Kerbloom #71 is a fictional conversation between M & A about the relative merits of opening up to other people, commitment, the distillation of adventure into a limited concept, the pros and cons of child rearing, the isolation of moving, the trade offs between the fluidity of travel culture and building real connections based in permanence. It's punk philosophy disguised as a conversation. Really good stuff.
John Porcellino's staggeringly beautiful, minimalist minicomics have been one of zinedom's most pleasing standbys throughout the past decade. Self published for over 15 years, John does autobiographical comics that created a style for other self publishers who didn't fit the stylings of mainstream comics and inspire new greats, like CLUTCH.
In this issue John has trouble sleeping, gets the blues but cheers up a little, and meets Square-Head John (who's an ace at those arcade games where you try to grab stuffed toys)!
Devoted readers rejoice! A giant compendium of King-Cat comics! Check out that page count--A whopping 384 pages of the best John Porcellino stories from issues 1-50! There are lots of dream comics, including a Madonna dream where the two of them fall in love. There's also a UFO sighting, an entire issue dedicated to his dog, and of course a fair number of cats. There's also about 20 pages of notes in the back that provide a synopsis of each issue, and a little back story for some of the comics which is neat. If you like autobiographical comics, and Husker Du, and cats, then this book is for you!
Strongly reminiscent to Ghostpine in terms of approach and style, Kiss Off always teaches us life lessons. This time around it's about crying to student loan people, drinking at home before you go out, how to resolve other people's family crises, how to navigate an open mic, and how to write films while drunk. Various snippets and selections from Chris' life around Ontario. Always entertaining.
A true personal punkrock fanzine! Kissoff is great because it buffers Frederico Garcia Lorca quotes up against stories about Circle Jerks flyers. Chris is smart, articulate, and dedicated to zinedom. He writes about hitchhiking with a girl who is no longer his friend, unemployment, and a friend who becomes a night-watchman. And then a Gore Vidal quote to round it out. Kissoff is always an enjoyable read.
Heather and Tiffany created this cookbook as a benefit for local no-kill animal shelters in Portland, OR. 100% of their profits for this zine are donated, and since as of right now they've got an amazingly good (free) copy hook-up, the cats and dogs of this town are breathing a little easier. It's food for humans, not cats though. When they lived together and you visited their house you'd be greeted by top notch biscuits among other delicacies. This cookbook also includes yummy pancakes, cheese sauce, jambalaya, lasagna, broccoli and rice casserole, macaroni salad, hush puppies, gumbo, stuffed peppers, and lots more delicious goodies. Top notch "comfort food" that they prepare constantly.
In this zine, fueled by indignant outrage, Melissa talks about her experience volunteering with No Mas Muertes and Humane Borders, and the people she meets in the process. About their struggles to cross the Mexico/US border, and those attempting to stop them. She also writes about protesting for immigrants rights and more. Lots of photographs, and all handwritten, this is an important reflection on a timely issue.
Katie loves words! She delights at their origins and meanings and intends to share that love with you! This first issue explores the 5 theories of language, how to say a tongue twister without messing up, palindromes, and an essay on "pizazz." In the study of language, "The La-La Theory" states that language was born of a need to express love and poetry. Katie's zine expresses both.
Pulling from a wide variety of sources, Katie employs history, etymology, linguistics and archaic vocabulary in her examination of the word 'widow'. But fear not, this zine is far from dull! It is filled with fascinating bits of information that will draw you in and ignite your curiosity. Did you know that the French word 'veuve' (widow) is slang for guillotine and also for "the penis of a lonely man"? Have you ever wondered about widow-related customs in other cultures, or the origins of terms like widow's peak? It's all here in an accessible format, accompanied by beautiful old illustrations.
1880 was a good year for language! In the LaLa Theory #5, Katie tells a bit about some words added that year, including of course the title words, blizzard, blindfold, squatter, and cartoonist. (Gonad also came that year.) I like to think about the culture that gave birth to those words, what was happening in the world that made those common terms and ideas. Here are some of the words added to the dictionary in 2007: ginormous, crunk, and smackdown. What can we infer about our year? Don't answer that.
As many American punk magazines of similar aesthetics and girth disappear from our rear view, we welcome Last Hours from England. This article features an article on that very subject - that many larger American zines have been disappearing in the last year and it's a great opportunity to replace them with something new and learn from the mistakes of our past. The editors, Edd and Natalie, have gone so far as to organize their own London Zine Symposium and interview all of their favorite contributors to DIY punk. What is neatest about this though is that they don't just interview punk bands - this issue features artist Clifford Harper, an article about the G8 protests, an interview with Household Name Records, and a big cover story on homemade punk rock. Super rad!
Wow, the thing about Laterborn is this: You look at the comics and you think, "these are pretty simple drawings"...but then, you read the content and they are some of the best written stories you've ever read. No, really. "Who Are You," is a comic about the teacher that taught him to stand up for his beliefs, and "Lucy Marsh," is the story of another teacher's grief. There's also a short story about a drug-trip gone bad, but it's not cliched or boring. Everything Jason attempts here is executed perfectly. You've never heard of this zine, but you've gotta check it out! Five stars!
Laterborn #5 is another collection of sweet, perceptive comics, this time focused on Jason's high school and college life. In the comic "Lily," he manages to perfectly capture that very first relationship. Not the Craig Thompson "Blankets" kind of romance, but the one even before that. That barely teenaged foray into the world of dating. The awkwardness of "Mom, will you drive me there?" and staying up late on the phone like it was your lifeline. There's also a comic of unrequited love, and one about why people choose to die in Sausalito. These comics, while often sad, understand something very basic about human nature.
Ethan's new book is a really engrossing read. He lives the life of any traveling punk kid you've ever met, hitchhiking, bike delivery, all that good stuff. What makes this stand out is the way he tells his tales. It's got that friend telling you a story quality that i really enjoy in a memoir. It's not over-romanticized, it doesn't have 15 different versions of the same story about scamming a bus, and most of all it's told with humor. Also, it's pretty gutsy to write a memoir when you're 24. Ethan's a talented writer, who's previous work includes the zine Chihuahua and Pitbull, the book Stories Care Forgot, and his co-collaboration on the soon to be released Chainbreaker book!
This is a forum for women activists to share their experiences (good or bad) and what they've learned. The zine includes inspiring and honest stories; stories that show the diversity and creativity of women activists; stories that compel us to act; stories that prepare us for and remind us about what we're up against (both in the system AND in activist groups!). #3 is the experiences of institutionalized women activists issue! Contains some outrageous newspaper clippings, is swimming safe at night?, world economics, the invisible apartheid of Kent State University, abuse of women in US prisons, consent, when it happens to someone you care about, women fight back, police brutatlity and the g-20 meeting in montreal, origin and meaning of the word cunt, and much more! Anti-copyrighted 2002.
A guide to the fundamental basics of arranging zine-based workshops in your community with a resource list, history of the movement and women's involvement in it, and some tips and tricks for making everything operate more smoothly.
Take it to the next level! Let's DIY #2 focuses on how to collaborate with community organizations via zine-making workshops. This is a great way to reach new audiences and to contribute to social change. Let's DIY #2 covers the basics: How do you begin and maintain a partnership with a community group? How do you get better at working with groups? This short-but-sweet zine is packed full of information.
Through the use of a whole range of original documents—speeches, letters, contemporary newspaper columns, and cartoons, you get here a fairly good picture of the life, times, thoughts, and activities of "Red" Emma Goldman. Originally created as a massive resource and cirriculum for high school and middle school students, this is definitely recommended for more than just high school teachers!
A great little slice of personality from Lacey's via her extensive lists of likes and dislikes. Some highlights include:
Likes:
"The thought that Aliens and Humans might someday become one."
"What Illegal things arose out of prohibition"
"talking about conspiracies"
Dislikes:
"Having to break into a place you have the key to."
"Realizing you like your boyfriend's friends more than you like him"
"Playing with silly putty after someone with warts"
"Undressing a man only to find he has creepy underwear"
With things like this, we get a gradual growing depth into what Lacey is all about and even her seeming contradictions. We smile at shared feeling and cringe at a horrible experience we haven't yet lived through.
For those who like lists with a whole-lotta substance, comes List #11. As always, there are lots and lots of cute-ass drawings to accompany every list. This issue: love and polyamory, school, the internet, family, new roommates, jobs held, and her dog's quirks. This issues comes with a thick mini-zine insert of lists, all pertaining to life in her new house. It's a clever twist on the traditional perzine.
Ramsey presents us with another zine chock full of lists. My favorites this time were the before & after ones and others that documented some sort of change or growth. Some of these include Plans For Baltimore vs. Things I Actually Did When I Got To Baltimore, Goals For Five Years From Now (as written 4 yrs ago) vs. New Goals For Five Years From Now, Things I Have Overcome, Things I've Done This Year That I Wouldn't Have Done Last Year. It was obviously put together during a transitional time in her life and contains a slight twinge of heartache as well
This issue also includes random lists found around town and guest lists such as: Reasons Why College is Awesome (and graduating is not), A List of Lists I Decided Not to Write for List, 10 Things I Like About Baltimore, Things I Wanted to Be (over the years), Stuff About My Friend Aaron That Would Make Good Episodes If They Ever Made A Sitcom About His Life.
Another cute, sweet issue of Listy. You may have correctly guessed from the title that it is a zine composed primarily of lists. These lists are far-ranging from the standard "hot" and "not" lists, to things the authors are scared of (including ceiling fans). We are also treated to a list of phrases repeatedly uttered by an office co-worker named Vince. For instance, "up the butt in Alligators," and"low-hanging fruit." This is some funny stuff if you like silly light-hearted humor. Oh, and in case you were wondering, "a bunch of earwigs being hit by lightning" is "Hot." A bunch of earwigs seeing a rainbow," are "Not."
A short, easy to read booklet drawing on ways in which pirates of old organized to offer suggestions for current folks struggling against oppressive society. A new perspective from the Communist Party or Greenpeace...
Our lives are constantly in a panic about maximizing our time. So much to do, so few hours in a day. In The Long Walk Back to Myself Jessica Stein takes a fifty-mile, three-and-a-half day walk from bustling New York City to bucolic Croton-on-Hudson. A car or train would have taken about an hour.
Jessica doesn't walk for a "cause" but merely for the pleasure of walking itself. Some of her friends think she is crazy and ruining her life, and that the walk proves it. Jessica's own inner demons suggest this as well.
This zine is inspirational. Some people think the only way to deal with your problems and mental trouble is to pay thousands to therapists and drug companies. Sometimes all we need is time outside our own lives, doing something as old-fashioned as a very long walk. The simple motion and repetition of walking itself can bring things out of the subconscious.
This zine shows how something lost in our human history is still possible if we want it enough. As the back cover says "Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time."
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