Alec has gone and turned the first four issues of his comic zine "Phase 7" into a book. For those who weren't there at the beginning, issue one is a collection of shorts instead of one continuous story. Alec travels to Philly, has re-occurring nightmares, and tries to save the worms. Number two is Alec's trip to New York, plus Alec gets abducted by aliens. Number three is an epic road trip across the united states, which accurately captures what roadtrips are mostly like. It's hot, there's traffic, and sometimes you have to sleep in the car. Of course it captures the exciting parts too. Number four is the most developed of course, and most closely resembles the Phase 7 we know and love today. It's story line of a young man so captivated by other people's graffiti that he strikes out and begins doing it himself. Until "the man" brings him down. It's good to have these back issues available again!

Philadelphia's mens group to address sexism and assault in the punk scene has created this zine full of discussion items to address problems and situations in your own community. There are reproduceable flyers with great graphics and icebreaker questions to get your own gears grinding in your head.

While this zine raises more questions than answers, that is perhaps the best way to address this large, scoping issue that affects us all and certainly needs a better microphone lifted to it in every subculture.

Comprising over 150 vegan recipes and anecdotes from some of the bands that played at the over 200 shows booked by Ireland's Hope Collective from 1987-1999. This wonderful document is three things in one. First and foremost, it is a book of tasty recipes compiled by all your favorite punk rock stars - Neurosis' Tomato & Orange Soup; NOFX's salsa; Bikini Kill's chili non carne; Fugazi Chocolate Cake etc. etc. Secondly, its a tour diary of sorts, filled with the highs and lows, as presented by MDC, Chumbawamba, Green Day, No Means No, Jawbreaker, The Ex, Therapy? etc. etc. And finally, it's a great testament to the DIY, underground punk scene, and what a small group of folks can do when they put their minds to it! Plus, of course, lots of photos of all your favorites live in action. Truly a feast for the eyes, mind, and palate.

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New comics from Nate! In Please Release, Nate examines his job working with developmentally disabled adults, in a touching, non-clinical way. It's not technical, but tangible. As always, he links his personal life to the punk subculture that's shaped him. Scenes of sing-a-longs give way to a desire for something...more? These are stories of growing up, and finding meaning.

The highlight of the collection being a short comic detailing his weekend stint leading workshops on comics for six to fourteen year olds in the Gainesville Public Library. My favorite panel depicts a little boy holding up a picture he's drawn of a monster. The boy's word bubble reads, "It's actually a cyborg with a hydra inside it's mouth." Priceless.

That's what Nate does best; capture people in their most human moments. Here he succeeds, yet again.

Can puberty be funny without laughing at a pre-teen's expense? Major hollywood pictures would tell you no. But Prepubescent argues otherwise. It's not overtly political or anything, just a bunch of comics written by a mom, about her son's transition into adulthood. Still, it comes from an often overlooked perspective: One of understanding. The author states that the questions her son asks are questions we've all asked...that people will laugh with him, not at him. And I think it's true. It's pretty easy to get confused about your body. Some topics discussed include wet dreams, do women poop and pee out the same hole, and do boys get their period.

Tyrone comes from a wealthy background and is refreshingly unashamed of that fact. Growing up he never realized just how well off he was or what the implications of that wealth were. But as he got older he realized that there had to be a responsible way to not only address his privilege, but also undermine the general notions of philanthropy. He begins by attending a conference called Making Money Make Change, and discovers that many people are struggling with how to align their privilege with their politics. One participant even admits that , "I feel really scared when a working class person challenges me, but I feel fine if another wealthy person does." It's great to see someone being honest and thoughtful about these issues, instead of simply romanticizing poverty. This is a well-constructed zine, with extensive bibliography/source listings.

A cute little zine of drawings, reproduced from Danny's 1986 yearbook. It captures all the poofy bangs, striped sweatshirts, and fashion mullets you love and remember. Plus Danny's from Alabama, and as our offices are now 50% southern, he gets extra cred. Comes with a free sticker!

A zine from Columbus Ohio about Columbus Ohio. Even though you are probably not from Columbus, this is still a thorough look at what their punk scene is like. It's kind of like a gigantic version of a Maximum Rock and Roll scene report. It's got interviews with punks who've lived in various punk houses in the last 20 years--stories about the Smashing Pumpkins partying at the Legion of Doom (a crazy old punk house), the bazillion amazing bands that played at the Neil House, and Geoff of Defiance Ohio talks about living in the Sweet Life house. There are also interviews with Matt Reber of the New Bomb Turks and Anne Elizabeth Moore. And seriously? This zine is freaking huge!! It's 11x17! Punk!

Q is for Treason is a bike touring zine like none I've encountered. Reece goes tripping for a few weeks in Western Canada along re-purposed train tracks, much of which have been converted into dirt paths, or gravel. The signs are sparse, the trail nearly impossible to follow, and there's a little more bear dung than I'd be comfortable with. Q is for Treason is a pretty straightforward travelogue, but the visits to ghost towns and encounters with llamas keep this addictive to read. Ooh, and it comes with a free button you can wear! Each copy comes with a button featuring a photo of the former railroad tracks turned trail from Reece's trip!

Tomas talks about the inherent ironies in being asked to read his zine at a mother's day event the same weekend he finds out his son is going to Juvie. He struggles with the possibility that perhaps what he considers a radical parenting approach might actually just be passivity. Also explored is the idea of 'Queerspawn' a term sometimes applied to children of LGBTQI parents, a personal home birthing story, and the propensity for even children raised in non-violent tv-free households to whack each other with sticks.

A cool zine out of Dublin, Ireland - Rag stands for "Revolutionary Anarcha-Feminist Group". This Rag covers an incredibly diverse set of topics - pro-choice campaigning, a cooperative cafe in Dublin, DIY "gig" organizing, holiday photos in Brazil, an alternative view of mental health, medical abortions online, women in cycling, and more. It's a level of self-awareness that makes this zine particularly advanced, and thus recommended. Plus, there's a solid page of recommendations for books, zines, activities, etc. What's not to love about this zine?

Ration is Arwen Curry's always special perzine. She's a talented writer, who writes about her life while keeping perspective on the world at large. Not an easy feat. In #5, Arwen talks about her childhood spent in libraries, and the sad fate of Jorge Luis Borges. She also writes about her job, interviewing random people for 30 second radio pieces, and the acoustics of each situation. The film reel flapping in the projection booth and the sound of scraping glass at the frame shop. These are the kinds of details that really make this zine stand out. The stories give one a sense of nostalgia, much like a miniature dollhouse, or a gilded frame. Ration #5 was written from a room painted green and filled with books, and it transports you to secret place of your own.

Slices of life presented within tiny small frames that only become smaller. This does not mean that the any narrative element is lost. Conversations range from intimate moments to moments of general irritation between the author, Jerry Smith, and the people in his life.

A keen eye is highly recommended to keeup up with and follow along the ever evolving frames as the frames become smaller and the text denser. The obvious parallel is Matt Groening's "Life in Hell".

A collection of essays about fertility and identity, Re:Production assembles a huge range of viewpoints on what it means to procreate or not. Stories about choosing abortion, or choosing adoption, getting your tubes tied, becoming an egg donor, and artificial insemination. What's so cool about Re:Productive is how many issues are addressed in just one zine, and just how many perspectives there are to the issue of fertility. I had never thought about how a hysterectomy would effect someone who wanted kids, for example, or how state adoption websites can seem like petfinder.com with all their pictures to choose from. This zine will really help you gain perspective.

Erinfection set out to write a zine for school all about DIY queer kid culture. She'd been reading about it in zines since high school, and couldn't wait to research what she perceived to be a unified community. But Erin quickly realized that instead of being a springboard into a queer community, that zines and music were only a window into the thoughts and feelings of people like her. Really Gay is Erin's look at her desire to be part of the "queer community" but feeling frustrated by it's illusiveness. Is it all an illusion, or has she just not found it yet? A personal zine with a ton of philosophical examination of queer and DIY, and even the very nature of community.

Resist #46 is absolutely jam-packed with information! As always, it's very very bicycle-centric. This issue has detailed bike cart instructions, with a comparison between welding and bolting, and extensive photos of punks riding a circle bike. For those who've never witnessed it, a circle bike is a bike that you can ride in a full circle, as in you hang upside-down! "Coffee" examines the love of coffee in punk zine culture, and there's a lot of reflections on gardening as well. And it comes with a free beautiful full color bicycle postcard!

Adult reflections on the things that affect us all so much in our punk youth - the first trips to the inner city punk show from the suburbs and first encounters with panhandlers and the homeless. Geoff's musings are equally entertaining and compelling when he's talking about hopping trains (the myth vs the reality of a slow train), the allure of West Philadelphia punk houses and beautiful people, radical gender queering, and the doozy - the downfall of a longtime punk squat in Copenhagen! Bonus quotes from Eugene Debs, Bikini Kill, and Jeff Ott.

Stories of bad luck, pinball, puking at ladyfest, the crazy San Fran punk band 50 Million, and disposable technology culminate in a shocking detailed account about the author being shot in the face during a mugging in New Orleans. This zine is a lotta things, and it would be easy to focus on the shooting itself. But Greg is a lot more than this violent thing that happened to him. He's a strong writer and he lays it out on the last page, the stupid questions he's been asked.."Did it hurt?"..."Do you set off metal detectors?"...with his corresponding answers. This is another issue of an always solid zine. Thanks Greg, for being a badass.

Jim is a truly spirited individual trying to get to the belly and soul of the cities that he lives in. This issue brings us stories of visiting punks in Mexico and how their culture differs from the US punks, stories of growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and how his circle of friends developed, threatened and challenged him, creating his vision and drive for his future self. Eventually we see him move to Richmond, VA and hang a map of the streets that he marks off as he walks down all of them, finally making friends. This was easily the best piece of reading that I did had on my recent trip to Ohio. Aside from challenging radical ghettos and activism and bringing me a sharp and incisive history of Richmond, it also led me to respond to the stories and facts emotionally which few pieces of writing rarely do.

This zine is so f-ing cool. It's from 10 years ago, but is still relevant. Hellery was 18 when she wrote this zine, and had just lost both of her legs below the knee while trainhopping. This zine is all about how her life has changed since she became an amputee. It's also about being queer and celebrating her sexuality, despite the loss of her legs. Hellery decided that she wouldn't let her accident change her life, and that includes her sex life, so she sets out to become the sexiest amputee ever! Super positive and empowering for anyone who's been crippled, or dealt with long-term health issues.

In Hellery's 3rd zine she's 21, and has had a couple of years of perspective since getting both of her legs amputated below the knee. She reflects on how she doesn't have to talk about being disabled as much anymore, except with strangers who always have to ask. She talks about class and disability, about how sometimes people who are crippled "raise above" their injuries and achieve heroic things/become celebrities, but that most people don't. That without money, it's much harder than the public perceives to survive. She also talks about the fluidity of her gender, and how sometimes she is a boy. Hellery talks about dressing up in drag, riding her bike with prosthetics on, and addresses all the people who tell her she's brave just for having prosthetics.

Rocket Queen is back in print. Possibly one of the best, most insightful zines ever written, "Rocket Queen" is author Janet's tale of working as a dancer in Asheville, NC. Janet examines all the reasons why someone would want to dance for money, and her own motivations for doing so, including issues of freedom, power, and attention. She also deconstructs the different types of customers that come to clubs, like the sugar daddy that wants to take care of you, or the savior that wants to save you from a life of stripping. It's all told in a matter of fact style that doesn't demonize stripping, and doesn't romanticize it either. Rocket Queen has the familiar tone of a friend telling you about their job; what they like, and what they don't. And the whole thing is just so intelligent, honest, and witty. It's highly recommended for anyone who's danced or thought about dancing, or even those who have friends that dance. Rocket Queen will change the way you think about sex work.

Rocket Queen is back in print. Possibly one of the best, most insightful zines ever written, "Rocket Queen" is author Janet's tale of working as a dancer in Asheville, NC.

Issue #2 is Janet's account of working for a club in New Orleans. #2 is a bit darker overall, but just as interesting and heartfelt. Janet addresses feelings of hate and bitterness towards customers, and answers burning questions like, "Do dancers ever sleep with customers?" and "How does it feel when friends visit you at work?" We learn that during Mardi Gras, women fly in from all over the world to dance. And there's a great contributed piece from a woman who experienced childhood abuse, who deconstructs how that relates to her decision to dance. A really awesome zine.

This issue is about travel with little bits of stories and images that go along with them. A documentation of Sarah living on a small, organic farm in Nova Scotia. It talks in journal styled musings about self sustainability, seclusion, simplicity, and finding out how little she knows about rural living. She talks about farmers and cared for food being unappreciated and while I'm writing this I'm eating home grown spinach and thinking about the exact same sentiments.

Rum Lad is written and illustrated by Steve, our new buddy in England. As evidenced by the cover, Steve is immensely talented, and is even helping us design our new 2008 catalog cover! His work alternates between intimate landscapes, and portraits, portraying his world of shows, family, his living quarters, and his friends in heartfelt detail. Sometimes humorous, but always earnest, Steve's work keeps getting better and better.