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Happy Mail – Epic Envelope Art Edition

I love mail. I don’t think I’ve mentioned that nearly enough this month.

Just kidding. I know I say it pretty much every other day, but it really makes me feel so awesome. It also makes me want to start making happy mail videos. ^_^

Anyway, on to the mail!

Birthday Happy Mail

This is a lovely little birthday bundle from a friend at Swap-Bot. If you haven’t heard of the site and love mail, then definitely check it out. There are so many groups, swaps, and ways of finding new mail friends.

Fishspit Happy Mail

I knew I had some happy mail coming in from Fishspit, but I had no idea what I was in for! So much awesomeness – and my very first cassette recorded by someone else. (I am old enough to own cassettes, but no one has ever made me one before). That along with a nice long letter and… what’s that…

Green Kitty

Isn’t he cute? He’s so tiny. A lovely little surprise to travel along with the zine goodness.

Of course, with Fishspit comes epic envelope art collages!

Fishspit Art Front

Fishspit Art Back

I will never fail to be impressed by Fishspit’s dedication to collage. I always know when something is from him. ^_^

And, just because, Green Cat is now on my desk next to my Mario 1up mushroom.

Green Cat

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful day. If you haven’t and would like some mail cheer, feel free to leave your mailing address in the comments. I’m doing some major destashing right now, so I have all sorts of things that I can send. ^_^ Seriously.

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A Quick Note

Someone asked me if Dear Anonymous accepts poetry, so I thought I would clear that up here.

Yes!

While Dear Anonymous is primarily made up of letters, that’s not the format that works best for some people. As long as you want to say something to [the world/the ex/the best friend/that awesome cup of coffee/the cat/etc], then do so in the way it feels best for you to express yourself.

Dear Anonymous

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Done, Doing, Dreaming

Done

*I’ve finally got my technology working *knock on wood* so here is a picture of my mic that I didn’t get to post last DDD:

SGZ Gold Mic

*I updated the Zine Review Index, but not it needs updating again because I’ve slipped into once-a-month updating. Le sigh.
*In case you missed the post, I also put up a Zine Videos page.
*I’ve finally finished the audio for DCMC 1. I will let you know as soon as it’s up in Billy’s Bunny Ears Audio Zine Distro.

30th Birthday

*I also donned my too-small pink tiara and celebrated my 30th birthday. Thank you all for the birthday wishes.

Doing

*I am working on answering interview questions that came from Zine Nation!I am genuinely excited that anyone thinks I know enough about about anything to interview me. Haha.
*Dear Anonymous 5 and DCMC 5 are still in the works because I am very possibly incapable of getting organised…

Dreaming

*I’m still dreaming of and saving up for a badge machine. I have so many ideas.
*I’m also dreaming of the possibilities of videos, podcasts, so on and so forth. If you have a preference for a specific kind of media (YouTube, Vimeo, podcasting on the wide variety of sites, Snapchatting, something) feel free to start up a chat about it. Tell me who/where your favourites are.
*I’ve started dreaming about typewriters, but I’m not sure if the reality will be as awesome as the dream due to upkeep…

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Call for Submissions: Zine of the Hill

Zine of the Hill

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ZINE OF THE HILL (better title tbd)

Did anyone else cry when Netflix took down King of the Hill?

Looking for fan art/fiction, conspiracy theories, love poems, short essays, memes, and good memories about one of the greatest shows of all time, King of the Hill. The show went off the air six years ago after thirteen seasons, and is gone (from Netflix) but not forgotten.

Ideally I’d like to have this done for San Francisco Zine Fest 2016, so deadline is ~August 20 (that’s two whole months). Hit me up @ queeranxietybabiezdistro@gmail if you have any questions! Please share with your networks or anyone you think may be interested ^_^

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Call For Submissions: Gaali Gang Zine

gaali gang

Calling all badnaami babes, ‪#‎curryscentedcreatives‬, and rule-breaking desis of all tangled subcontinent identities – the very first edition of gaali gang zine is seeking submissions!

We accept any sort of art or writing, including prose, essays, poetry, reviews, drawings/doodles, short stories, photography, critiques, interviews, or anything else you can think of! Submissions are open to anyone who identifies as Desi or South Asian, in any sort of way possible. It doesn’t matter where you were born or what languages you do (or don’t) speak. This zine is an inclusive space for individuals regardless of age, gender identity, sexuality, religion, color, or background.

Please submit pieces for consideration to gaaligang@gmail.com by August 31 at midnight. Feel free to email us if you have any questions or share and spread the word!

gaali gang is a radical zine focused on sharing the experiences of diasporic South Asian identities, no matter how non-traditional or rebellious they may be. Our first issue will be available in fall 2016.

Follow us @ gaaligang.tumblr.com

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Call for Zine Submissions: Crush Stories & Advice

This is a survey/interview style, and you don’t even have to worry about sending an email! – Nyx

Spring Flower

I’m working on a zine about how to deal with a crush and asking someone out IRL.

Share your advice and crush stories by August 14th. If I use anything you write, I’ll send you a copy of the zine! I make no guarantees I’ll be able publish every response I get.

– Molly, @mollyampersand

Fill out the form here.

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Zine Review: Fat is Beautiful

Fat is Beautiful Zine

Fat is Beautiful
Crystal Hartman
https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/artist/crystal_hartman
crystal_hartman@hotmail.com

Fat is Beautiful is one of those zines that made me punch my fist into air and say, “Yes!” I try not to let myself riled up about these things, but if I hear ‘it’s all calories in, calories out’ one more time… If was all just calories, then conditions like PCOS couldn’t possibly have ‘makes it harder to lose weight’ as a symptom.

Anyway, not the place for a soapbox, Nyx…

Fat is Beautiful is not a blind foray into ‘love and love alike’ (though they have their space, too). Crystal comes in firm, strong, and – even better, supported by facts and statistics.

Mmm. Statistics.

This zine is full of pieces that address the oft-touted health arguments against weight, facts about weight, calories, etc, and even the politics of facts.

It was fascinating to me to have my own preconceptions challenged not by lecturing but by showing alternate causes to the effects that we are all but beaten over the head with. For example, fat people (yep, I am doing as encouraged and using the ‘f’ word) have more health problems. However, no one mentions how much is blindly blamed on weight rather than being investigated/prevented/treated.

A recent study found that far women are a third less likely to get breast exams, gynecologic exams, or Pap smears.

Something to think about. (Again, I recall my own experiences of non-treatment – even by a female doctor.)

As much as this zine could have come off as a complete rant and nothing else, it’s actually educational and well-based in multiple resources that are listed in the back. (And, if you’ve been reading here for a while, you know how much I love it when a zine encourages me to further investigations outside the zine itself.)

The Fat Liberation Manifesto is beautiful.

My one nitpick with this zine is that some of the text has been cut off the edges of the pages to the extent that it did cause some pauses in reading to sort out exactly

Even so, this is a great zine to remind yourself that you’re not alone and/or educate yourself about not listening to everything the mainstream media tells you about weight…

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Zine Review: Woolf Pack #4

Woolf Pack 4 Zine

Woolf Pack #4
Rebecca Cheers, Chloe Reeson, Alice Jane, Izzie Austin, K. Queene, Amelia ‘Dashurie’ Moss, Talia Enright
http://woolf-pack.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/woolfpackbrisbane

So much colour! <3

I certainly don't hold it against a zine to be in black and white (that would be silly, considering), but I can't help but notice when a zine goes full colour. And wow does it serve this zine so well. There is such vibrancy and passion in the words that the colour printing only adds to that.

Woolf Pack #4 opens with a gorgeous, colour 'merbabes' comic encompassing the ideas (I think) that being yourself doesn't mean you don't have to be alone and how today's technologies make it even easier for us to connect. I don't think I've been so 'welcomed' to reading a zine. Lovely stuff.

I don't usually point out specific stories even in collaborations because it's about the zine as a whole for me – and this zine is no exception in that I have enjoyed each and every piece in this.

Still, I have to mention the piece 'Vagina Christmas' because it spoke volumes to me in a way nothing has before. Rebecca Cheers talks about many things surrounding her experiences with vaginismus. At one point, she writes:

I made that crack about it sounding like ‘vagina Christmas’ every time I spoke to a new doctor, because I thought it mad me sound less sad.

In the moment I read that, I felt less alone in the world. How many times had I made jokes at my own expense, about my own, painful, experiences? (My personal one is the Pap smear treasure hunt jokes…) That one moment of connection made me think about the whole piece in a more personal way – especially regarding sexual education (or lack thereof).

I love being inspired to think without being told I’m an idiot.

The great moment for me with this zine is when I was nearing the end, really enjoying everything, and then I realised that the comic I enjoyed so much at the beginning utterly applied to my ‘feels journey’ with the zine itself. Woolf Pack #4 has left me feeling that much more able to be part of this community of awesome ‘merbabes’.

Woolf Pack #4: Pick up a copy.