Category: Zine Reviews

Dirty Machine: short and slutty poems
Nana
https://twitter.com/NaNawrote
https://www.instagram.com/nanawrote/

Dirty Machine: short and slutty poems is an A5 zine of short, dirty poems inspired by submissions of three random words from people on Twitter.

Is it bad that I’m laughing at delight at the mere concept of this zine?

Dirty Machine opens with a fun preface from Nana in which they right about the surprise about how excited people got about exchanging three random words for a dirty poem. (I don’t find this at all surprising. Hehe.) Nana also includes plenty of socials, details about the zine itself, and – as special bonus content – a SoundCloud link to enjoy!

From the preface, we launch into a collection of short poems that range from cheeky to nicely seductive. A few of the poems are in a different language, but most are in English. Like the mark on the cover says, this zine is for mature readers only.

Poetry is still poetry – mostly a mystery, and I know what I like when I read it. That being said, I quite enjoyed these poems. I like the variety in tone and structure, and I do like a bit of mature content. I like Nana’s use of sensory words as well as phrases that gave me clear imagery.

Or sometimes a giggle, like in the case of “Darling,/ what’s your safeword?”

The look and feel of this zine is quite nice. It has a nice glossy cover with smooth pages inside. Every poem has its own page with the random three words each in their own speech bubble floating above it. Even the page numbers are fun, noted by black cats sporting the white numbers.

Dirty Machine feels fun and fresh full of an energy as well as a sense of challenging the unknown. I don’t envy Nana the task of writing poems to these sets of three. One in particular – lemang, cheese, crispy – would have left my mind completely blank!

If you’re a mature reader who thinks short and slutty poems would be fun, then I can tell you this zine is one for you to check out.

Colour Swatch Confessions Vol 1 & 2
Latibule Art
https://linktr.ee/latibule_art

Colour Swatch Confessions Vol 1 & 2 are A6 full-colour zines full of anonymous secrets, thoughts, and confessions on colour swatches.

As two small collections of loves, fears, and even a quote, Colour Swatch Confessions Vol 1 & 2 please my anonymous-confessions-loving heart. Straight into it, these zines open up to reveal the various handwritten confessions collected and put together by Latibule.

I love that the thoughts and confessions are written on colour swatches (paint sample cards). Not only does it make for a colourful zine, you can get into deeper thinking about such thoughts being written on things that are so briefly used and then put away.

Some of the darker colours are harder to read in low light, but it didn’t stop my enjoyment.

I think these zines (and zines like them) are more important than they might first appear. Not only are they a safe place to express yourself, they are a good way to remind yourself that so many of us are thinking about (loving, disliking, worrying about) similar – if not the same – things.

This is another one of those reviews where I think you’ll know if the zines are something you’ll enjoy. I recommend checking them out.

Dr. Pigeon: Psychological Psychiatrist
Habitual Novelties
https://habitualnovelties.com/
https://jasonrandell.com/

Dr. Pigeon: Psychological Psychiatrist is a black and white A5 zine that takes a fun, creative comic approach to philosophical ideas.

I must say that I was intrigued by this zine from the start. A pigeon psychiatrist? I need to have a look at that. A pigeon psychiatrist that, through comics and interesting characters, explores concepts like the universe? Yes, please!

We open up with an introduction to Dr. Pigeon as well as the zine we’re about to dive into. This zine is introduced as a day in the life of the doctor with a glimpse into a few sessions.

In these sessions we meet three patients: The Universe, Death, and Yourself. Each patient is given its own part with a comics spread and then one page of musing on the ‘patient’. I quite liked the musings which were all fairly short with no answers nor any attempts at pushing any particular views. They read like the sort of deep conversation starters you’d have with friends at midnight while looking up at the stars. The meaning is yours to make or not make.

Aesthetically, this zine is great. The font choice is nice and clear, the art style goes well with the subject matter and tone. The little details are a lot of fun, too, like a discount coupon for your first session with Dr. Pigeon and a tour of the doctor’s office (illustrated, of course). I would have been quite happy with the ‘patients’’ sessions, and these elements really added icing to the cake (so to say). Plus there is such a fun little something special to the page numbers – but I will leave that for you to discover.

Jason’s approach to adding in the contact and other relevant details makes me grin. On the inside front cover, you find everything you could want to know about the zine – from the inks and printers used to what print run and copy the individual zine is. On the back inside cover you find all the external links your heart could desire. Everything absolutely covered, and I think it’s fantastic.

All said and done, this zine left me feeling happy. I enjoyed the fun space that didn’t take itself too seriously while still inviting some deep thinking. I hope there is another one of these out there or to come in the future.

(Untitled)
???

Untitled is an A6 black and white zine exploring concepts of love and sex through question and anonymous answer.

I’ve been in two minds about reviewing this zine, but I hope it’ll be clear in the review why I decided to go ahead.

Untitled is a zine launches right into the subjects of love in sex two different sets of questions (one for each topic – each with four questions). Anonymous people respond to questions like ‘who was your first love’ and ‘what did sex mean to you when you were 16’. Some answers are handwritten, others typed, and many include little drawings as well, adding a fun extra touch of personality to the responders.

I absolutely love the concept of this zine. The questions are easy to understand and leave room for both long and short answers. I like that they explored both love and sex at the same time but in a way that makes it clear that they are two different subjects.

The variety of answers covered a variety of emotions. Sadness, humour, happiness, and even being unsure. Some people have lost their first loves or become entirely disenchanted, while others have lives with their first loves. On the sex side of things, there is a part to draw your favourite sexual position, which led to an assortment of sweet and some funny drawings. (One had a bit of a diagram! Love it.)

The aesthetics suit this zine quite nicely in that it’s about the questions and the answers, and it doesn’t feel lacking. However, this does lead into a couple of nitpicks. The pages are landscape but not all in the same direction. I’m a little embarrassed to say that I was turning things around and actually went in the wrong reading direction at one point. It’s a small thing but very noticeable to me.

My other nitpick is the old one in that there aren’t any contact details or even a name to go on, so I can’t credit the maker or makers of this zine. (If you know, please let me know.) No title makes my detective efforts a bit more difficult.

That being said, I really enjoyed this zine – and I’d love to see more like it. The variety of answers, the different perspectives, and, of course, the subject matter. If you see a copy and enjoy the topics, then pick it up.

Do It Yourself Care #2: Self-Care During Heat Waves
Nina Echozina
https://echopublishing.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/echozines/

Do It Yourself Care #2: Self-Care During Heat Waves is a full-colour A6 mini-zine full of tips for taking care of yourself during heatwaves.

Given that there is currently a heatwave happening where I live (47C/116F forecast tomorrow), I think this is a great zine to dig into today.

Do It Yourself Care #2 opens with an introduction that I greatly appreciated. Nina writes about how addressing the problems of pollution and the like at the core is the ideal, but not everyone is able to join these fights and how we need to be able to survive to be able to be activists. I felt like it was a friendly nod to the fact that it’s okay to take care of yourself first.

From there Nina lists some tips for helping you to stay cool during a heatwave. I like that they are all fairly simple and easy steps to take that can make a big difference. I expected a mini-zine full of tips. However, I didn’t expect what came next: a playlist! Haha. It’s so fun and perfect, and it was a lovely surprise. I greatly enjoy trying new things, and a heatwave playlist is a lot of fun when you don’t want to move much.

In true fun Nina Echozina style, this mini unfolds to reveal a middle spread full of even more awesome tips for self-care during a heat wave. There’s a good variety of tips as well, from things that require a bit more energy to things that require less. I like this because it’s not all pre-heatwave prep nor is it ‘during heatwave measures’ to take.

And, of course, Nina’s neat, easy-to-read handwriting and awesome collage style is a pleasure.

This is definitely a zine to pick up. I don’t think it hurts to have tips on hand. Especially if you live in heat-prone areas.

Heavenly Match: The Number 1 Dating App in Disneyland
Melissa J Steward
http://melissajstewart.wordpress.com
https://www.instagram.com/melissaj_stewart/

‘Heavenly Match: The Number 1 Dating App in Disneyland’ is an A5 black and white zine featuring couples from across the Disney franchise as reimagined by the Disney dating app.

“The Magical Algorithm is a unique combination of four elements designed to generate a heavenly match the Princes and Princesses most desire.”

Have you ever thought matches made in Disney movies aren’t quite right? That a character from one movie might be better suited to another? Then this is the zine for you!

Heavenly Match is a zine featuring match profiles for Disney characters from across the franchise. From Aladdin to Snow White, neither time nor distance will keep these characters from being matched.

I really like the level of detail Melissa put into this. Names, pictures, locations, distance from each other – and plenty more! Even mutual friends, when they have them. It’s fantastic It’d have been easy to make some cheeky fun couples, but the extra thought put into things makes it all the more enjoyable.

Not to mention the slightly cheeky comments Fairy Godmother slips in with the “Fairy Godmother Says” section with each pair.

The centre spread consists of the algorithm quote above, a definition of fan shipping, Disney movie star signs, and more. I would have been perfectly content with a zine full of matches, but I enjoyed these additions to the fun.

I started writing this review thinking that I wouldn’t spoil any of the couples within it… but I cannot resist saying how adorable I think Snow White and Rapunzel would be together. Plus on character staying fiercely single is awesome, too.

I want to touch again on the little details with this zine. The type is big and easy to read, Melissa gives acknowledgments *and* references *and* clear social details, and there’s even a complementary Spotify playlist to check out as well!

I grew up with Disney movies but never became a big fan. That being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed this zine. Check it out.

Wog Mum 1
Mel Buttigieg
https://www.instagram.com/zinegangdistro/
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/ZineGangDistro

Wog Mum is a black and white comic zine of life snippets from an Australian kid who grew up in a Maltese household (and the humour that follows).

Funny family anecdotes told in comic style? Yes please.

Okay, so full disclosure is that families seem a bit of a slightly strange thing to me as I had to disconnect from my biologicals a long time ago. That being said, it just makes me find all the funny loud family anecdotes all the more interesting and funny.

Mel opens up with a brief introduction to the zine, the inspiration behind it (Mel’s mum), and Malta. From there, we launch into 12 pages of comics that made me smile and a few times laugh out loud. Even the back cover has a bit of Malta Mum goodness to make you smile.

From food to family heirlooms (‘heirlooms’?), Mel covers a lot of funny mum moments in a little space. Mel’s art style is fun and on the cartoon side of the art which, in my eyes, totally suits the style and tone of the humour. I like how Mel worked in a couple of actual photos, too. (To show the particular heirloom in question in one case! Hehe.)

In the back of the zine there is a recipe for a go-to Maltese snack, which I not only found fun (yay! new recipe to try!) but also found funny given the comic clips that involved food or questions about food. It’s one of those unexpected things I love finding in zines – the things you don’t expect to find but end up working so well in the zine anyway.

Wog Mum 1 was a fairly fast read, but I did go back again a few times to enjoy the clips, style, and humour again. I think it’s a good, fun, warm zine that many will enjoy. I’m looking forward to checking out the next one. (Yes, there is a Wog Mum 2!)

*From Etsy: Malta is a small European island country in the central Mediterranean inhabited by about 437,000 people.

“I use it as a term of endearment (as do my family and ethnic mates), with the word originating from the acronym Worthy or Western Oriental Gentleman. It’s generally a term used these days in Australia without a negative meaning, more to establish a cultural grouping. We wogs are proud of our culture and my zine means no disrespect to any ethics.”

Free Size #1: Fill Your Mind, Fill Your Belly, Fill the Streets
Shea Witzo
sheawitzo@gmail.com

Free Size is a US half-fold, black and white handwritten (and drawn) zine about fighting for people’s dignity no matter what their size.

Free Size opens with a very heartfelt, passionate dedication to Antioch Radicals that is about social justice and the impact of living amongst people who are trying to make the world more just. From there and without a single iota less of that passion, Shea launches into zine about fat, stigma, sizest culture, and so much more.

With a collection of sketches of beautiful bodies of all sizes as well as written pieces, Shea tackles a number of issues around stigma and sizism – all the the unflinching strength of written voice that people who have self-image issues will appreciate. Clothing, cat calls, and a huge number of inappropriate remarks – Shea approaches everything I consider to be a huge wall in regards to being fat and swats it away with confidence. She’s writing style fills me with confidence (albeit a shy confidence) about what I deserve.

As someone who is fat and has been struggling a lot with body image and body acceptance, this zine read like a call to arms – in defense of myself. There is a ‘challenge’ page in the middle of the zine in which Shea asks you to think about and write down responses to four different prompts. The first prompt is ‘Name 5 things you can do to love your body’ and I about broke down crying. But then I thought that just goes to show how much I haven’t been loving me and how important zines like this can be.

I do have one nitpick about this zine, and I hate to even mention it because I don’t want anything putting you off finding and reading this zine if it sounds like something you need/want to read. However, it is not a bound zine. The pages did go slipping a bit a couple of times for me, so I do need to mention it. That being said, it’s something that can be remedied easily enough by my stapler.

All the parts of this zine make me feel like I’ve been called to action and Free Size is the zine to help me take my first steps. Along with powerful pieces to get the reader fired up, there’s also the aforementioned challenge to get you thinking as well as a resource list. Also, because I love the little things, there’s also a sweet thank you to round out things that began with a lovely dedication.

I think Free Size is one of those zines you will be fairly sure whether you want to check out or not. I really hope you do. Free Size also included a call for submissions. I’m not sure how old the zine is, but I truly hope that it took off.

Zinespiration
Nina
https://echopublishing.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/echozines/

Zinespiration is a full-colour A7 mini-zine about stimulating creative inspiration.

With it being November when I’m reviewing this and thus the month of ZineWriMo, I though a zine about inspiration would be absolutely perfect to review during this month.

Zinespiration is a little mini that packs a lot of awesomeness. Nina takes the reader through ‘things that help simulate my creative mind’ to ‘things that inspire me’ in the form of words accompanied by colourful art, patterns and pictures. Each page is full of goodness but not cluttered with both words and elements making me smile and feel ready to take up my pen.

I especially love how Nina works in reminders about self-care because, even in my creative life, it’s something I personally forget often.

As with all of Nina’s work, this zine is a pleasure to look at. Nina’s handwriting is amazing and absolutely clear – as are even the smallest elements like a small bicycle and a small record player. Everything flows together so nicely that it’s as if you’re being carried along in a gentle river as you look through.

And, of course, one of my favourite elements of a mini-zine: the surprise inside. When you unfold Zinespiration, you find an awesome collage of stickers, art, patterned paper/tap, and short phrases to keep carrying you along your creative inspiration journey.

Have I mentioned recently how much I love Nina’s creations?

Zinespiration is a fantastic mini-zine in every way that will add something wonderful to every zine collection.