Category: Zine Reviews

Shit’s Fucked #2
Iggy Nicklbottum ft. art by Tahnee Marie
itscompleteshit@gmail.com
IG: @shitsux
JoshCorea.com/zines

With a Ouija/Spirit Board as its centrefold, Shit’s Fucked #2 is a full-colour glossy zine filled with articles, stories, and art featuring the strange, spooky, and downright evil.

I knew going in that Shit’s Fucked was going to be a bit different compared to my usual reading, but I did not know how much. If I had ten seconds to describe it, I would say that it’s jam-packed with all sorts of fun things for the horror enthusiast.

There’s even an advice column for all your supernatural and spiritual queries.

I really enjoyed reading through this zine. The writing style is great – even for articles that, written differently, would have been on the dry side. There’s a great twisted humour mixed in with even with researched pieces. (And the researched pieces come with sources listed!) The first piece on spirit boards was even more interested than I thought it would be.

The serial killer profile reminded me of a guilty pleasure of mine – a series of YouTube videos all about serial killers. What a great addition to a zine like this one.

It’s not all facts and history, though, with some twisted fiction to enjoy as well.

There are plenty of fun little bits and pieces amongst the articles and art. I’m not sure which is my favourite – the spooky ‘Missed Connections’ spot or ‘Iggy’s Date Ideas’. Both are… unique. (Be sure to read the disclaimer on the back inside cover when it comes to the date ideas.)

And talk about cut and past. This is not a zine that is precious about itself; it invites you to cut up the covers! The back cover has a membership form to cut out, and the front cover has a planchette to cut out and use on the spirit board centrefold!

Shit’s Fucked has well and truly earned a place on my list of zines that flew far above my initial expectations. If you like spooky things, if you have a darker sense of humour, if you like horror films… If you’re in the general area of being into any of that sort of things, then definitely pick this zine up.

Posture 2: Create or Perish
Ro
barcadia@gmsil.com

Posture 2: Create or Perish is a black and white 24 hour zine (if you’re not familiar, it’s a challenge to create a zine within 24 consecutive hours).

Given it’s the last Friday in International Zine Month July, I thought it was only right to review a 24 hour zine.

I think I need to read more 24 hour zines because it’s a lot of fun to be ‘in the moment’ with a zinemaker as they are creating a zine. Ro even adds a date, time, and time left in the front that adds to the fun ‘urgent’ feeling.

Ro starts off admitting that there is no real plan for this zine, and it’s a smattering of various subjects. It starts out with thoughts about being fascinated with street art and tugs right at my zine-loving heartstrings by giving a different perspective to something I’ve never really thought about.

From street art and yarn bombing, Ro goes into documentary recommendations, thoughts on fashion, art and creativity, and there are a couple of quotes thrown in for fun.

Side note: There is a really cool pocket on one page of this zine, but I have no idea what went in it.

This is a fun zine with various bits and bobs on various subjects. It’s very quick and easy to read. If you think that sounds like you check out this zine.

Mythologising Me #10
Ingrid
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/mythologisingme

Apologies right up front for the not-so-great image. Looking forward to a house with natural lighting…

Mythologising Me #10 is a black and white perzine about moving, money, and self-care.

It never ceases to make me giggle when I pick up a zine and the contents inside speak to what I’m experiencing in my life at that time. I totally identified with the joys to be found in moving into one’s own place and no longer needing to do things like hide from the landlady during inspections. I found myself wanting to read more on that subject alone.

In the zine, Ingrid contemplates work and whether the ‘dream job’ is worth the stressful commute and doing what one needs instead of racing after the almighty dollar. The theme of self-care continues in a piece about writing mail and making new penpals until the point where it all became overwhelming rather than a pleasurable experience. How doing something you love so much too much can make you stop enjoying the process in the first place.

There was one point that was a little jarring for me as the reader and that was the use of ‘we’ without explaining who else made up the ‘we’ being talked about. It made me want to pick up earlier zines in the series, which is good for the zinemaker, but it did throw me out of the reading for a little bit, which is perhaps not so good for the zinemaker.

I do love it when a zine gets me interested in new concepts and gives options for further reading should the reader be interested. With MM 10, this came with Ingrid’s thoughts on the ‘treat yo’self” mindset within self care and how that can be a bad thing. This is the first time I’ve read about the possible negative impacts of doing things that way, and I’m eager to check out the recommended reading on the subject.

Aesthetically, MM 10 has made me realised what a structured person I am when it comes to making zines. Don’t take that as a negative thing. I found this zine to be really refreshing and different with no titles, switches of fonts to show switches of topic, so on and so forth. I like the mix of shorter thoughts as well as longer pieces of writing.

There were a few spots where the words were difficult to make out, but I think I got the gist of everything.

There’s also plenty to look at with cats, Snoopy stickers (<3), and more. It reminds me that, while computers can certainly help things along and make things easier, there is a free-spirited sort of whimsy when it comes to making things more by hand than by machine.

Mythologising Me #10 is a perzine I enjoyed and inspired me to check out the rest of the series.

Portraits Issue 1
Chloe Henderson
www.chloehenderson.co.uk
@ChloeHenderson9

I hate to admit it, but I do feel a touch of envy when I see such talented artists – especially those who can draw people well. Chloe Henderson is definitely no exception to this.

Portraits Issue 1 is a collection of portraits – mostly in black and white but some with colour elements – printed on glossy paper. Most of the portraits are of celebrities, but some are more personal – and all contain fantastical elements.

Reading this zine is like going to an art show. Each portrait on the right hand page is paired with a title and text – a brief description of how the piece came to be. I liked taking it at my own pace – taking in the portrait, letting my thoughts wander in regard to it, and then bringing myself back over to the text so I could learn more from the artist’s perspective.

The higher quality paper really served Chloe well in this zine. So much of her art style can draw you in to the tiniest details, and shadowing through from other pages would have ruined that effect. I think it also helped the limited use of colour pop all the more.

Usually with these sorts of zines, I pick a page or a picture that sticks out as a favourite to me, but it’s so hard in this one. I think ‘definitely Jennifer Lawrence’ but then I look at Neil Gaiman again. And there is something very different about the last of the collection that sets it apart on its own amongst the other portraits.

So I’ll have to say sorry because a favourite is not jumping out at me. I like them all.

Holy contact details, Batman! Talk about a contact page. The back cover has pics of Chloe, a bio, links, and even Chloe’s logo. If you’re going to be clear about who you are and where you’re at, then check out the back cover of this zine.

If you like zines with art and drawings, then this zine should be a part of your collection.

Growing to Become Myself 2017
Queer Marshmallow
https://www.facebook.com/merfemmedistro/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MerfemmeDistro

Today when I’m not feeling well on a dreary winter afternoon, I was in the mood to read a zine that would make me feel good. Growing to Become Myself 2017 delivered that.

The first thing that really strikes me when I look at this mini-zine is the colour. With the title in pinks on top of a picture of green grass and purple and white flowers, it’s a very inviting zine. (Especially as I snuggle in my electric blanket and sigh about winter.) I feel like I can’t help but look inside.

This use of colour is carried on inside with photos of flowers used at the backdrop for words and thoughts written on snippets of pastel coloured paper. It is handwritten rather than type, and I thank the zine maker for clear and readable handwriting.

Growing to Become Myself 2017 is like a goals list combined with reminders on how to be more self-caring, gentle, and more positive about your life.

The Focus on Healing page hit home the most with me with words about slow progress still being progress and not pushing oneself into doing more than one can. This is what I struggle with the most in my life (hello, my name is Nyx, and I’m a workaholic).

The one niggle here is no contact details whatsoever. As always, I say this with a grain of salt because you never know if people leave off the details on purpose. However, I’m someone who always wants to know more and thus always notices when they’re not there.

Growing to Become Myself 2017 is a very pretty zine that uses the title and theme of growth along with images of flowers to create a beautiful, gentle mini-zine. I quite enjoyed it and hope you will, too.

The Reverse Cougar Years #3
Maxx
arevolutionofwords@gmail.com

I confess – I picked this up because of the title. Do you blame me? I did a quick look through enough to guess it was a perzine, but “Reverse Cougar”? That’s a name I wish I’d thought of. The funny thing is that I wrote that note << before I read anything, so I laughed out loud when the zine started off with an explanation of the title.

Along with the explanation of the title, Maxx also starts off by writing about, well, not writing.

“I stopped writing zines because I was told it was selfish to want to share my thoughts, for no other reason than the fact I enjoyed telling stories.”

The Reverse Cougar is a zine that hooked me in straight away with emotion. I laughed because of the title, and then I felt so incredibly frustrated reading the quote above. All the time Maxx had lost due to idiots saying idiotic things! But on that same note, I felt happy and celebrated this zine as Maxx’s return to creating.

Plenty of feels to feel here!

The first parts are about Maxx's career as a female sound technician, something I can honestly say I knew absolutely nothing about. That's what made it doubly interesting for me because not only did I not know about the job but I thus didn't know about the difficulties that came with being a female in the world of sound technicians, either.

In the second half, Maxx writes about anxiety, and the feels were strong for me in this one, too. I identify so much with being on the floor crying uncontrollably. I really loved how Maxx handled the 'then' and 'now' views of things. Maxx does a good job of summing up with enough info but not lingering too long. Everything keeps moving along.

Even more, I loved how Maxx’s writing on anxiety expanded out into a sad but beautiful examination of the end of a relationship as well as different responses to mental illness.

The Reverse Cougar took me to a lot of different, interesting places. It ends on such a sad note, but it's a strong note as well. I’m looking forward to reading other issues.

Botanical Photography
Jessica Jane
www.jessicajaneillustration.com
IG: @jessicajane.illustration

For me, photography is like art and poetry: I don’t know a lot about how it works, but I know what I like and what I don’t like. Everything else gets lost in wondering what the creator intended…

Botanical Photography is a photo zine featuring pictures of flora around Victoria, Australia. There are flowers, trees, sunshine, and lovely little things that make this state beautiful. I may be a bit biased, but if you’re going to take pictures of nature, Victoria is a great place to do it.

While I do really love photo zines, I felt like some of the impact of the photos is lost in the production quality. The pictures were a little washed out sometimes or a little too dark. I found myself thinking more than once that a little higher GSM could go a long way, but…

Therein lies the problem for me: intention.

Were the photos meant to be a little blurry or washed out? Is this meant to be the mark of someone still learning? Or perhaps it’s all due to the paper and ink used in printing. The slightly washed out quality of the last photo adds an ethereal quality to it, so it’s harder to guess than you might think.

If this wasn’t the intention, the suggestion of higher quality paper isn’t necessarily a simple one. With the zine already at $7, I don’t know what better printing would do to the price.

I really liked the touch of the sewn binding. With a zine that’s all about nature, I may have not really thought about staples, but the sewing adds to the ‘closer to nature’ feel in a way that metal staples wouldn’t.

I love photography, and I like to see a beginning (I think) photographer’s work. I think Jessica caught some truly beautiful shots, and I’d like to see more. But I must admit I’d also like to see it printed in a way better suited to photos.

The Radical Uprise #005: DIY Culture Cut and Paste
?
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheRadicalUprise

On the eve of International Zine Month, I thought it was only right to review a zine that is all about the love of DIY.

One thing I truly love about zines is when someone is able to put things I feel so strongly about into word better than I could have ever hoped to. On the very first page of this zine, there is a section about creating things and being in artist that expresses my own feelings so, so well.

Talk about a good start to a zine.

The Radical Uprise #005 is DIY from self to self-sustainable with pieces about making things to supporting creators. There’s plenty to check out above and beyond the zine with interviews with interesting people who have shops and distros.

This zine is a bit Etsy-centric in that it’s the only platform really talked about. I would have liked to hear success stories using other platforms. But I also fully admit that I’m probably only mentioning it because Etsy’s money-grabbing (especially of late) makes me angry.

The Radical Uprise #005: DIY Culture Cut and Paste is not simply an excited yell out into the night about how wonderful it is to DIY in your life. This zine covers why it’s good for you, good for the people who do it, and even why it’s good for the planet. It’s a great way to look at DIY from multiple ways.

Check it out.

My Thoughts Will Kill Me
Miss Muffcake
www.missmuffcake.com
@missmuffcake

For today’s review, we have a sad but strong mini zine about living with mental illness.

My heart hurt reading this zine because I’ve been there so much. Buzzing thoughts that more often multiply than go away… It’s strangely easy to forget that you’re not alone, so my heart breaks every time I read about someone else’s experiences.

The thing that I found so interesting with this zine is that MissMuffcake never mentions a specific mental illness. I actually went back to read through again and check because I’d automatically started applying her words to my own mental health struggles. It blew me away when I looked back and realised that, even though there are so many different labels, we still have so much in common.

I am just one in many who have a mental illness. I am not alone.

While it was sad, it was also comforting to read the quote above and know that Miss Muffcake knows she’s not alone.

Even better? That through it all, she still finds humour. (Cake is a wonderful motivator.)

Definitely check this little zine out whether you are dealing with mental health issues or want to better understand friends who are.

Ground
Lee Taylor
@thescreeverzine
www.facebook.com/thescreeverzine

Ground is the first zine in a sweet comic series about love, life, and working in a coffee shop. (Spoilers: I love it.)

I couldn’t help but be taken in by the physical qualities of this zine straight away. The cover is made of what looks like recycled paper (I’m pretty sure it is…) and is bound by string wound through triangular-shaped holes in the spine. The square you see on the cover in the picture above isn’t something stuck onto the cover but is actually a square cut into the cover.

I could get into the possible thematic implications of cutting the square into the cover to reveal some of the first page, but then I begin to wonder if I’m getting a little deep into it right from the get to.

With such pleasant expectations set up by the physical side of the zine, I began to wonder what I would find inside…

The humour in Ground is a ‘softer’ humour that I enjoyed. There were little things that made me smile and care about the characters as well as things that felt like ‘inside’ jokes for working in a coffee shop but that I still understood. (‘Can I just have a normal coffee?’ made me smile.)

The art in Ground is lovely with attention to detail and a lot of soft lines involved. You are introduced to the characters involved by getting a peek into the work lockers. I’m a bit of a nosey nelly, and I really liked that choice for introductions. I also enjoyed how Lee used both single panels as well as single pictures over multiple panels.

(Just looking at that pour makes me want a coffee.)

While it’s definitely a beginning – a chapter one, if you will – I like that it didn’t just cut off in the middle of things. There’s certainly more story implied, but this first zine has a beginning, middle and end. I definitely want to read more, but I’m not left feeling rudely interrupted. At the same time, everything is set up for a series ahead.

All up, this is a lovely zine, and I already know that I want the whole series from start to finish. I recommend checking it out.

PS. I try to regard a zine in and of itself. That being said, this zine did come with a loyalty card on which you can stick letters that you collect by buying the Ground series zines. I really love this idea in and of itself, but the fact that it ties into the coffee shop theme makes it even more fun.