Category: Zine Reviews

Campervan Honeymoon
Kristin Stadum & Johnnie B Baker
20 pages
https://www.angelfire.com/ca/bpress/
https://www.instagram.com/johnniebbaker/

Campervan Honeymoon is a US-sized, half-fold, zine scrapbook from Kristin and Johnnie’s honeymoon around Western Australia.

Is it weird I’m reading a zine featuring one of my neighbour states that I’ve never been to? Or would that only have been weird pre-2020?

Campervan Honeymoon opens with a brief introduction from (forgive me, but I am assuming what handwriting style belongs to whom) Johnnie about how a deal on round trip tickets to Australia decided the destination for their honeymoon. Kristen’s previous visits to Australia determined where they’d travel on the continent.

From there we have a combination of maps, pictures, notes, tickets, and other ephemera to create this scrapbook telling of their trip up the coast of Western Australia. Kristin writes most of the notes and writes them in a cliff notes style that I appreciate. The zine has a nice balance of written notes and other ephemera.

Speaking of the notes, Kristin and Johnnie don’t hold back. The first kangaroo they spotted was a dead one, petrol prices are often ridiculous, and there are just way too many bugs. I like the realistic diary keeping rather than a rose-coloured glasses account. I also love that they not only create the memories but the zine elements together as well.

I compare this to a scrapbook because it’s very much one with various things pasted onto the page like the scrapbooks I used to keep as a teenager. Johnnie’s handwriting is a touch hard to read at points and there is a picture that is a little dark for the laugh I think it could get for non-Australians (for whom ‘thong’ means something a bit different!). But nothing really stopped me from enjoying the zine.

Kristin writes about being tired along the way, and I totally understand those feelings from having packed many things into small trips along the way. But this takes on new meaning – and the zine itself takes on a new special level of meaning, when you read the last page.

I won’t give it away, but the sentiment becomes all that much longer, and living life to the fullest becomes all the more important a lesson after reading the final page.

Campervan Honeymoon was written in 2019 – a year that feels so far away now. But while we still have travel restrictions on, I enjoyed travelling to WA vicariously through Kristin, Johnnie, and their zine.

Two-Timing Dog: Transylvania Bible #3
16 pages
M.J. Ocasio & Monstark
http://mjocasio.com/
https://www.monstark.com/

Two-Timing Dog: Transylvania Bible #3 is a 7cm x 10.7cm black and white comic about a tragic couple dealing with supernatural forces.

My completionist heart wanted to wait to see if I could find the second comic in this series, but my curious soul overruled and I jumped right into this instalment of the Transylvania Bible series.

Two-Timing Dog opens with a ‘gorgeous in its simplicity’ inside cover with information about the two creators. (Links type of information to be found on the back inside cover.) On page one, we are introduced to a familiar scene of sitting across the table from someone. But it’s immediately clear that all is not well with the argumentative words and throwing of a dish. The story then plays on reader expectations, seeming to lead you down one road with the argument at hand only to reveal something much darker and sinister beneath it all.

Like with The Puss and the Shade (review here), you may be able to tell that I don’t want to give away any spoilers. I will say that, as a writer as well as a reader, I loved the play on words – despite how it all ended. Wow. I suspected something along the lines of how it did end, but I ended up surprised just the same.

Also like the first of the series, this zine is beautifully presented. The cover is a shiny metallic grey, the paper inside feels gorgeous and textured, and the art is as magnificent and haunting as always. It’s a small zine, so I appreciate that the creators manage to balance detailed art and storytelling without the comic panels feeling too crammed or otherwise overwhelming.

I’ve been a fan of horror since I was a little girl, so this is definitely my kind of comic zine. I really want to get my hands on the second one and hope that this series is a long running one. I think this and this series is a must have for anyone who appreciates horror – especially horror in comics and short stories.

Jesus the Asshole
Richard Larios
24 pages
https://linktr.ee/FeralPublication

Jesus the Asshole is a US-sized, half-fold black and white comic zine letter to Jesus in which Richard shares his confusion, doubts, and other thoughts about Jesus and, by extension, Christianity.

I have had this zine for a while and wasn’t quite sure what I’d make of it when I read it. But, besides a bit of a rough time with mentions of rape, murder, and slavery, it turned out to be an even more interesting read than I anticipated.

Jesus the Asshole opens with a letter from Richard to the reader letting them know that this zine isn’t meant to be rude or disrespectful for the sake of being rude or disrespectful. He explains that it is ‘the honest ramblings of a young mind’ and even invites readers to make a zine of their own to help him understand things if he’s misrepresented anything. This introduction certainly got me curious about what was to come but also reassured me that this isn’t the zine you might think it is going by the title alone.

Please note that, on that note, this review is the same. I mean no disrespect in my comments. Only pondering and curiosity along with the things Richard has asked in this zine.

From there we get into the comic. Richard writes (and draws) about searching for Jesus, asking questions about Christianity that were never quite well answered. Asking more questions about things like, for instance, if everything is for a plan or purpose, why are there starving children in the world? If it’s up to man to take care of man, then that must be free will and thus not everything happens for a reason.

There’s more where that comes from as well with curious thoughts about the nature of hell, forgiveness, evil, and more all presented in this letter to Jesus form that makes it all the more approachable for the reader.

I quite liked the look of the zine with less structure and more words and drawings all over the page. It had the feel of someone who was also drawing while writing their letter or drawing while on the phone about the topic. Some of the words were hard to read at times, but not so much that I didn’t have any idea what was happening.

As someone who grew up with a church and asked a lot of questions (and wasn’t responded to very positively by adults for asking those questions), this zine really took me back. It also gave me comfort in its own way because I don’t feel alone in this part of my life. Logically I know I’m not, but it’s always nice to see it in zine form as well.

I especially appreciat that, toward the end, there is a gentle reminder that you don’t need to have a religion or be a member of a church to be a decent human being. You can still be good.

I can understand why this would be a sensitive zine for many, but I found it to be a great read. It got me thinking, made me feel less alone, and had a comics element as well. Definitely one to pick up if you’re comfortable with the subject matter.

Does This Count? Poetry From a Non Poet Issue 2
Don Leach
12 pages
https://www.instagram.com/notmovingpics/
http://notmovingpictures.blogspot.com/

Does This Count? is a US-sized half-fold, black and white zine of short poems written in one day from a non-poet.

If you’ve followed this blog and my reviews for a while, you know how I feel about poetry: slightly intimidated with a generous helping of fascinated. I think that’s why I got right into this zine as, on the inside front cover, Don ponders what it is to be a poet. Does simply writing poetry do it, or is there something else involved? Publishing? Acknowledged as good by peers?

Don doesn’t come to a conclusion – and I feel glad about that.

From there we go into the poems. Each page features two or three poems written in different fonts and accompanied by simple line art to make it very easy to tell them apart. They are written in a 5-7-5 syllable haiku style, which I quite like for its strong capacity for both depth of thought as well as depth of humour.

The poems were a mixed bag for me. Some felt absolutely complete and powerful, leaving me thinking about what the words meant to me personally and what they made me feel. Others felt incomplete like the barest moment in time. Yet other still lead me to turn them around in my head, gaining meanings that might not have been intended but worked for me. A mixed bag that I’ve come to expect and even enjoy in poetry.

The back features a little bit more about how this zine came to be: in an inspired session over the course of one day. I won’t go into all the details here, but I rather like the story of songwriter Robert Pollard ‘turning on the faucet’. It reminded me of a lot of writer advice that basically all boils down to ‘just get it down on the page’.

All up, I enjoyed this zine. The title definitely caught me, and the whole concept kept me reading. That someone even created this zine made me feel more comfortable with the occasional poem I write in my journal every now and then. I’d actually quite like to check out the first issue and am curious to know if there will be more to come after this. Check it out. No reason to be intimidated.

“Does any of this even matter? I’ve no idea. I just write what I write.”

Fuck You
Weirdo Brigade
https://linktr.ee/WeirdoBrigade

Fuck You is a US one-page-folded, full colour mini zine basically repeating the title in fun, colourful ways.

I write a lot of serious reviews here, but I have been absolutely full-on cranky all week, so I wanted to check out something that made me laugh. I’m all for spreading sunshine, but I have some saltiness too, and this zine fit my mood perfectly.

Fuck You is a quick read mini with different ways to say ‘fuck you’ set with colourful drawings and backgrounds. There’s no real start or end other than the front and back covers. I don’t know if WB had anyone in particular in mind when they made this, but I love how general it is. If I was a bolder person, I could absolutely see myself carrying multiple copies and handing them out to people who were being… less than kind.

There are no zinemaker details on here, which is usually a sticking point of mine. With this zine, however, I think it’s fitting. The message is the message, and it feels complete just as it is.

There’s something about swear words and rainbows paired together that makes me smile. Paired with a cranky week, this zine made for the perfect release of feels in zine form.

Mummies: A Zine About the Dead
Arinn Westendorf
https://www.arinn.com/
https://linktr.ee/ari.nn

Mummies: A Zine About the Dead is an A6, black and white zine about various mummies found around the world.

An educational zine about mummies with perzine elements included. Count me in.

Mummies opens to some socials details (thank you!) and a cover page before launching right into what we’re here for: mummies! Each spread features a drawing of the mummy on one page and a short description on the other. The description includes the mummy name, approximate date of death, date of discovery, and location followed by what the featured mummy means to Arinn.

Something about Arinn’s drawing style reminds me of Bedtime Stories on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/BedtimeStoriesChannel) – haunting and a little cold, which is so appropriate for the subject matter. Having the drawings of the mummies to go along with the details is a great idea and not only makes it have more impact with the readers but also gives the zine a complete feel that the zine would definitely lack without them.

Mummies aren’t really a passion of mine by any means, but I found this zine a very interesting read. I liked getting a glimpse of knowledge about the mummies and to see them, but more interesting was the impact that each mummy had on Arinn and Arinn’s fascinations with mummies overall.

Mummies: A Zine About the Dead is an interesting mix of educational, art, and perzine. Check it out.

The Lost People: How Pop Culture Helped Me to Deal With Trauma
Marvellous
https://twitter.com/Marglow3
https://www.instagram.com/badquilla/

The Lost People is a full-colour A5 zine about processing childhood trauma and abuse through pop culture.

Marvellous opens the zine with an introduction to himself and how being an abuse survivor has defined him. Talk about being hooked in the first few paragraphs. Marvellous really spoke to me straight away when he wrote about carrying several identities within them:

“I’m the child who wasn’t listened to, I’m the teenager who is always hurting, I’m the young adult who was trying to not let himself drown in the pain of abuse.”

As a child abuse survivor myself, this resonated so much with me. It is one of those things in my life that I just took for granted as part of myself and how I think about myself but never really thought of beyond that. Seeing it on the page like that, written by someone else, was really beautiful to me and was yet another reminder of how powerful zines and shared experiences can be.

From there, Marvellous writes about processing trauma through pop culture. I was delighted to find more similarities between us. While I always knew the movie Spirited Away (and all Miyazaki films really) had a powerful impact on me, it was interesting to take in the story through Marvellous’ interpretation.

Marvellous also processed trauma through other movies and books as well. Because of the strong connection I have to Spirited Away, I found myself eager to write down the things I hadn’t seen and read so I could do so later.

The design of this zine is quite well done with the colours of the background soothing words about an intense journey. Watercolours keep you flowing forward and typed words with a mix of written parts here and there keep variety on the pages.

The Lost People is a good zine about how pop culture can actually help us but also represents a zine for abuse survivors wanting to reach out. I’m a little wary of these subjects for my own mental health, but I found this to be a fairly gentle reaching out. Marvellous expresses himself in a way that resonates rather than triggers bad memories (at least, that was my personal experience).

This is a good zine to check out and one that I hope Marvellous expands further in the future if he cares to do so.

Nice Bum, Where Ya From?
Ryan Pocket Thoughts
https://www.instagram.com/_my_name_is_ryan_/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/pocketthoughts/

Nice Bum, Where Ya From? is an 11cmX9cm full colour zine of art revolving around funny rhyming pick up lines involving backsides.

It’s Friday, and I’m in a cheeky mood (pun fully intended), so I decided to pick up one of Ryan’s zines for some smiles and laughs. I was not at all disappointed.

Nice Bum, Where Ya From? launches right in, carrying on from the funny rhyme (and hairy bum) right on the front cover. From there we are treated to six pages – each featuring a bum-related rhyme and a related drawing. They range from (for me): “Did he really write that?” to “I really need to stop laughing in the next five minutes”. That probably says something about my (low) maturity levels, but… I don’t care. I appreciate the laughs so much.

Ryan’s art style is realistic, colourful, and just plain awesome. Do some pics get a little naughty? Well, about as much as you’d expect from a zine with a hairy bum on the cover. But I think it’s all great. My favourite is the one with a Valentine’s Day flair, but I will say no more on it… You’ll have to see for yourself.

I love Ryan’s zines. More often than not, they remind me not to take myself or whatever I’m making creatively too seriously. His zines remind me to smile and laugh. Definitely grab this. And maybe one for a friend who needs a laugh too.

Fritkot 1-3
Antek
a.blampied(at)hotmail.be
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/pleasetakeonebooks

Fritkot 1-3 is a set of three A6, full-colour collections of photomontages.

One more thing to love about zines is zines like these ones making me feel like I have a cool art exhibition right in my hands.

Fritkot 1 opens with a welcome note from Antek letting the reader know that this is a selection of photomontages from the collection they have been creating over the past five years. What follows is a list of the title of each piece included followed by Antek’s sign of.

We then launch right into twelve (in each issue) pieces for the reader’s enjoyment and contemplation.

Zines like this used to intimidate me because, with little to no guidance, I was afraid of getting the ‘wrong’ interpretation from things. However, these days, I enjoy the mystery and finding my own meanings.

While not every piece strikes me, what I like, I really like. For example, ‘Suburban Street’ in issue two features a graveyard with a cityscape (clearly my description does it absolutely no justice), made such a huge impression on me I found myself losing time just looking at it and thinking about what I felt it was ‘saying’ to me.

Further, while no issue has a theme as such, issue three interested me a lot. The front and back covers imply otherwise, but the pieces inside really gave me the impression of being in the world but not being in the moment. Being too focused on superficiality or small things to see the bigger picture. Am I right? Am I wrong? It doesn’t really matter. I’m enjoying the journey of thinking about it.

Fritkot is an interesting series of photomontages that can prod your mind if you let it. If you like photomontages and collages or would like to start checking them out, then have a look at this series.

Pre-Existing: A Zine About Disability & Chronic Illness During 2020
Anna Gecko & Others
https://www.instagram.com/oleandrsstudio/
https://oleandrsstudio.carrd.co/

Pre-Existing is a full-colour, US-quarter-sized zine about various people’s experiences with disability, chronic illness, medication, and other related subjects during a pandemic.

Pre-Existing opens on the inside cover with a few article headlines about COVID and disability, warming the reader up for the content to come. What comes isn’t gentle, however, with the page opposite featuring an art piece called “Sacrificial Worker” featuring a worker with a medical ID bracelet on. It’s a little dark to see all the details of the art, but it still says so much about working during the pandemic.

What follows are short written pieces covering topics from getting diagnoses to getting/trying to get treatment in this ‘new world’. They are quick reads in word count, but they leave you with a lot to think about long after you’ve finished reading them.

There is hope mixed in with the frustration however, with one contributor writing this about having found a chronic illness support group:

“It was the first time I felt like I didn’t owe an explanation about why I couldn’t do something.”

Beautiful.

Along with the Sacrificial Worker art being a bit too dark (printers are printers are printers), my other nitpick is that the text is cut a bit in a few places. That said, it didn’t pause me for long in my reading of this zine. There was also a small, considerate touch that I don’t see very often – washi tape put over the staples internally. That’s such a nice little touch (especially for someone who has been poked more than a few times by staples).

All up, Pre-Existing is a shorter read and one that I’m glad exists. This is one of those zines that helps us to have sympathy and empathy for each other, lets the contributors have a place to express themselves, and might even help some readers take it easier on themselves in whatever they are dealing with.