Posts

Posted on

Zine Review: Bio-graphy/logy

Bio-graphy/logy
?
tl2gzine@gmail.com

Today we have a very short and small accordion fold mini-zine that fits right into the palm of my hand.

Bio-graphy/logy is a short story about you, taking on the rarely use ‘second person’ writing style. You are Michelle, and you love the ocean. Your story is a very sweet one with pencilled illustrations to go along with it. (I must say the I’m very impressed with the printing because it looks drawn by pencil rather than printed.)

Your story is a simple and sweet one on the surface but has hidden depths if you care to think about them.

All up, this is quite a lovely little zine.

Posted on

Zine Review: how it feels now

how it feels now
Carrie Mercer
cocoanap.etsy.com

‘how it feels now’ is a full colour, 22 page quarter sized zine about the 2016 US election and Donald Trump’s presidency.

In this zine, Carrie is so distraught by Trump’s being elected that she can’t bear to refer to him as anything other than DT. She talks about the American people, her worries for her LGBTQ friends, the future of women’s rights, and more.

Carrie pulls no punches, not hesitating to speak her mind about how she feels regarding the election and possible ramifications. She moves back and forth between anger and concern – something I imagine many Americans are still teetering between the two. Without speaking of politics directly, I can’t help but feel for her in her frustration and fear.

There is a bright spot to be found in the self-care list to help lift your spirits at the end. I love lists and self-care topics, but I think this one goes to show a lot that Carrie still positivity and strength even when she’s feeling such strong things.

Carrie give a great example of readability in handwriting. It was easy to read, and the mix of text with cut and paste made for an over all enjoyable zine in both look and content.

Posted on

What a Monday!

Hello, Monday!

This has been one of those starts to the week that leaves me wondering what in the world the rest of the week has in store. It started with Wanderer planning to take care of some important things in Melbourne… but he forgot his phone. He was going to get a later train but figured out how to sort things from home, blah blah blah.

On top of that, I have been going, going, going with both zine and non-zine work.

proofing-dont-call-me-cupcake-7

I spent most of the morning proofing Don’t Call Me Cupcake 7 – and boy did it needs some edits. I like to print off a physical proofing copy because there’s some things that are just easier to catch on the page.

zines-to-fold

I am prepping at full speed for the Melbourne Art Book Fair coming up on the 16th-19th. I’m happy to be a lot calmer than I was about Festival of the Photocopier last year, but there’s still a lot to be nervous about! I’m channeling all my anxiety into work energy. So much folding to do!

handmade-baby-book

In non-zine work, I’m just finishing up a baby book a friend of mine ordered. They are time-consuming to make but pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

napkin-fold-card-closed

The final bit thing I had to do that I actually finished just a couple hours ago is a napkin fold thank you card for a friend in Melbourne. These can be a bit of a headache at times (mostly if the 12×12 cardstock you buy is a little off in the actual measurements), but they sure to turn out pretty.

napkin-fold-card-open

All opened up…

That’s me for this busy, busy Monday. I hope your start to the week has been a lot calmer than mine.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

Do You Like Zines? Do You Like Writing About Them?

zine-meme

Ziiiiiiines. To know them is to love them. (At least, I think so.) If you love zines, then I have an opportunity for you.

Zine Nation is a site dedicated to ziiiiines. They post up an assortment of reviews most months as well as conduct interviews with various people in the zine community (even with me!).

Zine Nation is currently looking for an editor to take over the blog and smm for a few months. Does this sound like you? Well then get in contact!

They are @zinenation on Twitter and Zine Nation on Facebook.

Posted on

Call for Submissions: Star Wars Essay Zine

starwarsessayzine

We’re looking to compile a zine containing essays about Star Wars! If you have anything sitting around in your drafts folder, like a 10-page saved rant over the internet about why Attack of the Clones IS good, or why Ahsoka Tano should have her own spin-off movie, please send them to us! Essays can be about anything, could be written informally, funny, or seriously, as long as it is Star Wars. Write about the movies or the expanded universe (both legends and reboot timeline)!

We accept any length, but we would like it around 2,000 words. We accept any topic too, including how race/gender/sexuality and other social/political ideals tie with the SW universe.

Once your essay is accepted, you get a physical copy of the zine!

Email your submissions to notyourleo@outlook.com (could be an attached file or in the body of the email)(accepting .doc/.docx/.pdf/.rtf)

New Deadline: 10 April 2017

Please spread the word! Thank you!

Posted on

Call for Submissions: Cat & Dog Zine

pawprints

Looking for:
*stories (up to 500 words)
*poems (page in length)
*artwork
*love letters

Topics may include:
-how they came to be in your life
-their therapeutic presence
– how they help ease your anxiety, depression and provide comfort
-the special bond you share
-their unconditional love
-the playful/weird/cute things they do
-if they are a service dog/cat
-if they have a physical disability, mental illness and/or health issues
-do you refer to them as your: pet, baby/child/family, companion, friend/best friend, room mate, healer, etc.
-if you have more than one cat or dog
-anything else you wish to share about them

Contributors will receive a free issue of the zine upon completion.
If interested, email Xyendrarocks44@hotmail.com

Posted on

Call for Submissions: True Trans Bike Rebel (Taking the Lane #15)

Taking the Lane #15 is called True Trans Bike Rebel, and we are looking for nonfiction writing about the experience of being transgender and bicycling. Submissions can be essays or reporting about bicycling, or other topics or stories in which bicycles play a part (or other human-powered transportation).

Submissions can be any length; word count between 500 and 2500 words is ideal for this format. Single-color illustrations and photos are also sought. Please submit your work as an attachment or link in an email to elly at taking the lane dot com. The deadline is July 1, 2017.

All contributors will be paid a share of the net profits from the Kickstarter project used to fund the zine.

Taking the Lane is a feminist bicycle zine published since 2010.

Posted on

Mini-Zine Review: Skin Folk: A Tattoo Appreciation Zine

Skin Folk: A Tattoo Appreciation Zineskin-fold-zine

Skin Folk: A Tattoo Appreciation Zine
Tracey, Zen, Sandy, Chris, Alex, Rebecca, Cormac, James

Skin Folk is a full-colour accordion-fold mini-zine answering the question: “Why did you get tattoos?”

Before I get into anything else, I’d like to say that I love the concept of this zine. The idea to simply and beautifully – through art and words – respond to a question that can often lead to defensive commentary is a wonderful thing.

The art inside is small but intricate and amazing. The images look great and, paired with the lettering used for the answers, it makes for a very complete, enjoyable zine. The answers themselves are a mix of beautiful, thoughtful, and funny, all coming together to make sure the zine doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Alas, there are no contact details to be found. The people I have listed above are contributors (I’m guessing) from a page simply titled ‘Thanks’.

Being an accordion-fold, I do fine myself wishing that more had been included on the blank ‘backs’ of pages, but that’s certainly not going to stop me from making this part of my much-enjoyed forever zine collection.

Posted on

Mini-Zine Review: Brainscan 27 Ten Stories

brainscan-27-zine

Brainscan 27 Ten Stories
Alex Wrekk
https://portlandbuttonworks.com/

Brainscan 27 is a mini-zine about endings and adjusting to new realities. Looking at the world with new eyes.

This is a somber zine, but not self-pitying. While there are few words in number, they convey a lot more in emotion and further implications to the small life moment it captures. The small size and few(er) words actually lends itself quite well to this intimate acknowledgment of living in a moment, being in that moment, and then getting on your bike and riding away.

I was thinking how ridiculous it was that we had just signed our names to each page in a huge stack of papers to end something that only took a on page marriage license to begin.

Brainscan 27 encompasses a moment in one person’s life, but I feel like it could resonate with many more people than first glance might lead you to believe.