The NewPages
Zine Rack
Number 22 (Posted June 9, 2004)
Reviews by Sean Stewart
Bitter
Pie
No. 14
March 2004
This issue of Bitter Pie follows Charlott on tour in Europe and the
U.K. with an anarchist collective. Most of the tour is utter hell for Charlott,
who endures constant harassment from the other members of the collective, who
all appear to hate virtually everything about her. There are a few bright spots
during the trip: shows played to enthusiastic crowds, driving through areas of
natural beauty, and positive encounters with people at the various venues. In
fact, Charlott probably would’ve had a great time if she’d been traveling by
herself, rather than with the three other unpleasant collective members. The
story ends on a bittersweet note, as Charlott finds out some bad news, and yet
she also realizes in retrospect that the summer was one of the most memorable in
her life. The story contains a lot of universal truths about touring and its
effects, both positive and negative, on both the individuals and the group on
tour. The artwork is highly expressive and drawn in stark black and white
contrast, which nicely complements the tone and themes of the story. [5.5” x
8.5”, $2, email or visit website for mailing address,
bitterpie@hotmail.com,
www.notyourbitch.net]
Boxcutter
Episode 4
Spring 2004
“Push your button, spread your seed.” Boxcutter is a collective-run
forum for diverse ideas that is intended to get the reader to think and act.
This issue talks about love and relationships. People argue for and against
polyamory and monogamy. One article addresses the difficulties in relationships
between heterosexual men, and another talks about the changing nature of
marriage. The meaning of love is explored, and masturbation is praised. A few
poems round out the issue, and a button and seed are taped inside the back
cover. This is a provocative little zine and it certainly made me think. Well
worth a look. [4.25” x 5.5”, no price or address listed, email
boxcutter@lists.riseup.net for more information]
Brooklyn!
#44
Fred Argoff’s unflagging enthusiasm for all things Brooklyn never ceases to
amaze me. I’m in awe of anyone who can find so much to celebrate in his or her
hometown. And I’ll admit to being a bit jealous, too. This issue offers up
Brooklyn historical trivia, another edition of the Brooklyn Lexicon and
Pronunciation Guide, a tour of Brooklyn bridges, the 2004 Brooklyn Bad
Driving Festival, a profile of Brooklyn Heights, and plenty of Fred’s trademark
photos of sights around town. It’s hard not to appreciate Fred’s zeal in
describing the history and quirks of Brooklyn and its inhabitants. After you’ve
read a few issues, you’ll feel like you’ve been there! [5.5” x 8.5”, $10 for 4
issues, cash preferred, or check/M.O. payable to Fred Argoff, 1800 Ocean Parkway
(#F-10), Brooklyn, NY 11223-3036]
The
Carbon Based Mistake
Issue 10
The first details about this fascinating publication that attracted me were
the attached library processing labels. Marc either works in a library or he’s
particularly observant of how libraries process their books these days, because
he’s done an admirable job of reproducing how a library book looks. He’s
included a spine label, barcode, 10-day loan sticker, and a little circulation
receipt tucked inside the book pocket. But enough library nerd talk, on to the
contents. Inside the book pocket, there’s a mini CD-ROM that includes a PDF
file of samples of previous work, as well as the text from issue 3 and an
alternate digital book version of issue 10. Next comes the text of the issue.
“The Unwritten Books” is a series of summaries of books that have yet to be
written as of 2003. “The Book of Stares” showcases somewhat unsettling close-up
photographs of people’s eyes. “Proof of Purchase” is a collection of receipts
that cleverly tell an entertaining story. “Hidden Verse” is a grouping of
blackout free verse created from pages of some of Marc’s favorite novels. I
liked these a lot. I also really enjoyed the last piece, which relates the
experience of struggling to understand a recurring dream. Marc’s flair for
graphic design is impeccable and he explores some intriguing themes in here. A
wonderful work of art. [approx. 5.5” x 7.25”, perfectbound, ISBN 097229712X,
$10, check/M.O. payable to Marc Calvary, The Carbon Based Mistake, P.O. Box
11923, Eugene, OR 97440,
www.thecarbonbasedmistake.com]
48
Hours of Pure Entertainment
As Suzanne writes in her intro, a 24-hour comic is a self-contained comic
created from beginning to end in one 24-hour period. A randomly chosen topic on
which the comic will be based is announced at the start of the time period.
Suzanne includes two 24-hour comics that she completed recently for fundraising
events: the topic of the first was a brain and a girl, and the topic of the
second was a 2-headed cat, a box of cinnamon candy, and a grocery store. I
think these comics are fascinating because they really illustrate the
flexibility and imagination of the artist. In the first story, Dwayne du Kane
comes across a human brain on his way home from work and decides to set it on
top of his computer. Dwayne is stressing about a computer message board he’s
helping to moderate for a friend, and the brain ends up giving him a much-needed
talking-to. The second story follows the adventures of Nancy as she tries to
find a quieter cat toy for her two-headed cat, which is aggravating the
neighbors by playing with a noisy box of cinnamon candy. This is a fun little
book and the proceeds go to worthy comics-related causes, so you can’t go wrong
by ordering it. [5.5” x 8.5”, $2 donation (proceeds will be donated in equal
shares to Friends of Lulu,
www.friends-lulu.org, and The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund,
www.cbldf.org), Suzanne Baumann, P.O. Box 12096, Hamtramck, MI 48212,
www.fridge-mag.net]
Girl
Swirl
#11
Taryn’s zine is a lucid and engaging read, covering such weighty topics as
love, sickness, and travel. Most of the writing in here comes in the form of
personal essays, although one piece of fiction also appears: part two of a story
that began last issue. Several pages of zine reviews conclude the text. Taryn
seems like she was at a good point in her life as she put this issue together,
and her positive attitude enables her to write openly and honestly about both
her brother’s heart condition and her relationship with her soon-to-be husband
Josh. Another essay pays tribute to a former roommate who Taryn has fallen out
of touch with. I enjoy writing like that because I think it’s important to
remember the various people who influenced or affected us at different times of
our lives, even if we no longer keep in touch with them. The short story was
good because it felt authentic, and easily could’ve been based on memory instead
of imagination. There are also some cool drawings in here, including the
striking cover art, from various artists listed in back. This is a really good,
well-rounded perzine! [4.25” x 5.5”, $2, Girl Swirl Fanzine c/o Taryn Hipp, PO
Box 312, Warrington, PA 18976,
tarynhipp@girlswirl.net,
www.girlswirl.net]
Kairan
Mail Art Forum
8
April 2004
Gianni, Kairan’s usual editor, sent me this recently, and I was so
intrigued and impressed that I had to review it. Mail art is a whole other
world removed from the zine community, and yet the two often still intersect.
Some mail artists publish zines, and some zinesters create mail art, but the
common thread is that we all thrive on self-expression. For this issue,
Kairan has a guest editor, Guido Vermeulen from Belgium, who edits Friour
Network Magazine. The focus this issue is on FEMAIL network art, which as you
might guess is work created by female mail artists. The questions sent out to
each artist asked for personal data, information on artistic projects and
interests, and answers to questions about the issue of gender and what other
aspects the artists try to convey in their art. Not everyone answered every
question, but there are still a lot of fascinating responses recorded in here.
Interspersed with the artists’ answers are examples of their work. As Guido
notes in his introduction, certain men involved in mail art claim that there are
few, if any, women in mail art. And yet, this issue of Kairan blows that theory
away. Highly recommended. [5.5” x 8.5”, $3 or 3 IRCs worldwide, Gianni Simone,
3-3-23 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama-shi, 226-0027 Kanagawa-ken, Japan,
jb64jp@yahoo.co.jp,
guido.vermeulen@easynet.be,
www.friournet.be]
Palette
The People Issue
This is the second issue of Palette that I’ve seen; the first one was
the sports issue. I get the impression that the members of the Palette Crew are
students, probably high school age. Some of the writing in here appears to have
been done for an English class, and then reprinted in the zine. This issue
tackles gender, and many of the essays are written by guys trying to imagine
what it must be like to be a woman. There are some interesting ideas in here,
and reading through them led me to believe that the writers are definitely
younger folks who are still figuring things out and formulating their own
opinions on important issues. Certainly these are not the most progressive
thoughts on gender roles, but it’s refreshing to see younger people thinking
critically about gender and what privileges or disadvantages are associated with
it. [5.5” x 8.5”, $2? or possible trade, The Palette Crew, 701 College Rd.,
Lebanon, IL 62254]
Potluck!
A Cooking Compilation
April 2004
This one-shot zine provides a nice closing to A.j. Michel’s “Low Hug Life
Maintenance Series.” It’s not a how-to cookzine, but rather a collection of
anecdotes about cooking. Sixteen contributors, myself included, ruminate on a
wide range of cooking-related subjects. Here you will find hints on how to cook
cheap, a tale of the greatest beef stew ever made, odes to both peaches and stir
fry, a quest to imitate Grandma’s perfect dinner rolls, and much more. Most
contributions are in the form of personal essays, although a couple of comics
also complement the text. Potluck! fits nicely in your hand due to its
unusual size and comes complete with a ribbon place-marker. As is the case with
all of A.j.’s zines, this one is top-notch in both design and content. [4.25” x
7”, $2, email A.j. or check website for most current mailing address,
lowhug@yahoo.com,
http://lowhug.blogspot.com]
Seldom
Nocturne
February 2004
“An apocalypse of poetry and prose.” There’s no prose here, at least not in
this issue, but that’s ok. With so much independent poetry publication having
moved to the Web, it’s nice to still see little underground journals like this
being published. Eighteen contributors offer up poems in this issue. Hard for
me to say how widely published these folks are, as I don’t follow contemporary
poetry much. I did recognize A.D. Winans, who weighs in with a wonderful
tribute poem called “For William Burroughs.” There is certainly a range of
skill in here, and quite a variety of styles, too. In the center is a listing
of ongoing poetry venues, along with a form for submitting free listings that
you can tear out and leave at your favorite club or bookstore. Cool idea to
help inspire growth of poetry venues. Overall, this is an attractive
publication and poetry fans will inevitably find something in here to their
liking. And for the poets out there (and prose writers), Seldom Nocturne
is looking for submissions. [7” x 8.5”, ISSN 1545-1682, $4.75, $9 for 2-issue
(one year) sub., Brandi MacDonald, editor, Seldom Nocturne, P.O. Box 636,
Wilton, NH 03086,
seldomnocturne@aol.com]
To
Cumulative Index of Zines Reviewed
P.O. Box 1580