Discarded
Kendy Paxia
20 pages
https://linktr.ee/Missmuffcake

Discarded is a quarter-sized, full colour photography zine featuring discarded plush and other toys.

Discarded opens with an introduction to the zine: inspired by a photo that Kendy’s boyfriend Matthew took of an abandoned squishmallow. As with many sparks of inspiration, it grew from there being also fuelled by a curiosity for how the toys found out in public get there.

From there, we venture into a collection of photos of discarded toys. Each page features one full-colour photo of a toy along with credit in name, location, and – when available – social handle.

Some are dirty. Some are old. Some look downright sinister; but then again, I did always find dolls a little creepy. And all of them with no indication to what led them to be in their current environment.

Like other art, this zine is as fast or as slow as you want it to be. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a writer and look for the story in everything, but I found myself really taking my time and thinking of all the stories of these plushies. Were they lost? Dropped? Discarded? As well as all the possible things the imagery of the lost toys could represent. So many possibilities.

All up, though melancholy (with the paths my mind wandered while looking at this zine), I quite enjoyed Discarded. It got my mind working in so many different directions, and I always appreciate that.

Even better? I believe there is a second issue on its way. So if you’re interested in being a contributor, definitely get in touch with Kendy.

Brood XIX
Jessica Gilbert
One page folded
https://www.catobear.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO6UzZarI8Zi_LEIlWTLcvQ

Brood XIX is a full colour, one-page-folded mini-zine about the 2024 cicada co-emergence that will be a once-in-a-lifetime event.

I am both a touch envious of parts of the US experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime event while also glad I don’t have to deal with all that noise.

Brood XIX opens with ‘things you might confuse with the 2024 cicada event’, which gave me a giggle, and explanations of those things. I think one could be forgiven for confusing ‘circadian rhythm’ for cicada event.

We then jump into what the 2024 cicada event is: the co-emergence of the thirteen-year cicada brood and the seventeen-year cicada brood this year. Something that hasn’t happened since 1803. Jessica writes a brief intro to that before transitioning to cicada facts – including how many animal species out there who will be having an all-you-can-eat buffet during this event.

The zine wraps up with a “Cicada To-Do List” before cicada’s scientific name and Jessica’s socials (noted with drawn cicada heads haha) on the back.

I had no idea this event was happening until I saw this zine, so it just goes to show that you never know who you might reach or teach with your zines. Jessica’s handwriting is easy to read, the drawings are cute, and the zine is a great introduction to what the event is all about. Definitely a keeper for me.

Water Under the Bridge
Jennifer A. Payne
https://linktr.ee/jenpayne
132 Pages

“She thought about him often over the years. Looked him up online occasionally to see where he was and if he was all right. It wasn’t until last fall that she found his email address, and several months more before she got up the courage to write.”

So begins the epistolary novel WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE by Connecticut writer Jen Payne, a sort-of love story told through a series of emails, about two people who reconnect after 15 years apart and work to reconcile their pasts…and futures.
 Influenced by the work of Brené Brown and a proponent of the bravery of storytelling, Payne says “WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE is about having the courage to speak our truths; it’s about trust and vulnerability, and about the true blessings found when we open our hearts – come what may.”

I usually only review books, but a book by a zinemaker? Yeah, I will make an exception for that. Water Under the Bridge accompanied me while I waited for day surgery, and it was quite the lovely companion indeed.

Water Under the Bridge opens as written above with our main character contemplating and sending off an email… What follows is a story about the past, nostalgia, and things coming full circle primarily through email exchanges.

This is a fairly short and easy read, but that suited the style of the story. Everything was well-balanced, from the brief interjections of our main character’s personal thoughts (separated out by grey pages – to mentions of water that alluded to the title and themes without being to heavy-handed about it. The story itself says enough but not too much, with both characters having distinct voices. Her trepidation. His enthusiasm. You can easily be drawn into their exchanges and emotions, filling in whatever pieces you care to fill in without it needing to be laid out on the pages.

‘Water Under the Bridge’ is really the perfect title for this. The story is about the shine of old memories and nostalgia, the temptation to wade back into those waters, and the reminders of of why the bridges were built over them in the first place. It’s bittersweet, had me smiling, had me sighing, and even had me thinking about all the times that I have almost been swept away into doing something similar. Memories and hopes that maybe things could be different this time…

All up, I quite enjoyed Water Under the Bridge. It is like a beautiful painting: there for you to enjoy and take from it what you will without demanding anything from you but a bit of time to enjoy it.