The NewPages
Zine Rack
Number 23 (Posted Aug 3, 2004)
Reviews by Sean Stewart
Applicant
This is an intriguing little publication from noted comics artist Jesse
Reklaw. While digging through a recycling bin at an Ivy League university one
night, he found old files (1965-1975) of biology Ph.D. applicants, including
photographs of each candidate. Realizing the grand potential of such a find,
Reklaw organized the photos into zine format, complementing them with candid
phrases from the applicants’ recommendation forms. So, as you flip through the
zine, you end up staring at, for example, a black-and-white photo of an earnest
young man with the caption below it reading “rather tense,” or a young lady
labeled “not as physically attractive as some.” The effect is startling and
vaguely disturbing. The combination of the photograph and the often-ruthless
summations of these students by their former professors and employers makes you
want to simultaneously laugh at and pity them. Highly recommended. [4.25” x
5.5”, $2 ppd., include SASE for catalog of all his publications, Jesse Reklaw,
PO Box 11493, Berkeley, CA 94712-2493,
www.slowwave.com]
Bob
#3
In just three issues, Bob Sheairs has significantly increased the size and
scope of his zine. The strengths in this issue are in the interviews that Bob
conducts with fascinating folks such as Tommy Avallone, the 21-year-old amateur
filmmaker who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in Haddon Heights, NJ, and Bert Katz,
the author/photographer/screenwriter who self-published his book 16th
Street: Faces in the Mission, a collection of portraits and interviews with
everyday folks in San Francisco. Interspersed with the interviews is an article
on the psychology of blogging, a personal essay about a mural project in Camden,
NJ, and an overview of lesser-known political parties. There’s a lot of good
reading in here for only 2 bucks; the Katz interview alone is worth the cover
price. Recommended. [8.5” x 11”, $2, Outhouse Publishing, 30 Locust Ave.,
Westmont, NJ 08018,
sheairs@yahoo.com,
www.njghost.com]
Brainfag
Issue 8
Nate’s illustrated journal of his stay on Orcas Island, off the coast of
Washington State, struck home with me. Themes of isolation, self-examination,
and recollections of the past resonated with a lot of my own recent thoughts.
Nate manages to stay reflective without becoming melodramatic, and that’s always
a fine line to walk along in personal writing. What I really enjoyed was the
details about the weather, nature, and his work that he incorporated into his
other more cerebral wanderings. It all seemed to flow really well, and the
comic does an excellent job of portraying place, both physical and mental. One
of the best autobiographical comix I’ve read lately. [5.5” x 8.5”, $2, Nate
Beaty, 5277 N.E. 25th Ave., Portland, OR 97211,
nate@brainfag.com,
www.brainfag.com]
Disposable
Boy
#2
This is the first work I’ve seen by Ezra Daniels, and I’m quite impressed.
He draws several series comics, including some sci-fi, but this one is
autobiographical. The storyline follows a socially withdrawn young man who is
grappling with coming-of-age transitions. He goes to a party and feels out of
place. He sees a young lady who he finds attractive, and yet he is too shy to
talk to her. So he convinces himself that it would never work out between them
anyway. It’s a tale of awkwardness and introversion, and how isolated these
characteristics can make a person feel. Although the final pages also hint at
how strangely satisfying a combination of social anxiety and lively internal
dialogue can sometimes be. This is a great comic, and I look forward to reading
more of Ezra’s work. [5.5” x 8.5”, $2, order online at
http://dream-chocolate.com,
ezra@dream-chocolate.com]
Frat-Bot
and Cod
The world of self-published comics never fails to amaze me with its range of
talent and diversity. Joe’s collection of humorous little strips is just one
more reason to love comics. His stories are cleverly simple and occasionally
corny, but they made me smile and laugh to myself. The drawings are cute and
cleanly drawn, featuring such memorable characters as “Space Bee” and “Lance
Catastrophe, Mega-Spy.” Good stuff! Drop him an email and find out how to get
this and his other collections. [8.5” x 5.5”, email Joe Sayers for ordering
information,
joe@jsayers.com]
The
Ghosts of Ready Reference
Vol. II
R. John’s zines often provoke critical thought and reflection. And while
this one begins with a thoughtful introduction to the contents, what it boils
down to is a collection of humorous tales about public library patrons and the
crazy interactions we, as library staff members, often have with them. In
library-speak, a reference interview is the name given to the dialogue that the
reference librarian has with the patron in order to narrow in on and locate what
information the person is looking for. R. John expounds upon the art of the
reference interview in his intro, and then proceeds to offer hilarious examples
of how sometimes patrons defy one’s best efforts to conduct such interviews.
Librarians will particularly love this, but it should be a fun read for anyone.
[4.25” x 5.5”, $2?, Love Bunni Press, 2622 Princeton Rd., Cleveland Heights, OH
44118]
Kankazine
June 2004
Litzines are often a mixed bag, although I usually find at least something in
each that I enjoy. Chris Shoup’s latest offering features poetry, prose,
political predictions, and a brief journal entry. It’s hard to say if this is
all Shoup’s work or not, as the contributors’ notes seem mostly, if not all,
fictitious. Whether the names of the contributors themselves are fictitious,
pseudonyms, or those of actual people is not obvious. The issue begins with
some fake letters to the editors and the editors’ humorous and/or sarcastic
responses. The poetry is OK, the short fiction is a bit better, and the
political forecasting is an amusing rant. The cover features a striking and
clearly reproduced photograph. If you’re a fan of litzines in general, you
might enjoy this. I’d rate it a cut above most of the ones I run across. And,
hey, it’s free, so what are you waiting for? [5.5” x 8.5”, free (email to get a
copy), Chris Shoup, 448 ˝ North Prairie Ave., Bradley, IL 60915,
cashoup@juno.com]
Ladyfriend
#6
“The Food Issue.” Food zines and food-themed issues seem to be pretty
popular these days. This one doesn’t disappoint, with its far-ranging
collection of comics, recipes, personal essays, and informative articles
contributed by all sorts of folks. You’ll read about community supported
agriculture (CSA), genetically modified food, interesting cuisine from Ghana,
the art of the cocktail, and how food can unite or divide a family. Also
included are some music reviews as well as reviews of other food-focused zines.
This is one of the best compilation zines I’ve seen, in terms of both quality
of writing and variety of topics within a theme. Editor Christa also publishes
a really neat zine called Free Advice, for an additional $1 or 3 stamps.
In this zine, Christa prints responses to questions she asked people about what
advice they’d give to someone facing various difficult life situations. It’s a
fascinating read. So, you can’t go wrong ordering both Ladyfriend and
Free Advice! [5.5” x 8.5”, $3 ppd., Christa D., 1951 S. Canalport, Suite
3F, Chicago, IL 60616,
ladyfriendzine@hotmail.com]
The
Lamb Shall Dwell Peacefully with the Lion
“Growing Up in the Worldwide Church of God, a Cult.” When I read the title
of this zine, I immediately thought of the zine I Was a Teenage Mormon.
And then I turned to the intro and read that Sabrina was motivated to write her
zine after reading I Was a Teenage Mormon. Hmm...perhaps we’ll see a
sudden spike in publication of post-cult childhood zines. Anyway, this was an
interesting read, although somewhat jumbled. It’s basically split into two
parts: the first part includes a lot of history and detail about the church and
not much personal information, but then Sabrina changes course once she decides
that the zine isn’t complete and adds more personal reflection. I enjoyed this
part of the zine much more, although the church history was OK, too, as I didn’t
know anything about the Worldwide Church of God. As someone who grew up in a
strict religious household, I always love reading and comparing other people’s
experiences to my own. I get the feeling that Sabrina has even more to tell, so
maybe we’ll see an expanded version of this someday. In the meantime, it’s
still a good read. [5.5” x 8.5”, $1 U.S./$2 World, selective trades (email
first), Sabrina, 9804 Cardinal, La Porte, TX 77571,
sabby_darling@hotmail.com]
Talk
to the Paw
“Words by Rick Bradford, drawings by Jim Siergey.” What we have here is a
six-page mini-collection of silly poems, one of which is a limerick and the
others which are written in a limerick style. Each poem is accompanied by an
amusing descriptive illustration. The collection is printed quite attractively
on green cardstock and features a small photo of poet Rick on the back cover.
Worth a few chuckles and it only costs a couple of stamps, so you can’t lose!
[4.25” x 5.5”, $.50 anywhere or two 37-cent stamps,
http://poopsheet.blogspot.com,
rickbradford@austin.rr.com]
To
Cumulative Index of Zines Reviewed
P.O. Box 1580