From the Zine Archive and Publishing Project's series of DIY Acadamy workshops, we present to you - how to clean your house while avoiding gross and dangerous chemicals! You might remember these tips as being highlights of Secret Mystery Love Shoes, but now that those are long gone, we bring them back, in all of their glory! You get: a lesson about the value of DIY cleaning, basic ingredients, some sample cleaners, and various cleaners for varoius surfaces. What more could you ask for?

This booklet will sell itself based on the buzzwords "anarchism" and "chomsky" in the title. Hell, people search the internet for those words together semi frequently. This is actually a pretty good introduction to anarchist philosophies and principles for the beginner or moderately educated person. Chomsky discusses (in his normal style of tangents) Syndicalism, Engels, property, historic examples, true forms and models of democracy and socialism, and so much more!

Prunella Vulgaris received most of her education from strict Catholic nuns at all-girl schools. This zine serves as an abridged dictionary of the most eccentric, vicious, or otherwise memorable nuns she had to endure. Additionally, it is an engrossing document of the completely alien lifestyle that these eight particular women chose. The writing is casual and familiar, making it a quick and satisfying read.

Mike Croft (who passed away recently) originally wrote this zine in 1998 and then later re-wrote it in 2001 (in my house, even). It collects negative press clippings about Elvis, a tale of dental mishaps, interviews with Propagandhi, Your Mother, and The UFOs, high school reflections on drugs and straight edge, an article about deaths at intervention camps for rebellious teens and abuses that go on there, comics about dreams, the absurdity of sports, "Even Ronald McDonald was a vegetarian", and a review of a failed show and trip to the record store (and successful passing of money to a pan-handler). This zine is well written, despite what you might think, and highly entertaining. If you throw in the mix that it was written by a high school sophomore, it's fairly mind-blowing. Mike passed away in 2006 and his friends are making a conscious effort to put his writing back in print and eventually publish a book of his work since he was such a talented writer and it was so important to him.

Mike Croft (RIP) tells you stories of finding a product called the Bible Bar (no joke - and it's vegan!), getting caught drunk underage, waking up in the hospital, and then finding out that the owner of the bar is not mad at him - but rather wants to pay him to shut up (and then later lie about it!)! Stories of pepper spray in the vents at school, falling asleep at job orientation, getting caught smoking pot, being a punk rocker in a small town, entertaining co-workers, getting harrassed by drunk people and crazies, and drug stories. Great entertainment. Mike passed away in 2006 and his friends are making a conscious effort to put his writing back in print and eventually publish a book of his work since he was such a talented writer and it was so important to him.

Transplanted now to New York, literary whiz and grade-A badass Rosie White deftly retells her strange adventures in the dirty city. In the series of brief essays, we see her sew sequins and smear whiteface for an off-off-Broadway theater production, give slouching, conflicted lap dances and peep shows to customers she resents, attend uncomfortable cocktail parties, and be stunned by the odd moment of beauty that appears out of the grit. Her intertwining of cool, sly observation with highly personal experience is reminiscent of Hunter S. Thompson's early work, and makes for a very involving read. Old Weird America #2 is not a zine to be missed.

A friend who was in the U.S. military during the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War told me that before President G.H.W. Bush visited the troops in Saudi Arabia, enlisted men and women who would be in Bush's immediate vicinity had their rifle and pistol ammunition taken away from them. This was supposedly done to avoid "accidents." But it was also clear to people on the scene that Bush and his corporate handlers were somewhat afraid of the enlisted people who Bush would soon be killing in his unsuccessful re-election campaign.
The suppressed history of the last big U.S. war before 'Operation Desert Storm' shows that the Commander-in-Chief had good reason to fear and distrust his troops. Our rulers want us to forget what happened during the Vietnam war - especially what happened inside the U.S. armed forces during the war. Our rulers remember it all too well. They want us to forget what defeated their war effort, and the importance of resistance to the war by enlisted men and women.
Also includes the pamphlet "Harass the Brass".
"The morale, discipline and battleworthiness of the U.S. Armed Forces are, with a few salient exceptions, lower and worse than at any time in this century and possibly in the history of the United States. By every conceivable indicator, our army that remains in Vietnam is in a state approaching collapse, with individual units avoiding or having refused combat, murdering their officers and non-commissioned officers, drug-ridden and dispirited where not near mutinous. Elsewhere than Vietnam the situation is nearly as serious." -Colonel Robert D.Heinl, June 1971

The handbook on consensus decision-making, from one of the co-founders of Food Not Bombs. Everything from group dynamics, to the structure of decision making, the purpose of evaluation, agenda planners, facilitators, notetakers, group discussion techniques and more is covered, in both philosophical, and eminently practical terms. Should be mandatory for anyone wishing to attend a meeting, let alone conduct one.

Dave Roche's first book contains his tales of woe from working as an substitute education assistant in Portland's school system. He helps kids who can't function in normal classrooms focus on their work and keeps kids from fighting while they tease him or adorably flirt with him. It's a real heartwarming ticket to putting a smile on your face or developing a good feeling to turn your day around. Contains illustrations from Clutch McBastard, Nicole Georges, Keith Rosson, Nate Beaty, Shawn Granton, and Aaron Renier. It's a rewritten "best of" collection from issues #1-4 (The stuff Dave isn't too embarrassed about) plus his second to last year of Subbing. New second edition has corrected errors, updated content, new jokes! ISBN 0-9726967-5-X

*** NEW *** Listen to a podcast of Dave reading his book from the Thinkin, Stinkin, Rarely Drinkin Tour!

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The classic French situationist text that exploded mind in 1966. It will no doubt hold as much relevance today and have the same affect on you. "In the world of the student, every type of social practice is controlled to the utmost degree. Shifting the entire guilty conscience about society onto students serves to mask everyone's poverty and servitude."

A scary and traumatizing collection of tales from cyclists hit by cars while doing the thing they love - riding their bikes! Stories of problems with motorists behavior even after the accidents, problems with recovery, problems with hospitals, and more problems but moreso, theory and perspective about the nature of cars and cycle traffic coexisting on our streets. There's some interesting radio talk shows cut in that discuss the thoughts and reactions of motorists with responses by cyclists. An interesting tale into the psychology and steps towards understanding each other a little better.

Julian is an idealistic punk rocker with a determination to change the world. This issue talks about the Quebec student strike last year, dumpster diving in Montreal, and other less focused personal ramblings, in the vein of earlier issues.

The layout is gorgeous and reminds me quite a bit of In Abandon but that doesn't mean that the writing isn't great as well, and Julian is definitely living his life and documenting the interesting things that happen to him. Strong words for people who need positive encouragement.

Julian Evans of Montreal writes a thoughtful articulate little zine. He tells the story of Alexander Grothendieck, a famous mathematician born to Anarchist parents. This story was unknown to him, before he hitched a ride with Czech mathematician on his way to a mathematics conference. Here's a quote from Grothendieck himself, "and every science, when we understand it not as an instrument of power and domination but as an adventure in knowledge pursued by our species across the ages, is nothing but this harmony, more or less vast, more or less rich, from one epoch to another, which unfurls over the course of generations and centuries, by the delicate counterpoint of all themes appearing in turn, as if summoned from the void." That's some pretty powerful stuff. There's also an intimate piece about his friend Birch colapsing in pain, and a week spent in the hosptial while she undergoes surgery. At the same time there's a shooting at a university nearby and the hospital is flooded with injured people. Includes a "love" letter to author Jeanette Winterson.

Only Skin is a gripping comic about strange and supernatural occurrences in a small town. It follows the story of Cassie who takes over her dad's gas station after he, and countless other towns-people go missing. Things get even weirder when Cassie's little brother Clay begins talking to a ghost claiming to be his father. We picked up this comic while visiting a friend in Vermont and it turned out to be a real winner. Conceptually, it's kind of in the same vein as Brains zine, except of course that it's a comic.

The second installment of Only Skin! The mystery continues as more towns-people disappear. The citizens are in an uproar and in an interesting subplot, Paul and Albert, two friends discuss how to take the matter into their own hands and find the thing that's responsible for the string of bizarre deaths. Clay has another encounter with the ghost, who he decides to trust, against his better judgment. And it turns out someone else has seen the ghost too. Another cliffhanger.

A new episode in the ongoing saga of weird disappearances, contrary ghosts, and bloody crime scenes. People keep disappearing from town, and the police are stumped. In this issue: We meet Rachel, a woman who's affair with Cassie's father created a bitter animosity, but who may hold the secret to the missing people. Also, Paul hikes through the woods in search of Albert, and the ghost convinces Clay to follow him. Another cliffhanger in this supernatural adventure.

A cool primer on some important moments in queer history. Our author, Conrad, states that the zine was inspired by learning at 21 of the assassination of Harvey Milk and wondering why this information had never come up before. The result is writing on a wide assortment of queer movements such as, the Queer Liberation Army, the Lesbian Avengers, Queer Nation, the Combahee River Collective, the Queercore music movement, Stonewall, the George Jackson Brigade, Out of Control, The Pink Panthers, and others. Whew. I told you it was diverse! A helpful place to start for those who want to know about radical queer history.

In "Paco", thirty something stay-at-home mama Silvia explores her personal, family, and cultural histories through a given lens or theme. In #1, the theme is nicknames: how they are conferred, what they mean, how they can affect the owner, and how they can define or crystallize the nature of a relationship. It is written in a warm, conversational style: you can almost imagine Silvia telling you her stories at a large kitchen table over a plate of fresh tamales and a tall glass of horchata. Featuring a spectacular nickname family tree and a Spanglish glossary.

In Panic, Corina lays out her own strategy for overcoming panic attacks and a brief history of her struggles with anxiety. Included are signs of a Panic attack, and a list of possible conditions that precipitate an attack, such as vitamin deficiency. "Recovering From a Panic Attack in 6 Steps" includes information on singling out your triggers, and there's a list of resources in the back.

An extensive personal account of a printer's strike in England from the 1980s. The working class get things a bit heated up, including fights with the police, fights with scabs, being sold out by union leadership, shutting down distribution centers, and a great disruption of Rupert Murdoch's media monopoly! Despite things going worse than planned, this zine covers the events with tons of inspirational lessons.

Papercutter #4 is the dramatic fourth issue of the acclaimed new anthology series by tugboat press dedicated to showcasing the best young, underexposed and emerging comic book artists. Sarah Oleksyk (Roadside, Ivy) tells the featured story about a pair of lovestruck misfits who meet at an all-night copy shop. Vanessa Davis (Spaniel Rage) displays a beautifully painted snapshot-style story of a few big weird parties. And John Porcellino (King-Cat) completes the issue with tales of a man's peaceful winter companionship with a cat and a snowstorm. Additional art by Nate Beaty. Wraparound cover by Sarah Oleksyk.

Number five in the consistently inspiring comic collection, Papercutter. Kazimir Strzepek leads off with a post-apocalyptic tale of a society trying to rebuild...a society of sword-wielding animal creatures that play cards and do a bunch of Mad Max-y stuff. Liz Prince writes a sweet love story about bonding over shoes and Bwana Spoons draws an animal tea party.

A superb and dare we say, perfect issue of Papercutter. Issue six features work by some of our very favorite comics artists. The cover and featured story are done by the talented Alec Longstreth, who writes about his summers building sets for plays. Supporting stories are provided by Ken Dahl, and his alter-ego Gordon Smalls and Julia Wertz/Laura Park. Dahl narrates a drive across the U.S, reflecting on the sorry state of our consumer culture, while Wertz and Park give us a tale of discovering public hair. The inside covers are illustrated as always by the talented Nate Beaty. (PSst! We have books by both Nate and Ken in the works, so keep an eye out!)

Straddling the line between zine, book, and artist book, this is a collection of artist's work primarily talking about relationships. Some stories are funny or minimalist comics. Others are serious and warming or heart wrenching. The packaging and presentation is pretty artistic and much of the enjoyability of this is the depth and variety with which these people explore the topic as well as the varieties of artwork presented. I'm generally impressed by everything they do as the bar of quality is set really high with each issue.

Straddling formats between zine, book, and artist book - this is a collection of John Meijas' various zines and comics from time he spent working as a teacher. Some stories are funny or minimalist comics. Others are serious and warming or heart wrenching. He shares a love of The Clash with his co-worker, organizes to paint murals in the school, and dealing with unpleasant students, principals, and school boards. The packaging and presentation is pretty artistic and much of the enjoyability of this is the depth and variety with which he explores the situations as well as the varieties of artwork presented. I'm generally impressed by everything they do as the bar of quality is set really high with each issue.