Claiming Bisexuality
Adelaide Barton
http://www.brusquebabe.com
https://www.instagram.com/brusquebabe/

Claiming Bisexuality is a black and white, about 11cm X 18cm sized zine about confusion around bisexuality and exploring it both as “an umbrella term as well as a distinct sexual identity”. (Quote from the front inside cover.)

Claiming Bisexuality opens with a dedication of sorts in that this zine was written for people who think they don’t count or aren’t ‘queer enough’ for the bisexual label. It’s a lovely strong but gentle start – and exactly what I was hoping for.

From there we learn about the author’s own realisations in regards to sexual and romantic attractions *not* being intrinsically linked. How people can be, for example, ‘heteroromantic and bisexual’. What is offered as a perzine-esque introduction to the zine begins the interesting path of education and appreciation of the subtleties in meaning.

On that note, we them move into a section I greatly appreciated that breaks down the different between sex (biological) and gender (societal). I appreciated it because I’ve seen and heard both terms used when the person using them meant the other but also because the author took the time to make it clear how sex isn’t as binary as many people would like to think. My pedantic editor soul enjoyed this, and the shy ‘I’m not clear about myself’ part of me enjoyed it as establishing this zine to be one of gentle but clear education.

I could really go on and on about this zine section by section. It’s so chock full of information, quotes, definitions, and more. There are even charts, some of which the author uses to show interesting ways to define attraction and sexuality.

There is so much going on in this zine that I even considered taking notes in a few places. I learned so much about labels, definitions, bisexuality in the media, and difficulties people who are bisexual face. There is a lot to love visually, too, with readable handwritten text, drawn pictures, and the aforementioned charts.

One part that means a lot to me and made me feel better about myself in general is this:

“There is no correct age to claim one’s identity, and there’s no correct age to update one’s identity to something that best reflects where someone is currently at.”

Wrapping up with a big ol’ list of cited sources, Claiming Bisexuality is the best ‘bi primer’ I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I would not hesitate to give it to anyone who is questioning and/or wants to know more. (Just not my copy, because I’d be very sad to lose it.) Check it out.

Behind the Scenes with George Rex
George Rex
http://www.georgerexcomics.com
http://www.instagram.com/girlrexdoor

Behind the Scenes is an A5 full-colour comic zine that takes you ‘behind the scenes’ in George’s life as a comic artist and illustrator.

With the front inside cover dedicated to George’s chosen tools of the trade and page one diving into explaining why George uses light blue pencil before inking, Behind the Scenes wastes no time with inviting you into their world as a comic artist.

From there, George takes us through an illustrated world of George quitting her job to become a freelancer, a dream studio day vs an average one, and a whopping seven glorious pages dedicated to the love (and stress) of new sketchbooks. There’s plenty more to enjoy as well!

You may think this comic isn’t for you because you’re not an artist. I’m not an artist by any means, and I found heaps I not only enjoyed but also identified with. I absolutely love the sketchbook section because my love for notebooks will never die. I had all the feelings for George’s comparison between a dream day at the studio and what is more often the reality.

Ah, for a penny for each good intention.

I had a chuckle at one point when George mentioned the time when Officeworks briefly stopped stocking Uni Pin Fineliners because I remember that. I also remember feeling similar disappointment.

I’ve talked about George’s art style before (Oh Brother! (https://www.seagreenzines.com/zine-review-oh-brother-some-stories-about-growing-up-with-a-brother-with-autism/), ADL -> MEL (https://www.seagreenzines.com/zine-review-adl-mel-2/) ), and this comic offers even more. Black and white, full colour, pages coloured by various shades and tints of blue – and that’s just on the colours front.

It’s no secret that I love George Rex’s work, and Behind the Scenes really wins it all. This zine takes George’s amazing and fun style and mixes it with everything my nosy self loves about perzines. Grab a copy.

A Beginner’s Guide to Bizarro Fiction
Ben Fitts
https://www.instagram.com/doom_goat_666/
doomgoat666@gmail.com

A Beginner’s Guide to Bizarro Fiction is a black and white half-fold zine introduction to bizarre fiction, authors in the genre, and recommended reads.

Well, zine friends, Ben found the right audience in me because I am, in fact, a beginner when it comes to this genre.

Beginner’s Guide opens with a short overview of bizarro fiction – what defines the genre and influences within it (from Kafka to Philip K Dick). I must admit that I felt a little lost at the start, but if you use ‘Kafka’ to illustrate what you’re trying to tell me, I will understand pretty quickly. (Some school required reads just stick with you.)

The bulk of the zine is made up of profiles for authors Ben recommends. Each page is dedicated to an author with their name, photo, and a brief introduction. Each profile also has ‘recommended reading’ as well. I quite liked that little addition because they can help you to narrow down where to start. A few even have, “If nothing else, try reading…” recommendations.

If you hadn’t picked up that I like recommendations, you will with the fact that I really liked how Ben wrapped up the zine with a couple lists of more books. I like that along with more bizarre titles, Ben also recommends books outside the genre that bizarro fans will enjoy.

If you like reading and want to broaden (or expand, if you already read these kind of books), check out this zine.

Fishy Encounters
Gina Ulgen
https://www.instagram.com/paper_draper/

Fishy Encounters is an A6 full-colour zine of collage style art with a distinctly fishy theme.

I will do my best not to make any fishy puns in the course of this review.

Fishy Encounters takes you right into the content of the zine and carries you all the way through to the end with a collage occupying every page – even the front inside cover. Inside, you will find a mostly wordless (save for words that are on/a part of the collages) zine with strange and, I found, often amusing combinations of images.

I’m not sure if I’m supposed to find the images amusing or something else, but I appreciate the smiles nonetheless. I’m not particularly attracted to fish or the ocean on a larger scale, but I count that as a plus that I still found enjoyment in this.

In fact, it reminds me of my friend Fishspit, who is the king of collage envelope art in my eyes.

The two collages I enjoyed the most were black and white photos with ‘Fig. 2’ and ‘Fig. 4’ beneath them as well as descriptions for what is happening in the pictures. Fish pictures are put in just the right spots to make it funny, but the real special touch is that Gina found the word ‘fish’ in similar small fonts to cover certain words. For instance, Fig. 2 has been made into ‘Fig. 2 – Bathing a Fish’ thanks to that tiny word ‘fish’ being put over the original text.

I hope I’m making sense with that. Bottom line, I found the collage with a man who has a fish on the lead with ‘Fig. 4 – Training a Fish. Teaching him to come to heel when called’ quite funny.

I do have one small nitpick in the lack of contact details. ‘Gina Ulgen’ is printed on the back, so you’re not left completely in the dark, but I have become a bit spoiled and like direct links to things.

Fishy Encounters is a short zine that made me smile a lot. If you like collage art, fish, or something a bit different, check out this zine.