LOSERDOM #20

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

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

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.