Zines:
The NewPages
Zine Rack
Number 26 (Posted June 1, 2005)
Reviews by Sean Stewart
[Linking? To link to reviews, please note:
permanent link here]
The
Future Generation
Issue #14
March 2005
“WORK.” China subtitles TFG “a zine for subculture parents, kids,
friends & others.” What I’ve always loved about her zine is that it goes beyond
just parenting. She really makes an effort to fit parenting into the greater
context of the world. This issue revolves around work: how we earn money; how
some of us are able to find work we love while others seem to remain constantly
adrift in that search; the value of small local businesses; and the simple but
powerful joy that can come from certain physical activities like chopping wood.
China contributes her “employment diaries,” a chronicle of one frustrated
writer’s attempts to find a way to pay the bills that doesn’t suck out her
soul. Even with content coming from a variety of contributors, this 52-page
issue reads seamlessly and smoothly. Highly recommended. [5.5” x 8.5”, $3, PO
Box 4803, Baltimore, MD 21211]
Invincible
Summer: An Anthology
Wow, this is a fine collection from Tugboat Press of the first eight issues
of Nicole Georges’zine. Invincible Summer contains a unique mixture of
autobio comix and journal entries, vegan recipes, and craft tips. Nicole’s
drawing style is fun and expressive, and she tells compelling stories. The book
includes new, rare, and out-of-print pages, thus making it a necessity even for
those who’ve been reading from issue one. And for new readers, it will be a
rare treat getting to read all eight issues straight through. You can’t go
wrong by picking up this book. [7” x 8.5”, perfectbound, ISBN 0972696768, mail
order from
www.microcosmpublishing.com,
www.tugboatpress.com]
Modern
Robot Illustrated
Issue No. 1
December 2004
Comedic enthusiasm for robots is a cause I can easily throw my support
behind. In this just-long-enough collection of comics, Dug wryly presents a
cast of highly specialized robots intended to make your life easier. Robo-Pen,
for example, will follow you around constantly, always with a pen at the ready
for those irritating times when you can’t find one. Robo-Brush brushes and
flosses your teeth in six seconds flat. I think you probably get the point
here. The drawings are clever and amusing, and the descriptions are hilarious.
Yup, you should get it. [5.5” x 8.5”, no price ($1-2?), Dug Belan, 707 E.
Wright St., Milwaukee, WI 53212,
iliketodrawpictures@hotmail.com]
Negative
Capability
#4
I confess that I’m still reading this zine. It’s huge! One of the review
blurbs inside says it’s “a zine that you can keep picking up and reading for a
month.” I don’t know about an entire month, but you definitely won’t finish it
in an afternoon. This vaguely reminds me of The Angry Thoreauan, maybe
just because it’s also big, glossy, and written by an arrogant erudite white
male. I’m not saying these are bad things. Josh will inevitably make
statements that will irritate the hell out of you, but he will also present them
in a way that impresses the hell of out of you. In this issue, Josh hangs out
with Ron Jeremy and Joey Buttafuoco. He also slags on other zinesters, so
anyone into zine gossip should naturally pick this up so they can get the dirt.
His friends (and ex-friends) are crazy, which makes for good reading, and he has
no problem with publishing embarrassing pictures of both himself and said
friends. The layout in here is phenomenal, to match the excellent writing. In
short, this is a shining example of how limitless achievement in the world of
zines can be. [8.5” x 11”, $4, check or money order to Josh Saitz, PO Box 12,
Lenox Hill Station, New York, NY 10021-0030,
josh@negcap.com,
www.negcap.com]
On
Subbing: The First Four Years
Well, I’ve reviewed On Subbing in here before, but if you never
ordered any of Dave’s zines (which are now probably all out-of-print), now’s
your chance to get the first four years all in one handy pocket-sized book,
complete with new illustrations from some of Portland, Oregon’s most talented
comix artists. Dave works as a substitute education assistant in Portland’s
public school system. This means he helps out in classrooms with kids who are
unable to function in regular classes. What happens to him in these classes is
funny enough on its own, but Dave has a gift for making it even funnier. It’s
obvious that he really likes his job, and his observations and interactions with
the kids are often poignant and thought-provoking. Already a zine classic,
On Subbing is surely destined to get even more popular with the publication
of this collection. [5” x 7”, perfectbound, ISBN 097269675X, $4 direct from
www.microcosmpublishing.com]
So
We Beat On
Issue #1
This is the best first issue of a zine I’ve read in a very long time. Right
away I was drawn in by the title, which I recognized from an F. Scott Fitzgerald
quote I’d just read recently. Other well-placed and well-chosen quotes are
sprinkled throughout the rest of the issue. Molly’s introduction is remarkably
short and to the point; she lets the writing inside speak for itself.
Impressive photography from Heather Cousins nicely complements the mixture of
Molly’s prose and poetry. The first piece is the longest: an entertaining short
story about some friends attending a wildly anticipated cult band’s Halloween
show in the city. I loved the poetry in here; it’s spare, evocative, and its
messages are easily extracted. Other contents include two very moving
handwritten letters from Molly. I’ll be looking forward to future issues.
[5.5” x 8.5”, $2, specify issue # when ordering, Molly Hurford, PO Box 29,
Asbury, NJ 08802,
mjhurford@hotmail.com]
Spunk
Magazine
Issue No. 2
Winter 2004
The folks publishing Spunk are not messing around. This is a
publication that takes itself seriously. At first glance, one might label it a
litzine, but I think it’s really beyond that. I’ve seen three issues, and they
more or less follow a similar format. In this issue, there’s a three-part
interview with Mickey Rourke, compiled over twelve years. Interesting to read
that, as I’d also read an interview with him recently in Rolling Stone.
I think this one is Spunk was actually more telling, in fewer words. I
like the approach in some of the other pieces: that of commentary on film,
music, and literature cast in a personal context. The artwork and photography
that is included has been stunningly reproduced, which probably explains the
high cover price. Some may balk at this, but I assure you, the writing is of a
very high caliber and the design matches it. Visit the website for a preview.
[5.5” x 8.5”, $5, all inquiries to
aaron@spunkmag.net,
www.spunkmag.net]
Stationaery
Issue 2
Now, this is without question a litzine. I didn’t find it quite as
accessible as some of the other literary-minded zines I read this time around,
though. I preferred the artwork and photography in here to the writing.
However, it’s unfair to judge a litzine on the basis of only one issue. And I’m
sure this would appeal to other readers. The writers are obviously skilled; I
just didn’t happen to connect with what they wrote about. My advice is to check
out their website and see what you think. [6 ¾” x 9 ¾”, price listed only for
subscriptions: $8 CAN/$9 US/$12 WORLD, 4456 Avenue de l’Hotel-de-Ville,
Montreal, Quebec H2W 2H5 Canada,
stationaery@yahoo.com,
www.stationaery.com]
Teenage
Death Songs
15
In some ways, this is a continuation of the informal tribute that various
friends of Sera Bilezikian have been offering up in their zines since her
suicide in January 2002. I’ve read several of these zines, all of them written
by remarkably articulate and passionate people who were deeply affected by Sera
while she was alive, and crushed in spirit by her death. It feels a little
strange and maybe a bit awkward to read such intensely personal writing about
the effects someone you never knew had on other people who you also don’t know.
It’s also both heartbreaking and sobering to realize that no matter how many
caring people we have in our lives, some of us still feel that this life is too
hard to keep living in. This is a powerful zine, and I would encourage you to
read it and follow Tennessee on a journey toward healing that none of us ever
wishes to have to make. [7” x 8.5”, no price listed ($2-3), Tennessee Jones,
1090 Greene Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11221,
Tennessee@softskull.com]
Zen
Baby
#12
This zine is a feast for the eyes. On the cover is a black-and-white collage
bursting with provocative images and phrases. Inside, the insanity quickly
rises to fever pitch. It seems there are few zines these days employing the
chaotic cut-and-paste technique that Christopher Robin so gleefully presents in
Zen Baby. That’s a shame. This is a fun zine to read. Plenty of
letters to the editor, anecdotes from Christopher, and, of course, poetry.
Because Zen Baby is primarily a contributor-based poetry zine. Oh, if
only all poetry zines could be this entertaining. Why can’t they? Maybe
because poets take themselves too damn seriously, that’s why. This is probably
the only poetry zine you’ll ever hear me wholeheartedly recommend, so go ahead
and order it with my blessing. [8.5” x 11”, $2 or trade, free to prisoners,
usually published twice per year, welcomes submissions, Christopher Robin, PO
Box 1611, Santa Cruz, CA 95061-1611]
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Cumulative Index of Zines Reviewed
