Headless Chook Mode
“Headless chook mode” is the term I use for when I’m feeling like I’m running around like crazy but not getting a lot done. It’s definitely a headless chook mode kind of day.
The truth of the matter is that I’ve been working hard on transitioning into making most of the content for my zines in InDesign. (InDesign luv 4ever!) But I have been falling behind in other ways.
Since I really started pursuing zines/zine-making/this site because it really makes me happy, I have made a point to follow up every like and every comment. Reply to comments, check out the sites of the people who liked my content, etc. I do the same thing on Instagram with everyone who likes/hearts/follows.
The thing is – and I am NOT complaining – those follow ups are taking up more and more of my time. It’s fantastic! But I could be transitioning better in regards to keeping up with it all. I’ve been keeping up with emails for the most part, but if there is anything else that falls into one of those categories, I’m working on it.
Side note: I’m also nearly done with Dear Anonymous 4, so if you want to get in, email those letters soon!
PS. This is going to be a big weekend for calls for submissions!
Mini-Zine Review: A Guide to Being Cool
A Guide to Being Cool
Jane Cantwell
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/AdventuresinKindness
#luckyjarzines
I got this, A History of Abandoned Hobbies, A Guide to Letter Writing, and A Guide to Op Shopping as a lovely little bundle.*
A Guide to Being Cool is a full-colour, A7-sized zine that is a lot of fun. I wasn’t sure what to expect with zine given the title, but I quite like it. I think there is a cheeky undertone to the “guidance” inside – a message that isn’t stated outright but can easily be taken. I quite like that element to things.
Plus, as it turns out, I’m already pretty cool. Haha.
Another cute offering from Jane Cantwell.
*The links will only begin working as the other reviews are posted.
Mini-Zine Review: LP’s Lists: A 24 Hour Zine
LP’s Lists: A 24 Hour Zine
Logpoes
https://yourfriendlp.wordpress.com/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/LogPoesShop
I feel like it might say something bad about me how I derive pleasure from getting ‘limited run’ zines. I love list zines, I was ordering another zine from LogPoes anyway, but seeing this in the description on Etsy made getting it all the more pleasureable:
List zine written for the 24 hour zine thing challenge. 24 pages, A6, full colour, limited edition of 24 copies. I’m not reprinting this zine, so when they’re gone, they’re gone. 🙂
Anyway, list zine! It doesn’t take much to figure out what this zine has inside. I absolutely love lists (to the point where I had to get myself to stop making them for a while) and especially list zines. I find that list zines have this awesome way of showing so much personality with so few words. LP’s Lists is no exception. With excellent handwriting (a must for zines that are handwritten) and simple art, you get to know LPs desk, current reads, current music…
I love that, as the intro, LP gives a list of reasons why she decided to make a list zine. A little bit of cheekiness goes a long way.
My favourite list, though? “What I Order at the Sushi Restaurant” It’s always nice to find another sushi enthusiast. Yum!
It’s a quick-ish read, as you might imagine, but I enjoyed every minute.
Mini-Zine Review: Hey Ho Banjo
Hey Ho Banjo
Mariah Calman
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/KeepCalmMariah
Sometimes you see a zine, and you just know that you have to grab a copy. That’s what happened to me, anyway.
I am the proud human to two dogs and one cat, so I have a soft spot in my heart for things cat and dog. The Etsy listing for this zine had a few peeks inside, and they reminded me so much of my dogs. Well…
To get to the technical bits, this zine is lovely in that it has a slightly stiffer card for the cover (I always appreciate that) and higher-than-standard GMS paper inside. I love the feel of higher GSM paper, and – while sometimes it doesn’t matter – I think it can really be of benefit when you have a zine with thick, black sections. I think if there had been and show-through on the pages, it would have taken a tiny bit of my enjoyment of this zine away. As it is, the pages are crisp and there is no show-through.
On the surface, this is a quick read, but I’ve gone back through it a few times to enjoy the humour and the art. For some reason I can’t quite put my finger on, the art in this one really fascinates me. I keep finding myself looking at the pictures, holding them really close to my face, and then holding them at normal distance again.
The to-do list is so cute and reminds me so much of my dogs.
Obviously if you don’t like(?!)/aren’t into dogs, then you might want to pass over this zine. But if you have/have had dogs, I think you’re really going to like this one. It’s definitely a keeper for me.
Zine Lovers Urged to Release Imagination
I’m partly sharing this because she is featured holding Don’t Call Me Cupcake (squee!), but it’s also a great article featuring someone who built a zine space from nothing in New Zealand.
Ultimate freedom, self-expression, and creating books about anything in the universe sums up the Featherston Zine Club, which is having its first meeting on Thursday.
The workshop creating zines – self-published pieces of work on anything you want – will be held at the Featherston Community Centre on the third Thursday of each month.
Zines, often A5 in size or smaller, date back to the 1930s and are publications of either original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced by photocopier.
Behind the club is Featherston resident and zine producer Sam Dew, who says the workshops aim to encourage people to feel confident to express themselves.
Read more HERE
Call for Submissions: Activist Journeys Zine
Zine PDFs!
Do you know what this is? This is the culmination of SO MUCH (yup, bold and all caps kind of ‘so much’) scanning, converting files, adjusting files, compiling files, and exporting files.
Dear Anonymous I, II, III, Don’t Call Me Cupcake, and Don’t Call Me Cupcake 2 will all soon be available in PDF form on Etsy!
I know that this can be a sticky subject for some people, given the heart and soul of zine culture is cut and paste. Physical form.
But the fact remains that I live in Australia, and a heck of a lot of people don’t. A lot of those people who don’t live in Australia can’t afford the postage involved in getting my zines on a plane and into their hands.
I want those people to still be able to check out my zines. So the cheaper option is a PDF.
I’m not quite done with everything, but I am close. I’ll announce when they’re listed at some point next week.
Woo!
Call for Submissions 780 Distro
Mini-Zine Review: A Guide to Letter Writing
A Guide to Letter Writing
Jane Cantwell
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/AdventuresinKindness
#luckyjarzines
I got this, A History of Abandoned Hobbies, A Guide to Being Cool, and A Guide to Op Shopping as a lovely little bundle.*
I’ve been writing letters since I was a kid, so I don’t exactly need help in that department, but I do like having ‘sets’ of zines, so…
A Guide to Letter Writing is a beautifully bright full-coloured, A7-sized mini-zine. I love all the beautiful colours in this zine. It makes the whole thing more fun and nice to look at. Another pleasant surprise to be found inside was that, instead of list of tips and tricks, it’s set up like magnet poetry words on a fridge. Each page has a header (like “How to Decorate a Letter”) with the typed suggestions all pasted in at different angles below.
Very fun.
*The links will only begin working as the other reviews are posted.