Category: Zine Reviews

Stories From the Inside Issue 1
Compiled by Dawn Graham
https://www.staykind.com/

Stories From the Inside is a 7 inch x 8.5 inch black and white collaboration zine with x-rays, scans, test results, and the stories that go along with them.

Full disclosure: I have a piece included in this zine.

I’d really love to know if Dawn created the font (is it a font?) for the title of this zine because it is very cool and utterly perfect for the zine.

After the inside title page, we jump right into stories of broken bones, brain scans, and botched surgeries. Each story has a page to itself with the page opposite featuring the scan or other image to go along with it.

This zine presents a strange combo for me. On one hand, I’m fascinated by the images and what they represent. (Especially Olivia M’s visual field scans, which are a new-to-me thing.) On the other hand, it’s hard to read about others’ pain. I’m someone who can’t tolerate watching ‘fail’ videos that involve injury. Reading this zine, I felt the ‘there’s nothing I can do to help’ feelings and tension. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you’re sensitive in the ways I am, it’s something to keep in mind when checking out this zine.

I may be reading into things too much, but I really like the deeper meanings of the title. There’s the literal stories from inside the body – the x-rays, the pins, the staples. But there’s also the reminder of all the stories and experiences that we carry out of sight. It’s another way of reminding us that we should never judge on sight alone because no one knows what another person is carrying on the inside.

Ramble aside.

Stories From the Inside is an interesting zine that combines medical curiosity and personal stories. Even better, it end with an invitation to submit to the next issue.

Pick up a copy and submit to the next issue.

Life happened yesterday, so we’re getting the Friday review today! Enjoy!

WarGlitter Zines Issue 1
Allie
https://www.instagram.com/warglitter/
https://linktr.ee/warglitter

WarGlitter Zines issue one is a black and white quarter-sized perzine about identity, writing, dreams, witchcraft, family history, and more.

Allie opens on the inside front cover with a quote by Knuffelvos (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/82/c9/bc/82c9bc75a03b368e94be59aaab2374d7.jpg) about wearing your armour – be it make up, tattoos, or your own heartbeat – and kicking ass.

What a brilliant way to start a zine.

I love a perzine, but Allie had me hooked not only with the awesome quote but also with everything on page one. She writes about what ‘Warglitter’ is to her, and what I feel is one of the great beauties of making a perzine:

“It’s letting the past me be stupid because I’m still that person, too, after all, and she needs me to give her a fucking break.”

I swear the past me started yelling, “Yes! What she said!”

What follows is a collection of cut and paste pieces from various places and times (all written by Allie). I identify so much with her as she writes about fears around writing under your real name instead of a pseudonym and the things that means to you as a writer.

She also writes about a strange yet peaceful dream, witchcraft – its meaning and how it might tie into her family history – and all sorts of topics. If you like variety in your perzines, then this one is for you. The pieces range in length as well as writing style, and there’s even a poem in there as well.

I really enjoyed this zine. I identified with so much and found everything interesting – especially Allie exploring her family history. This is a great start to a perzine series that I hope will have a second issue soon.

Pick up a copy.

Draw My Steed Charity Zine
DemonStrips & 30+ Artists
https://www.instagram.com/demonstrips/
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/Demonstrips

Draw My Steed is an A5 full-colour collab zine featuring art from over thirty artists.

There is so much to love about this zine. Not only do you get to see art from over thirty artists (who are donating their time and art to a zine that raises money for a good cause), they all started with the same base sketch! Demon strips sent them all the same sketch to get them started, and every artist interpreted it in their own way.

(Just in case I’ve been unclear in any way, you can check out the original call for submissions here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BjrzcfiDy7J/)

Page one starts us off with the evolution of ‘Draw My Steed’ – something that actually started at Festival of the Photohopier 2018 as a fun drawing competition. From there it grew into the zine that supports the Amaroo Wildlife Shelter (https://www.facebook.com/AmarooWildlife/). Page two lets us know more about the wonderful, not-for-profit volunteer-based organisation and the work they are doing at the wildlife shelter.

From there, we’re treated to a wild collection of art. Some funny, some complex, some surreal – there’s so much variety to enjoy. It’s fantastic. I keep going through this zine again and again, noticing new things in creations from artists I know as well as artists who are new to me.

The zine itself is printed on nice, glossy paper which makes the art pop on the page. Each piece is accompanied by a clear Instagram handle as well, so if you love what you see, you can follow up with the artists’ work easily.

100% of the money raised by this zine goes to Amaroo, so you can enjoy all the art goodness in zine form and know that you’ve put some good into the world as well.

Definitely grab a copy.

Terrible Stories
Kelly McClure
http://www.kellymcclurewritesstuff.com/
Published by Budget Press

Terrible Stories is a half-fold red (some issues blue) ink on cream paper zine collection of six short stories.

This zine opens with a table of contents on page one and nothing more. I might have thought nothing of this on another day, but for this reading, I paused. I felt like the story titles sitting there alone on the page set me up for the zine being all about the words on the pages, if you know what I mean.

Kelly establishes a strong writing voice with the first story. A creative combination of images and words connect directly with the senses. Phrases like ‘tremedous burp’ and ‘satisfied splat’ made me smile but weren’t so distracting that they threw me out of the story. (Even if I did find some of the imagery a bit gross. Haha.)

The first story, ‘Big Sky’, certainly lives up to the title with the violence this reader couldn’t hope to understand involved. Admittedly the stories that follow are more tame, but Kelly certainly came out swinging. Kelly did a great job in setting up a strange situation and still making it even stranger with ease at the end.

I couldn’t help but notice a bit of wandering back and forth between past and present tense in all the stories. This seemed to increase with each story, so it may have been intentional – though that intention is a mystery to me. That being said, it didn’t really throw me out of the stories – more caused a mental note.

I can’t say that I fully understand all the stories in that some felt more like scenes than stories, but I did enjoy them. I found myself going over the little details, wondering if there was something hidden to connect them all or nothing. (There were mentions of breath and breezes, but that’s as far as I got.) I really can’t pick a favourite of the bunch. Each time I start leaning toward one, I remember the things I liked about another.

Recommending fiction can be a tough call, but if you like a bit of horror mixed in with literary fiction, give this one a read. It leaves me feeling curious and eager to read more of Kelly’s writing.

Torso 2018 (1)
Andrew Nicholas
https://www.instagram.com/cavedweller71/
https://cavedweller71.wordpress.com/

Torso 2018 (1) is an A6 full-colour collection of written pieces from the Torso zine series. Ax notes notes them as ‘the best of the written pieces from 2018’s Torso zine.’

Torso opens with a note from the zinemaker. He assures the reader that he’s not insulting himself but doesn’t consider himself to be a poet. He goes on to write about his approach to writing poetry as well as that this zine is an ‘answer’, if you will, to anyone who may not be okay with the male nudity in the other Torso zines but may still enjoy the the written pieces.

I found myself lingering on the intro because I appreciate it for a number of reasons. I sincerely hope that Ax is truly not taking a dig at himself with the ‘not a poet’ mention, but – as a person who feels uneasy when it comes to not understanding poetry – this same mention helped me to relax.

On another note, I truly appreciate that Ax saw a potential problem for some with his previous zines that he found a way to grow and evolve it in different directions. No, you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but Ax acknowledged that not everyone is okay with the nudity in the other issues of Torso, has created something accessible for them.

Alas, I may be prattling on a bit.

What follows are five poems, each on its own page with its own unique colour background. The poems live up to the promises made in the introduction with rhythm and rhyme being secondary to the natural flow of Ax’s thoughts and expressions. They cover feelings of frustration, sadness, wistfulness, and hope. Each poem has its own distinct feelings and nuance, but I feel like vulnerability is a theme that links them all.

Aesthetically, there’s a lot of variety in the backgrounds for the poems. Plus, as a bonus, it unfolds into an A3 poster.

This is an interesting one to me in that I appreciate what I understand to be the intention of the zine as much as the zine itself. One to take a look at.

My First Job
Warglitter
https://linktr.ee/warglitter

My First Job is a black and white illustrated one-page mini about Warglitter’s first job.

In this fun mini, Warglitter writes about how a dream to become a film director landed her as close as she could get at the time: her first job at the concession stand at the movie theatre.

Illustrations add that little something, making a zine that reminds me of the style and tone of Daria. I couldn’t put into words exactly why, but it made me smile nonetheless. What else makes me smile is how Warglitter dated herself on the last page by mentioning what she saved up her money to buy… No spoilers here, zine friends, but I giggled.

My one niggle is no contact details, but that’s what you have me for. 😉

I think a ‘my first job’ is a great idea for a mini and shares an experience many people will identify with. (And/or nostalgia for those who had friends who worked at theatres. Hehe.)

Inktober 2018
Latibule
https://linktr.ee/latibule_art

Inktober 2018 is an A5, full-colour zine filled with 31 pieces of art done for the 31 days of Inktober.

Inktober is a yearly event during which people commit to creating 31 drawings – one per day for the month of October. This gorgeous zine is Latibule’s collection of art for the challenge.

This wordless zine – save for the ‘thank you’ on the last page – is full of wonderful pictures. Each to its own page, the illustrations feature people, places, and creations from Latibule’s mind. From a mouse sleeping in a skull to crow (or raven) on a windowsill, you don’t know what you will get from page to page.

The illustrations themselves don’t seem to have an interconnecting theme (as you’d expect when you’re taking prompts from others like Latibule did), but I love how the colours do. People, places, and creatures alike are all cast in pale blues and greys with the occasional black or third colour in various places. The colours are soft like pastels but colder, giving everything a distinct feel as well as a look.

I do have one wish for this zine, but it’s a little bit of a cloudy one. I would have liked to have seen the prompts written somewhere – especially as I know that Latibule didn’t use the ‘official’ Inktober prompts. I adore the art, but I’m incredibly curious what words inspired each piece. However, the wish is a cloudy one because I’m not clear as to whether I’d be wishing for it if I didn’t know that Latibule had opened this zine up to prompts.

Clear as mud, yes?

To be absolutely clear, I adore Latibule’s art style and am so happy to have a collection of her work. I’ve already flipped through this zine many times and really can’t pick a favourite illustration. (That being said, I really hope Latibule does end up creating her own tarot cards!)

Check out Latibule’s Instagram page. If you love the work you see there, then you’ll want to pick up this zine.

Proof I Exist 28
Billy McCall
https://bunnyears.bandcamp.com/

Proof I Exist 28 is a quarter-sized perzine printed with blue ink on cream paper about life, family, and the ways we grow apart.

I feel almost flippant trying to sum up this zine – even though that’s what I do for every zine. This zine is one that is so full of emotion that you just know that it was hard for the author to write it no matter whether they say it or not. Does it somehow take away from the experience of the author for me to call it ‘heartbreaking’? Does it somehow lessen the zine itself? I don’t know.

This zine has me thinking on a number of levels.

Proof I exist takes us in a mostly linear fashion through Billy’s life – one of frequent moving, exposure to drugs, and few connections with the few being very deep ones. It soon emerges that this zine isn’t so much about Billy as it is about his closest relationships – his parents and more so his brother.

Billy writes in brief, numbered snippets, a style we learn at the end is inspired by ‘Bluets’ by Maggie Nelson. I’d never heard of Bluets nor seen this sort of writing, but it’s an art form by its own right. Sharing thoughts and ‘scenes’ in this numbered fashion feels almost life flipping through a scrapbook – each having its own little story and still fitting into the whole as well.

Two things emerge a lot in this zine: drugs and Billy’s brother. Drugs play a large role, both in how Billy’s decision not to use them influenced his life and how he perceived himself as well as how they influenced his brother’s life. And the latter is my rather bland way of putting it that doesn’t give too much of the actual content away.

This zine represents not only the stories Billy is sharing from his life but also an important step of acknowledging and starting to release some of the feelings he has wrapped up in his brother and their lives. He admits to waiting to write this even longer because he was waiting to see how the story would end. Alas…

“but this isn’t a movie, and the final scenes of resolution aren’t coming through all clean and smooth like they’re supposed to.”

This zine makes my heart said and makes me wish I could take Billy out for a long, leisurely cup of coffee where he could talk (or not talk) to his heart’s content. This zine, to me, is an example of one of the important facets of zines in giving us a way to process should we show choose to use it.

There is mention of drug and alcohol abuse, but if those things won’t cause problems for you, I highly recommend you pick up this zine.

The American Indian Ready to Wear Catalog 2018
Joey Clift
Illustrations: Janet Myer
https://redcatpress.com/

The American Indian Ready to Wear Catalog 2018 is a black and white (with a full-colour cover) half-fold comedy satire zine in the form of a fashion catalogue. Inside, Joey takes a look at all the ridiculous ways Native Americans are represented in the media.

From the back cover…

“The American Indian Ready to Wear Catalog has all the fashion tips you need to be the only type of American Indian that white society will allow you to be: a racist caricature.”

I think humour can be great way to address a lot of things in a non-threatening way. I knew that Joey was going to hit this right on the head from the front cover with one of the ‘headlines’ on the cover reading: Is It Possible to be “Native at Heart”? with the subtitle responding: “No! Stop asking.”

I grew up in Wisconsin, a place where Native American stereotypes are rife, and the picture of the ‘Land O Lakes Butter Maiden’ on the back cover put me right back there. Of course, when I was very young, I didn’t understand what a stereotype was or even that not all Native American tribes weren’t the same. Therein lies the danger of perpetuated stereotypes in media.

But I’m getting off track. The zine!

Joey pokes at the media stereotypes from the start. Page one features an illustration of ‘Iron Eyes Cody’ and, like any good fashion catalogue, placing numbers on the image so people can pick out what they like and find out more about it below. (The very process taking a poke at appropriating other cultures, don’t you think?) Small notes for the ‘items’ are funny, but some also include facts. One being that ‘Iron Eyes Cody’ who played a Native American for decades was actually Italian.

The catalogue continues with a number of examples from the ‘$346.1 Million Box Office’ Rewrite of History so John Smith is the Good Guy item (because talking Disney trees!) to the “Conveniently ‘Discover’ Your Native Heritage for Career Purposes’ as modelled by Twilight move star Taylor Lautner.

In the way you can enjoy dark humour, this zine… Oh, this zine! Joey really gets right to the heart of it in a way that makes me laugh (many, many times out loud) in a sad way because I know there are people out there who still won’t get it. Every page I read, I thought, “this is my favourite”, and then I’d turn to find that the next page had to be my favourite.

In the end, I couldn’t decide. The Land O Lakes Butter Maiden has ties to my childhood, and the special note that Joey actually called up the company and the company sent him a pamphlet about how much they respect the image of the maiden and a coupon book for butter…

While I endeavour to make zine reviews about the zines and only the zines, but I did find it interesting that the author, Joey Clift, is a registered member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and works in the entertainment industry. Thus Joey knows all too well the lack of actual native culture has in media.

The sarcasm is thick and on point in this zine, and I absolutely adore it. (I even raved about it to Wanderer, which is always a good sign.) I could list off all the examples I like, but I’d end up just retyping the entire zine without the pleasure of the illustrations – which are excellent and fit the feeling of this zine perfectly.

Pick up a copy of this brilliant zine for some dark laughs and a reminder to take a closer look at the world – and the popular media – around you.

Roam 01
Leah Delacrux
https://www.instagram.com/leahdelacrux/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAPdQbECntg

Roam 01 is an A5 full-colour photography zine featuring Instax photos taken in Autumn 2018.

Roam is a zine of few words, opening with ‘Autumn 2018’ before taking you on a journey through photos. Each picture has a page all its own, the image centred on it. We explore through the eyes of the photographer as they wander around an unnamed (in the zine) city.

This zine takes on the look of a gallery viewing with a lot of white space around each picture, making the pictures really pop. Moreso, the lack of words or other visual elements made it feel like a very ‘quiet’ zine for me. I could sit and take in each photo, my mind quieting (no small feat, that’s for sure) as I looked at the images.

I liked the outdoor photos the best with autumn leaves, trees, and blue skies always being a winner for me. Not to mention the beach photos. I was impressed with the quality, having heard other people say that the Instax camera is a ‘party piece’ that ‘isn’t meant for good photos’.

The indoor pictures weren’t as interesting for me, but that’s entirely personal preference. After all, when we roam, we don’t always stay outdoors, right? We roam in and out of places as well. So while I have my preferences, I think the mix of indoor and outdoor did fit in with the title.

If you like photography and like to see what photographers can achieve with cameras other than DSLR, then check out this zine.