Author: Nyx

Attempted Not Known 12 – Pain Points.
Peter Conrad
48 pages
https://www.instagram.com/peter.conrad.comics/
https://www.peterconrad.com

Attempted Not Known 12 – Pain Points. is a 7.8cm x 12.2 cm black and white comic featuring comics about physically painful accidents that happened in Peter’s life – with the entire zine curled up in a standard US pill bottle.

Pain Points opens with a drawing of pills filling up the page before the title page and then launching into the first comic: “No, A Fence.” (Love a pun.) Luck struck that day with Peter landing outside a nurse’s home. Said luck, however, would not follow Peter through all the accidents…

We then are introduced to various injuries – often involving stitches – Peter has dealt with. Falls, braces, and a number of injuries thanks to cars, and we have a collection of ‘scar stories’. ‘On the Chin’ definitely has to be one of the top ‘days filled with bad luck’ I have ever read or been told about. It involves a bike accident, a dodgy car, ridiculous parking at the hospital, and DIY bandaging to keep things in place. And I thought I’d had some bad luck days.

Peter’s art style with thick and thin lines working together to create just the right light and shadow, with some panels more details than others in a way that conveys a narrative tone as well as containing the art itself… It makes me feel nostalgic for the newspaper comics I used to read while still having its own ‘Peter’ flair to it.

Of course, in my reviews, I talk about the aesthetics of a zine. How could I not love and have a chuckle at a comic zine about painful moments coming in a pill bottle? Not only that, the bottle is covered in stickers like “Controlled Substance – Dangerous Unless As Directed” and the description reading “Acomxine 40pp”. Little touches like that tickle me to no end, and I love discovering all of them.

As someone who is sensitive to others’ pain (I can’t watch those ‘funny’ videos of people getting injured in various ways), this zine definitely made me wince more than a few times. That said, it was still well worth the read. Peter’s art style, his ‘slice of life stories’, how the zine itself is presented… I think it’s all a lot of fun, and I am very much looking forward to getting my hands on more of Peter’s comics. (Until then, I will be satisfied with checking out Peter’s Instagram, which features plenty of comic goodness.)

Chronically Invisible
Jessie Ziegenbein
12 pages
https://ko-fi.com/s/aff0b7c08f
https://linktr.ee/bitterpillpress

Chronically Invisible is an approximately 12.8cm x 17.8cm green and grey tones zine about the impact – both immediate and long-term – of chronic illness on a person’s life as well as the challenges they face.

When I saw this zine when it first came out. I knew I needed to get a copy of it. As someone who has been forced to face her chronic illnesses in unavoidable ways in the past couple of years, I always value all the ways I can remind myself that I am not alone.

Chronically Invisible opens with Jessie introducing themselves, a bit about their background, and what they hope to achieve with this zine. As with many zines like this, a little more empathy in the world would be an amazing thing. From there Jessie writes about what self-advocacy is, medical admin, statistics, and more. There’s even a crossword puzzle inside to enjoy.

Jessie wraps up with a piece called ‘A New Perspective’ in which they detail finding a new way to look at the world which comes with darkness but also with an appreciation for growing self-confidence, self-trust, and self-growth. I found myself identifying with this piece so much – down to a similar time frame in which my own chronic illnesses took a dramatic escalation. It was lovely to read someone sharing thoughts similar to ones I had contemplated before but never truly expressed in those ways.

I couldn’t possibly review this zine without touching on the aesthetic of this zine. Jessie takes it to an awesome level by carrying the green (with grey) theme through the zine in everything from the type to the colour of the paper itself. Everything about this zine from message to production feels very thoughtful to me, and I appreciate it all the more. The leaves featured on the front are called Monsteras, and I can’t help but wonder if choosing them as opposed to some other green leafy lovely also plays a part in name, appearance, or both thematically in this zine. I enjoy when a zine gently encourages my brain to stretch and ponder rather than demanding it does to understand.

Chronically Invisible is an introduction to the impact of chronic illness on a life – from day to day to medical care. I feel like it strikes a beautiful balance between informative, personal, informational, and empathetic. While I know I would have enjoyed more (and would certainly enjoy a Chronically Invisible 2), I do feel like this zine was ‘just right’ in terms of length and substance.

Definitely one to check out – especially if you are feeling alone in dealing with your chronic illness(es).