Category: Zine Reviews

Side Project #5
Samantha EE, Teresa Watts, Sabrina Wong, Sophie Raynor, Evelyn Paolino
www.sideprojectmag.com
@sideproject_mag (Twitter/IG/FB/Pinterest)

Side Project is a series about DIY and living creatively. In this issue, there are artist interviews, how-to instructions for a couple crafty projects, and various articles. This zine is the magazine that I always wanted to read growing up.

At $10, Side Project is definitely in the higher price range for a zine. However, for the price, you are getting a full colour, 46 page zine printed on nice paper. Aesthetically, it’s a very pretty zine. Everything is very neat, colourful, nicely laid out, and readable. It’s chock full of information and is a zine you can sit and pour over for hours.

In layout and feel, it’s very much a magazine. Those can be fighting words in the zine arena, but with ‘a zine for creatives’ on the cover but ‘mag’ in the URL, I don’t think the Side Project team is going to take it badly. I think they understand that they walk an interesting line.

Side Project puts me in a very strange space that I’ve never been in before. On one hand, it’s a zine. On the other hand, it’s almost not. It’s so perfectly well put together and perfectly created that it almost throws me a bit. There is often a sort of grit – a misprint here or a wonky staple there – and handmade feel to zines that Side Project doesn’t have because of its production.

That’s by no means at all a bad thing – please don’t take me wrong in that. And I certainly don’t mean to say that all zines have misprints or wonky staples. I only mean to say that Side Project is certainly different to my usual zine read.

In many ways the magazine-like qualities work very much in its favour. The combination of the aesthetic with pieces about creatives who live in Australia and sell on Etsy was really inspiring. It made me feel like homegrown creators can get the real recognition they deserve. I loved reading about talented people I could identify with as a creator and enjoyed articles on subjects I give a damn about.

On that note, my favourite piece of the entire zine was definitely the piece on Imposter Syndrome. I didn’t know that the feelings I hold all the time actually had a name and that other people feel them, too. I like that they didn’t just write about it but also added on some tips for making your imposter feelings work in your favour.

All up, this zine is gorgeous to look at and enjoyable to read. I can think of a few DIY friends I’d like to get copies for. DIY, Etsy sellers, and other creatives will enjoy it.

Proof I Exist 22: International Zine Month
Billy McCall
iknowbilly@gmail.com

International Zine Month is July, which means it’s coming up fast!

Proof I Exist 22 is about International Zine Month 2015 and the love of all things zine. If you’re not familiar, IZM has an ‘activity a day’ list created by Alex Wrekk (http://www.stolensharpierevolution.org/international-zine-month/) to go along with it, and Billy made a zine to document his progress.

You all know I’m always going to read a zine about zines, and adding in the perzine side of things is like hitting the zine jackpot for me. Talk about enjoyable and inspiring. As Billy himself says, this is a zine nerd’s zine, and I am all over that.

As much as I like that Billy made an IZM zine, I like that he didn’t make a zine of the prompts alone. He includes things like the zines he writes, the story of his first zine, and other things mixed in with the prompts. It makes the zine-y goodness that much better – plus I really enjoyed reading Billy’s story about his very first zine.

Aesthetically this zine is a bit different with the half-fold running vertically instead of horizontally. I found it interesting how one small choice could make it seem to different.

A fun sneaky little surprise in this zine is the mini-zine you find tucked inside. Have I mentioned that Billy called this a zine nerd’s zine? Because he’s not only embraced that but takes it to all kinds of fun levels.

As you may have guessed at this point, I love this zine and would love to see many more people celebrate International Zine Month in the same way.

Thought For The Day: The Body Image Issue
Chloe Henderson
www.chloehenderson.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/chloehenderson9/

Thought For The Day: The Body Image Issue is a series of black and white photos featuring short thoughts on beauty and body written on various body parts (save for the last page, which is a drawing).

By their nature, mini zines are often quick reads. While this one is no exception, it’s a quick read that I have enjoyed several times over.

There’s something about this zine that really captured me and had me going back over the pages. Body image can be a sensitive and complicated issue, and this zine approached it with both vulnerability and humour. (Knees are weird.)

I love that the body thoughts are actually written on skin. What may have been a simple decision at the start had made all the images somehow more intimate. The words have more of an impact on me than they would have typed or written out on paper.

I really enjoyed this zine and hope that there are more ‘thought for the day’ zines in this series. Though honestly, a series of more of the same would be most welcome, too.

The Screever Issue Eleven Spring ’17
Lee and Nat
https://www.facebook.com/thescreeverzine
http://thescreever.blogspot.com
IG: @thescreeverzine

I was a little bit nervous when The Screever got in contact about their punk zine because music isn’t my strong point. But they were willing to give me a chance, and I’m so glad they did.

The Screever is a little punk zine chock full of all kinds of fun stuff.

There’s something really satisfying about a chunky little zine. You know it’s going to be chock full, and it’s all waiting there for you to read it. The Screever certainly doesn’t disappoint, with ‘variety’ being the special word of the evening. There’s plenty to enjoy.

The Screever includes interviews, reviews, and even recipes! There’s even variety within those categories as well. With the interviews, Screever chats with a musician, film maker, zine makers, and a record label. The reviews include reviewing books, music and zines.

I may not have been able to finish my degree in graphic communications, but I do remember a few things. Layout-wise, this is a very visually appealing zine. Interviews in three-column pages, articles in one column and so forth… Visual consistency in combination with the variety of contents is a pleasing thing – even if we don’t consciously realise it.

Credit where credit is due – and The Screever is good at giving credit. The photo credits, contributor links, and the like are all oh so readable.

On a side note, I love the little things, and you can bet that I was thrilled to see puzzles included in there. Sudoku!

Even better yet, lovely readers, they’re open for contributions!

Check out this zine. You may end up agreeing with me, you may end up disagreeing, but check it out anyway.

PS. I read introductions! I also like reading project updates, so keep them coming.

Bluez
Fafa Jaepelt, Patricia Breccia, Sandro Andrade, Earl Oldman, Adao de Lima Junior, Michel Garcia Sanches, Henry Jaepelt
IG: @catarinacomixfestival
Catarina Comix Festival Page

And now for something a little different! Like with Catzine, I am not at all familiar with Portuguese but was very curious to find out what translated through images and how it lined up when I translated the text.

Bluez is a collection of comics by various artists, all of which centre around a darker, soulful theme of ‘blues’ than you may be thinking of.

I’ll say straight from the start that there is beautiful, detailed art in this zine. I am in such awe of the talent contained within these pages, and I was stuck on the first page for a long time because the image is so gorgeous that I didn’t want to stop looking at it. So lovely. It’s all also very well suited to black and white.

So it’s with a very heartfelt plea that future issues of this zine have contact details, blog pages, instagram accounts… anything so people can check out more work by these artists because they are so talented!

It was very interesting to see what I could ‘get’ from the comics before translating the words. True to the musical genre they were channeling, the art is deep, a little dark at times, and very soulful. Little did I know!

Google Translate has its faults, but I was able to get a fair gist of the meaning. There was already a sort of darkness to the art, but the words added a new layer of intensity. As the reader, it was a strange experience to get these ‘layers’ separately rather than together. Strange in a very good way, though.

I definitely recommend checking this zine out – even if you have to make use of Google Translate. There’s something about the art that has really captured me.

Johnny V and Sober Bob and the Hunt for Gender Affirming State Mandated Identification
Johnny V and Sober Bob
@_johnny.v
@soberbobmonthly

Dedicated to all those fighting to have their genuine and beautiful genders affirmed by the institutions that demand documentation but refuse to provide any.

Johnny V and Sober Bob and the Hunt for Gender Affirming State Mandated Identification is a small zine addressing big problems. Trying to get official government level paperwork sorted is difficult even when it’s ‘easy’, so to be facing discrimination on top of that turns it into an entirely different monster.

Johnny V’s efforts to obtain proper identification made for a quick read but an upsetting one. It’s sad to know that getting something like this sorted is more a matter of getting the right person rather than being able to solidly reply on systems that are meant to be there and work for the people.

I was so swept up in Johnny and Bob’s story that I doubly appreciated one of the notes at the end of the zine. Sober Bob made a zine not only to document personal experiences but also to think about what it must be like for people trying to do the same thing but with fewer resources.

This zine may feel like a quick read, but it touches on a lot of issues as well as can be a great read to help people feel less alone in their struggles with government bodies.

The Cock Thesaurus
Mostly by Jade Walsh
http://tootzines.bigcartel.com/

How could I not pick up a zine that gave me a little giggle with its title alone?

The Cock Thesaurus is more of a ‘related concepts’ thesaurus rather than a list of synonyms as it has similar words with different meanings rather than different words with similar meanings. From ‘the cock’ to ‘cock (possessive noun)’, this zine has all your cocky word definitions taken care of. It reminds me a bit of urban dictionary but with only the single definition per word.

Aesthetically this zine is a little bit different in the binding. The pages are stapled to the back rather than the spine. While it does leave the back cover a little short, it makes the overall cover interesting. With black and white pages containing text only, standard paper and staples to bind it the $6 price tag does niggle, though.

Yes, this zine definitely speaks to my giggly self, but I’m also intrigued by explorations into words – especially words that we give more power to than others. If you’re the same, this may be a zine for you.

Plus, if it is the zine for you, there are more! It’s part of a series with The Fish Thesaurus and The Ass Thesaurus.

Self Help 2
?
selfhelpzine@gmail.com

Self Help 2 is a zine about perfectionism, finding the right self-care, defending your needs, and having hope for the future. It’s also a zine that I found was enhanced by the zine that came before it…

Part of the reason that I decided to put this review up so quickly after my review of the first one is the experience I had in reading them one after the other. They certainly work completely well as standalone zines, but I got some added enjoyment out of reading them together like I did.

The perspective that I liked in Self-Help 1 of looking back on the teenage years with the gaze of someone in their late twenties is echoed in a way in this zine. Instead of the usual jump of a couple months to a year or so in most perzines I’ve read, the jump from the first to the second in this series is a jump from 26/27 years old to 31 years old. Not huge, but certainly significant when it comes to looking back.

One particular topic touched on in this zine that I found interesting is the stigma that exists even within ‘open’ communities when it comes to using ‘traditional’ approaches to mental illness treatment like medication and seeing psychologists/psychiatrists. I like reading about people finding success with those things just as much as I like reading about people who find success in other ways. I think it’s important for people to call out hypocritical behaviour that deters people from finding success in whatever way they can.

This zine still has the ‘scrapbook’ type feel with ‘outside’ pieces included, but this one had a bit more writing and reflection, which I like. There’s also still a focus on perfectionism. As the author writes, “Changing things is a slow, slow, slow process”. Something I feel is reflected in the jump of time between zines but more of a noticeable point when you read the zines one after the other.

I hope anyone who reads this zine can get Self Help 1 at the same time and read them both. I found it inspirational to see someone learning and growing so much in the space of two zines.

A PS for readers outside Australia: This zine comes with seeds, so you may need to request that they are removed before it’s sent.

Self Help #1
?
selfhelpzine@gmail.com

This zine is an exercise in self-therapy. It’s not about wallowing in self-pity, or blaming anyone, or trying to dwell unnecessarily on the past… it is necessary. I want to write this zine to help me figure out where I am now.

With a first page like that, you know where you’re going with a zine.

Self Help #1 is not only an exercise in self-therapy but also self-examination. The author examines their teenage years through their adult eyes. You might read that and think that it sounds cliche, but I found it really engaging. I think there’s something validations about looking back and realiseing that it’s not always “just teenage angst”. It’s ‘what we’ve learned’ without the sticky sweet high-horsing morals of an after-school special. These are real things learned by a real person.

I say ‘the author’ because I don’t think a name is mentioned at any point. It’s entirely possible that I missed it, but it also didn’t distract me as much as I thought it would.

I was surprised to see the articles that were included in the zine, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I feel like it might be a ‘meh’ point for people who read perzines purely for the personal stories. On the other hand, it could be the best of both worlds for other people with most of the articles credited so you could check out more info if you wanted.

The author touches a lot on the subject of perfectionism and how it can drive anxiety. While I’m very familiar with anxiety and perfectionist thinking, perfectionism as its own entity to deal with was new to me and interesting to read about.

The combination of subjects makes it into a zine that I think would hit the mark well with teens as well as those struggling with perfectionism.

Getting Over It… When Other People Are Total Assholes or You’re Just Tired of Your Own Bullshit
Dr Faith G Harper
theintimacydr@gmail.com
microcosmpublishing.com

Getting Over Is a zine about ways to get past the things that are holding you back – whether it’s from other people or from within yourself.

When I picked this up, I did so for the ‘or you’re just tired of your own bullshit’ portion of things, but I like that there is an acknowledgement of both internal and external things we have to get past in our lives.

The zine starts off with the difference between an emotion and a mood. I think this is an important distinction to make for general knowledge but especially for identifying the problems that this zine can possibly help with.

It’s been a while since I’ve read one of Dr Harper’s zines, so I’d forgotten the occasional swearing and the ‘no bubble wrap here’ approach to things. The advice is the right mix of steel and understanding for me, but if you prefer a softer approach (nothing wrong with that), this zine might be a bit full on for you.

There were a few things that were difficult to read, but it’s not always easy admitting how much power we really have in our lives. Much easier to focus on what is out of our hands.

Did I find this zine helpful? Yes. The very first ‘tip’ – What story are you telling yourself about the situation? – was the most helpful in an ‘it’s not about you’ way.

I can see this zine pissing some people off. I felt my anger rise in reaction before I caught myself and realised that I was reacting defensively to what I was thinking rather than to what I was actually reading. If you think this zine will be of use to you, I think it will.

PS. So many things for not saying that blasted phrase I hate so much: “Someone else has it worse”