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Happy Mail Monday: Wonderful Friends

Hello, zine friends! Welcome to another Happy Mail Monday where I share the wonderful snail mail goodness that has come my way in the past week.

I must admit I nearly missed today because it’s a public holiday here in South Australia, so this quiet town I’m in is especially quiet. However, wonderful friends have sent wonderful mail, so how can I not be in the spirit to share?

I was pouting a bit on Twitter about moving out of Victoria mere weeks before the Tonerpalooza 2 – especially because I wanted a super cute YES pin (which I thought was a sticker but am super pleased is a pin) by @yippywhippy. Well Apples very generously volunteered to stop in and pick one up for me!

Even better, she surprised me with a zine – fresh made by her friend on the day of sending. How nice is that? A very happy little package indeed. Many, many thanks to Apples for her help – and to Avery for the zine!

Just in case anyone noticed the fuzz in the background of the picture, yes, Asimov wanted to get in on the photo session.

This isn’t zine-related mail, but I figure happy mail is happy mail, right? I want to share it all!

A friend of mine went to Japan recently, and she picked up some goodies for me! The ninja and Totoro letter sets are super cute – and of course the little fox (something says fox rather than cat, but I’m not sure) is too. The glint of gold is a bookmark from a Miyazaki film I’m not familiar with (but will now definitely search out), and the other packs are origami paper.

There is a gorgeous notebook on the right, which is so cool not only in and of itself but also because I’ve wanted to teach myself Japanese style book binding for ages. Then we have the Snoopy (squee!) pencil case! I’m not ‘into’ Charlie Brown on the whole, but I always loved Snoopy because he was always writing a novel (like me as a kid). Hehe.

Though she likely won’t see this post, thank you to my friend M for thinking of me on her wonderful holiday!

PS. There was also Pocky in the package, but… well, I love Pocky and ate them before I got to taking pictures. Oopsie.

 

That’s all the mail goodness for me this week. I am in the midst of unpacking boxes and organising my new office space, so if you have any favourite organisation tips, websites, or the like, please leave a comment! I’m feeling a little overwhelmed over here at the moment.

May your week ahead be beautiful, and the birdsong be lovely.

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Call for Calls for Submissions: Spread the Word About Your Zine/Distro/Library!

Zine Calls for Submissions

Share your call for submissions, let people know about your distro or zine library, announce your newest zine, let people know you are crowdfunding a zine project… If you have an announcement to make that has to do with zines, do it here! Sea Green Zines wants to be your megaphone. Even better? It’s an automatic shout out on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr when you advertise here.

Big fuzzy love hearts to those who have a .jpg call for subs, but all are welcome. Get in touch by emailing theauthor[at]inkyblots.com or comment below.

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Call for Submissions: Arospec Poetry Network

The Arospec Poetry Network is seeking submissions from arospec (= who belong on the aromantic spectrum) visual artists to illustrate the third issue of its collective art/poetry zine “Don’t Talk To Me Of Love”.

This issue will center around the theme of beginnings & endings.

Artists have the choice between directly submitting original content related to this theme, or getting in touch with our members to work in closer relation and illustrate a particular piece of poetry.

We accept traditional art, digital art, photography, comics (1 to 2 pages), … You can always get in touch if you’re not sure whether you’re artwork would fit our zine.

All rights will remain with the artists. Since the zine is going to be a free publication, we cannot offer financial compensation. Submissions limited to three pieces at a time.

Due date for submissions is October 4th.
The zine should be released in December/January.

You can contact us and/or send in your submissions per e-mail: meenilevi@gmail.com or through tumblr: @arospecpoetrynet.

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Zine Review: Radical Vulnerability and Mental Health

Radical Vulnerability and Mental Health
Queer Marshmallow
queer_marshmallow@riseup.net
IG: @queermarshmallow

Radical Vulnerability and Mental Health is a black and white… I feel like it falls under the category of perzine, but I really want to call it a ‘contemplation zine’.

In Radical Vulnerability and Mental Health, Queer Marshmallow explores thoughts on the meaning of ‘radical vulnerability’ and how it applies within the context of mental illness. More specifically within the realms of anxiety, depression, and borderline personality disorder.

I started reading this zine knowing that I liked the way ‘radical vulnerability’ sounded but also knowing that I wasn’t actually sure what it was all about. With recent events leaving me feeling particularly vulnerable, I decided it was about time to look into it.

As much as I wanted a solid, ‘official’ definition, I like how QM started from a place of what radical vulnerability meant to them and then took it from there. At no point was there a feeling of being told what is, only personal interpretations. In the grand scheme of things, I don’t think the writing could have demonstrated any more perfectly exactly what it was talking about.

I didn’t expect to identify so strongly with this zine, but I truly did. Perhaps it’s simply from the common mental diagnoses, but I have many times asked myself the same questions QM asks. Where is the line between expressing what is going on and becoming a burden? When does honest become too honest?

This zine isn’t a guide or a how to, but it is a beautifully vulnerable – excited but shy – exploration of feelings when it comes to opening your true self up to the world. If that sounds like something you would enjoy, pick up this zine.

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Zine Review: In Movement

In Movement
Nina
http://echopublishing.worpdress.com

I would describe this zine, but really, Nina already has it handled on the cover. In Movement is…

A 24-hour zine about moving and finding a home

I’m not a stickler for descriptions like I am about contact details, but there is certainly something to be said about having the description right up front. You don’t even have to open the zine (but why wouldn’t you – it’s a zine!) to have an idea of what you’re getting.

However I do believe that I am getting ahead of myself.

Nina takes you through the process of moving through reflection pieces, tips from friends (love this idea!) about making a new space home, lists, and even brief summaries of other zines about moving.

I do have a long-standing love of lists, but the reflections resonated with me. I like how Nina mentions how moving is both a physical and an emotional process. Nina’s desire for one’s own space and the desire to feel safe are something I have longed for for a long time.

Later in the lists section with the list of fears, I found myself nodding right along. Even though I live with Wanderer, I worry about taking care of all the “adult” stuff and whether I will be lonely. (So far so good on *not* having noisy neighbours. Win!)

The aesthetic of this zine is definitely cut and paste, but it’s not at all overwhelming or distracting from the words. I like how the backgrounds are house/home related with everything from maps to boxes to houses. The zine itself is wrapped up with lovely blue yarn that matches the tree on the front cover. The pages did get a little squiggly with the binding going around but not through, but the fact that I was taking it with me from room to room with various other things definitely contributed to the squiggling.

I do have to give a smile to this little symbol drawn on the inside corner. Something about the idea of a ‘Belgium 24 Hour Zines’ stamp really made me smile.

This is absolutely only a review of this zine, but I did want to bring up the point about how fun it was for me to have more than one zine by the same zinemaker. A few things referenced in this zine were also mentioned in Scissors & Chainsaws, and I really enjoyed that sense of continuity and connection between zines with different subjects.

I wish I had made the time to sit down and read this zine before I moved because I found it comforting to read like chatting with a friend about the frustrations of moving. That being said, reading it after the fact is just as lovely, and this zine is a big inspiration in regards to making a zine about my own move.

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Quick Note: Check Your Junk Mail

Greetings and happy Thursday (or almost-Thursday) zine friends!

Please forgive my absence this week. Flu v.2 hit me HARD on Sunday (I haven’t had a fever that high since I was a kid), and it’s been a wily road since then. No new mail has come in, so at least nothing has been delayed.

About the ‘quick note’ portion…

A permanent internet connection is being worked out. Until then, we’ve found some decent temporary solutions. However, it does mean that some of the emails I’ve sent out are going into junk/spam folders.

I think it’s because I’m sending directly from my email provider rather than from Outlook (like I’ve been doing for years).

So if you’re expecting a reply for me or think that I may have emailed you, it’s worth checking in your junk/spam folders just in case!

Back here with a review soon.

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Zine Review: Scissors & Chainsaws

Scissors & Chainsaws
Zina
https://echopublishing.wordpress.com/
https://drawingsbynina.wordpress.com/

I am now utterly in love with diary comic zines and decree that everyone make them.

Scissors & Chainsaws is a black and white diary comic zine featuring daily entries though International Zine Month (July) 2013. Now you may think I love all zines about zines and, well, this zine keeps on with the trend. So much love.

Zina takes you from June 30th introduction and prep to final July 31st wrap up with future zine plans. For every day there are small drawings and brief descriptions about what’s happened on the day. As much as the focus is IZM, plenty of focus goes to things that don’t have to do with zines (other than being put in a zine). Zina doesn’t do every single daily activity, but honestly, I found myself enjoying everything so much that I didn’t mind at all. I was happy to read about the non-zine things, too. It is a diary comic, after all.

The aesthetics of this zine are so cute and fun – and I’m not just saying that because of the green cover and green string binding. Colour me green for being so envious of Zina ‘cute but not cutesy’ drawing style. I love it when the art and the words work around each other, influencing each others shapes and positions on the page rather than everything being so neatly squared and separated.

The addition of Chainsaw Bunny made me laugh and smile. I was delighted to see “I’ll be back” on the July 31st entry with him/her/bunbun.

All up, Scissors & Chainsaws is a nice, pleasant zine that gives you a glimpse into Zina’s life. Get a copy. Truly. If you love perzines, comics, diary comics, International Zine Month, any combination of any of those… Pick it up. Because I’m not lending mine out. Hehe.

PS. This cover is actually more nice warm green than mint, but I can’t for the life of me make my camera take pictures that match up with what my actual eyes see.

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Zine Review: A Teenie Weenie Write-y Zine-y

A Teenie Weenie Write-y Zine-y
Jessica Maybury
thejessicamaybury.com
@codenamewallaby
IG jessica.maybury

Today we have an itty bitty – or rather, teenie weenie – zine of photographs featuring writing and writing spaces.

It could be a bit of narcisissm on my part (I write fiction), but I absolutely love seeing others’ writing processes and spaces. (To the point I actually started a blog where authors showed off and talked about their writing spaces.) I could stare at this collection of tiny black and white photos for ages thinking about the way people write, what they use to write, and the spaces they occupy.

This zine gave me the ‘why I love zines’ feelings with the intro:

“I don’t know why I feel the need to photograph the writing experience but I do.”

Isn’t that lovely? Jessica felt compelled and did – because you can with zines whenever you feel the urge. Beautiful!

This is a very specific topic sort of zine, so I think you’ll know whether you’re interested from the get go. I for one, will be opening its pages again to ponder writing spaces and places…