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The NewPages Zine RackReviews by Sean StewartSpecial Feature: Sean Stewart reports on the 2003 Portland Zine Symposium. Number Fifteen (Posted Oct 13, 2003)#9 An interactive and occasionally 3-D zine with a letter-pressed cover and neatly packaged in a small cellophane bag. The brightly colored pages inside reveal slices of Sugene’s life that are intelligently written and interspersed throughout with artwork. I instantly connected with most of the themes in here: thoughts on hometowns and new places to live, being a former drinker, social awkwardness, library science (she’s beginning graduate school), and music. An envelope stapled into the middle of the zine contains two photocopied letters: one to a former friend turned tormentor and the other to a former teacher who fell short of Sugene’s expectations. It was interesting to read these, as I couldn’t tell if they’d ever been sent or if they’d been originally written with the intent of publication. Additional contents include mini book and music reviews, advice on starting an aquarium, recipes, a tribute to adhesives, and a couple of contributions from Jenny Toomey (a musician formerly of the indie rock band Tsunami). Sugene even includes a self-addressed postcard for sending feedback! Few personal zines end up being so carefully constructed and well rounded. An excellent issue! No price listed, so please email first. [4.25” x 5.5”, Sugene, All This Is Mine, 5245 College Ave. #718, Oakland, CA 94618, ATIMzine@aol.com, www.coolbeans.com/atim]
#7 August 2002 BSAD generously fills, and almost exceeds, my expectations for a top-notch perzine. Few are so clearly written and so polished, without losing their liveliness and sincerity. The tales of the editor’s life within this issue carry a reflective depth that elevates them above the standards of the average personal essay. J.’s style is slow and leisurely, subtly woven with vivid details and description. Here’s a guy who was brought up in the DIY punk tradition, trying to do the best job he can of raising his daughter Isabelle within a society whose flaws he is only too painfully aware of. Yet his bitterness melts away in the presence of Isabelle’s joy. His account of a trip to Havana is also an excellent travelogue, rich in observations and analysis of the conflicting nature of travel. Recommended! [5.5” x 8.5”, $2 US/$3 Canada/Mexico/World, or trade, free to prisoners, J. Gerlach, 1827 Fifth St. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418]
#5 An impressive blue linoleum block-printed cover invites the reader to dive right into this compilation of Bruce Orr’s stories from a mini-comic anthology he used to edit. There are also a few stories included that were contributions to other people’s projects. These comix are beautifully weird and whimsical, including elements of science fiction and magical realism. The plotlines range from bittersweet to gently didactic, with the stories featuring characters that are both human and humanoid, animal and alien. All in all, a very impressive publication, and well worth the $5 price tag. Bruce is on the move, so mail might be slow. Emailing first might get a quicker response. [5.5” x 8.5”, Bruce Orr/Immersion Press, PO Box 720, Delaware City, DE 19706, bruce@immersionpress.com]
#32 Summer 2003 This music zine, focusing mostly on indie pop, is now in its 16th year of publication. Way to go! Recently having relocated to Portland, editor Tim Hinely continues to produce a solid publication that reports on the music he loves. Dagger is a no-nonsense zine dedicated to providing the fans with what they want, namely loads of record reviews and intelligently conducted interviews with their favorite bands. This time around, interviews appear with, among others, Janet Bean, All Girl Summer Fun Band, Redd Kross, and The Outcrowd. Also included are one page of live show reviews and one page of to-the-point zine reviews. Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with much in the way of indie pop, or pop in general, so I can’t comment on the comprehensiveness of the coverage here. On the surface, though, it looks like a thorough treatment. I met Tim at the Portland Zine Symposium over the summer, and he’s a friendly, sincere guy whose enthusiasm for music definitely shines through in the pages of his zine. [8.5” x 11”, $3.50 ppd. U.S./$5 to Canada/$7 to Europe/$8 elsewhere, Dagger c/o Tim Hinely, PO Box 820102, Portland, OR 97282-1102, daggerboy@prodigy.net, www.indiepages.com/dagger]
Summer 2003 “Cave Paintings.” The main theme of this issue of HYStDL? is the persistence of art’s relevance over time. Some of the contents include a quarterly column by Eileen, an annotated look at Langdon Smith’s poem ‘Evolution,’ a zine codex, a personal update from co-editor Serena, and great letter responses to last issue. The theme of trash apparently hit home with quite a number of readers! Tastefully illustrated and featuring gold printed pictographs on the cover, this issue was a pleasure to read from start to finish. Few zines so successfully combine intelligent writing, culture, and humor in such a thought-provoking manner. I also had the pleasure of meeting editors Serena and Jenny in Portland this summer, and we had a lively discussion about libraries and library school (which they are both currently attending). [5.5” x 8.5”, $2 to Serena and Jenny Makofsky, 465 38th St., Oakland, CA 94609, buggy@neteze.com]
Issue 1 If I had to classify this zine, I’d call it an art zine because of the editor’s use of words and pictures to create a multi-sensory effect. Poems, artwork, and essays offer up themes of travel, place, and personal growth. Don effectively weaves bits of history into his more straightforward essays, while his abstract pieces almost seem tactile as a result of their powerfully descriptive passages. The most striking examples of Don’s artwork found within the pages of Merge are his collages combining found graphics and writing with Don’s own unique drawings. I thought they had a futuristic urban feel to them, and judging from the flier for Don’s art show that was enclosed with the zine, they are even more impressive in full color. Don obviously has a flair for graphic design, and so the layout of the zine is very attractive. I’m blown away that this is a first issue, and it is hopefully a foreshadowing of future issues to come. Well worth seeking out! [5.5” x 8.5”, no price listed (maybe $2-3 or email him first), Don Baker/Merge, 7205 28th Avenue NW, Seattle, WA 98117, donbaker@seanet.com]
Issue 2 ND is a six-page personal newsletter including a lengthy report on the 2003 ICFA convention. From what I gather (since the acronym is not spelled out), this is some type of fantasy literature convention. Other features of this issue include a personal introduction describing the editor’s recent car accident, and an essay incorporating several book reviews. On the back page is an annotated list of the editor’s top five favorite record singles. While the writing is both polished and erudite, this is the kind of publication that’s tough to pick up and read without the context of previous issues. The editor, Arthur, seems like an interesting guy, though, and so reading this regularly might prove to be fruitful. [8.5” x 11”, $1 U.S./$2 elsewhere, arranged trade, or letter (or email) of comment, email version also available upon request, Arthur D. Hlavaty, 206 Valentine Street, Yonkers, NY 10704-1814, hlavaty@panix.com]
Issue #5 The tricolor professionally printed cover of this publication features a graphic that I found to be both provocative and strangely unsettling. Within the pages inside, Slouch provides news, personal essays, political and social commentary (from a liberal/activist point of view), as well as some record reviews. Specific pieces that stood out to me were the primer on alternative media, the essay on the genders of the author’s various bikes, and the interview with Henry Norr, a former San Francisco Chronicle writer who was suspended and later fired after taking a sick day in order to attend an anti-war rally. Nice graphics and neat layout combine to make a solid, enjoyable publication. [7” x 8.5”, $2.50 to Slouch, 733 Baker St., San Francisco, CA 94115, slouch@speakeasy.net, www.momireadslouch.net]
This is great! It’s a primer for creating a DIY space for art, music, culture, or whatever. The text starts off with an introduction by editor Marc Moscato, who hosts a DIY space in his house in Eugene, Oregon. What follows is a brief history on DIY and the DIY-Punk connection, and then a compilation of profiles of seven DIY groups operating in Oregon, including Microcosm Publishing, The Charm Bracelet, Peripheral Produce and others. Reading this was both motivating and inspiring, and I was impressed by the range of helpful hints, from how to find funding sources and a suitable venue to creating mission statements and goals and developing ways to publicize. The zine is nicely illustrated throughout by Martha Steele, and hand-bound with a packet of seeds (mine were beets) attached to the front cover, with instructions for planting them pasted on the inside of the back cover. [5 ¾” square, no price listed ($3 maybe?), Marc Moscato, 70 Victoria Blvd., Kenmore, NY 14217]
No. 4 June 2003 “Midwife Meets Motherhood Again.” Rhonda is expecting another child, as she continues in her efforts toward becoming a licensed midwife. She’s also been writing a lot and contributing to other mama zine projects, notably Mamaphiles. This is Zuzu’s 2nd birthday issue (Zuzu is Rhonda’s daughter. It celebrates Zuzu, including her birth story, learning to talk, potty-training, and all kinds of other exciting baby adventures. Other features include a DIY article on how to make a pregnant belly cast. Illustrated throughout with Rhonda’s cute drawings, Zuzu is a fine example of the mama zine genre. It’s good, so what are you waiting for? [4.25” x 5.5”, $2 to Rhonda Baker, 2000 NE 42nd #183, Portland, OR 97213, rhonmama@netscape.net, www.emeraldgiant.com/babycatcher] |
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