Terrible Stories
Kelly McClure
http://www.kellymcclurewritesstuff.com/
Published by Budget Press

Terrible Stories is a half-fold red (some issues blue) ink on cream paper zine collection of six short stories.

This zine opens with a table of contents on page one and nothing more. I might have thought nothing of this on another day, but for this reading, I paused. I felt like the story titles sitting there alone on the page set me up for the zine being all about the words on the pages, if you know what I mean.

Kelly establishes a strong writing voice with the first story. A creative combination of images and words connect directly with the senses. Phrases like ‘tremedous burp’ and ‘satisfied splat’ made me smile but weren’t so distracting that they threw me out of the story. (Even if I did find some of the imagery a bit gross. Haha.)

The first story, ‘Big Sky’, certainly lives up to the title with the violence this reader couldn’t hope to understand involved. Admittedly the stories that follow are more tame, but Kelly certainly came out swinging. Kelly did a great job in setting up a strange situation and still making it even stranger with ease at the end.

I couldn’t help but notice a bit of wandering back and forth between past and present tense in all the stories. This seemed to increase with each story, so it may have been intentional – though that intention is a mystery to me. That being said, it didn’t really throw me out of the stories – more caused a mental note.

I can’t say that I fully understand all the stories in that some felt more like scenes than stories, but I did enjoy them. I found myself going over the little details, wondering if there was something hidden to connect them all or nothing. (There were mentions of breath and breezes, but that’s as far as I got.) I really can’t pick a favourite of the bunch. Each time I start leaning toward one, I remember the things I liked about another.

Recommending fiction can be a tough call, but if you like a bit of horror mixed in with literary fiction, give this one a read. It leaves me feeling curious and eager to read more of Kelly’s writing.

Torso 2018 (1)
Andrew Nicholas
https://www.instagram.com/cavedweller71/
https://cavedweller71.wordpress.com/

Torso 2018 (1) is an A6 full-colour collection of written pieces from the Torso zine series. Ax notes notes them as ‘the best of the written pieces from 2018’s Torso zine.’

Torso opens with a note from the zinemaker. He assures the reader that he’s not insulting himself but doesn’t consider himself to be a poet. He goes on to write about his approach to writing poetry as well as that this zine is an ‘answer’, if you will, to anyone who may not be okay with the male nudity in the other Torso zines but may still enjoy the the written pieces.

I found myself lingering on the intro because I appreciate it for a number of reasons. I sincerely hope that Ax is truly not taking a dig at himself with the ‘not a poet’ mention, but – as a person who feels uneasy when it comes to not understanding poetry – this same mention helped me to relax.

On another note, I truly appreciate that Ax saw a potential problem for some with his previous zines that he found a way to grow and evolve it in different directions. No, you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but Ax acknowledged that not everyone is okay with the nudity in the other issues of Torso, has created something accessible for them.

Alas, I may be prattling on a bit.

What follows are five poems, each on its own page with its own unique colour background. The poems live up to the promises made in the introduction with rhythm and rhyme being secondary to the natural flow of Ax’s thoughts and expressions. They cover feelings of frustration, sadness, wistfulness, and hope. Each poem has its own distinct feelings and nuance, but I feel like vulnerability is a theme that links them all.

Aesthetically, there’s a lot of variety in the backgrounds for the poems. Plus, as a bonus, it unfolds into an A3 poster.

This is an interesting one to me in that I appreciate what I understand to be the intention of the zine as much as the zine itself. One to take a look at.

My First Job
Warglitter
https://linktr.ee/warglitter

My First Job is a black and white illustrated one-page mini about Warglitter’s first job.

In this fun mini, Warglitter writes about how a dream to become a film director landed her as close as she could get at the time: her first job at the concession stand at the movie theatre.

Illustrations add that little something, making a zine that reminds me of the style and tone of Daria. I couldn’t put into words exactly why, but it made me smile nonetheless. What else makes me smile is how Warglitter dated herself on the last page by mentioning what she saved up her money to buy… No spoilers here, zine friends, but I giggled.

My one niggle is no contact details, but that’s what you have me for. 😉

I think a ‘my first job’ is a great idea for a mini and shares an experience many people will identify with. (And/or nostalgia for those who had friends who worked at theatres. Hehe.)

Inktober 2018
Latibule
https://linktr.ee/latibule_art

Inktober 2018 is an A5, full-colour zine filled with 31 pieces of art done for the 31 days of Inktober.

Inktober is a yearly event during which people commit to creating 31 drawings – one per day for the month of October. This gorgeous zine is Latibule’s collection of art for the challenge.

This wordless zine – save for the ‘thank you’ on the last page – is full of wonderful pictures. Each to its own page, the illustrations feature people, places, and creations from Latibule’s mind. From a mouse sleeping in a skull to crow (or raven) on a windowsill, you don’t know what you will get from page to page.

The illustrations themselves don’t seem to have an interconnecting theme (as you’d expect when you’re taking prompts from others like Latibule did), but I love how the colours do. People, places, and creatures alike are all cast in pale blues and greys with the occasional black or third colour in various places. The colours are soft like pastels but colder, giving everything a distinct feel as well as a look.

I do have one wish for this zine, but it’s a little bit of a cloudy one. I would have liked to have seen the prompts written somewhere – especially as I know that Latibule didn’t use the ‘official’ Inktober prompts. I adore the art, but I’m incredibly curious what words inspired each piece. However, the wish is a cloudy one because I’m not clear as to whether I’d be wishing for it if I didn’t know that Latibule had opened this zine up to prompts.

Clear as mud, yes?

To be absolutely clear, I adore Latibule’s art style and am so happy to have a collection of her work. I’ve already flipped through this zine many times and really can’t pick a favourite illustration. (That being said, I really hope Latibule does end up creating her own tarot cards!)

Check out Latibule’s Instagram page. If you love the work you see there, then you’ll want to pick up this zine.