The NewPages
Zine Rack
A Note From Sean: I'm taking a break
from doing the Zine Rack for a while. In the meantime, Taylor Ball
(publisher of Cultor-sore zine and proprietor of
Parcell Press) will be
taking over as interim columnist. Also, if you'd like to drop me a
line, I'd love to hear from you, too (sean at thoughtworm dot com).
Thanks!
Number 24 (Posted Dec. 1, 2004)
Reviews by Taylor Ball
All
Skewed Up
Musings on coldhandsdeadheart and selections from #1-#14
With this substantial collection of work from coldhandsdeadheart, Mike
puts a capstone atop the first fourteen issues of his art zine. With no
intention of making more copies of any of these issues, Mike pulls together some
of the artwork that appeared in them, and offers a very comprehensive and
informative text that spans through the collections’ eighty-two pages. This
text serves primarily as an artist’s statement, in which Mike writes about the
formation of the zine, his influences, and the different phases the zine’s art
has gone through. The illustrations are sharp and detailed, sometimes appearing
with text that suggests that they’ve been lifted straight from a sketchbook.
For a reader like myself, who has heard of coldhandsdeadheart but not yet
read it, All Skewed Up is the perfect way to experience the fourteen
issues that I missed. And for fans of Mike’s work: don’t worry, just because
he’s putting #1-14 to bed doesn’t mean he’s not still pumping out new issues.
[$4 or equal, c/o Mike Twohig, 72-1 Meadow Farm South, North Chili, NY 14514,
m_twohigh@hotmail.com,
www.angelfire.com/ill/miketwohig]
Big
Pinch World
#1
Since an unfortunate childhood incident involving a zipper and a grandmother,
Randy’s nickname has been Pinch. In his introduction to the first issue of his
‘zine, Randy writes, “Charles Bukowski once described himself as ‘story-naked in
a big-pinch world.’” If that doesn’t give you an idea of the premeditation that
seems to have fueled the conception and creation of Big Pinch World, I’m
not sure how better to relay it. Randy writes carefully on such subjects as the
death of his father and the death of a friend, and while doing so, ties in raw
and almost surreal anecdotes about his parents and their relationship. Randy –
Pinch – is probably older than the average zinester, and though it shouldn’t
matter, it does to me. I’m inspired by the enthusiasm, interest, and commitment
of someone outside of the typical zine-writing age bracket, and I appreciate
reading Randy’s personal stories as they reflect his having countless
experiences and exposures (the death of his parents, his own divorce) from which
to draw. I hope he keeps it up. [8.5” x 5.5”, 28 pages, $2 or fair trade, Randy
Osborne, P.O. Box 1912, Mill Valley, CA 94942,
randyosborne@hotmail.com]
Boxcutter
Episode 6 – Gettin’ Schooled, Fall 2004
This is a really interesting, politically-driven little zine that is the
effort of a handful of people. Boxcutter has a very collective feel;
everything within the zine tends to relate to the issue’s bigger theme of
education, and there are even pieces that people write in opposition to each
other. For example, Tomas writes a piece entitled “Dissin’ Documentaries,” in
which he claims that watching political documentaries are an apathetic form of
resistance, which is followed by Bay’s “Defending Documentaries,” in which he
suggests the positive aspect of being able to choose from a spectrum of films to
watch. Michael writes about “Agency & Gender in Maria Full of Grace,”
which is a very short piece in which he suggests that escaping the system is
difficult for everyone as it is for the movie’s protagonist. I sure wish
Michael had spelled Colombian correctly, though, or that another writer may have
proofread and corrected this mistake. Tomas’ piece entitled “Parenting with
Pornography,” is perhaps the most interesting of the collection, as it is
fascinating to read one parent’s account of, and struggles with, raising a
teenage son with a well-informed but sex positive viewpoint. [$1 or trade, c/o
Tomas, 1636 Fairview St., Berkeley, CA 94703,
boxcutter@lists.riseup.net]
I
Live in San Francisco
I Live in San Francisco is an aptly titled ‘zine. In it, Juliette
offers detailed, pen illustrations accented by handwritten text, most of which
are of her favorite spots in the Bay area. In her introduction, Juliette writes
that she moved to San Francisco “following the electromagnetic pull that
attracts so many of us here and keeps us coming back.” Personally, I have yet
to feel this pull, but her illustrated ode to the city sure convinced me that
plenty of people do, including her. Scattered along the twenty-four pages are
glimpses into Cafés (Café Prague, Café International, Café Mocondo, Zotz,) and
other shops, including City Lights Bookstore. As a reader from the other side
of the country, though, I had a hard time always deciphering which spots were
and were not in San Francisco. Wouldn’t it be nice if a happy resident of every
nice city committed to zine form such an encapsulation of his or her life in
town, so we could all decide where to move? [8.5” x 5.5”, 24 pages, email or
write for ordering information,
starla_mayhem@yahoo.com, Juliette, P.O. Box 421508, San Francisco, CA
94142-1508]
Livingproof
#3: Genesis
For those who favor a zine that utilizes every inch of its printed space for
the presentation of text that critically and analytically explores the self and
the self’s surroundings, Livingproof is your goldmine. Andrew Mall
writes a lot in the third issue of his zine, and certainly covers a
significant amount of ground. Though the divisions are subtle, the zine is
divided into three sections. The first section is a multi-layered essay arguing
against MTV for declining from a relevant and caring music network to creating
reality television and, of course, for basically selling out. Second, Andrew
transcribes a very long discussion he had with Daniel Sinker, editor of Punk
Planet, which branches away from solely Punk Planet-related talk to
bigger issues in independent press and music and the importance of retaining
independence. In the third section, Andrew talks about a few months he spent in
Venice, which he refers to as “the next chapter in the personal novella.”
Indeed, it certainly is rare for a zine writer to offer up, in such full doses
and in a single publication, such personal writing, such critical essaying, and
even a complete dialogue that seems to embody both subjects and more.
[8.5” x 5.5”, 64 pages, $3ppd/trade, P.O. Box 14211, Chicago, IL 60614,
livingproof@atm4.net]
Lummox
Journal
September/October 2004
Lummox reads as a literary journal in a zine’s wardrobe, a blend of
styles that I’ve seen more and more often lately. The introduction to this
issue (#101 for Lummox) is written by the journal’s editor, Raindog, and
addresses the crime in his neighborhood in contrast with the warfare between the
gang-like government (GOVS) and corporations (CORPS). Three major pieces of
narrative are included in this short issue, “My Favorite Place” and “Hyperbolic
Doubt,” both by Bretton B. Holmes, and “All the Way to the Blood: Becoming an
Outlaw Poet,” by Todd Moore. Also included are a few poems, and a couple pages
of book reviews. What strikes me most about this publication is the sense of
community that seems to surround it. Raindog notes upcoming special events such
as public readings in his introduction and also includes a collection of
correspondence from readers. Additionally included is a news statement from
Jack Kerouac’s biographer Gerald Nicosia regarding his losing the position of
literary executor in the lawsuit that Kerouac’s now-deceased daughter filed in
defense of her father’s will, which she alleged had been stolen due to forgery.
For such a small publication, this is stuffed with independent literature and
news. [8.5” x 5.5”, 24 pages, $22/year, P.O. Box 5301, San Pedro, CA 90733-5301,
lmxpress@hotmail.com,
www.lummoxpress.com]
PFE
#1
PFE is a style of zine I haven’t encountered in a couple of years.
I’m not sure whether that’s due to a shift in what comes under my radar, or if
there really is an ebb in the zine community of zines that deal with the
independent music industry from an insider’s perspective. PFE is
compiled by Nina, a press/promo person for the independent record label Union
Label Group. Her zine is a compilation of various stories and articles written
mostly by musicians, music journalists, and people who work in music
promotions. Some examples of the content include “Welfare of Music,” by Keith
of the band Maximum Rock ‘n Roll, “The Rise and Fall of The Underground,” by
Richard Tanana of Caustic Truths, and an advice column written by Atom of Atom
and His Package. PFE is an interesting read – almost serving as an
ethnography of multiple voices from a similar plane of existence, the
independent music industry. If you choose to read PFE, though, be
prepared for across-the-board bashing of “emo kids,” “fashion victims,” and
“poseurs.” You’ll even find “The Fashion Shit List,” which includes, among
others, Faux Hawks, Euromullets, and Studded Belts bought in a Mall. [$1,
pfezine@yahoo.com]
Pine
Summer 2004
My past exposure to pure literary magazines has been haphazard to say the
least. Are they haughty academic journals or are they half-assed college or
high school disasters? Pine stands to prove – to me at least – that
there is a third option. This tri-annual publication is a slender, glossy
full-size rag with an attractive layout and a hearty helping of photography,
prose, and poetry coming from eleven mostly Canadian voices. Some content is
light: a list of “reinventions” compiled from various magazines, including “Fake
is the new real,” as claimed by Broken Pencil magazine, “sewing is the
new knitting,” from BUST magazine, and others. Also, a piece entitled
“13 Lies My Roommate and I Told This Kid Named Ben Who is one of Those Guys Who
Will Never Quite Fit in But Who Has Latched Onto Us And We’re Pretty Sure He
Believes Most of Them.” The obvious standout piece for me was “The Underwear
Model,” a short story by Joey Comeau of A Softer World. Comeau’s story
embodies the best qualities of independent, hip fiction in that it’s concise,
well-written, and edgy, dealing with the search for a soul mate and how that may
or may not have anything to do with a matching scar, perfection, or the model on
your box of underwear. [8.5” x 11”, 40 pages, one year subscriptions $12 CAN,
$20 US,
www.pinemagazine.ca]
Quality
of Mercy
Vol. 1
In his short introduction to Quality of Mercy, Gord writes, “I can
draw, but evidently not that well,” and urges us not to take the art on the
following nineteen pages seriously. I was close to satisfying his request, but
after reading the first couple pages of this comic ‘zine, I wanted to tell Gord
he was all wrong; this thing looks great, and it reads great too. Divided up
into two stories, Gord first begins with a commentary on his personal attempts
to overcome short term memory loss when meeting people for the first time. He
cleverly illustrates and narrates his own identity-altering tricks to avoid
embarrassment. The second story is entitled “An Internal Struggle!” and seems
to be an allegory presented through the development of wings and antlers on a
bowling pin. Gord’s illustrations are basic and clear, and his layout is
fantastic. Each page contains six panes, some of which contain nothing but
text. The stories flow incredibly well, and rather than cram illustrations and
narration into a single pane, Gord often bounces back and forth between the
two. This comic is endearing and understated. I’m looking forward to his
future work. [8.5” x 11”, 20 pages, FREE, trades encouraged, email mailing
address for a copy,
remandcentere@yahoo.com,
www.remandcentere.com]
why
don’t nobody love me?
by Adam Beebe
Usually I don’t like it – at all – when the internet is transcribed onto
paper. Reprinted blogs: never intended for paper and thus don’t belong there.
Reprinted articles and content from websites: plagiarism? But with Adam Beebe’s
latest publication, why don’t nobody love me? (the second issue of
Crippled by Depression), I may have to make a slight revision to my
reprinted-internet-content policy with zines. Adam’s zine consists entirely of
his personal ad posts on craigslist.org and the various threads and responses to
his self-introductions. The tone is humorous and light, though you may either
delight in or feel awkward about reading so many various young peoples’
self-descriptions (and sometimes self-diagnoses) which, at least for Adam,
include myriad of psychological/social disorders and the consistent use of
phrases like “skinny-ass honky-nerd man-child,” and “whiteboy loser artist.”
Interspersed among the reprinted posts are reprinted photographs that
accompanied them, as well as Adam’s highly sexualized pen-and-ink drawings of
women. Though it’s not a bargain, it is definitely a cohesively produced
concept. [8.5” x 5.5”, 54 pages, $5, Mishap Productions, 941 56th
Street, Oakland, CA 94608,
mishap_productions@hotmail.com]
To
Cumulative Index of Zines Reviewed
P.O. Box 1580