Category: Zine Reviews

A Brief But Intense Infatuation
Karys McEwen & Samantha Riegl
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/Loveandois
https://samanthariegl.com/

A Brief But Intense Infatuation is a black and white A6 zine about crushes of various natures and durations.

There is something about stories of love and crushes that gets me every time.

A Brief But Intense Infatuation opens with a definition of ‘crush’ in verb and noun forms (the latter providing inspiration for the title). Then we launch into a collab of crushes. From first crushes to worst crushes, each page is dedicated to one crush story in that person’s chosen styles. Some are cringey, some are sad, and others are oh, so easy to identify with.

I liked the variety of cut and paste styles in this zine, but the stories are really what drew me in. I love that Karys and Samantha had different types of crushes in this zine. I’ve never had a celebrity crush, but I’ve certainly had a brief crush and a ‘WTF Was I Thinking?’ crush. Crushes can be funny (and a myriad of other things) bonding material.

I think this is one of those zines where you’ll have a good idea of whether you’d like to check it out given the subject matter. If you’re interested in crush stories and the like, then pick this one up.

The Adventures of Punk Bird 4
Punk Bird
https://www.instagram.com/punkbird352/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/PunkBird352

The Adventures of Punk Bird 4 is a US quarter-sized black and white comic zine about the origins of Punk Cat and how some people should really think more before they adopt a pet.

This issue of Punk Bird takes a different path by focusing on Punk Cat. Punk Cat has a great start by getting adopted but all too soon faces a fate far too many furry friends face… when the little one is abandoned. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however, with the usual Punk Bird flair that makes it even better. I won’t spoil things any more than that though.

I enjoyed this issue of Punk Bird. It is a touching story with an important message (pets are forever!) that still works in some Punk Bird humour. I especially enjoyed the character reference that links back into issue three. It felt like a little Easter egg worked in. This issue also showed that the series can ‘wander’ a bit from the usual while still tying well into the series as a whole.

I am very much looking forward to where Punk Bird goes from here.

Australian Gothic 1-3
Localamity
https://www.instagram.com/localamity/
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/localamity

Australian Gothic 1-3 is a set of three A7 minis of Australian themed very short stories about the Australian experience.

There was something about these minis that caught my eye when I saw them, and they didn’t disappoint.

Each edition of Australian Gothic gets right into things with six short stories – one per inner page. And when I write short, I mean short. The words are few, and the font nicely big and readable.

From the summer heat to the Aussie wildlife, these snippets of life made me smile, nod at the shared experiences, and some made me feel sad as well. Vol 1 is primarily amusing with a healthy dose of cynicism I appreciated. Vol 2 slightly more so. Vol 3 Queer Edition had the darkest tone but deservedly so, and the stories shared will hit home for many.

I was wondering how Australia-specific references would go. However there was only one story that went over my head. (Fun fact: I’m not Australian born. I’m an import.) That said, I think a lot of the stories are easy to identify with even without knowing the specific references.

I enjoyed these zines a lot and hope the series continues. There’s value in taking a poke at the human experience, and these zines definitely do that.

The Adventures of Punk Bird Issues 2 & 3
Punk Bird
https://www.instagram.com/punkbird352/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/PunkBird352

The Adventures of Punk Bird Issues 2 & 3 are black and white US quarter-sized comic zines about Punk Bird adventures in drunkenness and trying to find a new place rent.

I think the biggest thing I personally take from Punk Bird is that I really need to chill out.

Whether it’s getting drunk and stealing a police car, apologising to friends for drunk behaviour, or going through hell to find a new rental, Punk Bird is doing it all in style. Issues two and three continue on with the ‘day in the life’ feel and style of the first issue with each focusing on a particular event/point in time.

I haven’t had any alcohol-fuelled adventures anywhere near the level of Punk Bird (issue two), but I absolutely related to the ridiculousness of trying to find a rental (issue one) – including holes in the floor!

Punk Bird is a comic series I feel like I can relax and have a laugh with. (And be reminded I need to chill out, as I mentioned.) They’re a reminder that life is a mess and so are we, but it can still be fun and work out in the end.

Rock on, Punk Bird.

Who Am I? An Interactive Zine to Help You Explore Your Ever-Growing Identity
Reflective Zines (Mary)
https://www.instagram.com/reflectivezines/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/reflectivezines

Who Am I? is a full-colour US half-fold zine full of questions and prompts to help you explore who you are.

I like a bit of self-exploration at any time, but the fresh start of a new year feels like an especially good time to do so.

Who Am I? opens with an introduction about identity, how it can change, and the influence of mental illness on a person’s sense of identity. From there, we dive into pages of questions, prompts, and other activities to help you get to know who you are at this point in time.

Mary starts gently with a ‘draw yourself’ prompt followed by basics like hair and eye colour. But it slowly gets more introspective with questions about your role models, the past, and how vital certain things are to you for your future.

Reflective Zines are so full of colour and personality that makes them easy for me to engage in. All of the questions and prompts are set on the pages amongst colourful art as well as various quotes about identity. Winner all around for me.

This is the kind of zine I would like to fill out, put away, and take out again in a year’s time to see how I’ve changed (and no changed) over time. I had fun with most of the questions (thinking about the past is difficult but valuable) and liked how many questions there were about things I don’t usually think about.

This is a fun zine that offers a lot. If you want to find out more about yourself and/or make a record of where you are at a specific point in time, pick this up.

Postmodern Witchcraft: How to Brew Calm, Hex Stress, And Exorcise Your Social Media
Imogen Dall
https://www.imogendall.com/
https://www.instagram.com/bigfacegoods/

Postmodern Witchcraft is a full-colour A5 zine about “how to brew calm, hex stress, and exorcise your social media”.

It’s a stressful, stressful world, and a little calm can go a long way. From the moment I opened this zine to see a primarily lavender purple table of contents spread, I started to calm down.

Postmodern Witchcraft is comprised of five sections: Magic Potions, Ache Enchantments, Digital Exorcisms, Stress Soaks, and Conjuring Spells. Each section is set up beautifully with easy-to-read fonts, colourful art to accompany the easy-to-read text, and a nice layout overall.

I enjoyed every part of this zine both aesthetically as well as in content. A guest to de-stressing is always welcome and valuable to me. I’m looking forward to trying some of the suggested brews as well as putting some of the digital suggestions into practise.

One thing that played on my mind a little is that I’m not a practising witch. With that said, I think this zine is a ‘lighter on’ take on witchcraft and shouldn’t be approached with the expectations you might have with a zine like Brainscan 35. For example, one of the ‘stress soaks’ involves pouring a glass of wine to drink while taking your bath. But hey, wine in the bath can be its own ritual, and I like some humour in my zines. But I don’t know if a practising witch will take it differently or whether Imogen is a practising witch.

This is a fun zine with a beautiful design and layout. (What can I say? In another life I studied graphic communication.) The suggestions sound good (bring on the comfort brew), sound fun, cover a range of things, and make for a chill reading experience overall. Definitely called for today.

Another one to check out from Imogen and Big Face Goods.

Electron Libre 1
Izalixe Straightheart
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/IzArt
https://www.youtube.com/user/izalixe

Electron Libre 1 is a black on coloured paper US ½-fold size perzine about a variety of topics as well as various media recommendations.

Full disclosure: My podcast – The Zine Collector – is recommended in this zine. (Thank you!)

Electron Libre 1 opends with a nice inner cover information page (links, socials, etc) before Izalixe shares an introductory piece about the initial shock of – and later, adjustment to – restrictions in a pandemic world. Izalixe’s concepts of home, life, and self took on a new light in a new world.

From there, Izalixe writes about changing the zien series name from ‘The Happy Loner’ to ‘Electron Libre’ as well as the deeper meanings behind both titles. (I love the whole concept behind ‘free electron’.) There are also pieces on getting through the pandemic world a bit better, reviews on various media, how sentiments without action often aren’t enough with the current state of the world, a stack of podcast recommendations, and more.

Toward the beginning of this zine, Izalixe mentions admiring sinemakers who stick to one theme in a zine. There’s even a subtitle to this zine – ‘homecomings’ – that Izalixe ties into the opening pieces. While I admire themed zines as well, I equally enjoy the variety that is in Electron Libre. The zine has serious, thoughtful pieces balanced out by the ‘sharing for the joy of sharing’ reviews and recommendations pieces.

Izalixe has an interesting energy that really comes through in their writing. I quite enjoyed it. Yes, there were a couple of pieces I couldn’t read because I don’t know French. That said, I still felt quite at home and am quite excited to have so many new things to have a look at.

This is definitely a zine to check out.

Alternative Incite No. 1: Follow the Creative Impulse
Joe3 Et al.
https://butter-lamb.com/

Alternative Incite No 1 is a slightly wider than A5 black and white collection of photography and written pieces on a number of subjects.

Alternative Incite opens with a piece about censorship and taboo words: “Introduction: Jesus Christ and Jeepers Creepers”. Talk about an excellent opening for someone like me (cue a The F Word zine reference here haha). The piece is well argues and works back into the title as well as themes of not being mainstream and creativity for creativity’s sake.

From there we have photography and more written pieces primarily created by Joe3. Other pieces include reactions to articles Joe3 has read, a piece on the changing societal views through a generational eye by J. Matthew Smith, an interview with Suvo Sur, and more.

What an intriguing zine! If you want a zine with pieces that will get your mind turning, this is one to check out. I found myself going slower and slower while reading (a good thing) and pausing here and there to contemplate the thoughts and opinions presented as well as my own. The pieces touch on many different topics, but they all have a ‘world view’ kind of feel to some extent.

I found the overall voice of the zine to be intelligent and well-written without getting too ‘heavy’ or ‘dense’. The ‘Dear Butter Lamb’ section with letters from readers even made me smile with the answers using references from different dictionaries. (Have I mentioned that I think it’s cool that Joe3 collects dictionaries?)

All up, I enjoyed this zine quite a lot. Even better? This is the first of a new series. I hope it continues for many more and includes the elements Joe3 mentions wanting to include.

Isolation Resurrect
True Zine Marin
https://www.instagram.com/truezinemarin/
https://www.instagram.com/shellbobmv/

Isolation Resurrect is a full-colour, a bit wider than A5 collage zine.

Collage is a lot like poetry for me: I know what I like, but explaining why I like it is difficult.

Set on maps as backgrounds, Isolation Resurrect features collages made from cut out paper elements, mail-related bits, stickers, and more. There are few words in this colourful collection (those used having impact) but plenty to pour over visually from page to page.

Using the title as the base, I really picked up on the quarantine/isolation feelings from this zine. Using the maps as backgrounds is an excellent choice and visually represents huge part of the change of view in our new world. Travel, going places, road trips… They’re all different. The same goes for the collages on top. The importance of mail, filling up one’s time…

What really makes the tone stick for me is the distinct glimpses of the darker side of these times as well. A few words and a few images make a big impact.

My favourite page is a tough call in this, but I really love this quote:

“Be welcome to and offer help as we are healed by it”

Isolation Resurrect is an interesting collage zine that made me feel and made me thing. All said and done, that’s always the goal with art. Definitely a keeper for me.

My Opinions on the Stardew Valley Bachelors and Bachelorettes
localamity
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/localamity

My Opinions on the Stardew Valley Bachelors and Bachelorettes is a full-colour A7 zine about the marriage candidates in the game ‘Stardew Valley‘.

The top of this zine says “A zine that nobody wanted” but I absolutely wanted it. I just didn’t know I wanted it until I saw it.

If you’re not familiar, Stardew Valley is an incredibly popular farming simulation game that incorporates other elements like combat and dungeons. You also have the option of romancing and marrying a number of characters in the game.

As a zine about a specific game, this is going to be a touch lost on some people. That said, I’m a big fan of the game, and I’m thrilled to see this mini.

Each page features two marriageable characters with a colour picture and Localamity’s thoughts on each candidate.

I found myself chuckling quite a bit because my thoughts line up with Localamity’s a lot. (Harvey is the first character I ever married, Abigail was my first wife, and I also haven’t pursue Leah for absolutely no particular reason.) I love that Localamity included Krobus as a candidate as well even though they technically aren’t. I 100% support the inclusion of shadow babies in a future update. Fingers crossed.

If you like Stardew Valley, then grab this mini. It’s a fun addition to a relaxing game.