Category: Zine Reviews

A Zine-Zine Proposition
Billy McCall
8 pages
https://www.patreon.com/iknowbilly
https://www.youtube.com/user/iknowbilly

A Zine-Zine Proposition is a US-sized, half-fold, black and white, primarily text zine collection of the best/worst lines from Winner Takes All to create an out-of-context text…

This zine probably wasn’t intended for serious examination by any means, but I needed a laugh today, and this zine certainly provided. Also, not really suitable for younger readers.

Out of habit, I looked at the cover and then looked at the back – something I recommend doing with this zine. Billy gives his own take on the synopsis of Sebastian and Missy’s ‘love’ story, which had me chuckling straight away and feeling prepared for what I would find inside. Well, as prepared as I could be.

Inside Billy launches right into his featured bits and pieces of Winner Takes All. Through these chosen bits of text, we are introduced to Sebastian and Missy – neither of which quite get to any sort of positive light. They’re in Vegas, and they’re tempted to some adult activities with each other. All of which you picked up from Billy’s synopsis.

While these look like complete sentences and paragraphs taken out, some are actually just phrases and snippets. They are more than enough, however, as the reader moves back and forth between wondering what in the world is going on and what in the world kind of sentence is “He wasn’t undisturbed by her nearness”.

On the back, Billy asks if any of this makes sense taken out of context like this. Sort of… but then again, it doesn’t really matter. If you’ve read these sorts of books, you can fill in the blank spots. If you haven’t, I hope the confusion you feel is an amused sort of confusion.

A Zine-Zine Proposition is exactly the sort of zine I wanted to read today: something a bit ridiculous that made me laugh out loud. On one hand, I feel bad for the writer. But I have also enjoyed many a cheesy romance novel in my time as well, so I know just how high the cheese gets piled at times and can laugh along with my guilty pleasure. If you’re like a chuckle, pick this one up.

Really though, what about Tim and all his anime?!

Moon
Edited by Joseph Carlough
16 Authors
20 pages
https://www.displacedsnail.com
https://www.instagram.com/displacedsnail/

Moon is a 9cm x 14cm black and white, primarily text zine with short pieces from sixteen different authors on the theme of ‘moon’.

I am all about moon and stars aesthetics lately, so I got right into this one.

Moon opens to a title page before going into the first short story: a funny consideration from Carolyn Busa about why it’s probably best that we aren’t going to the moon. (Not what I expected in this zine, let alone for the first piece, but that just gave me an even bigger smile because of it.) There are more contemplative stories, myths, and even comics as well. The role of the moon during the Civil War in the piece by Heather Butts touched me as it mentions Harriet Tubman – someone who has been an inspiration to me since I wrote a report about her in third fourth grade.

The layout of this zine is lovely. The slightly marble blue paper of the title page is a nice touch an carries the colour in from the cover. The type is clear and easy to read, and each author/artist’s details are even easier to read.

I’m impressed by the writers given their rather dramatic limitations on word count, but I have to tip my hat to the comic artists for packing so much into such a small space.

Some of the pieces really hit it for me, and some didn’t. This is the nature of a collaborative zine and one of the reasons I love this type of zine. These are all new-to-me names, and it’s nice to have details for following up with people whose creations really struck me.

If you’d like to try something new with a mixture of new voices, then this is definitely a zine for you to check out.

Welcome To Nursing HELLo
Joel Craig
36 pages
http://www.welcometonursinghello.com
https://www.amazon.com/Joel-Craig/e/B00F2L9H9M/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1

Welcome To Nursing HELLo is a 13.5cm x 17cm black and white comic zine about Joel’s life as a nurse.

This is one of those zines I’m very curious about but am almost a little wary because nurses go through a lot of intense situations! But curiosity wins.

Welcome To Nursing HELLo opens with some fine print type details on the inside front cover before getting right into the comics with a brief introduction to Joel. From there we get into a wide variety of topics: the impact of hours and scheduling, interactions between nurses and between nurses and doctors, and even a dream with Madonna. Some stories are funny, some tense, and others are even educational with a ‘tips for nurses’ feel.

The middle spread of the comic serves as a game board for ‘The Nurse Game’, which even has a set of rules and some ‘Get Out of Employee Heath Free’ cards. With board spots like “Catch a PT having sex in their room w/visitor but they have visitor ID band. Close door” and “Perform well during a code. Move ahead 3 spaces”, it’s not a game for the faint of heart.

The zine wraps up with a few panel hints about what (I assume) will be coming in the next zine.

Zine Review: Welcome To Nursing HELLo is a perzine in comic form, and I love a perzine. I prefer to start at the beginning of a series, but starting with the second one didn’t leave me wanting or confused for having not read the first one. It continues on seamlessly (from all appearances) from the first one after the brief introduction.

Anything I was confused about came from a lack of nursing knowledge. For instance, I had no idea what a charge nurse is, but I did get the general gist of the role from the comic. I’m also still not clear about nurse hierarchy and have no idea what an NA is, but there was nothing that took me completely out of the story itself. (Nor do I feel they need explaining within the comic unless it’s specific to the story like “I had to report to this person”.)

Joel’s writing is real about how things are happening but doesn’t get stuck in details (as you really can’t for a well-paced comic with limited text space) – and also doesn’t get into any shock/horror factors, which I greatly appreciated.

All up, Zine Review: Welcome To Nursing HELLo was a very interesting read with a lot of unfamiliar to me content. There wasn’t much I could identify with as such, but that made it all the more satisfying to my curious self. I recommend giving this one a look, and I will be getting the others in the series.

Better Than Me: a zine about comparison
Elisa
8 pages (1 A4 page folded)
https://www.instagram.com/elisaszines/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/elisaszines

Better Than Me: a zine about comparison is a 1-page-folded, black text on green paper mini-zine about comparison and

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt

This is one of my favourite quotes as belittling myself by comparing myself to others is something that I’ve worked hard on stopping. As you can imagine, the moment I saw this zine, I knew I had to read it.

Elisa opens right into the text, writing about how they’ve always had a problem with self-esteem. Elisa then writes about struggling with confidence and thinking poorly of themself to the point of insults and self-punishment. But Elisa shares hope in having spent years in recovery and learning self-love and appreciation. They even write a sort of call to action for the person reading to try to change perspective and society.

All wrapped up in a little mini.

This is one of those zines that simply spoke to me, and I struggle to see it from an impartial reviewer’s eyes. I know what it’s like to constantly drag myself down, and with the utterly easy access to social media, it’s easier than ever to use others as a mean to berate ourselves. As much as I would love to see this zine expanded into a chunky monkey of a zine on the topic, there is so much value to a short and sweet message of ‘you are enough’.

If you struggle with comparing yourself to others, this mini is a lovely pocket reminder that you’re not alone and that it’s possible to dismantle the habit of comparison.

Six of Swords
Wesley Sueker
22 pages
https://twitter.com/twentytwozines
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0cuGEP5neJCsjfkbBy6I2w
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/TwentyTwoZines

Six of Swords is an 11cm x 19cm black and white zine mixture of perzine and info zine exploring the Six of Swords in the tarot and its related symbolism.

Six of Swords opens with a quote from The Haunting of Hill House before we are introduced in perzine fashion to the melancholic nature of sixes in the tarot. Usually I would wait to write about Wesley’s writing style, but this was a magnificent blend of personal story launching into the main topic.

This blend of information with perzine qualities continues as Wesley writes about the nature of the card influencing the creation process with the zine itself, sixes not only in the tarot but in numerology, a breakdown of the symbolism of the cover art, and more.

The aesthetic of this zine is so lovely on so many levels. From the ‘easter egg’ of the zine having twenty-two pages (Wesley of Twenty Two Zines), to the zine itself being shaped like a tarot card. Inside, the zine features Six of Swords cards from various decks, and it’s interesting to see the different visual interpretations.

I learned even more than I was expecting in Six of Swords, which was a lovely surprise considering that I was expecting to learn a lot. Wesley has been incredibly thorough. I was also excited to see Knight of Cups, Judgement, and Death zines continuing on this series in Wesley’s Etsy shop. If I may be so bold – Queen of Pentacles next perhaps? Haha.

Six of Swords is everything I was hoping it would be and more. This whole series is going onto my wish list for sure. If you have any interest in tarot (especially with a perzine flair), check out this zine.

Five O’Clock in Tokyo 1
Craig
12 pages
https://www.instagram.com/craiganthonyatkinson/
https://www.instagram.com/fiveoclockzine/
https://www.jessicamaybury.com/shop
Back cover by https://www.instagram.com/ogatatetsuo/

Five O’Clock in Tokyo 1 is an A5 size black and white, handwritten text perzine about the cycles of life.

Five O’Clock in Tokyo 1 opens with a note from Craig about wanting to make a zine like this for a long time – a zine about current life. From there we read a definition of season, the theme of the four part story to follow.

Craig writes about the parallels between the inevitable cycles of the seasons and the cycles in life. He writes about life experiences and coming back to them later with new perspective. Fatherhood plays a strong part in these contemplations – both Craig’s father and father-in-law as well as being a father.

We also get a bonus zine review and an introduction to two places where Craig likes to buy books.

An A5 zine with big, clear handwriting and contemplating life? Talk about a zine I’m totally into. Craig’s writing style is contemplative with a flow that keeps things moving forward – utterly appropriate with the themes being written about.

I enjoyed this zine a lot. I felt like it was the tip of an iceberg in Craig’s perzine writing. I look forward to the next one.

Snow World Acts 1 & 2
Micah Liesenfeld
40 pages each
https://www.instagram.com/micahnova/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/micahnova

Snow World Acts 1 & 2 are about 5.5cm x 5.5cm black and white comics about exploring a new world… and then efforts to escape.

Comics featuring snow worlds are definitely welcome as I’m sitting here trying to beat the heat of the day with the fan blowing on my face.

Snow World Act 1 opens wordlessly with our space explorer moving along through the vastness of space to find the snow world. From there we follow the explorer as they wander the world and are pulled into a whole different world. This is where Act 2 starts, and the explorer discovers they are not alone, but togetherness might not quite be what they are looking for.

Holding these tiny comics, I am definitely getting some serious Mini Zine March vibes. They are small! Not only that; each page features four comic panels. That being said, I would have expected a bit less detail for some of the panels. Some are very simple panels, but others still have a lot going on. Micah doesn’t let the size deter them whatsoever in telling the story they want to tell.

Speaking of the story, it’s fairly easy to interpret, but I did find myself taking a few different possibilities from it. (Not so much the ending but building up to the climax.) This isn’t a bad thing, though. I’m a writer and enjoyed the whole imagining process.

I think these zines are cute, and I tip my had to Micah for not only putting so much onto each tiny page but also to telling a story without a single word. They made for quick reading (viewing?) but enjoyable nonetheless. I hope there are more to enjoy.

Manifest (zine) #1
Jennifer Payne
1 Page Folded
https://3chairspublishing.com
https://linktr.ee/jenpayne

Manifest (zine) #1 is a full colour 1-page-folded mini-zine that explores the theme of divine intervention in the forms of poetry, collage, and art.

This is the kind of paper that makes me want to pet zines.

Manifest (zine) #1 opens to a note set on a background of yellowed pages of (I believe) a book written in latin. The note asks the reader to contemplate the forces that inspire or otherwise cause is to move in our lives. From there the reader opens the zine once more to reveal side-by-side poems about change. Finally, we open to the middle spread: a combination of art, collage, and more poetry exploring self and change.

I have mentioned many times how poetry is something I don’t often connect with for a few reasons. That said, the poetry in this zine is more in the form of prose-like poetry, which made the imagery and messages easier for me to follow and understand.

The design of this zine is lovely. The paper is so nice and smooth, and the colour printing goes all the way to the edge. I love watercolours and clocks as a visual theme, so I felt drawn in before I read a single word. The layout with each unfolding revealing its own spread was a nice, fun touch too. (It’s not your standard ‘one page folded’ layout. You open this all the way up.)

I love contemplations of self and various forces in the universe, so this zine is definitely one for me. Combine it with Jennifer’s art style, and you have a much-enjoyed read for me.

This is such a fun, creative zine, and I’m so happy to have more in the series. I definitely recommend checking it out.

The Stars Are Back
Bern
16 pages
https://www.instagram.com/beanie.sprout/
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/bernysprout

The Stars are Back is a full colour 14cm x 18cm comic about the impact of toxic relationships and how life-changing it can be to develop a healthy relationship with yourself as well as with another person.

There is a trigger warning for a suicide mention in this zine.

Oh my goodness, this zine got me right in the centre of my heart and stayed there the whole way through.

The Stars are back starts in a dark place with one of the hardest ordeals a friend can deal with. From there, the author writes about bad relationships and friendships in their life that were toxic for various reasons. But there is light to be found in the darkness and reasons that the stars come back to light the universe. This isn’t a story that ends up in a neat little happily ever after bow, but rather a story of real life that ends with the unknown future looking positive.

“But one day, I tried to stop lighting myself on fire to keep them warm.”

There are so many different things that I like about this zine, but this quote really stuck out to me. As someone who deals with PTSD and still has nightmares thanks to other humans, this zine spoke to me so much. Also, as someone who only recently found someone who makes their heart shine in that special way, it resonated. I think a lot of people will identify with this zine on a number of levels. Bad relationships are something many have struggled with, and I can only wish that everyone will find someone who makes their stars shine brightly again. This comic zine definitely give that hope.

I can’t write a full review without mentioning the quality of this zine. It’s lovely! From the cardstock cover to thicker inner pages to the to-the-edge colour printing, it’s simply a beautiful comic. Bern’s art style is colourful and intense with so much visual interest. Yes, there are dark elements, but the art style itself and later panels show an artist with such a fun and bubbly personality underneath all the bad things that have happened.

All up, I think this is a wonderful zine. If you don’t mind what’s noted in the trigger warning, this is definitely one to check out.

Sometimes People Don’t Suck #4
HRW
https://linktr.ee/hrw_writes

Sometimes People Don’t Suck 4 is a black and white one-page mini-zine featuring a story about a chance encounter with a stranger and momentary bonding over an awe of nature.

If this title sounds familiar, it may be because I reviewed
Sometimes People Don’t Suck 1, 2, and 3 as well as Sometimes People Don’t Suck 5.

HRW was incredibly generous to send me this zine after I mentioned how much I love the series and how my completionist heart needed the fourth of the series. This mini fits right snugly nice into this good feels series with a short story about following a hawk that led to a brief but interesting chat with a stranger.

HRW launches right into the story with typed text set on patterned backgrounds. The backgrounds bring interest visually but aren’t so intense as to take away from the story itself.

I absolutely adored this story. There’s a point at which the stranger asks, “What are you looking at?” which I immediately interpreted as aggressive. Tone of voice and body language can be everything, as can be previous experiences. I don’t know if other readers will have that immediate gut reaction, but that reaction made me appreciate the ending and the overall story itself all the more.

It can be a little difficult to find these zines if you come across one and want to go looking for the others, as the only identification is the “HRW” on the back. However, a title search along with that will bring you to my past reviews to help guide any curious people.

I think we could all use reminders that sometimes people really don’t suck, and this whole series is great at doing that. I imagine whether or not this series continues depends on how many more experiences HRW has had or will have in the future. But I truly hope this is a mini-zine series that goes for a very long time.