Randy Spaghetti

The Soda Killers #1

2012-01-24T06:01:00.001-08:00

The Soda Killers #1
$7
andersdinero@yahoo.com
bnb@hotdogdayz.com

The bulk of TSK is composed of really well written record reviews by N. G. O’Brien which I spent a lot of time wading through and exploring. I read them all and during the process, discovered a few things about myself. For instance, I learned that I really don’t like the band Ice Age, but that I really really like the band Power (neither of which had I heard before reading these reviews ). The reviews are in-depth and entertaining, and made me want to check out a lot of stuff that I had not previously heard. This zine is put together by the same people that do Hot Dog Dayz zine and like HDD it is heavy on the collage which is heavy with pop culture icons, graffiti, and road kill. There is also a piece entitled, “I’m so uncool” where two people talk about things that they are either supposed to like or supposed to hate but do the opposite which I always think is interesting. Even the underground can have a herd mentality, and it’s interesting to me when people break away from the accepted norms of any culture. That being said, not liking Motorhead is unacceptable in any culture. Topping the issue off is a story about spending some time immersed within the underbelly of high school basketball, some more road kill, and a piece about being an asshole to fend of boredom. The Soda Killers is a lot like the collages contained within, an interesting and eclectic mix of seemingly unrelated stuff that comes together in weird ways and works.

Narcolepsy Press Review #7

2012-01-19T15:48:00.000-08:00

Narcolepsy Press Review #7
$3, or stamps, or a decent letter
POB 17131
Anaheim, CA 92817-7131
NPR is a good old fashioned cut-n-paste review zine. This is a review zine, but feels like a personal zine. Randy Robbins, the man behind NPR, does all the writing and doesn’t hold back on his opinions, both pro and con. Like past issues, the letters section reads like an open forum for a variety of subjects, as it should be. Lots of letters from prisoners, and other zine people chime in, and what really sets this letters section apart, is that even in this modern techo-immersed rapid fire world, the discussions contain within feel oddly vibrant and in the present. I’m not quite sure how he pulls this off, but he does. Randy reviews books, tv-shows, and zines. It also has a great advertisement section in the back that reminded me of a mini-MRR without the music.

Somnambulist #17

2012-01-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

Somnambulist #17
$15 for four issues
pob 14871
Portland, OR 97293
This issue of Somnambulist is a collaborative affair with writers Jordan Karnes, Joe Wong, and editor Martha Grover. Jordan starts this issue off with a story about a love triangle involving John Lennon, her boyfriend named John, and someone else named John whose identity I won’t reveal here. Funny stuff that many of us with similar obsessions (Helen Mirren for me….and Vigo Mortensen circa Lord of the Rings..if we're being honest) can relate to. There’s also a piece by Joe Wong about what he eats for breakfast in China that I found incredibly fascinating (Cigarettes, international news, and Nescafe before getting out of bed….Like looking in a mirror). The highlight of this zine, however, is Martha’s writing. I’m a fan. She has a great way of interpreting modern life that I really enjoy, and her drawings are raw, to the point, and effective. Definitely one of my favorite zines right now.

Revenge of Print......done

2011-12-31T16:20:00.000-08:00

Oh man, I have been working on this thing non-stop for a week to meet the 2011 RoP deadline. I am happy to report that I got this bugger in the can at 3:10pm Pacific time. I love and welcome trades. POB 3331 Hayden, ID 83835

The Aardvark #3

2011-12-15T21:17:00.000-08:00

The Aardvark #3
Spring/Summer 2011
POB 771
College Park, MD 20740
www.manualpubs.com

The Aardvark maintains itself as a tribute to, and advocate for the written word, as long as those written words exists on actual paper. It is as staunchly pro-analog as it is anti-digital. This zine is almost entirely composed of reviews of books and zines, which might sound kind of boring to some people, but for me is pure gold; if it wasn’t for review zines I wouldn’t have been introduced to half the music, art, and literature that I have over the years, and so I feel indebted to those wonderful people who have taken the time to highlight all that great and weird stuff over the years. The reviews in the Aardvark are far from typical and are instead packed full of critical analysis and philosophical meandering that really bring the works covered to life. My favorite part is entitled, “New Looks at Old Books” wherein he reviews old books that he has found over the years and gives them some modern attention. The books covered are centered on living a simple life in the relatively modern world (if looked at from the standpoint of a evolutionary biologist, 1954 isn’t that long ago right?). This is a great zine that truly honors the sacred art of screen-free reading.

ps: sorry about the picture of the cover, sadly it fell victim to an unfortunate water accident in my bathroom.

music zines are back says Hypebot.com

2011-12-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2011/12/music-zines.html

cool link,
and thanks for the props.

VTOTW (video tape of the week)

2011-11-23T09:31:00.000-08:00

I found this gem in a box of old video tapes while cleaning out the garage this week. This is some of the raw footage of the great Portland pop punk band The Automatics that I shot back in 1996 at my house. They were supposed to play the Missoula rock club, Jay’s Upstairs, but unfortunately Jay’s was overbooked. I asked them to play at my house. This is quintessential mid-90’s punk which represents such a profound place and time for me. During their set, people would wander in and out of my house, grab beers from the fridge, and then go back outside and listen to the music. I stayed inside, drank beers, and cheered like a Scandinavian metalhead. Jesse Kimball’s bass amp blew out early in the performance so he just set his guitar aside and grabbed the mic for the rest of the 20-plus song set. I recently saw Jesse on an episode of ‘Diners, Drive-ins & Dives’ Chefing at The Memphis Taproom in his home town of Philadelphia. It was great to see how well he is doing. He was also the man behind the Portland drink punk mag, Beer Can Fanzine.

sound & video quality: shit

Last Century Zinesters - Chapter 1

2011-11-18T23:11:00.000-08:00

Last Century Zinesters - Chapter 1 from Márcio Sno on Vimeo.

Green Woman Vol. 1

2011-11-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

Green Woman: a Literary Garden
summer/fall 2011
two issue subscription $12.50
POB 6587
Colorado Springs, CO 80934-6587
www.greenwomanmagazine.com

The world is in rough shape right now. Green Woman Magazine seeks to help this battered old world out a bit. The primary focus of this magazine is gardening, and how to live a more earth-conscious lifestyle. As a fan of people who are trying to do this, I really like this stuff, but am not very good at it myself. Every time I try to grow an herb garden in my back yard, either the deer eat it or it dries out because I forget to water it. I’m not willing to subject vegetables to this. I’m also one of those who thinks that Michael Ruppert is mostly right, and because of this I’ve been fascinated with seed storage and procurement for a while now, there is a great article on that very subject in here that I really dug. I also really enjoyed the articles entitled ‘Organicize Me’ where a dude goes one month eating and drinking nothing but organic products(prices included) , and a personal account of life in the medicinal medical marijuana world (‘Hello, Doobie Tuesday’) that helped this confusingly great idea come to life for me. This is a excellent first issue with a hell of a lot of soul that today, is more important than ever. Order it, read it, live it.

Martha Stewart’s Prison Reader of Blather & Malarkey #1

2011-11-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

Martha Stewart’s Prison Reader of Blather & Malarkey #1
$3
Tarnation Collins
pob 4377
Tulsa, OK 74159
msprobam@gmail.com
MSPROBM is Tarnation Collins first attempt at making a zine. He’s married, has three small children, lives in Tulsa Oklahoma, and is often overcome with a profound sense of loneliness, all of which he writes about in a very approachable way in this issue. This is a nice first issue that felt like it was written by someone who needed a creative outlet that probably wasn’t being satisfied from blogs and other sources. I’ve always felt that the simple, physical act of putting a zine together can be profoundly cathartic, MSPROBM felt like it could have been just that for the author. This is a perzine full of perzine stuff: poetry, original stories, opinion pieces, games, and even a parable. I liked this zine a lot and hope Tarnation keeps it going.

Upheaval #14

2011-11-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

UPHEAVAL #14
one 1st class stamp
upheaval.fanzine@gmail.com
Upheaval used to be a full sized zine that covered hardcore, crust, punk from around the world. Due to personal & financial issues that the author, Craig talks about in this issue, he has decided to scale back a bit. This issue is simply one page, but still covers hardcore, punk, and crust from around the world. I checked out all of the bands mentioned in this issue and found a couple that I really dig. One stamp is the price, and if you’re into this type of music, it’s definitely worth it.

Monkey Squad One #7

2011-11-02T22:35:00.001-07:00

Monkey Squad One #7
$2.50
Monkeysquadmailbox@gmail.com
There is so much going on in every page of this comic, so much attention to detail throughout. This particular issue of MS1 is about a rapper named Trik Erl Dub and three of his young fans getting lost in a zombie apocalypse. It has all the trimmings of a fine zombie kill fest: gore, humor, and toilets. This comic comes out pretty regularly, and the back story is pretty elaborate, so you might want to order back issues before jumping into later issues if you haven't read it before.

Thank You Zine #2

2011-10-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

Thank You #2
thankyouzine@yahoo.com
Zines from small towns rule. Even if a zine sucks, but is from a small town, it’s still kind of rad. Fortunately, Thank You doesn’t suck, AND it’s from a small town, Casper Wyoming, hometown of onetime vice president, former defense secretary, and previous CEO of halliburton, richard b. cheney. Wyoming is the least populous state in the union with a population of 563,626, and is the tenth largest state, that’s awesome. I drove through Casper this summer on the way to Colorado, and it really is as “In the middle of nowhere” as anywhere in the lower 48. Thank You is a mish mash of collages of funny local magazine and newspaper adds, goofy drawings, an interview early 80’s pro-skater and current Casper resident Moses Parker, and my favorite segment: ‘7 more wonders of Casper’ which spotlights some of the local flavor (strip clubs, street people, massage parlors, and cigars stores). I love it when great zines pop up out of the most unexpected places, Casper being one of those places. Thank You Zine is worth your time.

Kung Fu Grip #5

2011-09-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

Kung Fu Grip! #5
$3.50
Paco Taylor
7730 E. Broadway #925
Tucson, AZ 85710
paco@kungfugripzine.com

KFG is a beautifully put together zine. It’s the kind of
zine that, after having read it, I keep thumbing through it to
admire just how fucking cool it looks. With the aesthetic of a 1970’s era comic book/martial
arts magazine, Kung Fu Grip #5 explores a wide variety of subjects ranging from
graffiti artists (Shiro), Jamaican recording artist and comic book enthusiast
Lee Perry , and the link between giant Buddha statues, Shinto deities, and
popular Japanese television superhero shows like Ultraman. Paco D. Taylor appears to be a true aficionado
of 70’s pop culture, art, and style, and he brings that passion to life in the
modern world with this zine. The subject matter is interesting and engaged, never
feeling pretentious or out of place, and the layout is flawless.

2011 Revenge of Print

2011-09-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

Here's the article that Jenna Freedman wrote about the 2011 Revenge of Print challenge for the Library Journal.com . http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/reviews/magazine/891662-285/revenge_of_print_retired_zinesters.html.csp

maximus coolius

Bad Breath Comics #3

2011-08-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

Bad Breath Comics #3
$2
Joshjuresko.com
badbreathcomics.blogspot.com

Some of these comics reminded me of Raymond Pettibon not just in style but in tone as well. Minimalist Black and white deeply contrasted drawings juxtaposed with ambiguous-yet-provocative dialogue. If that sounds appealing to you (it does to me), then get this immediately. The stories go from strange to political to strange again. I really liked this.

Sea Shepherd

2011-08-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society on their efforts to stop whaling on the Southern Ocean for the past seven years. Totally badass.

http://www.seashepherd.org/

Visit their site, learn about all the other terrible stuff happening in the oceans around the world, and support their efforts to stop it.

Gojira makes radical environmentalism sexy.

Total Fest X

2011-08-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

Total Fest http://wantagetotalfest.blogspot.com/ was in Missoula this weekend marking it's tenth anniversary as a music festival. I only got to attend Friday, but got my total fix. Incredible as always. Here's a short video I put together from the event.

Some other bands that played over the three days were:
Hammerhead, Japanther, Goddammitboyhowdy, Thrones, Pine Hill Haints, White Shit, Vaz, Pygmy Shrews, The Trashies, The Blind Shake, Helms Alee, and on and on. Thumbs up to everyone involved.

interview

2011-08-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick interview Jenna Freedman did with me for her article on zinesters coming out of retirement for the Library Journal Online. http://lowereastsidelibrarian.info/zinesterinterview/randyspaghetti

Edible Secrets: a food tour of classified US history

2011-08-18T11:30:00.001-07:00

Edible Secrets: a Food Tour of Classified US History
Michael Hoerger & Mia Partlow
$10
Microcosm
222 s. Rogers St.
Bloomington, IN 47404-4936

All governments are corrupt on a certain level. The larger the government, the more the corruption. That’s an inescapable fact of life. It is inherent to human nature that whenever a group of us gain a certain amount of influence and power, the group will often do very bad things to maintain it, Group being the defining factor. This is true whether it’s a hippie commune in Oregon or the former Soviet Union. And depending on your perspective, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ve grown up in the US and have benefited greatly because of some of the very ruthless behaviors of my government at the federal level, the state level, and even at the city council level. So have you. That’s not to say that I’m okay with all of the nasty stuff that governments do behind the scenes to maintain power, but it is true. It then becomes important for us, as citizens and beneficiaries of this stuff to become aware of and educated about these behaviors. If nobody is telling them to stop, they won’t. As we are gearing up for a presidential election, we get to hear all kinds of fun campaign speeches and rhetoric from people who would like to take the helm for a while. Funny how they never talk about their policies on maintaining support for sadistic third-world dictators and murderous union-busting corporate thugs in Columbia and other places. They do, however, talk a lot about job creation, which often needs those shadowy figures in the background to work effectively. Cheap resources aren’t cheap for everyone.

What we have here is a book about corruption, espionage, and the maintenance of power as it pertains to food. The authors have been wading through piles (on-line files?) of de-classified government documents and have found some strange stuff indeed (poisoned chocolate milkshakes for Fidel…). It is a fascinating look into the world of threat suppression, and how it has sometimes related to various foods, or food-producing corporations. The book has a great layout with copies of the actual documents, pictures, fun facts, great illustrations by Nate Powell, and even “Defenders of Capitalism Finger Puppets” for the kids. Wow.

Bring on the Dancing Horses

2011-08-01T11:52:00.001-07:00

Bring on the Dancing Horses
$2
POB 1282
Fullerton, CA
92836
shootingstars@gmail.com
Honestly, when I first got this zine in the mail and read the title I was a bit turned off. It sounded either super pretentious, or painfully earnest and I was ready to hate it (I had never heard the Echo & the Bunnymen song). I started to read and it seemed as though my skepticism was justified, “The day’s first light. Atmosphere in shades of liquid….” . “Oh shit, here we go” I thought. But then something strange happened, I kept reading, and I began to feel like a dick for pre-judging it, and for being so goddamn jaded in the first place. Although BODH is guilty of being earnest, it is far from painful, and after I got into the zine and gave it a chance, I really really enjoyed it. My favorite genres of fanzines are travel, personal, and punk. This is all three. The story meanders from Portland to New York and various places in between. Most of the tale revolves around a squat in NYC called the Bowery Manor. Not only is this a beautifully written account of love, DIY squatting, and travel in the modern world, but it explores a host of political issues and personal convictions in a way that I really responded to. It made me think a lot about my own life, and some of the convictions that I have let go of over the years. I love it when a zine gets me out of the comfort zone and thinking about old ideas with new insight. I highly recommend this zine.

Stranger Two Stranger

2011-08-01T11:50:00.001-07:00

Stranger two Stranger , May 2011
strangertwostranger@gmail.com
strangertwostranger.tumblr.com

I love the simplicity of the concept for this zine: find weird Craigslist personal adds and illustrate them. Brilliant. This is the kind of zine that could potentially stick around for a long time, and hopefully it will. Funny drawings connected to weird personal adds never gets old. Great zine.

Hot Dog Dayz

2011-08-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

Hot Dog Dayz
suggested donation of $5
thee.n.o.b@gmail.com
www.hotdogdayz.com

Hot Dog Dayz is a collage, photography, and art zine with a heavy emphasis on pictures of James Franco and bullet belts. It’s fun to look at. If you are into this type of zine, you would probably dig it. It’s a non-profit zine and the proceeds are donated to various charitable causes (it doesn’t state specifically which ones).

it's just that time of the year

2011-07-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Super busy at work. 7 reviews to come soon.

totw 6-24-11

2011-06-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

This mixed tape was made for me by a Missoula friend that went to Lansing Michigan for a week. I'm not sure what year, but I'm thinking it was sometime around 95-96. At the time mixed tapes were one of the only ways to hear new punk and indi music for someone living in a relatively rural state like Montana. Missoula's college radio station KBGA 89.9 was just getting started, and the people at Rockin' Rudy's could only stomach so much of dudes like me standing at their listening stations asking the people behind the counter to grab records of bands that we had recently read about in Flipside and MRR. The tape is 90 minutes of Michigan State University Radio, Impact 89 fm's punk show. All punk, and all bands that I was pretty unaware of at the time, The Bassholes, Sinister Six, Hyperdrive Kittens, M80's, Percolators, Fur, the Muffs, Devil Dogs, Low-Downs, Beavers, the Phantoms. This tape is still great, and for me it's more than just a happy relic from a time gone by, this tape is much more significant in that it was also the first time that I heard Teengenerate, who subsequently became one of my favorite bands of all time. It also has a great in-studio performance/interview with local hardcore band The Actionaries. I love this tape.

There should be an archive collection for old mixed tapes at the smithsonian.

So friggin' good...

Psionic Plastic Joy # 16

2011-05-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

Psionic Plastic Joy #16
$2
Jason Rodgers
POB 8512
Albany, NY
12208
Reading this issue of PPJ reminded me of the first time that I read Maximumrocknroll after years of reading glossy metal magazines; I didn’t know what was going on inside, but I was curious and wanted to know more. Psionic Plastic Joy appears to be a sort of conspiracy theory zine that wants nothing to do with the modern techno-industrial world. It’s full of articles, poetry, stories, essays, and tons of eerie collage art that all seem to be pointed in the direction of a post-industrial society. I really liked the article entitled, ‘Denying the Unavoidable’ by primitivist John Zerzan, and the interview with Reality Impaired Recording’s Stan Boman. Reading PPJ was a lot like listening to Coast to Coast AM late at night: I don’t believe all of what I am hearing, but am thoroughly entertained.

JUNK ZINE #5, Rambles to T(L)C 323

2011-05-29T10:45:00.001-07:00

James N. Dawson
POB 292
Malden, WA
99149

Junk Zine is a collection of zine reviews, poetry, pen pal adds, and letters from readers. It’s a great resource for connecting with zine people and other outsiders lurking about in the print-format underworld.

Rambles to t(l)c 323, February 2011
the subtitle says it all: ‘Debates, Discussions, Diatribes on Libertarianism, Anarchism, Consensus vs. Alternative Science, Religion, Ethics, Philosophy, the Internet & Papernet, Language, Broadcast TV & More’…..whoa. This is an APA style zine that serves as an on-going discussion on the topics mentioned above. I enjoyed reading the discussions contained within, particularly those surrounding Minarchism, and Libertarianism. I am a big fan of what James is doing within the self-publishing world in general and Rambles to t(l)c 323 is a great example of that.

Media Junky #14

2011-05-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

Media Junky #14
$1
Jason Rodgers
POB 8512
Albany, NY
12208
Media Junky is a zine-review zine that wants to remain internet free and only reviews zines with a physical address. The reviews are thorough and honest. This issue is packed full of really great zines. Like Psionic Plastic Joy, Jason’s other zine, it’s also full of creepy-yet-thought provoking collage art. Great zine.

Negative Capability #5

2011-05-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Negative Capability #5
$5
Josh Saitz
pob 12
New York, NY 10021
www.negcap.com

If you have had the opportunity to read previous issues of Negative Capability, then you know exactly what you are in for and there will be no surprises with number 5. If you haven’t read this zine before…..well then, strap yourself in…. there will be turbulence. It’s hard to figure out where to stand while reading a zine like this, a zine whose whole purpose is to step over the edge of what is and is not offensive, but not far enough to be considered outright homophobic, or misogynistic. Neither of which the author, Josh, is. My guess is that he just really likes to get people to react to his writing and does so by being very confrontational. The topic titles say it all: ‘Fuck Rick Springfield’ ‘Are You Homophobic’ ‘How To Jew a Dime Out Of a Nickel’ etc. This is a magazine-sized, advertisement free, extremely detailed and honest look into Josh’s mind circa 2011. It’s sometimes funny, often offensive, and believe it or not, at times even teeters on the edge of being sweet.

Digitface #1

2011-05-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

Digitface #1
info@digitface.com
This is a quick little zine from the mind of comedian Matt Baker. It has comics, million dollar ideas, an interview with poet Denise Jolly, and some graffiti photos. Matt is a very talented and funny person who always has his hands in all kinds of creative pots, this is but one of those many pots. Check out the website version at www.digitface.com/ and better yet send him some photos of your fingers with drawings of faces on them.

Monkey Squad One

2011-05-03T19:50:00.001-07:00

Monkey Squad One
Annual #1
By Doug Michel
banddmichel@gmail.com
This is the culmination of the first six issues of Monkey Squad One. A hell of a lot of work must have went into the making of this comic. There is so much happening and so much detail on every page. It really is amazing. Monkey Squad One is a light-hearted and funny comic about a group of seemingly innocuous youngsters whose home base is in a tree house that are on a never-ending mission to kick some super-villain ass. Doug, the artist behind this zine, has an obviously active imagination, and speaking from an educator’s perspective, was probably hell to have in class. This is an excellent introduction into that imagination and a great example of one artist’s dedication to his craft.

Ab #11

2011-05-03T19:49:00.001-07:00

AB #11 January 2011
$2 c/o Lisa Ahne
POB 181
Alsea, OR 97324
If you have ever read Dwelling Portably then you will recognize the format and style of AB immediately. I think it’s done by some of the same people, but I’m not sure because there wasn’t a name associated with the letter that came with it. Anyway, if you have never read this type of zine before it’s kind of hard to figure out what’s going on at first. There are no introductions or explanations , just pure information, ideas, and how-to’s focused on living a semi-nomadic and government free life on 21st Century Earth. The information contained within this zine is pretty amazing. What fascinates me most about zines like this is the complete disconnect from any emotional meandering or analysis in the writing, it is intended to provide the reader with information on this type of lifestyle and that’s it. As a curious post-romantic (kidding) I always want to know more about the people writing it, like what their day to day routines look like and what the pros and cons of living nomadically in modern America are. But I suppose that’s the point, the less we know about the people writing it, the easier it is for those people to keep living that type of life: If I really wanted to know what it’s like, then I should get out there and try it for myself. This issue is heavily focused on how to build boats that you can live on. It also has some zine reviews, how to survive without much money, how to avoid being hassled by authorities, some healthy eating tips, and random nomad advice from the people who are actually doing it.

Kung Fu Grip! #4

2011-04-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

Kung Fu Grip! #4
Paco Taylor
7730 East Broadway #925
Tucson, AZ 85710
$1ppd, or two stamps

Kung Fu Grip is a time machine, or time ma-zine. Reading it brought me back to my 70’s era living room sitting in front of the furniture-sized-fake-wood-framed television watching ‘Enter the Dragon’ on Betamax while eating American cheese and miracle whip on white bread sandwiches. Of course, I never had a Betamax player, but that’s beside the point, the point is that this is a great zine that captures a past cultural aesthetic in an effective and very satisfying way. Contained within are stories about the Onge, Satun, and Pahang people of Asia, a tribute to his father, and some history of the zine. It’s well written and informative. My only complaint is that it’s too short, but, as the author explains, this is a special ‘free’ issue of KFG that is designed more for trades and is significantly shorter than past issues. Those past issues are now on my search radar of ‘zines to get’. Dig it.

Badwill Newsletter

2011-04-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

Badwill Newsletter: Volume 2 Issue 6 Number 10
December 2010
POB 383
Cookeville, TN 38503 $2

According to the people who write this newsletter, Goodwill is a pretty crappy place to work. This is the 10th installment of this newsletter and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. I’m not really sure what to make of this in that all of it is hearsay. If the stories are true, then it sounds like the various stores that these people had worked at were really poorly managed and the workers were treated with very little respect. If that is true, then it seems somewhat institutional, but like I said, it’s all hearsay.

the internet

2011-04-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

the internet sucks. seriously, i have near-infinite knowledge of the entire planet at my fingertips and i follow three blogs about music. wtf? anyway, this weekend is zine review weekend (and by weekend, i mean monday).

the picture is Richard Brautigan. 'Trout Fishing in America' is the best book i've read in the past ten years. fyi.

tape of the week 3-17

2011-03-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

this is the first installment of TOTW where I dig into one the various boxes of cassettes that i have scattered around my house and re-visit some old gems. First up: Born Against 'the rebel sound of shit and failure' This record was pivotal in taking hardcore into previously uncharted waters, it's aggressive, angry, and kind of weird. The vocals sound like an angry teenager screaming into a bad 4-track in the basement of a crack house. The lyrics, however, are intelligent, and very political. a classic.

Narcolepsy Press Review #6

2011-03-16T23:24:00.000-07:00

Narcolepsy Press review #6
$3
POB 17131
Anaheim, CA
92817-7131
narcolepsypresszine@hotmail.com

I kind of totally love this zine. It follows a very simple but effective format: Intro, letters section, zine reviews, adds. The intro is entitled, “What I did for my Summer” which recounts his adventures at Hempcon and a Donnas show. The letters section is filled with letters from dudes in prison and other zinesters. The reviews are full of opinions, which frankly, give them a personality and attitude that make you want to read them. Randy Robbins has been doing this for a long time. He knows what he likes, isn’t afraid to tell you what he doesn’t like, and is a dedicated and knowledgeable zine enthusiast. Send him your zines, and order his.

POLVO

2011-03-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

POLVO #1 Winter 2010
Joseph Delgado
2290 Peck Rd
Mohave Valley, AZ 86440
I’m a huge fan of Joseph Delgado’s drawings. Aesthetically they just appeal to me on many levels. Polvo is a poetry and art zine. The poetry is intense, visceral, graphic, and lacks any kind of humor whatsoever. I don't know how else to explain them. The images, for me, are the epicenter of this zine.

Bicycles and Autonomy

2011-03-16T23:12:00.000-07:00

The Chainbreaker Bike Book
a Rough Guide to Bicycle Maintenance
$15
Microcosm
222 s. rogers st.
Bloomington, IN 47404

This is an illustrated guide to everything you’ll ever need to know about fixing and maintaining bicycles. It tells you what tools to use, which way to turn the nuts & bolts (not always the way you think), and provides insider tips and advice along the way. This is seriously the only book you will ever need on bicycle maintenance. But That’s only the first half of this book, the second half of the book is the reprinted version of the zine that started it all, Chainbreaker. Great zine, excellent reading, and very inspirational. I loved Shelly’s article entitled, “Hey Ladies!” wherein she recounts some of the challenges and obstacles that she has had to overcome being a woman mechanic. Stories like this need to be told and re-told as often as possible. The layout is cut and paste and full of beautiful pictures of bikes and bike people, fun illustrations that reminded me of ‘The Moonlight Chronicles’ at times, and really great bike-centric stories, ideas, and advice.

Anarchist Bicycle Rally Confidential Mad Libs
$4
Joe Biel
POB 14332
Portland, OR
97293
ABR CML is a compilation of police reports written about Portland Critical Mass bicycle rallies from 1993 through 2005 with select words taken out mad lib style. As an activist I found this to be fascinating. I thought I might be a bit freaked out by it, in the “Seriously? They really do spend all of that money and dedicate all of those resources to this stuff” kind of way, and to a certain extent I was. But I also felt a bit of relief that my paranoia over all these years has been somewhat justified. This book is a good resource for anyone who feels compelled to speak loudly about issues that threaten the status quo. Knowledge is power and reading this gives the reader a unique look into the inner workings of at least one bureaucracy paid to keep the peace in the ‘progressive’ city of Portland.

How and Why: a do-it-yourself guide
Matte Resist
POB 582345
Minneapolis, MN 55458
&
Microcosm $14
222 s. rogers st
Bloomington, IN 47404
In keeping with the bike-centric-diy-theme, we have this book. Like ‘Chainbreaker’, H&W is full of illustrated and useful information outlined in an accessible and very reader-friendly way with lots of pictures. And it begins with bicycles: how to fix ‘em, outfit ‘em, and even how to ride ‘em in the winter. It goes on to provide practical information and tips on a wide variety of subjects such as buying a house, building a mouse trap, educating & socializing your youngsters, building musical instruments out of all kinds of funky shit (bike spoke kalimba?), bike tube bungee cords, pop can solar panels, and an extensive section on how to grow veggies that’s worth the price of the book alone. This is a great resource for anyone wanting to take a shot at living off the grid, or at least attempting to move a bit further away.

The Comics of J.T. Yost

2011-02-27T15:33:00.000-08:00

www.Birdcagebottombooks.com
jtyost@gmail.com
www.jtyost.com

I always like it when I can look at a single panel of a comic and instantly recognize the artist. So often people seem to learn how to draw comics by mimicking other artist’s work and then don’t seem to get very far away from it. Not the case with J.T. Yost’s work, he has a very distinctive style. The stories are gloomy and weird, which I like, and the panels are consistently interesting to look at on their own without following the story, which I also like.

Tales of Good ol’ Snoop Doggy Dogg, & It’s Dream Time Snoop Doggy Dogg
$3 and $4
These are illustrated dreams that the author has had about Snoop Dogg. They are weird and fun to read. Also contained within is a childhood story about being a geekish loner, befriending a tough guy and going to a party. Insightful and entertaining.
‘It’s dream time’ is more of the same: illustrated dreams that make you go hmmm? After reading them (which would be the case for most of us if our dreams were illustrated I suppose).

Loosers Weepers # 1&2
$5 each
Apparently J.T. Yost is pretty adept at finding notes, letters, and journals in random places. He then comes up with a story behind those finds and illustrates it. This is a great idea. It’s interesting and funny to read the actual notes and letters and then see what kind of a kooky story he has concocted from them. There are homophobic raps scribbled onto the back of envelopes, silly schoolyard checklists, and notebook journals from distraught lovers, all of which play a part in the various characters’ lives. Awesome.

Old Man Winter
$7
As the title suggests this is a story about an old man and his sad daily interactions with family members and the public. It’s a beautifully drawn tale of a broken person at the end of his days. Also included in this book are some pro-vegan comics that point out the process of meat production and animal experimentation in a unique and highly effective way. I really enjoyed this comic and after reading all of these zines, I now consider myself a fan.

Snakepit 2009

2011-02-27T15:31:00.000-08:00

Snakepit 2009
POB 4944 Austin, TX 78765
bensnakepit@gmail.com
www.birdcagebottombooks.com
This is one year in the life of Ben Snakepit, 365 3-panel comics about life as seen through his eyes. He works in a video store, plays in two punk rock bands, has a nice girlfriend, a cute dog, he drinks a lot, smokes weed, plays a lot of video games, watches a lot of movies, and goes to a lot of parties. That’s all this is about, over and over again for an entire year. That might sound boring to read, but for some reason, it isn’t. There’s a lot of humility, humor, and insight into 21st century living in here that kept me entertained and thinking throughout. It’s kind of like following someone’s daily twitter, but with funny drawings of steaming turds and drunken punk rockers.

The Book Bindery

2011-02-27T15:29:00.000-08:00

The Book Bindery
Microcosm 222 s rogers st.
Bloomington, IN 47404

The Book Bindery is a story about working a dead-end job in an industrial part of town and trying to find creative ways to entertain oneself at work. The tone is cynical and sarcastic, which has to be a survival instinct considering how terrible the job sounds. Making fun of everyone and everything around you would probably be the only sure-fire way to fend off total insanity. It’s well written and funny and has some nice black and white photos peppered about. The Book Bindery has been around for a while in zine form, this is the updated book-like form.

A Zinester’s Guide to NYC

2011-02-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

A Zinester’s Guide to NYC
AK Press
674 A 23rd St.
Oakland, CA 94612
Or: Microcosm
222 S. Rogers St.
Bloomington, IN 47404
Edited by Ayun Halliday of East Village Inky fame, this is a very…very…VERY comprehensive guide to New York City. Ayun did the editing, but there are about 50 other people involved in writing this, and all of them are lovers and makers of zines. It’s well organized into a wide variety of categories, some of which aren’t usually spotlighted in traditional guidebooks. Categories like, Graffiti, Pinball, 99-cent stores, volunteer opportunities, community gardens, and oatmeal. It’s creative, but not inaccessible. Anyone with an ounce of curiosity would be doing themselves a grave disservice if they didn’t get this book before heading to the BA.

2011-02-18T21:38:00.000-08:00

i will be in las vegas for the next 5 days. i will be "bowling". double down, flamingo, etc. 14 zines to review......after

Fanzinoteca Mutação ArtEstação

2011-01-31T10:26:00.000-08:00

very cool

Basic Paper Airplane #3

2011-01-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

BASIC PAPER AIRPLANE
POB 2645
Olympia, WA
98507
Essentially Basic Paper Airplane is a zine about zines from someone who has been making them for many years. It’s a perzine with historic leanings. The history comes in the form of an article entitled, “A Brief History of the US Postal System” wherein the author, Joshua, breaks down the history of mail delivery from the pony express to the current US Postal Service, in his own unique way. I loved the part about the pneumatic postal tube network established in Philadelphia in 1893. I’ve always felt like this is a seriously underused technology with all kinds of potential uses (pneumatic tube travel across the country? heck yea). The zine ends with an interesting story about traveling from Olympia to Boulder to attend the UTNE Reader’s independent writer award where a zine that he was involved with was nominated for zine of the year. It’s a great story full of colorful characters. Basic Paper Airplane is cut and Paste and great reading.

Blue Okoye #1

2011-01-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

Blue Okoye! #1
$1
973 Crescent Street #2
Brooklyn, NY 11208
This is an interesting first issue in that has a lot of potential, but as it stands, is a bit empty. I’m not trying to be condescending to the author when I say, “He’s almost there”, but that’s how this zine felt for me. The stories start strong, feel like they are going somewhere, and then abruptly end. They then seem more like poems and less like stories, and I don’t think that’s what the author was trying to do. He’s a good writer and given time I think this zine could really stand out. This issue also has some of his illustrations that are really well done. Blue Okoye is a talented guy, and although the stories didn’t develop the way that I would have preferred, they did leave me wanting more.

Xerography Debt #27

2011-01-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

Xerography Debt #27
$3
POB 11064
Baltimore, MD 21212
Beginning with the great cover art by Hai Anxieti, this issue of Xerography Debt is top notch through and through. For years Xerography Debt has been promoting and spotlighting the world of independent publishing and zines in a truly dignified way and this issue is no exception. With Davida Gypsy Breier at the helm and a host of veteran zinesters as columnists and reviewers, this can’t help but be awesome. I really enjoyed reading the “Where are they now” piece about ex-zine writers, as I often wonder (and have wondered aloud in the early stages of this blog) as to the whereabouts of many of my old pen pals. I could also relate to Jeff Somers’s (of The Inner Swine) column about getting older, drinking, and repeating oneself in print. If you’ve never read XD before, it’s essentially a zine-review zine with big personalities behind the reviews, columns, and interviews. Excellent.

Rad Dad #18

2011-01-09T12:33:00.001-08:00

Rad Dad #18
Tomas Moniz
1636 Fairview St.
Berkeley, CA 94703
Rad Dad is a collection of essays by a wide array of contributors who are both parents, and involved in radical causes and/or activism. To me this is an incredible premise for a zine. The theme of this particular issue of Rad Dad is sex. Each author explores this controversial topic from the perspective of someone who is often at odds with their fellow activists for the simple fact that they have children, i.e. they are perpetuating procreation and overpopulation. I had no idea how offensive this is to some activists until I read this zine. The titles of these essays say it all, “Why I broke up with the anarchist community”, “Earth Abides” “Sex and (this) single mom” and “Let’s talk about sex” . This is a truly excellent and fascinating zine, which also serves as an important forum for anyone considering becoming a parent.

Christian New Age Quarterly

2011-01-09T12:27:00.001-08:00

Christian New Age Quarterly
Winter ‘09, spring ‘10, summer ‘10, autumn ‘10
$3.50ppd
Pob 276
Clifton, NJ 07015-0276

As the title suggests these are essays and stories centered on the Christian religion and New Age philosophies. When I got these in my mailbox I was a little taken aback. I am used to getting punk rock, anarchist, and weird art zines in the mail. This is the first time I’ve gotten anything like this and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. My initial instinct was to write it off as religious garbage, kick out a few Marx and Sam Clemens quotes, and call it a day. But after reading these journals, I found myself surprisingly engaged and interested. These are very well written essays that explore many of the current national issues with regards to religion and politics in a way that doesn’t come across preachy. One of the standout essays for me was from the Autumn ’10 issue where the editor, Catherine, explores the issue of a mosque being built near ground zero, correlating it with the essential American ideal of freedom, and how hypocritical and misguided the bible-thumping quran-burners are. I don’t want a mosque built there either, but nor do I want a church or religious temple of any kind built there. I would prefer instead the money be spent on secular community centers, boys & girls clubs, or a used bookstore. That being said, I do think that Muslims have the right to build it anywhere they want in America. This is the kind of internal dialogue that the Christian New Age Quarterly sparked in me while reading them.

It doesn't snow in Memphis....

2011-01-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

reviews to come....

and.....it does snow in Memphis

happy Solstice!

2010-12-20T22:55:00.000-08:00

THE AARDVARK #2

2010-12-05T21:34:00.001-08:00

THE AARDVARK #2
Red Roach Press
POB 771
College Park, MD
20740
Joe Smith aka Art Vark, loves the written word, particularly when those words are written on paper, and can be found in libraries and bookstores. He has a lot of opinions and theories as to the future of this medium and shares them throughout this zine, which is mostly what this issue is about. I really enjoyed reading about this as it is something that most people who love books and zines can relate to. These opinions and theories are not knee-jerk and appear to be very well thought out with quotes and statistics punctuating many of his points. There are also some zine and book reviews and a nice intro about what it means to “follow your bliss”. As a lover of hidden bookstores in forgotten parts of town, second hand store book finds, and the great zine underground, I don’t have the same level of anxiety about the decline of the print format that Joe mourns in this zine. I do, however, appreciate his take on it and look forward to more of his words on paper.

EVERY REASON 1&2

2010-12-05T21:26:00.000-08:00

EVERY REASON 1&2
everyreasonzine@gmail.com
These are short poetry/prose zines. The first issue is written entirely by Keith, the editor, the second has a number of contributors as well as Keith’s stuff. Poetry is very hit and miss for me. If, for example, the author is simply creating a mood with words then I tend to tune out pretty quickly. But if they are telling a story, following a narrative, I enjoy them a lot more. These zines have a bit of both, and fortunately for me, more of the latter. Most of the stories inside these zines are pretty dark, and the one about the dog is downright disturbing and hard to read. I preferred issue number one in that I really liked Keith’s writing. I had the time to get to know his style and tone, which was something I had a hard time doing with the other authors from a single poem. I would definitely be into another all-Keith issue for sure.

THE PTERODACTYL 1&4, ZAP!!OMANIA #4

2010-11-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

THE PTERODACTYL # 1&4
ZAP!!OMANIA #4
James N. Dawson
POB 292
Malden, WA 99149-0292
I wrote to James a few months back noting that he was from Malden, a tiny farming community just southwest of here, and traded zines with him. He sent me a nice long letter back and a small stack of his zines. The zines are full-size and look to be written on an old typewriter. They have a distinctive analogue style to them that harkens back to a lost era of the underground press. In Zap!omania James spends a significant amount of time hashing out his feelings about the internet vs. print communication forums. As a self-proclaimed “POB mail-junkie” he laments the pre-internet days where print was the only way to roll. I miss those days too. Pterodactyl is his APA fanzine about movies, books, music, horror, indie, and retro. He re-prints many of the letters that people have sent to him and responds accordingly. I really like these zines and appreciate his dedication and passion to the craft of self-publishing. There’s an aesthetic to holding these zines in your hand, the way they look, and the content inside that really appeals to me. It gives me hope that guys like James will be around for a long time keeping this format, and the conversation behind it, around.

SCAM: the first four issues

2010-11-14T14:46:00.000-08:00

SCAM: the first four issues
$16
Microcosm
222 S. Rogers st.
Bloomington, In
47404
This is a unique review for me in that I haven’t finished reading this yet. I might be done sometime around March 2215. This book is huge and packed with all kinds of visually stimulating and profoundly interesting stuff. The handwritten parts are very sloppy, uneven, and hard to read but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it just takes time to get through a page, especially when it’s full-size. The stories are full of colorful characters and situations, scams, and insight into the inner-workings of highly motivated societal critics and guerrilla street protesters. Arguably, Scam might just be the best punk zine ever created, at least in its entirety. If you are into anarchy, squatting, free punk shows, scamming all corporate and corrupt entities, graffiti, drinking copious amounts of cheap beer, and leaving pianos on hiking trails, well then look no further, your manifesto has arrived.

LOSERDOM #20

2010-10-31T21:56:00.000-07:00

LOSERDOM #20
loserdomzine@gmail.com
This is a “Whoops!..oh shit, sorry” zine review, in that I got it in the mail a long time ago, read it, and lost it in a pile of stuff. This is a really fantastic zine of the punk rock persuasion from Ireland. Loserdom is a community oriented, scene-promoting kind of zine that both entertains and informs. The authors explore a host of issues such as the ethics of supporting Israeli food co-ops, school bullying, to drink or not to drink, and other issues with an obvious bent on creating a better community both globally and locally. All of the issues, stories, interviews, and reviews are punctuated by great illustrations and cartoons intertwined within the text and photos. I really got into the interview with Darcy Alexandra, the coordinator of the FOMACS digital storytelling project. The idea of using pretty simple and affordable tools like digital video and editing software to document untold stories of people, issues, and place is very appealing to me personally. It was great to read about dedicated people putting this idea into action.

SOMNAMBULIST #16

2010-10-31T21:53:00.000-07:00

SOMNAMBULIST #16
$3
POB 14871
Portland, OR 97293
marthagrover@hotmail.com
Another wonderful collection of short stories, poems, essays, and drawings from Martha Grover. The stories, which are set in the Pacific Northwest, are an interesting mix of fact and fiction and it’s up to the reader to decide which is which. I really enjoyed reading about the Columbia River gorge and her historical/conservationist perspective on it. I love that drive, and consider it to be arguably the most scenic stretch of interstate highway in America, which sounds like an oxymoron, until you’ve driven it. This is a pretty bare bones cut & paste zine packed with attitude and a hell of a lot of talent.

LES CARNETS DE RASTOPOPOULOS #7

2010-10-31T21:49:00.000-07:00

LES CARNETS DE RASTOPOPOULOS #7
2-7 Larch Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
KIR6W4
Rarely have I encountered a zine-intro wherein the author doesn’t make excuses for why it took so long for that particular issue to come out, myself definitely included. This author, however, has by far the most legit excuse I’ve seen yet, and pictures to prove it. Someone drove a mini-van through his living room, thus rendering him homeless for six months. Now that he’s back in action he’s put out Les Carnets De Rastapopoulos #7. This zine is composed almost entirely of mini history essays. He doesn’t give much lead-in and jumps immediately into the subject matter. Subjects covered, William Topaz McGonagall-the world’s worst poet, Pope Alexander VI-an unrepentant murderous swashbuckler, and the history of the Faroe Islands struggle to gain independence from Denmark through the use of World Cup Soccer. I really enjoyed the articles and found a lot of useful information throughout. My only personal critique of the Faroe Island essay would be the failure to mention the brutal annual slaughter of pilot whales by the Faroese which, in my opinion, renders their sovereignty plee worthless until it stops. But that’s just me being really pissed off about it. The zine, however, is great.

THE FURY #18

2010-09-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

THE FURY #18
$4
Mark Novotony
5413 6th ave
Countryside, IL 60525
Thefuryzine@hotmail.com
Hardcore punk zine! Hardcore punk zine! In the tradition of zines like ItS ALIVE, TEN THINGS JESUS WANTS YOU TO KNOW, HeartattaCk, and MAXIMUMROCKNROLL, THE FURY is a breath of fresh air in the oversaturated and aesthetically devoid world of music blogs. The layout is mostly cut & paste and gives it that true DIY feeling and spirit, something I always respond positively to in zines. Interviews with Dez Cadena, 97 Shiki, Antioch Arrow, Bill Daniel, Volcano!, and Nation of Ulysses, and a really informative, in-depth article about Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin that reminded me again of just why I love Abbie Hoffman. I love pictures of bands kicking ass and this zine is full of them. Over the years I have kept nearly every zine I’ve ever received, and I put zines like this into their own special place in my collection. Whenever I need inspiration I will pull out random copies and just thumb through them, simply for that DIY aesthetic which always gets me
active and creative. The FURY is a gift.

LIVING IN A DYING WORLD #3

2010-09-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

LIVING IN A DYING WORLD #3
$2 dan.nowhere@yahoo.com

I was reminded of the old anarchist zine Antipathy a lot while reading Living in a dying world. The author, Dan Nowhere has an incredible knack for the descriptive narrative which is punctuated by his heavy use of dialogue. Sometimes the over use of dialogue can kill a story and even seem gimmicky, not the case in this zine. Dan has figured out the equation and knows when to put the breaks on. I really enjoyed reading this zine. The stories are saturated in this odd mix of cynicism and the optimism of a wide-eyed freedom-loving train-hopping tramp. He writes about train hopping and the pitfalls of no-budget travel in a self destructive world with an eye for entertaining detail. Email him today, get a copy.

The world is better because

2010-09-28T22:01:00.001-07:00

Two of my favorite people died recently. Both of these men spent their lives making the world a better place. Walkin' Jim Stoltz and Ron Wheeler. Conservationists, radicals, educators, and poets both. My glass is raised.

SHUT UP & LOVE THE RAIN

2010-09-28T21:41:00.001-07:00

SHUT UP & LOVE THE RAIN
robotearl@gmail.com
$3microcosm
636 SE 11th
Portland, OR 97241
This is a personal exploration of all things queer by Robnoxious. It’s got cartoons about fooling around with body parts and ideas of all sorts. The stories are about his varied and unique perspectives when it comes not just to sexuality but everything else as well. Neither straight nor gay nor bi, Robnoxious simply identifies with queer and goes on to define this in a simple, yet straight forward way. To him the word queer simply means “I am not normal” I like that. This is a well-written and very honest zine that does an excellent job at examining the grey areas of human sexuality and life.

ALLTOPIA ANTHOLOZINE

2010-09-28T21:06:00.001-07:00

ALLTOPIA ANTHOLOZINE
Harvest 2009, spring 2009
www.alltopia.org

These two zines are collections of short stories, poems, photographs, and drawings from a wide variety of contributors from around the country. I was impressed with the depth of talent involved. The spring 2009 issue’s theme is “Home” and contains stories about just that. The highlight for me was the story “Down Home” by Linda Fielder where she recounts her various trips back home over the years to attend family funerals. Her descriptions of people and place are vivid and engaged without being overly wordy: “Rufus was a giant, copper-colored rooster with only one eye and spurs on his feet the length of my thumb…Rufus didn’t take to strangers, and strange children got him particularly riled. With no kids my age to play with, I had come to think of Rufus as my sort of hillbilly cousin, and we tormented one another mercilessly.” Great story.
The antholozine is a great idea, I hope they keep it up.

Henry & Glenn Forever

2010-09-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

Henry & Glenn Forever
Cantankerous Titles
pob 14332
Portland, OR
97293
$6

I’ve seen this thing floating around for a few months now on various websites and in magazines, bookstands, etc. If you are either a Black Flag, Misfits, Samhain, or Danzig fan you can't help but notice it, the cover art draws you in like a guilty moth to the forbidden backyard lightbulb. Recently on a trip to Seattle I had a chance to thumb through a copy at Left Bank Books (Great book store) and found myself giggling, and then looking around to see if anyone was looking at me. This is a very bizarre comic about a love affair between Henry Rollins, Glenn Danzig, and their satanic next door neighbors Daryl Hall and John Oats. Seriously, that’s what it’s about. It’s put together by the Igloo Tornado artist collective in Portland who seem like fun loving, beer drinking folk. I suppose that if the people portrayed in these comics had very, very progressive senses of humor they might think this to be the ultimate tribute to them. I suspect that they don’t and assume that they are pretty pissed off about it all. Did I like the zine? yea, it's quite funny and weird as hell. If someone wrote a comic called Glenn and Randy about Danzig and I, I would laugh my ass off, but then of course I never wrote the song, "Mommy can I go out and kill tonight?".

busy busy busy

2010-09-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I got a crapload of zines to review. I'm on it. Stay tuned....

Best picture ever

2010-08-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

Taken from the Maximumrocknroll blog, a Scotty Karate photo. beautiful.

CIUTAT PODRIDA #9

2010-08-05T12:54:00.001-07:00

CIUTAT PODRIDA #9
POB 6129
50080 Zaragoza
Spain
Unfortunately I can’t read Spanish and so I missed out on what appears to be an amazing hardcore punk zine. I recently gave a power point presentation about zines to a group of high school kids at the University of Idaho, I took this zine with me as an example of the cultural and artistic diversity present in the world of zines. I passed this zine and a few others around and let the kids look through them as I talked. They all seemed to be really into this one based simply on its aesthetic appearance. This zine looks cool, really cool. It has interviews with Bad Brains, Mob 47, Sotatila, Antimaster, and a host of other bands. It’s got reviews, columns, and tons of great pictures of bands tearing it up live. If you are into punk zines and are hip to the Spanish language, you need this zine. It comes with a bunch of stickers and a split CD from the bands Almax (which the author screams in), Mistkafer, and Down to Agony.

SPRAK!

2010-08-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

SPRAK! vol. 2 #6
$? does accept trades
Kami POB 278
Edwardstown SA 5039
Australia

Sprak! is a Sexploitation, B-Movie, Trash, Horror, movie review zine from Australia. I’ve always been curious about these genres of movies but personally have only really scratched the surface with movies like Pink Flamingos, Blackula, Death Race 2000, and a few others that I’ve randomly been exposed to over the years. Reading Sprak! Is a wild, somewhat naughty introduction to this seedy underbelly of cinema and art from someone who is freakishly passionate and knowledgeable about it all. With titles like, Cockhammer, The Sinful Dwarf, and the Satanic Rites of Draccula how couldn’t a person be at least a little curious?

CATS TEETH #6

2010-08-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Cats Teeth #6
wintermuse@gmail.com
This is a short poetry/philosophical musing/perzine that wanders around and explores the author’s consciousness, former lovers, issues, and ideas. Its cut and paste and full of disjointed images and clip art that mimic the tone of the writing. Because I haven’t read any of the previous issues, I didn’t have much context for the stories and poems, and so I often felt out of the loop while reading it. This is an unfortunate byproduct of jumping into someone else’s perzine six issues in. I’m curious for more.

Somnambulist #15

2010-06-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

SOMNAMBULIST #15
Martha Grover
pob 14871
Portland, OR 97293
This zine consists entirely of Martha’s notes taken during her weekly family meetings. She had gotten very sick with Cushing’s disease and had to move back in with her parents and four siblings. The zine starts fast, and immediately jumps into the weekly meetings without much explanation or lead up. It doesn’t take long, however, to become familiar with the personalities behind the names, and get a good sense of the who, what, when, and where of this family. There is a lot of squabbling over space in the cupboard and who is responsible for what chore, and believe it or not, this is really funny. It’s a pretty long zine, spanning the course of an entire year, and by the end of it I felt like I really knew this family well. It’s mostly dialogue and short observations centered around the mundane issues present in all communal living situations, “I ask Simone and Sarah to stop leaving half-eaten avocados in the fridge. Sarah says that she never does that. Simone says she will stop doing that….I say that I will attempt to store my urine for my lab tests in a cooler instead of the fridge. Everyone thinks that’s a good idea.” I really enjoyed this zine.

JAVELINA!

2010-05-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

A big "HELL YEA!" to Herb from the band Javelina for sending this shirt. Who says writing a zine isn't a lucrative endeavor?

924 GILMAN: the story so far

2010-05-23T16:06:00.001-07:00

$18
maximumrocknroll
pob 460760
San Francisco, CA 94146-0760
www.maximumrocknroll.com
Mother of all things punk, this is a great book! Historic, iconic, angry, and fun. I've seen advertisements and reviews of this book around for a few years, but until now had never ordered or picked up a copy. I picked this one up at Powell’s. It was funny because the book was wrapped in plastic on the shelf due to the fact that each page falls out immediately after touching human fingers. The store copy was a hilarious pile of mangled pages stuffed into a plastic bag. Regardless of how poorly this book is bound, it’s great reading and goes into incredible detail about the history, present, and future of this iconic rock club. It’s full of pictures and writing from dozens of people who have been involved throughout. 924 Gilman is an important example dedication and passion. After reading the book I checked in with the club website, www.924gilman.org and saw that they are currently facing a pretty big financial dilemma, that of a $7000 monthly rent increase. Donate if you can.

pic: my old Gilman membership

GOAT FARM #2

2010-05-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

Goat Farm has the best cover art ever. This is a personal history of how the author, Kim Riot, came to love metal. This is a very visually stimulating zine full of collage and ironic imagery. I loved this zine and found myself getting jealous of all the bands that she got to see live during those formative teenage years; Neurosis, Cro-Mags, Nuclear Assault. The only concert that rolled through Helena Montana when I was in high school was Huey Lewis & the News……Goat Farm, good stuff.

BURN COLLECTOR #14

2010-05-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

Microcosm
222 South Rogers St
Bloomington, IN
If you have read Burn Collector before, then you already know that Al is a really talented writer and artist. I love his strange visuals and ambiguous comic panels that sometimes follow the story and sometimes just make you wonder. In this issue he writes about Chicago public transportation versus biking, and all the shortcomings, pitfalls, and insanity of big city travel, life, and music. He also writes about the often hypocritical forces of gentrification. My favorite part of this zine is Al’s analysis of Daniel Clowes’, Modern Cartoonist and his take on the history of cartooning. He makes it personal and I could totally relate to the stories about reading comics as a kid and trying to mimic the art, coming up short and feeling defeated as an artist. And then you discover punk rock and take the reins of your own artistic journey. This issue of Burn Collector is particularly heavy with comics and art, hallelujah!

THE EAST VILLAGE INKY #42

2010-05-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

$3
POB 22754
Brooklyn, NY 11202
This is a really funny zine. EVI has been around forever and is always excellent. I really dug this particular issue in that it takes place at a summer camp. Having been involved with summer camps as both a camper and a counselor on and off for over 30 years, I guess you could say that I could relate. Ayun is there to see to it that her youngins get a quality camp experience and some good eats along the way. You can’t just pick up The East Village Inky and start reading casually through, you have to pay attention. There are so many tangents and rants that she goes off on, and so many funny images and cartoons scattered throughout every page that casual reading is totally out of the question. This zine requires you to find a comfortable reading spot, a tasty beverage, and a few hours of your time. Great reading.

COMETBUS #53

2010-05-23T15:50:00.001-07:00

POB 4726
Berkeley, CA 94704
This issue is split with longtime Cometbus contributor Maddalena Polletta. This one is an amalgamation of different stories that wander around and explore a wide variety of topics and issues with each author taking turns. As varying as each story is, this zine has a surprising flow to it. I have been a fan of Aaron’s writing for years and always appreciate his perspective on life and living. Like all good writing the reader gets to experience and view the world with someone else’s goggles on and see it through their filters. Aaron’s filters just happen to be shaded punk, and dipped in pure Berkeley. I really liked this issue and the way that each author peppered it with short, often blunt stories that continue to take you into their worlds, introduce you to thier friends, families, cohorts, struggles and triumph.

ASHCAN MAGAZINE #2

2010-05-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

660 4th St #420
San Francisco, CA 94107
www.ashcanmagazine.com
This is a new art, music, comic and culture magazine out of glorious San Francisco. It’s a full-sized newsprint mag whose contents include spotlights on artists Michael Frank, and Chance, an interesting story about touring around the amazon entitled, “Swimming with Piranha”where a gram of cocaine goes for a whopping $2, you can fish for piranhas, and riding in a mototaxi can be a uniquely dangerous endeavor. It’s got interviews with Andrew Jackson Jihad, Make Me!, Kepi Ghoulie as well as record & zine reviews, comics, and some fiction. This is a very solid and quality read that will hopefully find a way to survive in the challenging and often depressing world of print journalism.

ARMY OF HER, SHOW AND TELL #1

2010-05-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

I can only assume that the author is very new to the zine scene in that there is no contact information whatsoever in either the zine itself, or the envelope that it came in. This is a cute little mini-zine that I read, I’m not kidding, in three minutes. It’s a super quick read about growing up in Portugal, getting her first period, and moving to London. I hope she keeps it up and expands her writing more in the next issue.

Foulweather #3

2010-05-23T15:44:00.001-07:00

foulweather.blogspot.com
Pete is another very talented writer. Foulweather is the perfect title for this meandering and often morosely personal zine. Pete writes about and explores the very real subject of death. He processes the reality of his own mortality through surfing, skating, camping with friends, and discussions with family which always comes to the same conclusion; no matter how well things are going, you are still eventually going to die. Obviously this is a spooky subject but Pete tackles it with an openness and honesty that is approachable and at times even entertaining. He also writes about his own struggles with technology and how to balance it out with reality. Highly recommended.

AVOW #22

2010-04-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

AVOW #22
$2 Keith Rosson 1615 SE Main St.,
Portland, OR 97214
keithrosson.com
Avow has been around for a long time. I picked this one up the other day when I was on a work-related road trip to Portland and had a few hours to check out Reading Frenzy and Powell’s. This is a collection of stories about Keith’s life. To be honest, this zine started slow for me, I had a hard time getting into it. This wasn’t due to a lack of talent on Keith’s part, I immediately recognized his talent for the written word, but for some reason I couldn’t connect to the first three opening stories. That having been said, there are 12 stories in this zine and from the fourth, “Our Children’s War” on, I was hooked. At times this is a hard zine to read in that it deals with a host of painful issues, foremost of which is the death of his father. It also deals lost love, mortality, substance abuse, and child abuse. Keith’s writing is insightful, engaging, and he has an uncommon knack for bringing the reader into whatever scenario quickly and personally. This is a heavy read that regularly made me uncomfortable, angry, and even happy, often in the same story. But this zine isn’t entirely about the horrors of the real world, case in point is the hilarious story, “Tim Armstrong is Porn” which is quite possibly the funniest thing I’ve ever read in a zine. It explores the insecurities that many of us feel when buying things that may inaccurately stereotype us by the various employees behind the counter. I could relate all too well. This is a fantastic read.

THE MATCH! a Journal of Ethical Anarchism #108

2010-04-27T21:12:00.001-07:00

THE MATCH! a Journal of Ethical Anarchism #108
donation (give what you can)
POB 3012
Tucson, AZ 85702
The Match has been around since 1969 unapologetically keeping tabs on elite power, religion, authoritarianism, and all statist laws. I haven’t read the Match in a while, 8 years to be exact. It’s still as beautifully laid-out and informative as I remember it. It is inspirational to know that the Match hasn’t lost its razor’s edge over the years. This issue explores the topics of workplace politics, Islamic apologists: not so fast!, a very scary story about a botched hernia that left the patient impotent (and just how common this has become), and a host of other pertinent issues explored from the perspective of well-informed anarchists.

THE FURY #11

2010-04-27T21:08:00.001-07:00

THE FURY #11
Mark Novotny
5413 6th ave
countryside, IL 60525
formerly known as Shazzbut, this is a straight-up hardcore punk zine that I got in the mail in trade. Its old, I think it came out around ’02. Interviews with Soophie Nun Squad, Frontside, and a funny story about dressing up like nerds and going out on the town.

EXTINCTIONS #5

2010-04-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

EXTINCTIONS #5 &
POLVO 1-5
$1ppd, prefers trades
Joseph Delgado
2290 Peck Rd
Mohave Valley, AZ 86440
Extinctions is a really beautiful zine. Joseph’s drawings are haunting, moody, and meld seemlessly into his poetry to create thought-provoking and, at times, graphic imagery.

Whereas Extinctions is focused on the personal life of the author, Polvo is more radical and protest-oriented. Like Extinctions, Polvo is also a mix of collage, drawings, and poetry, but has more of a “Fuck you” attitude. The author does not hold back his opinion which appears to be totally fed up with the straight world of Draconian Arizona politics. Intense stuff.

I AM A SILLY BITCH

2010-04-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

I AM A SILLY BITCH &
AN UNEDITED MIND
by The Force of Nature
$1ppd rabblemonster@gmail.com
These are two zines that completely explore the author’s every waking thought. He explains at the beginning of An Unedited Mind that, “I promise when I am sitting at this type writer I will write everything that pops into my head. No matter how dark, or evil, or cheesy, or random, or embarrassing it may be” and that is exactly what you get. Most of this consists of thoughts, reflections, and regrets about a past relationship. He doesn’t hold back and lets it all out

I Am a Silly Bitch is also a random collection of stories and thoughts. Topics explored are, Douche Bags (which I thought was hilarious), the idea of being completely honest, drinking, do we really care about the environment, and some interesting stories about the author living in the psychiatric ward of a hospital for a while. These zines are both well written and written on a type writer. They are pretty bare-bone and raw, which I always like.

I’M ONE OF AN ODD FAMILY

2010-04-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

I’M ONE OF AN ODD FAMILY #1
meandmyfamily@ymail.com
This is an incredibly sloppy and very odd zine. I liked it a lot. It’s sloppy sloppy sloppy, purposely sloppy and full of sloppy colors and sloppy interviews. The author is young (I’m guessing high school) and is tapped into some pretty interesting music. Most of it appears to be underground hip hop and noise. There’s also an interview with the Brown Panthers and some weird drawings. I liked this zine because it feels kind of subversive and edgy, but looks so goddamn cute.

YOU DON’T GET THERE FROM HERE #13

2010-04-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

YOU DON’T GET THERE FROM HERE #13
$2ppd, Carrie McNinch, POB 49403
Los Angeles, CA 90049
One of my favorite things over the past 18 years of reading and writing zines is opening the mailbox to find a new issue of anything that Carrie is involved with. I love her art, her humor, and her ability to be vulnerable and honest about her daily life. She really lets the reader into her world, sometimes that world sucks, sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s embarrassing, and sometimes it’s touching enough to make a big guy like me tear up and cry. This issue primarily deals with the steady decline and heartbreaking loss of her cat Jesse. It also has stories about the ever-present rattlesnakes along her jogging routes, as well as loneliness, booze, and food. If you haven’t seen her comics before, its time.

The RUB @The Iron Horse 3-20

2010-03-21T07:21:00.001-07:00

mucho talentia + many funny = The Rub

Darlene rocknroll fanzine

2010-03-09T19:13:00.000-08:00

drop me a line at the email address listed here and I'll send you one

"Darlene #4 was apparently five years in the making. Yeah, that much time passed since #3 and I don’t fully understand why because this was SO FREAKING AWESOME. Zines like this one are what first launched my teenage punk-ass into DIY print culture; people professing their love for music and being kind enough to share it with all the other nerds out there in the world.

This guy is clearly obsessed with Rock-N-Roll. Like, OCD status. He also has an enviously extensive knowledge of the genre. His nerdiness regarding the subject and friendly, non-pretentious voice made for a great intro essay about aging rockers, Napalm Death, and the appropriate uses of the prefix “post” and how it relates (or doesn’t) to new music. His writing is the highlight, but he followed it up with some fun interviews: Zeke and Javelina to give an example, and even a brief chat with Andrew WK (huh?).

This was too much fun to read, and as I said before, little gems like this remind me why I love zines so much. So, Mr. Spaghetti, please figure out how to manage your personal life in order to produce Darlene in a more timely manner. I’ll be waiting by the mailbox".-Kelly Dalbeck, Ashcan Magazine

"...Our author Randy also harps on something I also hate, the use of "post" before everything and coins a new term, PSPA post-scenester pseudo-audiencism, which describes the station of the older punk who has moved to a non-urban place, a real job and relies on the internet to hook them up for good music...my favorites are the kooky illustrations and the "Two Questions" interviews, in which Andrew WK fits in. It's a funny zine and a good read, especially for us aging punks" -Mariam Bastani, Maximumrocknroll

"Essentially, Darlene consists of personal recollections and anecdotes from the mind of an obsessed music fan who knows what he likes and doesn't worry about trends and scenes. His writing is pretty engaging and draws you into his little world which appears to consist almost exclusively of drinking, talking rock, and listening to rock....This dude goes above and beyond the written call of duty, to points of near-obsession and you shouldn't be suprised if he ends up telling you that he was the guy on Slayer's DVD with the band's logo carved into his flesh." -Kevin Stewart-Panko: Metal Maniacs

"I've gotta hand it to Randy Spaghetti, Only he could explain the power of Slayer by comparing them to a cute and little (but brutal) songbird called the Loggerhead Shrike and actually get away with it. Darlene has some excellent writing." - Maximumrocknroll

"Within the pages of Darlene No. 3 (2005), Randy Spaghetti expresses undying fealty to Slayer, the Melvins, and cheap booze; with this fourth issue appearing five years later, his loyalties are unchanged. Darlene touts itself as a "Rock-N-Roll Fanzine," straight, no chaser, and fulfills that function admirably. Any fears that a move to the backwoods of Idaho would temper the irreverent wit that compared Slayer's longevity with the feeding patterns of the loggerhead shrike in No. 3 will be quelled by the fourth issue's two-question interviews with the likes of Andrew W.K. ("Party Hard" singer and motivational speaker) and Zeke and a tongue-in-cheek essay on "Post-Scenester Pseudo-Audiencism."' Business as usual, in other words. Randy's writing style is uncluttered and conversational, and his aesthetic is photocopied and hand-drawn, a winning combination. He promises that a fifth issue is nearing completion".—Matthew Moyer, Jacksonville P.L., FL

Jim Harrison

2010-01-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

This is a quick sketch I did of Mr. Harrison. A tiny tribute for all of those amazing words.

latest outlaws & vigilantes

2010-01-20T14:56:00.001-08:00

This is TOTAL FEST VIII !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

Total Fest is 3 nights, 50 bands, a record swap, a bbq, @Missoula, @the Badlander.

I could only attend Saturday, but it was more than enough. I don't think I have the kind of rock-conditioning necessary to survive all three days.

Thanks Josh, Nikki, and everyone else involved. It was amazing....

(pics: Japanther, Glassell Park #3)

Damage Done

2009-08-23T19:57:00.001-07:00

Hardcore. Straight up

on the way back to Coeur d'Alene today we stopped in St. Regis Montana to pee (its about half way and i have a very sensitive bladder). As I was walking down the isle the singer for Damage Done walked toward me. I immediately flashed my new Total Fest VIII shirt, fist bumped him, and told him that they ruled.

Sandrider

2009-08-23T17:23:00.001-07:00

Although Akimbo wasn't playing this Total Fest, I kept seeing dudes from Akimbo walking around and watching bands. Turns out, two dudes from Akimbo and some other cat are called Sandrider and they as battle as all hell. This was an unexpected gift from the Total Gods and it was goooooooooooood.

Goddammitboyhowdy

2009-08-23T17:21:00.001-07:00

punk rock, straight up

Japanther

2009-08-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

after they spent five minutes making a goddamn health drink in a blender on stage, Japanther pounced on the Badlander to end the evening in a joyous sweat-and-pabst soaked dance orgy.

El Zombi Gato

2009-08-23T17:14:00.001-07:00

Millie trying her best to attract zombies

Git Some

2009-08-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

These guys were incredible, they sound exactly as their name implies. The singer, however, was standing in front of me during Helms Alee and kept fist-pumping his hand in my face.

Helms Alee

2009-08-23T16:56:00.001-07:00

For me, this was the band of the night. Not-so-subtle ambience combined with acutely reserved brutality.

its a life style

2009-07-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

our new band (and I use that term loosely)