Oh Shit I’m Gay is a full-colour, A7 one-page zine full of art that made Zappix Art realise they were queer.
So much COLOUR! I love it!
Oh Shit I’m Gay’s subtitle on the cover really covers it all, so Zappix launches right into things on the first page. Each page features a gorgeous full colour page with a character, the show/movie they are from, the year of that show/movie, and the character’s name. Zappix’s art style is so lovely, and suits every character included so very well.
I must admit that I felt a certain amount of satisfaction to see Shego from Kim Possible included in here because I thought Shego was so cool. Plus Kida from Atlantis: The Lost Empire!
I really love this mini. Gorgeous art, familiar-to-me characters, nostalgia, and so much colour… I’m so glad I picked it up.
Myths I Used to Believe is a full-colour, US quarter-sized zine about things Jackson believed as a kid (and might still believe…)
I loved the idea of this zine from the moment I read the description. Whether they are myths passed on from others to stories we weave ourselves and come to believe, the things our child minds contain can be a very interesting (but sometimes also sad and scary) place.
Jackson opens with a brief, to-the-point introduction before launching in with their collection of myths. Each myth has its own page with big, clear writing and colourful drawings to go with it. (And the truth to go along with the myth as well.) Jackson has an interesting art style that’s both playful and yet delicately detailed at times. It was fun for me to see what was to come on each page.
I was amused to find myths that I’d grown up with as well like that we only use 10% of our brains thing.
Alas, not all the myths are dispelled by fun facts, and there are some darker ones in this zine as well about things like speaking out and body image. As much as I would have liked to have stayed in the land of fun and silly myths, I really like that Jackson took it in this direction. It took a subject that can be light and fun and showed that what is ‘innocent’ to one person can be so harmful to the next.
Myths I Used to Believe puts an emphasis on things and encourages the reader to not only examine what they have been told but also to think about the possible myths they are passing on. I definitely recommend checking out this zine.
Some of the Spookiest Things is an A6 riso-printed pink, black and white zine about spooky things in life.
With a cute art style and interesting title, this zine caught my eye as soon as I saw it, and I’ve been looking forward to sitting down with it since.
Some of the Spookiest Things opens right into the spooky things in life. From creepy creatures to unnerving nightmares, this zine covers specific things that are oh, so relatable. Each page features one spooky thing along with art. Everything is riso printed in black and pink.
I love zines like this that give us little snippets that can remind us that we’re not so different after all. I might not have disturbing dreams about gluten, but I have disturbing dreams about other specific things. I’ve never used a dating app, but the prospect is incredibly intimidating and more than enough for me to feel for that particular spooky aspect in life.
I love the level of detail with the art in this zine. From the fine lines of the teeth on the combs in one spooky thing illustration to the little touches on a phone screen involving a spooky thing regarding dating apps, the details make it fun to slow down and really take it all in.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but the very last spooky thing felt like an oh, so perfect spooky thing in life to wrap up the zine. Loved it.
Some of the Spookiest Things is a both cute and thoughtful-as-you-want-it-to-be zine. It’s definitely worth picking up for the fun combination of art and relatable spooky things.
goodbye 2019, hello 2020 is an A5 black-on-lilac zine about saying goodbye to 2019 and what Bree is (/was at the time of making) looking forward to in 2020.
Amongst hand-drawn swirls, shapes, and other fun art goodbye 2019, hello 2020 launches right into things on the front inside cover with an introduction to the zine. Bree writes about reflecting and focusing on the important reflections rather than comparisons on the achievements of others (that can often lead to feeling bad). From there, Bree launches to a 2019 year in review that includes fun/cool things they did in 2019, favourite songs, and more. The second half is about 2020: what Bree was/is looking forward to for the year as well as goals for the year.
Each page has text in an easy-to-read font accompanied by art that adds that adds to the fun feel given by the font. The aesthetic mixes a zine feel with a scrapbook/diary feel that makes me wish I’d thought to make a zine like this at the start of the year.
I really like that Bree kept to the thoughts they expressed in the introduction, filling the 2019 reflections with great experiences and memories. I was so excited to see that Bree made their first zine in 2019. (A belated welcome to the zineverse!) And favourite songs! Music is a great way to express yourself, of course, but it’s also like a YouTube music hunt when I see a play list in a zine. Bree also lists out projects they worked on (mostly zines) so that is also a fun way to get to know their interests and creations.
Given we’re already more than halfway through 2020 and the way this year has gone, I was very curious about how it would feel. Would Bree’s goals and things they were/are looking forward to have changed dramatically because of what’s happened in the world? There are things that must have changed, certainly, but there were a lot of things I’m sure Bree was able to still do. One fun note is that Bree was looking forward to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and it turned out to be such an incredible hit.
I enjoyed this zine for the aesthetic as well as the feelings of optimism that came from it. I’d really love to see a ‘goodbye 2020, hello 2021’ zine from Bree next year about how they adjusted things and accomplished things given the unique challenges of the year.
Plus, I really like lists.
I think this is a nice, pleasant zine that you’ll enjoy if the things I’ve mentioned appeal to you. I’m also very curious about Bree’s other zines now, so even better!
Message in a bottle, memory on a cloud is a full-colour A5 zine featuring a gorgeous thought exploration of communication, memory, and relationships in digital and physical forms.
My heart, zine friends. My heart.
Message in a bottle, memory on a cloud opens with an acknowledgement of the traditional peoples of the land the zine was made on before gently guiding the reader into a journey of communication, distance, and the strange existence between the worlds of the physical and digital. Each page features a thought snippet, one to a few sentences, along these themes. Each snippet is accompanied by a sketch, both places on lovely and colourful hand-drawn backgrounds. For me, these really added to the almost ethereal feel of the journey of this zine.
This zine is… beautiful. It really is to me. I’m not sure if it’s a matter of having grown up as the internet and computers were becoming more standard in schools. (To the point I can remember when I was a child wondering why I would want to look something up on a computer when the encyclopaedias were right there in the library as well.) Or it could be the mix of memories as well as gentle wondering about letters, messages in bottles, and more.
I feel like I’m not explaining things well at all, but perhaps that’s because I’m still in such a contemplative space after reading it. Perhaps, my favourite quote… As someone who has had and has many online and long-distance relationships of different kinds, I do want to share this:
“I have lived, and I have loved on a piece of paper.”
I must admit I had to sit with that one for a while because it brought me back to so many different memories.
I think what really got to me about this zine is that there wasn’t any pure right or wrong in it. No pure condemnation of the digital or loathing of the physical. Things are as they are, and these contemplations are simply that – contemplations that you can take into your own mind and use as a means by which to start exploring your own feelings about life.
Message in a bottle, memory on a cloud was a truly unexpected zine that has left me with so many more thoughts and feelings than I could have expected to encounter. I feel like Kassi’s gentle wanderings are something everyone should consider reading.
Weird Sh** Out of Context is a black and white, primarily text A7 mini-zine full of out-of-context quotes.
I was in the mood for something fun, and this zine really hit the spot. Full of plenty of strange – even in any context I can imagine – statements, each in their own speech bubbles, you can spend as much or as little time as you like pondering the strangeness. Latibule makes full use of the space, too, so there’s plenty to ponder.
Usually with a mini, I wouldn’t share any quotes because there’d be so few, but Latibule has filled this mini right up with strange and wonderful quotes. So I think it’s okay to share the quote that made me wonder the most and chuckle the most:
“Gooey, gooey children.”
Hilarious or horrifying – which way did your mind go?
My one nit pick is that Latibule didn’t include any socials or the like anywhere in the zine. Not a huge thing, but, in Latibule’s case, a lot of things that aren’t her come up when you google “Latibule” so I thought I’d mention.
Pick up this mini and other minis like it. It’s a fun reminder of what strange creatures we humans are.
A Problem With Your Background: Real life problems of youth offenders is a black and white US half-fold zine about how adults can be unfairly haunted by youth offences even decades later…
In A Problem With Your Background, Richard launches right into his story. This primarily text zine feels like it has one purpose: highlight how ridiculous the system is that can punish you so many years later (even though it’s not supposed to be able to do that with youth offences). Richard writes about difficult financial times that led to a job interview that would remind him that, unfortunately, with some companies he will never have to stop proving himself despite what he did as a teen.
I feel like this zine is a zine that exists to say “Hey, world! This happens, and it’s not right!” It’s an experience – a hard one to face and yet one so many people won’t realise even exists – printed out on a couple pieces of paper to speak to the world. I feel such a strong urge to pass this zine on so more people know. So more people can read about this and realise that, as horrible as this treatment is, this and worse happens every day.
As you may have noticed, this zine has me fired up. I’m angry and annoyed. I’ve always believed a writer’s job was to make the reader feel something, so in that, Richard has succeeded and then some. It’s a perzine with a punch, if you’ll allow the alliteration. And yet, I was impressed that this zine didn’t feel like the huge rant that it could have turned into with plenty more expletives and a lot more anger. But Richard writes effectively to the point.
Creative Breakdown Insurance is an A5 full-colour zine about approaching problems that can come when you’re a creative freelancer.
Given the state of the world these days, I thought this zine would be a most appropriate read. Especially for all of the people who aren’t used to working from home.
Creative Breakdown Insurance opens with a minimalist first page that lets you know that it’s okay to hate the guide; that doesn’t mean you can’t use it. I had a smile at that, given that is how anything helpful can often go. Most of us don’t like being told what to do, but what works, works.
From there Imogen introduces us to the changing world of freelancing and how it can often come along with unexpected problems. Those problems (at least some of them) are laid out on the next page in the table of contents. I quite liked this page, as Imogen broke the contents into sections: Emergency Problems, Short-Term Problems, and Long-Term Problems. Each section is accompanied by an appropriately coloured alarm light.
Imogen covers many things from mental health matters to creative blocks to money matters. Every section is beautifully designed with readable fonts, bolded headers, colours, and even some lovely drawings to go with some. My graphic communications professor would have adored this. (And, of course, I adore it.) The quality of this zine is wonderful.
Each problem is also met with a number of different things you can do about it. I especially liked the checklist for “I Feel Miserable And I Don’t Know Why” checklist. I’m currently finding my way through a particularly harsh depression, and I was reminded of how easily it can be to forget the basics like even drinking some water.
All up, I found this to be a great zine that I will be referring to plenty. I highly recommend you check it out.
Sticky Stories is a full-colour A7 mini zine of short stories based around stickers and washi tape used in the zine. Each mini is handmade and slightly different.
I love this idea. I adore it! Talk about taking prompted writing from a different direction. I only have one copy (edition? version?) of this zine (hand delivered by Saff at Festival of the Photocopier! <3 ) so I don't know how much each zine varies. However, that simply makes me all the more curious and wanting to get my hands on another copy, so all the more wins to Saff in that regard.
As well as the idea itself, I enjoyed Saff's stories and sense of humour. The subtle tactile element that comes with it being the actual washi and stickers – as well as pretty sticky gems on the front cover – made is all the more fun. A unique zine for me to enjoy. (Hat tip to Ryan of Pocket Thoughts whose one-of-a-kind zine still makes me tear up in a good way.)
I think this is a lot of fun and a zine to check out for enjoyment as well as inspiration.
and here you are living, despite it all is a full-colour A7 mini zine of images and short poems.
I’ve mentioned two things before in my reviews:
1. I know very little about poetry other than what I like
2. Sometimes I have a zine for quite a while and end up reading it when I need to read it
This zine touches on both… but it also inspires some confusion as well.
and here you are launches right into short poems, each one taking one or two pages. Each poem is accompanies by handdrawn swirls of colour and cut and paste elements. I must admit that I didn’t even think about pems until I saw the “All Poems by Rupi Kaur” on the back of the zine. Yet the classification became less important when I thought about the words. Each one speaks to me of finding strength in survival and self. Every piece became its own bit of art to me – to be thought about as little or as much as I desired. In my case, I thought about each a lot.
What’s clear to me is that this is definitely what you make of it – like most forms of art. What I’m not clear about is whether this is a zine by Rupi, in honour of Rupi… There’s no social link or other name to look up. Admittedly, I wasn’t familiar with Rupi (or the controversies) until I looked it up thinking that the person who made the zine was Rupi.
Now I have no idea.
Alas, I’m reviewing it anyway. Because, for me, the words are important. They gave me some quiet contemplation time in my own mind, for which I am grateful. So whether Rupi made this or someone made it in honour of those words, thank you.
