Zines
The NewPages
Zine Rack
Number 32 (Posted Feb 15, 2006)
Zines Reviewed by Sean Stewart
#1
"Confessions of a Juvenile Liquor Pig." R. Lee has
teamed up with artist Dug Belan (Modern
Robot Illustrated) to tell the story of how he became
such good friends with beer. He regales us with tales of
playing bartender (complete with false mustache) for his dad’s
friends and at neighborhood parties. And he describes the
moment he discovered the best cure for a hangover the next day
was a few more beers. In another author’s hands, this kind
of material might serve as part of the backstory for one of
those dime-a-dozen "recovery" memoirs people have been cranking
out over the past few years. But Lee doesn’t show the
least remorse about his early discovery of the joys of
drunkenness, nor does he seem to consider it tragic in the
least. He simply tells what happened in a matter-of-fact
way, with perhaps even a touch of pride. Belan’s drawings
help immeasurably with this, too, providing the perfect
complement to Lee’s prose. I hope to see many more issues
in the future! [5.5" x 8.5"; $2 ppd.; R. Lee, PO Box 1421,
Oshkosh, WI 54903,
rleemail@gmail.com]
Issue No. 2
Fall/Winter 2005
"Artzine for the Masses." Apparently promotional-type
artzines are more prevalent than I had realized. This one
is an ambitious undertaking, featuring in-depth artist profiles
and full-color glossy photos of artwork. In this issue, we
learn about the following artists: Kurt Lightner, who
creates fantastic nature-inspired collages using acrylic ink and
mylar; Kevin Zucker, who confronts human emotions through
inanimate objects using an involved process of image transferal
and painting; Eric Heist, who creates various installations
addressing issues such as addiction, religion, and war; Tamy
Ben-Tor, a performance artist exploring many aspects of Jewish
culture; Tom Kotik, who incorporates his love of music into his
minimalist sculpture style; The Mighty High, a rock band that
also features Tom Kotik on bass; Robert Melee, who makes
fantastic installations commenting on domestic life in
unexpected ways; Will Ryman, who turned to sculpture after
struggling to communicate his message as a playwright; and
Torben Giehler, who has blazed new trails in abstract art.
Overall, Blender is an impressive publication that will
open your eyes to a wide range of innovative artists. My
only complaint, and it’s a small one, is that within the text
the tense shifts back and forth from present to past, often
remaining in the past when it should be in the present.
However, less anal readers than this one probably won’t be
bothered. [8.5" x 11";
$2 (?) or free in NYC; Stephanie Young, 164 23rd
Street-4R, Brooklyn, NY 11232,
www.myspace.com/blenderartzine.com,
thirdman3@netzero.com]
#20
Go Metric continues to chug right along with its
collective fingers pressed hard on the jumpy pulse of an
obscure-to-some realm of music and pop culture. Many
lesser punk zines have come and gone during its publishing
history, thus establishing GM
as one of zinedom’s current stalwarts within its particular
genre. The writers are knowledgeable and witty, pleasantly
irreverent, and display self-assuredness in their various
writing styles. A cursory glance at this issue’s table of
contents yields such titular gems as "The Antichrist’s Live
Journal Postings", "Super-Straight Edge Size Me", "The Disgrace
of Grease", and "Soap Burritos." And, believe me,
the actual articles do indeed live up to the promise of those
alluring titles. Add to that some hard-hitting and
informative interviews, a liberal dose of satire, and music
reviews that are actually helpful in aiding the reader to make
purchasing decisions (i.e. they don’t suck), and you’ve got a
publication that routinely kicks the asses of most mainstream
mags trying to deliver similar goods. Oh yeah, and this is
the fiction issue, which basically means it’s even funnier than
usual. [8.5" x 11"; $10/5 issue-sub (US), $15 (Can/Mex),
$20 (World); cash or check/money order payable to Mike Faloon;
801 Eagles Ridge Rd., Brewster, NY 10509,
gogometric@yahoo.com]
#5
Krissy Durden is certainly one of the better writers out
there in zineland. She also has a flair for design, which
never hurts, especially for those readers with a low tolerance
for text-heavy zines. Anyway, this zine visits some ghosts
of Krissy’s past, but not in a deeply introspective way that
would frustrate the reader’s attempt to identify, but in an
openly reflective way that perhaps will encourage examination of
one’s own ghosts. Krissy sees in her dreams, both lucid
and unconscious, her first love, a friend and co-worker who
passed away, and her sixteen-year-old self. This is not
self-indulgent nostalgia; it is more a reasoned trip into a rich
and storied past, maybe looking for a few answers, or maybe just
looking. Seek this out for a perzine that avoids the
common pitfalls of its genre. [7" x 4.25"; $2 ppd.; Krissy
D., c/o IPRC, 917 SW Oak St. #218, Portland, OR 97205,
www.ponyboypress.com,
ponyboypress@yahoo.com]
Issue One
Okay, so Tugboat Press has already brought us such fine
publications as the Invincible Summer anthology, The
Constant Rider Omnibus, and Make Something!, all of
which spotlighted some of the finer writers and artists based in
that mecca of zinedom, Portland, Oregon. Now, Tugboat
has produced the first issue of what will be its flagship title.
Featuring the incredible art and writing of seasoned comix folks
Aaron Renier, JP Coovert, and Sean Aaberg, this
beautifully-assembled compilation has made me already anxious
for issue two. What you get is one story from each artist
cleanly printed on wonderful off-white recycled paper, a back
page of comix reviews, a fantastic full-color cover drawn by
Aaron Renier, and a mind-blowing back cover by Sean Aaberg.
All for the ludicrously reasonable low price of three dollars.
As with all Tugboat releases, this is an incredible value,
especially considering the talent level of the contributors and
the superb production quality of the publication. Okay, I
think I’ve just about exhausted my arsenal of flattering
adjectives, so feel free to go ahead and order now. [6" x
9"; $3 ppd.; Tugboat Press, PO Box 12409, Portland, OR 97212,
available through various distros as noted on Tugboat’s website,
www.tugboatpress.com,
tugboatpress@gmail.com]
3
Johanna focuses mainly on family and personal identity in
this issue of Sisu, which I find interesting because I
always wonder how much other people know about their family
history. She tells a little about her dad’s experiences as
a child in the Philippines during World War II, and also speaks
of other family members who she only knows fragments about.
Trying to piece the fragments together and understand how they
affect who she is now is tough, and doesn’t result in easy
clear-cut answers. Other essays in here address the
meaning of the term Asian American, and weaknesses in the
concept of "the revolution." Some zine reviews and a nice
closing outro round out the issue. This is good clear
writing from a writer with weighty issues on her mind.
[4.25" x 5.5"; $1 ppd. (US), $2 (outside US), no trades;
www.nobrandheroine.net, johanna@nobrandheroine.net]
4
The mind of Bwana Spoons is wild and untamed, as evidenced by
the sketchbook pages represented in this collection. In
here you are allowed a peek at the raw material for Bwana’s
amazing artwork. It’s pleasantly random in the best
possible way. Mr. Pupu, the cutest turd in comics, is a
recurring character. I can’t really say anything more than
that. [4.25" x 5.5"; $4;
www.wootini.com
(click on ‘Artists’ and scroll to Spoons, Bwana); Bwana’s
website is
www.scribble.com/mogwab]
#4
At long last there is an ending to the Tile series,
and a bittersweet one it is, as Billy is now retiring from the
world of underground comics. As purveyor of one of the
most familiar drawing styles in the underground publishing
community, in addition to cranking out many issues of his own
various comics series, Billy has provided illustrations and
cover artwork for countless zines by other folks. His fun
and frequent packages landed in my own mailbox for years, and I
was always happy to tear them open and see what new lunacy had
sprung from the mind of this talented artist. In this
final issue of Tile, there is closure for intrepid
protagonist Eric, although his future still remains uncertain.
In parallel, we’re not sure what Billy will move on to next
(although he alludes to the possibility of a children’s book),
but whatever it ends up being, I am sure it will carry the same
spirit of originality and wondrous creativity that has infused
all his artwork thus far. On that note, I wholeheartedly
recommend this great little comic. [6.75" x 9.5"; $3 ppd.;
Billy McKay, PO Box 542, N. Olmsted, OH 44070,
billymckay@adelphia.net]
Vol. 2, Issue 2
October 2005
Okay, so this is a satirical spoof-style newspaper that
editor/publisher Greg Boose insists is "more than an easy
‘Onion’ comparison." Maybe so, but we are talking about
basically the same type of genre here. Boose, aka
Montgomery Muraco employs an imaginary staff that writes
ridiculously amusing stories that start and end randomly.
The big story in this issue carries the title, "Tooth Reporter
Slays Tobey Maguire." In most issues of The Tooth
pages 3-6 don’t exist, leaving many stories hanging out on a
limb, but the Maguire story was important enough to not only get
the main headline but also take up most of page 2. Most of
this, including the fake ads, was funny, in a strange and absurd
way. [8.5" x 11"; free;
www.thetoothnews.com,
thetoothnews@yahoo.com]
No. 3
"Monophonic Rustbelt Zine Pulp." R. Lee is one of my
favorite zine writers these days. His understated but
strong prose conveys well the personal nuances of his daily
life: his nights on third shift, his love of old jazz, his
complex relationships with friends and acquaintances, and his
drinking habits. In these pages, you will meet Bunker and
Madnek, Lee’s two compatriots and co-conspirators on the third
shift. The three of them are as often at odds with each
other as they are in synch. But amidst the madness of
working through the night, it all makes some sort of bizarre
sense. This is pure writing, no pretenses and no filler.
It’s just good. [5.5" x 8.5"; $2 ppd.; R. Lee, PO Box
1421, Oshkosh, WI 54903,
rleemail@gmail.com]
