, and Rev. Norb.  Band interviews (The Orphans, Avail, Broken Bottles, and The Stitches) and record reviews are here, as well as an investigative article by Joe Biel on the assassination of MLK, Jr.  Also includes zine and book reviews.  A definite good read, and well worth the $3 price tag.  [8.5” x 11”, $3 to Razorcake, PO Box 42129, Los Angeles, CA 90042, www.razorcake.com]

Semibold

#8

This is Kathy’s New York City tribute issue, laid out in a kind of scrapbook format, complete with nicely photocopied graphics and photos to augment the text.  Her friend Patricia contributes an honest and open account of her experiences and thoughts before, during, and after the September 11^th bombings.  This is a very well written zine that does a good job of conveying Kathy’s feelings about and experiences in New York, as well as showing how fun traveling in general can really be.  Reading it made me even more excited about my upcoming travel plans, despite the fact that they don’t include a trip to New York.  [7” x 8.5”, $2 to Kathy Moseley, 1573 N. Milwaukee Ave., #403, Chicago, IL 60622, semibold@aol.com]

So You Want to Make a Stencil

Even if you didn’t think you wanted to make a stencil, this zine just might change your mind.  It tells you everything you need to know about making stencils.  And by stencil, the editor means one that you use to spray paint onto a surface with.  These are the stencils that people use to make that cool stencil graffiti you see in cities sometimes.  So, mixed in with the practical tips on how to actually make a stencil is some handy advice on how to go about discreetly creating your stencil graffiti.  And what to do if, say, you’re stopped by the police.  The zine also includes examples of stencil art.  [5.5” x 8.5”, 2 stamps or trade to Kevin, PO Box 865, Goshen, NY 10924, makeastencil@graffiti.net]

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