Cloudfather #3

Cloudfather #3 , no price listed, cloudfather.tumbler.com, cloudfather.net, / Let me start by saying that I love art zines and Cloudfather is an art zine, so…it's already got a leg up in Randy’s review land (good name for a theme park). Initially, when I opened this zine up and thumbed through it I got a definite Neckface vibe. And although it is similar in style to Neckface, Cloudfather definitely has its own thing going. For me Kyle’s art has a graffiti-skate-gang tattoo-Hindu feel that’s very appealing. I loved the picture of the person standing in what appears to be Joshua Tree National Park with a Cloudfather mask on, I was both jealous and inspired. This zine made me curious to check out more of his work. Good stuff. Kyle also sent this mini zine along which has a bit more of his art in it:

The Offly Dark

The Offly Dark Vol. 1, Real American Gothic, no price listed, lurkmaple@gmail.com. / The first thing that got my attention in this zine is the art. There are some unique and very cool drawings inside this zine. Sometimes the drawings are intertwined within the poems, sometimes they stand alone. I love this dude’s style. The zine has a rough quality that I really appreciate. It consists simply of photo copies of what appears to be the author’s hand written poetry journals, and sketchbooks. The mistakes are scribbled out, or poorly erased with smudge marks included. And although this may sound careless or even sloppy, it actually creates a sense of warmth to the zine that I think wouldn’t otherwise exist. The poetry is pretty dark with interesting titles such as, “My Grandson The Cactus”. My one complaint is that some of the copied pages are blurry and too small to read.

Grunted Warnings 14

Grunted Warnings #14 $2 or Trade, Stratu, POB 35, Marrickville NSW 2204, AUSTRALIA. / This is a bizarre assortment of newspaper clippings from around the world assembled by Stuart Stratu of BlackGuard fame. The titles of newspaper articles alone are why newspapers must never die. Grunted Warnings illustrates this in a profoundly entertaining way, titles such as, “Fatal fury at bearded lady” or, “Piranhas snack on tourists”. If you are looking for an interesting conversation starter at your next cocktail party, leave this zine out on your coffee table. The cover alone should set things in motion right off.

2012

Looks like I'm significantly behind on my yearly review average and 2012 is quickly coming to a close. It probably has a lot to do with the po box debacle that happened this spring/summer, or having started a new job, or having a toddler running around the house. Whatever the reason(s), I have about twenty zines sitting on my desk waiting for a review. I'm going to try and get to all of them in the month of December. We shall see.....this may be a very busy month.

Blackguard #4: the Fear Issue

Blackguard PO Box 35 Marrickville NSW 2204 Australia $5 or TRADE sstratu@gmail.com Thank the highest peaks of Valhalla or lowest pools of Hades for Blackguard. This zine, “The Fear Issue” fears nothing. Reading this zine in 2012 I was reminded of the first time that I thumbed through a copy of ‘Heavy Metal’ back in 1984. What a great feeling that was; being all of 12 years old and not quite knowing how to draw any conclusions about a comic book full of comics without superheroes, and whose characters were often having sex with one another. It wasn’t a red pill moment, but it was definitely headed in that direction. Blackguard, like Heavy Metal, has the aesthetics of walking into a seedy underground comic/adult bookstore in a very bad part of town on a Blade Runner kind of night. The man behind the zine is Stuart Stratu. He sent a great hand written letter along with his zines for review, which I really appreciated, and which also harkened back to a time gone by. The theme is fear and a wide variety of artists contribute to this cause, digging deep and letting loose with a barrage of often disturbing, yet sometimes hilarious, comics, stories, and drawings. There are also reviews, and a great letters section. Blackguard has it all.

Rad Dad: dispatches from the frontiers of fatherhood

Rad Dad dispatches from the frontiers of fatherhood Microcosm 636 SE 11th Ave Portland, OR 97214-2405 $15

This is a great collection of writings from fathers, and interviews with fathers whose perspectives are often at odds with, or in direct opposition to the traditional cultural, political, and spiritual values of early 21st century North America. These are stories from dads who are trying to raise their children to the best of their abilities in a world whose ‘Road less traveled’ has long been paved over and replaced with an Ikea warehouse. The challenges that any parent faces on a daily basis are always difficult, throw the 21st century into the mix with all of its technological temptations and dangers (video games, porn, gore, online predators etc.) and a very precariously balanced global political and environmental situation, all the while trying to navigate it with an outlook that is already at odds with contemporary way of doing things, and you begin to see what the fathers in this book are dealing with. This collection of stories from Rad Dad, is kind of like sitting in on a group therapy session for fathers that fall into that category, with all the failures, missteps, and wrong turns included. But there is also a lot of joy included within these pages. While reading it I got a feeling that tackling these challenges brings with it a profound sense of accomplishment and something that none of the authors would trade a second of. This isn’t a handbook on how to raise your children as political radicals, it’s merely a unique (and often entertaining) look into some alternative perspectives on parenting.

Monkey Squad One #8

Monkey Squad One #8 monkeysquadmailbox@gmail.com $2.50.. Part two of the zombie apocalypse (read my first review here http://sddzine.blogspot.com/2011/11/monkey-squad-one-7.html). My favorite parts of this comic are all the hilarious drawings of the zombie carnage. You can tell that Doug, the artist, had a really great time with this. MS1 is an elaborate and fun comic that really showcases the artist’s talent, attention to detail, and obvious love of craft. My only question: how the hell are they going to get out of this mess?

Got a bit behind on my reviews, hitting the stack tonight, more to come soon....

Cop Dad #1

Cop Dad #1 “pay what you want” www.copdad.com I have been getting some really great zines in the mail lately and Cop Dad is no exception. In fact, this is one of the best zines I’ve read all year. Cop Dad is a strange name for what’s inside this thing. It’s a collection of stories, pictures, and art. inside: an internet hookup with a tragic twist, motorcycle travel (through some of my favorite places), the Castro District’s present & past, hardcore interior decorating, teenage swashbuckling, and an interview with an eclectic do-gooder. That’s what’s inside. No cops, no dads. Just great writing. This zine/literary journal is destined to stay in my mind for a very long time. Simply fantastic reading.

AVOW #24

Avow #24 $3 Microcosm 222 S. Rogers St. Bloomington, IN 47404

This issue of Avow is a bit of a time capsule for me. Keith writes about bands, people, zines, and topics that mostly happened when I was in my twenties. I’m 40 now. Reading about Karl Alvarez defending Brett Gurewitz in the pages of Tatterfrock zine is like breaking the shovel out and digging that time capsule up. I’m quite certain that there is not one other person in the greater Coeur d’Alene area that I associate with that knows who in the hell those people are or what in the hell a Tatterfrock is (well, maybe one). This is exactly what still draws me to zines today; the fact that not too many people know what they are, even fewer know much about their history, and even fewer still have read any, if at all. For people like me who are tapped into this underworld, and know some of its history, reading about old controversies in a new issue of a long running zine, along with debates about what is and is not punk and/or hardcore, well that just makes me happy. This issue is aesthetically beautiful to look at. Keith has a wonderful design style and is an incredible artist. Avow 24 is mostly record reviews done in a unique way; he reviews old records that meant a lot to him, sometimes for their politics, or the artwork, or the memories of loved ones that they conjured up, and sometimes simply for the sounds coming from the speakers. The writing is great. Also included are some comics about seeking meaningful employment, and an interview with Joe Lachut of ‘Seven Inches to Freedom’ zine that had me disagreeing loudly, to nobody. I love it when an interview does that.

Manifesto #1

Manifesto #1 $2ppd www.edtillman.net

Manifesto #1 is a collection of observations, philosophical swordplay, and stories centered on that most sacred subject of art. The stories are short, unconnected, and written by different authors, but for some reason they seem to flow seamlessly together to create a single entity. Often when I read a zine written by various contributors, each story starts and stops abruptly and without much notice. Sometimes this is fun, more often than not, however, it feels awkward. Not the case with Manifesto. I think that because the focus of each story is that of art, and not the authors, the overall tone of the zine remains the same. This is a nice effect, and this is an excellent first issue.

Somnambulist #19

Somnambulist #19 POB 14871 Portland, OR 97293 marthagrover@hotmail.com This issue of Somnambulist is composed mostly of a story about the author, Martha, going on what was supposed to be a relaxed walking trip with her boyfriend through Oregon wine country. The story is a lesson in making sure that you are properly prepared before venturing out into the unknown. There are also some poetry contributions in this issue. The poem ‘Burnt Sienna’ by A.M O’Malley is an excellent summary of one person’s youthful wanderlust that reminded me of the old zine Gogglebox. Somnambulist, is a perzine with a big personality, and Martha Grover is a prolific writer that doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.

on line

Got back from three weeks in the field. Stack of zines in the box. Reviews to come.

pobox blues no more

Just when I thought it was all behind me, I started getting emails from people who had sent their books & zines for review telling me that their stuff was getting sent back to them. The problem should now be solved (I will be sending some test post cards later today to confirm). Thanks to everyone that took the time to send me an email about it and try to help get this thing solved (big props to Ed T!).

sound recording cartridge of the week

found this in a box of random tapes at a garage sale. I don't think the tape matches the cover, but both are awesome.

Railroad Semantics #1

Railroad Semantics #1 by Aaron Dactyl Microcosm 636 SE 11th ave Portland, OR 97214 . Railroad Semantics No. 1 is a collection of train hopping stories, pictures, newspaper clippings, and letters put together in a somewhat collage-like fashion, and like a collage, it often sparks curiosity in the viewer (reader) and then abruptly changes directions. The descriptions of life on the rail with all the sunsets, contemplative solitude, and vast landscapes are excellent and are the soul of this book. I couldn’t help wanting to know more, however, about the author, and the people he encountered along the way. I loved the pictures of the various travels and all the correspondence written on the walls of the boxcars - unfettered and uncensored- and I really enjoyed the writing. Railroad Semantics is a unique snapshot of a world that most of us will never experience on our own, and a one that I look forward to reading more about in the future.

We Never Learn: the Gunk Punk Undergut 1988-2001

We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988-2001 By Eric Davidson www.backbeatbooks.com I love the New Bomb Turks. They are icons of 90's punk, and one of the great rocknroll bands of all time. And, although this book is authored by their incredibly charismatic singer, Eric Davidson, this is not a book about them. This is, however, a book about the Dwarves, the Cramps, Cheater Slicks, Devil Dogs, Estrus Records, Crypt Records, The Gories, the Mummies, The Stooges, Teengenerate, Pagans, Motards, Subpop, Ramones, and a ton of other bands, record labels, and artists that were tearing it up in small clubs across the globe throughout the 1990's. Bands that fall under the author’s personal label of “Gunk Punk”. This is an excellent collection of interviews and anecdotes from the people who were involved in a musical phenomenon that was often overshadowed by the very tall shadow of grunge, and unfortunately, the very VERY embarrassingly bad stench that was nu-metal (umlauts purposely left off, out of respect for the umlaut). I loved every second of this book. 90’s punk is my second favorite era of rocknroll. It's an era that I was immersed within, and Mr. Davidson captures its chaotic beauty in a painstakingly thorough and very entertaining way. The idea of Letting the people who were there tell their stories, with just a smattering of personal recollection and interjection, is brilliantly simple and makes for a compelling read. My only complaint about this book is that the Fireballs of Freedom, a band so good live that they should have been added to the list of deadly sins, are only mentioned once, and in passing. A small oversight for such a worthy read.

New address

Finally got the POB situation figured out. Again, sorry if your stuff got sent back to you, and if it did send it to the new address and I will be happy to give it a read and a review. Randy Spaghetti POB 121 Hayden, ID 83835

pic: Niccolls bldg

Green Woman Magazine

Green Woman Magazine Winter/Spring 2012 POB 6587 Colorado Springs, CO 80934-6587 www.greenwomanmagazine.com $12.50 two issue subs Another great issue of Green Woman Magazine. The name of this magazine might put some people off in the sense that they may think that the publication is solely written by and for women (I was kind of under this impression when it first showed up in my mailbox). This is not the case, and in fact, doesn’t feel like it’s written in any kind of gender specific way at all. I think the title is more of a statement about the two women who edit it, and not the content per se. At least that’s my take on it. Anyway, this issue is packed full of great earth-friendly articles on a wide variety of subjects ranging from Canning, community gardens, honey, raising turkeys, climate change (the basics of), beetles, bees, an interview with musician and garden-freak Christa Decicco, a fascinating article about George Washington Carver that was a truly inspiring look into the virtues of curiosity and hard work. I loved Dan Murphy’s column about slowing down un-plugging and attempting to live a more simple rock life (Melvins unplugged would be amazing). There’s even a page of Wilson Bentley snowflake photos! (I love Bentley snowflake photos) Green Woman magazine is new and full of momentum. It’s a great resource for connecting to all kinds of folks involved in sustainability on all fronts. A fine magazine worthy of your support.

Mail box issues

Talked to the post office today and I may have a new PO Box number (when I paid for my renewal online it didn't register at the post office and they closed my mail box) So, if you sent stuff in for review and it was sent back to you, that's why. Sorry about that. I will try to get my old box number back, but might have a new one soon. blaaa. pic: Victoria BC

busy

Life has been keeping me extremely busy as of late, reviews to come soon.







Delta Colorado 2011

Piltdownlad#2 Women Got Me Drinking

Women Got Me Drinking: A French Quarter Love Story
$1
piltdownlad@gmail.com
548 s. spring st #804
Los Angeles, CA 90013
WGMD is a story about a quest for love that takes place in New Orleans. The author’s literary heroes, Bukowski, Miller, Hemingway, are very much apparent in tone and subject matter in the writing. The dialogue reads as if it happened 50 years ago, but for the modern references (gutter punks etc.) I would have assumed that it did. This is a refreshing affect. I enjoyed this story, and look forward to reading more of his stuff.

Bad Breath Comics #4

Bad Breath Comics #4
$2
badbreathcomics.blogspot.com
joshjuresko.com

What a bizarre comic. From start to finish BBC #4 is as eclectic and disjointed as it gets, and this is a good thing. As far as I can tell there is no real meaning or purpose behind these strange, unrelated stories, and that too is a good thing. It has the look and feel of a cheap 1950’s pulp magazine with only a smattering of present day references. Minimalist, off-beat, self-deprecating, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Christian New Age Quarterly

Christian New Age Quarterly
One year $12.50
POB 276
Clifton, NJ 07015
www.christiannewage.com
Considering the current political climate as it pertains to Christianity, or at least the right wing headline-grabbing version of said religion, when a new issue of anything with the word ‘Christian’ shows up in my mailbox, I get nervous and kind of nauseous. Fortunately, I grew up in a very progressive church full of folk singing hippie thespians who constantly fought for civil rights, against racism, homophobia, and injustice, and who took the whole “love thy neighbor” tenet seriously. I like those Christians and self identify as one of their clan in spirit (replacing the folk with metal, and church going with hiking). The Christian New Age Quarterly appears to be of this ilk, and I like it. The article entitled, “Consciousness –Now or Forever? The Law of the Conservation of Consciousness” is a fascinating exploration of energy, dark matter, thermodynamics, and consciousness. The article was so good in fact, that I read it thrice. CNAQ seems to be full of good, diverse reading on matters pertaining to the spirit, even for agnostic slayer fanatics like myself.

The Soda Killers #1

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

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

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

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

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

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

cool link,
and thanks for the props.

VTOTW (video tape of the week)

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

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

Green Woman Vol. 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Super busy at work. 7 reviews to come soon.

totw 6-24-11

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

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.