Category: Zine Reviews

For My Grandmother
Jane
www.etsy.com/au/shop/JaneSavelyeva

For My Grandmother is a 1/4(ish) size full colour tribute to a special grandmother.

This zine is gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. Yes, zine friends, that is my opener.

From the belly band to the light, gentle colours used throughout, the entirety of this zine has a feeling of care and love – all dedicated from Jane to Jane’s grandmother. Opening this zine, you will find a collection of words and art about a woman – Hope – who was clearly loved very much.

The artwork is delicate and flows between some pieces with intricate details and others with simple lines and fewer details. Jane’s choice of colours, papers, and even using a vellum page further makes everything feel almost antique in a way. The whole zine is warm and beautiful – no doubt in honour of a warm and beautiful woman.

I do worry about belly bands on zines when the title isn’t repeated somewhere within the zine itself, but I think the zine is fairly self-explanatory without the title – and my copy will be safely tucked away in my collection anyway. 🙂

I really adore this zine in and of itself but also because it’s a very clear expression of feeling in zine form. It reminds me of my great-grandmother and all of our happy memories together.

I would definitely grab a copy.

Small Potatoes 3
Keira
https://www.instagram.com/k.huolohan/
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/ZinesByKeira

Small Potatoes 3 is an A6 size full colour perzine combining life stories, art, poetry, and more.

I’ve come to apprecaite a good intro to a zine more and more, and Keira has written an excellent intro to this zine that engaged me and made me feel curious in the first paragraph:

I am a person who is sick and tired of thinking about how sick and tired they are of being sick and tired. I am a person who has been alive 28 years but living for only a handful of these.

Keira’s writing voice – a voice I have come to know as one with compassion and gentle mystery – continues through the zine as they write about learning to drive, gender change forms, creating community, zines, and dissociative identity disorder along with sharing poetry, drawings, and recommendations. Small Potatoes 3 involves a lot of emotions, but Keira’s writing voice stays steady throughout.

The part about gender change forms is an interesting, albeit sad and frustrating, look int government biases, narratives, and even economic exclusions when it comes to obtaining gender affirming identification. I feel like Keira has touched just the beginning of the topic here and suspect there will be many more zines to come about these journeys.

This zine has quite a few things that made me respect Keira and what they are doing with their life and in the world. I couldn’t help but smile when Keira’s drive to create community and a safe place clearly showed through not just in writing the words but also in writing about what they have done so far with various get togethers and activity days.

What I really had to admire was Keira’s honesty. Despite having an initially negative, ableist reaction to their sister telling them she had dissociative identity disorder, Keira not only called out their own behaviour but defined ableism so as to be clear why their reaction was not a good one. I think it takes a certain kind of bravery to call yourself out on things.

The writing about dissociative identity disorder was a read that made me feel like I had just been given something special and precious. Something especially personal not just for Keira but their sister as well, who actually joins in the zine to write a bit about it. (Love that!)

I quite like the look of this zine – use of colour but as an accent and not anything overwhelming or that takes away from anything else. Keira is trying out new paper, a new font, and other things in this issue, and I love the idea of a zine changing and growing as the person writing it changes and grows. Even better, there are good reasons for this like accessibility but also learning to become more comfortable with empty spaces. The latter speaks to an interesting use of the perzine: documenting self-challenge.

As a quick side note – looking at some of Keira’s sketches made me think they might be interested in designing a tarot deck some day…

All up, Small Potatoes 3 is another excellent zine in the Small Potatoes series that makes me eager to read the next one. I feel like Keira has really found their footing in regards to opening up in both writing and art but in medium as well. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Dream a Little Dream
Olivia M
http://oliviareadszines.wordpress.com

Dream a Little Dream is a 1/4 sized black and white zine about dreams, lucid dreaming, and more.

This zine is part of an APA-style* trade of dream zines borne of a conversation about dreams online. While I knew about the origins of this zine already from having participated in the conversation and overseeing the trade, I do like a ‘zine origin story’ to start me off.

In Dream a Little Dream, Olivia takes us through common themes in their dreams, traumatic life experiences that influence/d their zines, and a bit on lucid dreaming as well.

I didn’t really know what to expect from a dream zine (besides the obvious), but I found Olivia’s take on the prompt an engaging one. Starting out with their common dream themes was a good way to ‘break the ice’ and possibly find some factors in common. (I, too, have had dreams where I feel like and can ‘remember’ living a life in the dream world.)

Dream a Little Dream leaned more into the perzine side of things with the sections that followed with Olivia writing about two traumatic experiences as background to why they dream about certain things. I love a perzine anyway, but this ‘angle’ (if you will) made the subject at hand all the more interesting. It’s one thing to read about how someone dreams about trying to gather things but ultimately losing them; it adds a lot of dimension to read that things being taken away was a big trauma in their early life.

I enjoyed reading about how Olivia used lucid dreaming to explore their sexuality to the extent of wishing I’d thought of doing that myself. In this, lucid dreams represent an almost ultimate safe place from which to really get in touch with who you are.

Aesthetically, there is a lot to look at in this zine with backgrounds made up of patterned papers as well as some colouring in pages. It is a lot on the eyes on a few of the pages, but not hugely so – and Olivia makes use of black borders around the text blocks on some pages to help. There are times when I have the urge to reach for my coloured pencils, which is a fun, creative feeling.

There’s a bonus list of zines on sleep and dreams in the back, and I always love a good recommendations list. There are some quotes on dreams as well, though I had a bit of a chuckle, as the page is titled: “Random Dream Quotes (Because I Can’t Think of Anything Else to Write)”.

As good a reason as any for a quotes page, I reckon.

While I may not have been sure what I was expecting from a dream zine, Dream a Little Dream was a good read that got my mind thinking a bit (something I always appreciate). If you’re interested in dreams or the influence of trauma on dreams, then this is one to have a look at.

*Amateur Press Association

B-Movie Bandits: A Fanzine
Sober Bob
https://www.instagram.com/soberbobmonthly/

B-Movie Bandits is an A5 black and white zine with a full colour cover about B movies, their ‘heroes’, and their influence on racist and sexist attitudes.

In her usual fashion, Sober Bob gets right into the content of the matter with an intro about how this zine came to be and the realisation of just how much movies filled with racism, sexism, and more ‘informed’ people at the time about how to ‘solve’ their problems.

With breakdowns of her “favourite over the top b movie actors (that redlettermedia introduced me to)”, Sober Bob breaks down Charles Bronson, Deathstalker, and Chuck Norris. Much in the same way, she explores the topics of racism and sexism as well, striking what I found to be an excellent balance of humour as well as treating the topics with due respect.

I have to mention the cover of this zine – made in part from a VHS tape box. The printing over the cover fits perfectly because it has that almost waxy feel and shine of an actual VHS movie box. It’s a little thing that really adds to the enjoyment for me.

I do have to add a little tsk tsk for Sober Bob not including contact details… but I can never be too hard on that because – unless it’s directly stated – you can’t know what’s intentional and what’s not.

My only complaint about this zine is that it ended too early. Haha. I know, but I’m serious. I want so much more of everything this zine offers: Bob’s thoughts on the racism, sexism, and power fantasies running rampant in these movies along with a large helping of her sarcastic sense of humour the points out the ridiculous while not taking away from the importance of the topics being discussed.

(“Charles is saaaaaaad” will forever pop into my head from now on.)

Even better, this zine examines the troubling things about these movies without demonising the lot. They existed, they happened, and we can laugh at them now while pointing out how seriously screwed up they are.

Even if you’re not into B movies or cheaply made action movies, I still recommend checking this out. I like things that examine what is so easily taken for granted or not really thought about – and this zine does that.

Queer!Content #5: Sadvertising – An Attempt At Healing
Wolfram-J VK
@queercontent

Sadvertising is a full colour A5 perzine about growing up in foster care, mental illness, and finding healing. Wolfram writes this in a memoir style, and it also includes poetry and photography.

Buckle up, zine friends. I have a lot to say about this one.

Sadvertising contains a lot of strong emotions right from the start. I pretty quickly got the impression that Wolfram was someone who feels very strongly about putting this out there but there’s also a sense of vulnerability that comes in doing so.

A content warning (foster care, mental illness, sexual violence) is very normal to see in a zine introduction, but this is the first I’ve read that almost dictates the terms of reading it. Wolfram clearly feels a desire to share these experiences – even if it means “pointing at those shitty people” – but doesn’t want to answer questions or have their writing called things like ‘brave’ or ‘heavy’.

While I did feel a little bit wary with the mention of pointing out ‘shitty people’, the whole tone of the introduction was different to most in a way that made me curious about what was to come.

After a poem and the introduction to the zine, Wolfram starts out writing about their early life and watching a parent deal with mental illness. Something that ultimately lead to Wolfram and their brother being put into the foster care system. From there, we learn about a life of growing up in foster care – both good and bad – and as Wolfram slowly discovers their sexuality.

There are so many things in this zine that brought up feelings of sympathy and empathy – not just because of my own background but also the thought of how just a mature conversation or two could have gone so far in so many situations.

The first half ends with a full colour mini-comic that you can easily take out of the zine and enjoy on its own. I do love a surprise ‘zine in a zine’ and found it an interesting addition that Wolfram calls ‘a breather’ before the second half.

The second half covers more of Wolfram’s late teens and adulthood. They write about making friendships online, outgrowing those friendships, and what it was like only ever being at a distance with those friends (in most cases).

The timeline jumps around a little bit more as Wolfram goes on to write about mental illness fears, not relating to other adults who have parents they can rely on, and disconnections from others’ experiences.

There is a section in amongst this called ‘Femme in Question’ that steps away from the otherwise more traditional memoir style this zine felt like through the rest of it. In an anonymous ‘dear you’ style rant, Wolfram doesn’t hold back about their feelings whatsoever. I must admit I was thrown out of the ‘reading zone’ I had been in otherwise by this section. However, I fully admit that I was only thrown because I’d identified with the book memoir style, and it did work well in reminding me that I was reading a zine.

Toward the end, there is also a piece that discusses ungendering discussions of sexual violence and how not doing so can and does cause problems for male victims in queer spaces. I can see this being an extremely sensitive subject and don’t think it’s right for me to express an opinion within the conversation, but it did lead me to wonder if Wolfram will make a zine solely on that topic alone.

Sadvertising ends on a hopeful note of self-word and, dare I say, self-respect. I have a better understanding of the introduction and their desire for their story to be taken as it is rather than made into something other than one life and one life perspective.

I think if you like memoirs and are okay with the content warnings, then this is a zine to check out.

Submerging
Edited by Brian Cogan, Brett Essler, Mike Faloon, & Brendan Kiernan
submergingwriters@gmail.com

SUBMERGING

Submerging is a full colour half-fold literature zine that also features photographs.

“Euphoria is a trail of exclamations points that you follow off a cliff.”

Despite what I imagine was a typo pluralisation of ‘exclamations’, there is something darkly amusing about that quote.

Submerging is a zine that contains four stories that I am assuming are all nonfiction. They read as non-fiction, but there’s no indication or introduction in the zine that makes that clear. (Though the website does mention that the zine includes personal essays.)

We start off with an interesting diary-style piece that starts with anti-anxiety medication, wanders into the realm of analysing politics in the United States, and ends on a sad note in the Philippines. The pieces that follow cover a heart attack, a slightly stranger (in structure) piece about memory and health heartbreak (no spoilers here, zine friends), and a piece about aging.

I finished the first story a little confused and feeling like perhaps there was something in it that I just wasn’t understanding fully. However, I settled right in with the pieces that followed. The heart attack fascinated me (as strange as that is to type. The structurally stranger piece was still intriguing, and the piece on aging? It felt a little sad because of the inevitability of everything (and because of the age I’m at), but it ended on an unexpectedly cheery note that left me feeling good.

While writing exploring health – both mental and physical – may not sound appealing to you on the surface (it’s definitely an interesting topic to me, so win there), the personal element to these pieces draw you in.

Submerging is a nice zine to look at and touch. It’s made with smooth, glossy paper, and everything looks very clean and crisp. The typography choices are nice, and little things like the drop cap at the beginning of pieces adds to the overall package. I like the inclusion of photos as well. They break up the text, but there aren’t so many that it would confuse this being primarily a literature zine. (I can’t decide whether the cover photo or ‘En Route’ is my favourite picture.)

The writing voices in this zine worked well together, and I can see myself going back to read some of the stories again. If you’re looking for a literature zine with a taste of photography to check out – or maybe even submit to – then this is a zine to have a look at.

ADL -> MEL
George Rex Comics
http://www.georgerexcomics.com

“Once a year a pilgrimage is made by zinesters across Australia to Melbourne…”

ADL -> MEL is an A5 comic in pink about travelling from Adelaide to Melbourne for Festival of the Photocopier in Melbourne. If the title sounds familiar, that’s because I reviewed a zine by the same name by Rebecca Sheedy: (https://seagreenzines.com/2017/03/15/zine-review-adl-mel/) Let’s just say I was even more excited about finding this zine because not only is it another comic diary perspective about FotP and things surrounding it – Rebecca and George are mentioned in each other’s comics!

George takes us through the whole FotP experience – from the flight to Melbourne on the Thursday before to fun in the city before the flight home on the Tuesday after. While the reason for the trip may be Festival of the Photocopier, this zine documents all sorts of things that happened around the event as well – including a quiet night in after heaps of zine activities.

The aesthetic of this zine is so fun in that George designed three zines for a zine launch in Adelaide, and each zine was assigned a Neapolitan ice cream flavour. The reason why this zine is all pink because this one is strawberry! Being the completionist that I am, now I want to grab the other ‘flavours’. I also like the added touch that my zine is #27/100 of the second printing.

George’s art style is fun and on the more cartoon side of drawing. There are so many little things that made me smile – small details like the Daiso haul (Daiso is an odds and ends shop – most are $2.80), and George mentioning the panic that starts only after you set up your table at a zine event.

This is the sort of zine I would read before a zine fest to get a feel for zine events. It’s not a guide, but it’s sweet, and I really love the whole vibe. Definitely check it out.

Oh Brother! Some Stories About Growing Up With a Brother With Autism
George Rex Comics
http://www.georgerexcomics.com
@girlrexdoor

Oh Brother! is an A5 full colour zine collection of comics about growing up with a brother with autism – and it includes drafts and background material for the upcoming book.

I hardly know where to get started with this zine. I really love George Rex’s art, and that George would open up about what is very likely a somewhat sensitive part of their life in this way leaves me feeling honoured for a glimpse of a life perspective I would not otherwise get.

Oh Brother! is a beautiful and bittersweet zine. George keeps it real with the struggles – and silly moments – of having a brother with severe autism, but there’s no self-pity to be found. There are good times that are tinged by harsher reality and harsher times that can still have smiles. George is human like everyone else and sometimes wonders about the ‘what ifs’ but also shows there is a time and place for them. That we shouldn’t get mired in ‘what if’.

George’s art style is fun to look at, with little details to enjoy if you take your time with the zine. I really enjoyed seeing a comic in its draft form in the ‘extras’ in the back.

The thing that I found really special about this zine is that it feels as much Rob’s (George’s brother) zine as it does George’s. Yes, George made the zine, of course, but it’s focused on both of them as siblings with a lovely dose of parental moments worked in as well.

Absolutely grab a copy of this zine – let’s help George make these comics and more into a book*!

*This zine is a collection of shorts that will help fund the full book of around 300 pages.

decency is a relative thing
Sober Bob
https://www.instagram.com/soberbobmonthly/

Decency is a relative thing is a zine “exploration into the weird and not so wonderful wasteful world of people who won’t stop buying housewares.”

“There is no relief or release from consumerism.”

If I shared all the quotes I wanted to share from this zine, I would end up sharing half the zine.

In Decency is a relative thing, Sober Bob takes us through the similarities between people who hoard homewares and then breaks things down into four common ‘types’ of homeware hoarders. What I thought would be an interesting zine that, in the end, wouldn’t have much to do witch me, ended up being a zine that had me looking around the house and examining my own habits.

By writing about the four types of people who hoard homewares, Sober Bob touches on huge problems in the invasiveness of business in creating trends on social media. Not only that but how some people feed into a negative system by not being completely transparent about what is and isn’t actually paid/advertising.

A side shout out to touching on the problems of the real estate sector and how carefully placed wicker baskets shouldn’t make a house more expensive.

This zine isn’t a complete flaming blast at everyone, however. In fact, it shows a real sympathy to the kinds of advertising that we’re subjected to and even more so now that social media not only influences what is “normal” outside the home but inside it as well.

Even more, Sober Bob touches on the impact of the ‘trend’ on the longevity and ethical practices (or lack thereof) in keeping up with the ‘trend’ lifestyle.

An interesting moment came for me when I realised that I have ‘followed the trends’, too, in the past. Despite my days working in an op/secondhand shop giving me a strong aversion to stuff for a long time. I began seeing more and more YouTube videos with fairy lights (they’re not just for Christmas anymore!) and ended up buying some myself. I don’t regret getting them by any means because they give me joy, but if you think you’re immune to trends…

Aesthetically, this zine is lovely. The title is gold-foiled (which I suspect is a cheeky visual metaphor), and the entire zine is printed on gorgeous cream-coloured textured paper.

The thing I love about this zine that actually goes beyond the zine itself is the interesting (in my opinion) conversation it inspired between me and Wanderer, for which I give my thanks to Sober Bob.

You may not think that a zine about homewares is for you, but I think you should still check it out. This zine is as much a zine as it is the beginning of a conversation. Grab a copy.

Rabbits & Relics: Okunoshima (Rabbit Island)
Rae White
https://raewhite.net/
https://twitter.com/wings_humming

Rabbits and Relics is an A5 black and white zine about Rae’s exploration of Okunoshima – Rabbit Island.

I have always wanted to travel to Japan, so to say I was excited about any sort of Japan-related zine is a bit of an understatement. I’ve heard of various animal places like the fox village and cat island, but rabbit island was new to me.

I think the thing that really struck me about this zine is the glimpse of reality Rae gives in this zine. At the start, Rae mentions how the contrast of adorable rabbits and World War 2 relics is both striking and confronting.

Take what you will of the beautiful living alongside the symbols of the horrible, but it really spoke to me. This isn’t some glossed up, glossing over happy fun time tourist brochure. Rae provides us with real pictures, with facts both playful and painful.

Aesthetically, the font is big, clear, and easy to read. I don’t need my glasses or ideal lighting to read this zine. The photos Rae includes echoes their feelings about the island with pictures of desolate buildings next to adorable rabbits.

This zine also serves as a good introduction to the island in that it has a ‘how to get there’ page as well as a couple popular theories about how the rabbits got to the island in the first place.

Rabbits and Relics as a fairly quick, interesting read about Okunoshima. It’s definitely worth checking out if you have any interest in Japan, rabbits, World War 2, or anything in between.