Category: Zine Reviews

The Little Book of Big Caulk
Ryan Pocket Thoughts
https://linktr.ee/_my_name_is_ryan_

The Little Book of Big Caulk is a US size mini-zine full of colour and puns around caulk.

Zine friends, here we have another short review that I couldn’t resist putting up because I think a zine is hilarious.

The Little Book of Big Caulk is one of those zines where the world tells me I’m immature for laughing, but I don’t care because I love and appreciate everything that brings more smiles and laughter into my life. Naughty puns? Even better!

As you can imagine, this zine is filled with funny caulk-based puns – of which there are many. Each pun (yep, ‘caulk block’ made it in) has its own page full of colour, a drawing, and, of course, the pun itself.

I love how colourful this mini is. It feels a bit rock n’ roll like “CAULK! PUNS! COLOUR!” Haha. I hope that makes sense. Of course, Ryan’s art skills are awesome as usual and turn word puns into visual fun as well.

All up, I love things that make me smile and laugh, and this zine certainly did that. If Ryan’s work is new to you, do yourself a favour and check out his creations.

The Postcard Project
ESC Zine
https://esczine.bigcartel.com/

The Postcard Project is an A5, full-colour zine of postcards (front and back) sent from around the world. Full disclosure: I sent a postcard in for this zine.

I love zines like these! Creating connections between complete strangers. Wonderful stuff.

The Postcard Project opens with a brief intro to the project – how it worked and how there’s no editing save for removing the postal addresses. What follows is a wide variety of fun, colourful, and sometimes strange postcards from zinemakers. Each spread is dedicated to one postcard with the front of the card on the left page and the back of the card on the right.

I didn’t really go in with any specific expectations of this zine and was happy to see the variety of not only postcards but of the messages too. Some wrote about their aspirations while others wrote about the history of where they live. A few write about what they’re reading and/or listening to.

Some of the handwriting is a little tough to read, as is likely to happen with a project like this. Still, it didn’t take any of the shine off the zine for me.

I mentioned how projects like these can create connections between otherwise complete strangers. However, I was very happy to see some familiar names in the mix as well. I do love a surprise collab with friends.

If you love these sorts of collaborations and/or mail art zines, then this is one for you.

I Have Something to Say
Shei
https://www.instagram.com/sheinicorn/
https://linktr.ee/_godsavethequeer_

I Have Something to Say is an A6 full-colour collage style zine about overcoming the imposter syndrome.

“Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon, impostorism, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”.” – Wikipedia

Talk about a ‘had me at hello’ sort of zine. I love Shei’s collage style, but they had me at the very first line of the very first page:

“Even though I love to write I am often afraid of picking up the pen.”

As the cool kids say, “All the feels!”

Shei opens with writing about how fear can often overwhelm the things we love the most. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of being judged. I think nearly every single person I know will identify at least a little with those fears – and with fear stopping them from doing what they love to do. However, the tone takes a beautiful turn in which Shei writes about making this perzine as act of rebellion against themself. I love that notion that sometimes we need to fight to reshape our own minds and the ways we view ourselves.

It’s often easier to say things and to show kindness to others rather than yourself, and I like how Shei writes like they are speaking to you while also letting you know they are on this journey as well. They write about conditioned productivity, capitalization of hobbies and passions, and things artists of many kinds have become all too familiar with. But in with the negative, we have the positive. Shei also writes about life as an artist, what they want to accomplish with their art, and finding ways to accept that everything they make doesn’t have to be perfect.

A mix of handwritten and typed sections adds text variety alongside the variety that comes with Shei’s collage style. It all comes together to feel like a nice scrapbook or diary.

I Have Something to Say is a lovely zine version of standing up for yourself and beginning to learn to value your voice. I enjoyed it a lot and am very happy to find out that there is now an I Have Something to Say 2 out in the universe.

XYG: Examine Your Grammar – An Adult Guide to Language
Mash & Corn
https://www.wizd-az.com/store/p219/XYGExamineYourGrammarZine.html

XYG: Examine Your Grammar – An Adult Guide to Language is a US half-fold full-colour zine about grammar basics presented in a way adults with cheeky senses of humour will enjoy. Well, this adult did. Haha.

I feel like I should give some sort of full disclosure that I’m a big grammar nerd, but that will likely become very obvious over the course of this review.

The tone that you may suspect by looking at the cover is absolutely confirmed right on page one. We dive straight into the section on punctuation – the section introduced by this gem:

“Punctuation is like protection: when used properly, it works; when not used properly, there can be unintended consequences.”

From there we get into run-on sentences, the proper use of the Oxford comma, and more. (The Oxford comma reminds me of a NSFW meme that I will put behind the more tag.) Each page has a short, clear description of what is being demonstrated as well as one or two examples. The examples are often illustrated, meaning you may want to be a little careful where you read this. (Not lewd, but certainly cheeky.) Part two touches on parts of speech while part three covers common errors (like who vs whom).

The aesthetic of this zine is great. The type is nice and big so it’s easy to read, the pictures are funny and help the rules presented to stick in your mind, and I do adore an immature giggle. More on the type: emphasised words are put in colour rather than bolded, making it even easier to focus on them.

Some might not been keen on the idea of grammar being taught in terms of bums, breasts, and sex, but I think it’s smart as well as funny. I think using that kind of imagery is a great way to get things like what a participle is fully stuck in your mind. (Of course, with the caveat that you are comfortable with the terms and imagery.)

My one nitpick, and I hate to even mention it because I enjoyed this zine so much, is the lack of any contact details. There’s “Snakebite Publishing” on the back, but Googling that doesn’t get you very far. That being said, it’s always possible that this has been done on purpose, which is why it’s a hesitant nitpick and nothing more.

All up, I think this zine is a funny way to teach adults about grammar. The obvious cautions apply if you’re uncomfortable, but if you are, this is a great zine to pick up. I wish I’d had this zine during my editing course.

Continue reading “Zine Review: XYG: Examine Your Grammar”

Sugar Needle 36: Licorice is Sexy
Phlox & Corina
https://cathycamper.com/art/
http://zinewiki.com/Sugar_Needle

Sugar Needle 34 is a US vertical half-fold that is mostly black and white with some hand colouring. It contains reviews of treats, a piece on a tour of the Jelly Belly factory, and more.

Once more, this sweet-toothed lady ventures into dangerous territory… What can I say? I love sweets, and I didn’t know that I could enjoy a candy review zine so much when it’s unlikely I’ll ever get my hands on the sweets reviewed. (Unless someone has a source of pumpkin Pocky and dark chocolate mint M&Ms…)

Sugar Needle 36 opens with the usual ‘life between issues’ introduction before diving head first with a review of ’16 Candles’ cake candy that didn’t really do much for Phlox. From there, we have a mix of reviews and longer article-like pieces.

You never know exactly what you’ll find in Sugar Needle, which makes it all the more enjoyable. There is a funny short interview with the cover artist (who just so happens to be Mr Corina) and even some zine reviews thrown in the sweet mix. The variety just works for me. The whole zine gives off the vibe of friends with great senses of humour just having a good time.

More and more I find myself hoping that this series is still going so I can send them some Australian treats sometime.

Definitely check it out (and check out my review of Sugar Needle 34 here: http://www.seagreenzines.com/zine-review-sugar-needle-34).

Kitchen Sink (everything but the)
Habitual Novelties
https://habitualnovelties.com/
https://jasonrandell.com/

Kitchen Sink (everything but the) is a full-colour A6 zine with reality-bending visual instruction guides.

From trees that grow… unusual ‘fruit’ to an especially complicated attempt at tying a tie, Kitchen Sink is a strange but fascinating mostly wordless zine. Each page features a different visual instruction guide. The guides all start off as you would expect, but they all end up with surreal conclusions.

This feels like an art series to me – a feeling made stronger by the details JR includes. In the front inside cover, you find all the information you could want about the zine – edition, print run, inks used, etc – and, in the back, you find an ‘About this Zine’ page as well as links and contacts. (All listed out so nicely and clearly. Thank you!)

I quite enjoyed this zine. Visual instructions, playing with expectations, the humour in some of the instructions… I felt like I was wandering around an art exhibition without leaving home.

I’m looking forward to checking out more from Habitual Novelties.

Sugar Needle 34: The (Almost) Vegan Issue
Phlox & Corina
https://cathycamper.com/art/
http://zinewiki.com/Sugar_Needle

Sugar Needle 34 is a US vertical half-fold that is mostly black and white with some hand colouring. It’s all about sweet treats we love (and hate), this issue focusing (mostly) on vegan treats.

Hm. Am I doing a bad thing to myself by reading about sugary snacks when I have none? We shall see…

Sugar Needle opens with a brief intro about life between issues of the zine before launching into the candy reviews. I knew I was in trouble straight away because all natural vegan gummy animals sound so yummy.

After that came chocolates, toy-shaped candy, and all sorts of interesting concoctions. This isn’t your general review of Snickers and Twix, that’s for sure. They include all kinds of things including candy from other countries. (Can someone please find and send me a Vosges bacon and chocolate bar?! Mmm.) There is variety in the reviews as well with some being short and some being a little longer.

The middle spread was a pleasant surprise with a more ‘article’ style piece about Melissa Berry, owner and maker of Missionary Chocolates.

A few of the reviews made me hungry, but it’s well worth the amusing read. The whole tone of the zine is one of friends just having fun, and I really enjoyed it – and felt tempted to make my own sweets review zine.

Sugar Needle is a light read that made me smile. I’m glad I have a couple more issues in my hands to enjoy.

It’s True My Cat Isn’t Cute Enough for the Internet
Imogen Dall
https://imogendall.wordpress.com/
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/BigFaceGoods

My Cat Isn’t Cute Enough for the Internet is an A5, full colour zine about Pekoe the cat and life as a cat not cute enough for the internet.

I fell in love with this zine the first time I saw it on Instagram, and I have not been disappointed.

This zine is a fun ode to the not-exactly-cute cat with murder eyes and silly sleep positions that don’t quite make the cut for cute internet cats. 99% about a fun kitty and 1% a little poke at the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ of internet fame. The 1% being this quote from the introduction of the zine:

“And yet, there’s something to be said for [Pekoe’s] pig-headed unwillingness to conform to the socio-cultural expectations of his time.”

The quote is fun in a sort of cheeky way out of context, but it’s even better with the rest of the intro.

The zine is full of fun and funny pictures of Pekoe living that Pekoe life. A somewhat evil stare, a treat hunt, and more fill this zine of cat awesomeness. There’s a spread for Pekoe’s advice for life (I especially like ‘take up space’ hehe) that I really love. My favourite part (if I dare pick a favourite) is the middle spread which let’s just say features Pekoe and would make great gift wrap.

I could go on forever about the content, but I have to take a moment to mention the design as well, because this zine is so nicely laid out, so visually pleasing, and nicely printed as well.

I love cats (and dogs!), and I feel like I’ve found a whole new genre to love in the zineverse. I would love to see more pet/furbaby/etc dedicated zines like this one.

Unless you dislike cats, then there’s every reason to check out My Cat Isn’t Cute Enough for the Internet.

Real Friends and the Emoji We Use
Imogen Dall
https://www.instagram.com/bigfacegoods/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/bigfacegoods/

Real Friends and the Emoji We Use is an A6 full-colour zine about the emojis Imogen’s friends and family use the most and what their use really means.

“Because talking on the phone is weird and awful.”

Yes. Yes it is.

Real Friends opens with a funny homage to the show Law and Order that makes me chuckle every time I read it. I’d love to quote it, but I’d have to quote the whole thing – and that’s a bit of a spoiler. I’ll just say that anyone who watched the show will, at the least, get a smile out of it.

Imogen’s homage to their friends’ and family’s often-used emojis follows after this amusing intro. Each person gets their own coloursful page with their name, emojis, and the ‘true’ meaning of that person using those emojis. Mixed in with these ‘emoji profiles’ is a spread of obscure emojis (and what they really mean), the history of emojis, and a great conclusion. (There have been studies about emoji usage!)

I enjoyed this zine a lot. I’m a big fan of pastels, which are used throughout the zine. I’m so glad Imogen went with full colour for this zine because it puts the best kind of icing on this cupcake. I also really like the ‘decrypting emojis’ premise mixed in with plenty of humour as well as emoji facts.

Real Friends and the Emoji We Use is a nice mix of colour, humour, and facts. It’s a zine that left me smiling.

I’m Just Not Hungry: A Zine About Surviving an Eating Disorder
Hattie Porter
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/dogsnotdiets
https://www.instagram.com/dogsnotdietsshop/

I’m Just Not Hungry: A Zine About Surviving an Eating Disorder is an A6 black on blue paper zine about dealing with disordered eating no matter what your specific diagnosis is.

Note: There is some gendered language in this zine. I read it as a consequence of the studies being referenced not accounting for trans or non-binary people.

I’m Just Not Hungry opens with a warm introduction in which Hattie writes about trying to cover a number of experiences no matter what your diagnosis or stage of recovery. As an ‘Eating Disorder NOS’, I appreciated that kind of inclusiveness.

From there, Hattie writes about the wonders of the human body and the importance of challenging beliefs in order to start/keep recovering. Hattie tackles subjects like weight and calories to provide a clinical view of them. Hattie also includes an ‘Important Notes’ section and wraps up with a section you can use to fill in reminders to yourself.

This was a tricky zine for me to read because I am so sensitive to the subject. It’s hard to read about the wonders of the human body when your body malfunctions due to incurable conditions. But once I mentally stepped back and focused on Hattie’s intention in making this zine, I found I got a lot from the words.

Hattie writes:

“Eating disorders are complicated… There will be parts of this zine that aren’t really relevant to you…”

I agree completely. I think if you approach this zine with that in mind, then you can pick and choose the gems that speak to you like I did. Hattie does a good job of a difficult task in encompassing a disorder with many different symptoms in a mostly general way.

This zine is about a sensitive subject and should be treated as such. That being said, I think that there is wisdom to find here if you’re up to reading it.