..
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Knowing the Land is Resistance zine now available
Wednesday, December 22 2010 @ 12:00 AM UTC
Contributed by: Anonymous
Views: 170
Knowing the Land is Resistance (KLR) is a project based out of the remaining Carolinian forest around Lake Ontario. We're excited to announce the release of our first compilation of articles written about wild spaces around where we live. The focus of our work is on cultivating a deeper and more intimate knowledge of the land around us, and allowing what we learn there to guide an active participation in social struggles. The articles contained in this zine offer many practical, reproducible tips for deepening your connection to the land wherever you are, and some ideas for how to read the history of capitalism and colonialism from the land in order to understand and challenge those systems in your specific place.
The zine is 44 pages (11 sheets) and is designed to be printed in black and white. It's available for download here: http://zinelibrary.info/knowing-land-resistance
For more information about KLR, or to check out our monthly articles:
knowingtheland (at) gmail.com
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
I am disabled – and you’re jealous?
I am disabled – and you’re jealous?
Having a disability and surviving on a disability support pension isn’t something to be envious of. If disabled people could trade their money to have your health, they would probably do it, writes Ciara Xyerra.
13 December 2010
I had a pretty difficult conversation recently in which a good friend told me that she is jealous of the security my disability money provides.
I have been on disability since early 2003. I’m one of those lucky folks who was approved the first time I applied. I get it for both physical disabilities and mental health issues.
My mental health issues are mainly anxiety and depression, both of which I have learned to manage pretty well (especially the depression), but which still affect my life in various ways pretty much every day. I have a much more difficult time managing my physical disabilities.
I have some weird birth defect wherein I was born with an incomplete spine. I am missing a few vertebrae in my lower back. I also have fairly severe scoliosis. This may be related to the missing vertebrae. My spine may have learned how to curve over time in order to support the uneven distribution on weight along my back due to the missing vertebrae.
On top of this, I injured my back really seriously when I was 18, in a workplace mishap. I damaged a lot of nerves in my spine and have some fairly minor (comparatively) partial paralysis in the right side of my body. It mostly affects my right arm and my neck.
I went to physical therapy to recover motion and passably normal function in my leg. I was in physical therapy for months, but 13 years later, I can walk pretty normally.
But on top of all of this, I developed arthritis, which has spread all over my body. Ten years ago, it was pretty centralized in my back, hips and knees, but now it’s in my feet, hands, arms, neck and has recently spread to my shoulders.
The arthritis means I live with major amounts of chronic pain every single day. Some days are worse than others. I’ve had days when I couldn’t walk, move my neck, or lift my arms. Those days are fairly infrequent.
My daily battles involve things that other people don’t think twice about. It’s difficult for me to hold and use utensils, button a jacket, and write things by hand. It’s very painful for me to sweep a floor.
Often, when I wash dishes, my hands sometimes lock into claws and I can’t move them. If I’m sitting on the couch reading a book, it’s difficult for me to hold the book open.
Little things like this cause me significant amounts of pain, which is only becoming more severe and widespread as time goes on.
I’m only 31. There’s no cure for arthritis, so I have to make my peace with the fact that these problems aren’t going away and will in fact only get worse.
When I was initially diagnosed, my orthopaedic specialist said I would probably be in a wheelchair by the time I’m 30. Clearly, he was wrong about that. But we’ll see what the future holds.
I also have to deal with the fact that my arthritic joints are more prone to injury and take longer to heal if they are injured. Seven years ago, I sprained my ankle tripping on a rock in my backyard. I had to wear an ankle brace and walk with a cane for six months. I was only 24 years old! It was no fun to roll into a zine fest leaning on a cane.
Chronic pain is pretty much impossible to describe to someone that has never experienced it. I have had some kind of chronic pain somewhere in my body every single day for the last 13 years.
Sometimes, it’s so bad I cry. There have even been times that I have thought about killing myself just to make it go away. (This was especially a big problem right after I hurt my back, when I couldn’t move my right leg at all and couldn’t get out of bed for months on end.)
I’m a lot more okay with it now, just because I’m used to it and have developed some skills for working around it, but it definitely sucks.
Being on disability has literally saved my life. I can’t imagine what job I would actually be able to hold down when my physical limitations are combined with my mental health issues.
I was approved for disability when I was 22, and the government determined from my application that I became chronically and permanently disabled at age 18. Therefore, when my dad died right after I turned 23 and I got divorced a year later, I became eligible for the disabled adult children of deceased parent benefit program.
This enables me to collect disability insurance as well as my dad’s social security guarantee. The thinking is that a parent would financially support his/her disabled adult child if s/he were alive to do so. In his absence, the government gives the disabled adult child the social security benefits the parent would have collected upon retiring.
Disability insurance alone is a very meagre income. It would be a huge challenge to live independently on it. I did it for six months while I was waiting for my divorce to be finalized: $525 a month, and my rent alone was $400. You do the math.
Adding my dad’s benefits to the mix means I am able to support myself independently – although I have to live a fairly frugal lifestyle. Which I’m okay with, because I am/was (?) a punk and that’s how punks roll.
Of course, this is a fixed income. If I find one day that it’s not enough money to get by, I don’t have any options. I can’t apply for a better-paying job. I can’t further my education in hopes of a professional career and the attendant boost in income. This is it.
There are other caveats as well: if I ever decide to live outside the United States, I lose my disability money altogether. If I ever get legally married, the government will pull the extra money I get from the disabled adult child program and I’m back to just my $525 or so in disability money. I would have to rely on my partner to support me financially, which is a lot to ask of someone, and which is something that makes me very uncomfortable.
I’m not sure what the rules are around having assets (i.e., if I were to sign a mortgage, even if I wasn’t the sole person responsible for paying down the mortgage). I’m not sure how social service programs I may be eligible for if I were to have a child (i.e., WIC) would impact my social security income.
So, you know, it’s not a perfect system. But it works for me for now. Not having to sweat the bills and look for a job definitely goes a long way toward helping me keep my depression and anxiety in check, and being able to be a homebody definitely enables me to take the time and space I need to deal with my chronic pain issues.
For example, I can chill out at home and sleep or take a bath if the pain is really intense, rather than forcing myself out to my job. Toward the end of my life as an employee, I was taking a lot of “sick days” that were really “too much pain to get out of bed” days.
I don’t have to worry about that stuff anymore. My schedule is now flexible enough to do self-care things like water aerobics classes, outpatient surgery to cauterize pain-transmitting spinal nerves, etc, without having to take time off.
Okay, back to the situation with my friend. I see very little in my situation to inspire jealousy.
Her main point, repeated over and over, is that it’s a privilege for me to be able to make ends meet without sweating my next pay check (though I’m always cognizant of the fact that the government could pull my benefits any time they want, and I am subject to regular, extremely arduous, review processes).
Is it a privilege for the government to provide a basic income to people who cannot provide an income for themselves? I honestly wouldn’t call that a privilege. I think it’s pretty much the least they could do.
I’m not one of those people who thinks “privilege” is a dirty word and freaks out if someone says I have it in some way…but considering that I get this money because I am disabled, and my disability is a pretty huge detriment to my life, for which I have faced some very clear-cut examples of prejudice and oppression…I definitely think “privilege” is the wrong word to use.
In my years of experience being on disability, I have had several people in my life that seemed jealous or resentful of my guaranteed monthly income. A few people voiced their opinion that I am squandering my money if I buy myself a treat with it (i.e., cute shoes, a decent computer).
I see this as paternalistic nannying bullshit. What, a person can buy whatever the fuck useless or frivolous doodads they want if they go out and earn their money every day at a job, but someone like me should grovel and be grateful for whatever dregs they can get?
These are usually people with a fair chunk of money and financial security, and some unchecked ideas about what poor people deserve. Key word: deserve. These people tend to be very hung up on who deserves what.
The other kind of person in my life has been the person that is struggling to make ends meet themselves, maybe by hustling away at some self-employment, or at a low-paying retail or food service job.
These people are jealous that I make just as much money as them (i.e., not much) without having to leave the house. They seem to think I have a pretty sweet gig going, and sometimes they passive-aggressively congratulate me on “snowing” the government into giving me money.
Believe me when I say I am not snowing anyone. Live a week with the pain I live with every day and see if you think I fooled anyone into declaring me disabled. These people tend to have more jealousy and resentment around my income and financial situation.
They may say something like, “Going to work makes me really anxious, but you don’t see me looking for a hand-out.” and I say, “Why the hell not? If you really think your anxiety constitutes a serious disability that negatively impacts your life on an ongoing basis, apply and see what happens.”
The bottom line is that once these opinions bubble to the surface, the friendship usually doesn’t last too long. I have had really, really bad experiences around this issue, and I think the bottom line is that someone who is jealous of my perceived financial stability due to my disability income is a person who does not take my disability seriously.
It is nothing to be jealous over. If I could wake up every day feeling totally healthy and pain-free and have my dad be alive again, I would gladly work 40 hours a week, even if it were at chipotle or something. But it’s just not an option.
At this point in my life, my pain and my physical limitations are serious enough that I need my friends to take my disability status seriously. It’s a huge part of who I am as a person, and making jokes about it or being jealous basically amount to minimizing a hugely significant and difficult aspect of my existence.
So now I’m dealing with it again and I’m pretty upset. I really thought I’d gotten to the point where I was making good choices about my friends and was only sharing my disability status with people who could be trusted to fully respect that.
I like to think of myself as a good judge of character, but… this happened. I have never ditched a friend solely because they made some fucked-up remark about my disability… but usually the fucked-up remark has been the first indication I’ve had of a toxic stream slowly killing off the friendship.
I am really bummed to think that something like that could be happening again, and I am trying every way I can to try to understand this person’s perspective and give them the benefit of the doubt.
But personal experience has shown me that not taking this remark seriously as a potential cancer in the friendship will only lead to more heartache down the road.
I guess I am writing this for anyone who may be reading who has a friend struggling with a mental or physical disability. I am saying: take that shit seriously. It’s not a fucking joke and it’s nothing to be jealous of.
If your friend’s condition is serious enough that the government has recognized it and is providing for their basic survival, that is a big fucking deal for your friend. They probably have days where they feel unbelievably shitty about the fact that they can’t provide for themselves–even just by washing dishes at noodle and co. plus, they’re dealing with all the restrictions the government places upon them in exchange for their survival money.
There’s a decent chance that that money is the only reason your friend is still alive. Don’t resent them for it; don’t waste your time being jealous of them. Trust me: there’s nothing going on with them that you want for yourself.
If they could trade their money to have your health, they would probably do it. Even if your friend doesn’t often talk about their disability or make their disability-related limitations obvious to you, they still deserve respect as a whole person, and their disability is part of their wholeness. Be cool.
Clara Xyerra has been writing zines for the better part of two decades and ran the - now closed - zine distro ‘learning to leave a paper trail’. Best known for her zines a renegade’s handbook to love and sabotage, up the logic punks! and love letters to monsters she currently blogs at crabigail adams.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
HackThisZine #11
Hackbloc Announces the Release of HackThisZine #11
Sunday, December 19 2010 @ 12:55 AM UTC
Contributed by: Anonymous
Views: 374
Hackbloc is proud to announce the newest release of our zine, HackThisZine. You can grab copies pre-formatted for online reading and printing at https://hackbloc.org/zine. This issue provides extensive coverage of Wikileaks, Cablegate, Operation Payback, and much much more. HackThisZine is an online and in-print periodical about hacking, hacktivism, social struggle, computer security, and anarchism. It's got a little content for everybody and a lot of content for that special someone.
FARTS FROM UNDERGROUND by Jim Goad
Duncombe, Stephen. Notes From Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture. New York: Verso, 1997.
Like me, Stephen Duncombe is an ex-zinester who now writes books. Besides the fact that we also share English as a primary language, all similarities end there. It must be noted that Duncombe makes a few less-than-worshipful comments regarding Yours Truly within his new book on zines. This, naturally, has NOTHING to do with the hurtful venom I express in the following review. I swear. We differ on matters of opinion. Nothing that can be proven.
An example of our differences: While Duncombe believes that "Riot Grrrl breathes new life into feminism," I say it merely gives feminism smaller tits and a backpack. When he claims that "...the outside world [is] the very repository of inauthenticity," I say it's the only world that's for real.
We also differ on the purpose and value of zines. If you don't know what a zine is, consider yourself lucky. The word "zine" is half of the word "'magazine"; a zine, at best, is only half a magazine. Zines are but a tiny fart at the end of a meal which Gutenberg started. Like some things are better left unsaid, most zines are better left unpublished.
Who are the zinesters? Who are these half-people who create half-magazines? They are a bespectacled bundle of contradictions. They are racially hypersensitive, yet there are almost no black zinesters. They are antimaterialistic, yet they are invariably the children of affluence. They are filled with angst because there's no tension or struggle in their lives. They whimper about their limited entertainment choices and act as if walking through the local mall is the ultimate horror ... as if living in the 'burbs is worse than life in the projects. They don't realize that feeling empty is a luxury, not evidence of oppression. The "zine community" is a mail-order support group for emotional cripples. If you need zines to get you through the night, perhaps you don't deserve to see the sun rise.
As one scrawny twig on the Hipster Tree, zinedom is an effete ghetto of exclusion and snobbery. Zines exist for hipsters, and hipsters exist for—I've forgotten why hipsters exist. Oh, right—hipsters exist for the express purpose of wishing that their viewpoints never gain mass acceptance. Hipsters don't want to overthrow the mainstream, they merely want to perpetually coexist with it in a state of adversarial bitchiness. There is no such thing as "alternative culture," only half-assed reasons for wanting to be different. All "alternative movements" devolve into factionalism and backbiting. This is why the mainstream has never lost a battle.
But along comes Stephen Duncombe, much more hopeful than I am...
"In zines I saw the seeds of a different possibility: a novel form of communication and creation that burst with an angry idealism. A medium thot spoke for a marginal, yet vibrant culture, that along with others might invest the tired script of progressive politics with meaning and excitement for a new generation .... As a punk rocker, Left politico, and scholar of culture, I was intrigued by their success."
... Yes, along comes Stephen Duncombe, who [unlike me] is able to grasp the potential laying beneath all the shitty graphics, lousy writing, and clunky sloganeering:
"It may very well be that this sort of individual creation and production, linked through a vast network of individual producers, is a model for a new sort of micro-coalition community and for a politics that allows individual autonomy at the same time as it encourages communal exchange."
There's a gentle picture of Stephen Duncombe on the back flap of his book. He looks like a rebellious son of Jerry Lewis, half-smirking at the photographer for trying to commodify him. His face is half-bathed in light, half in darkness. Half of him, we are to assume, sits in the pure-'n'-dangerous underground, half in the enlightened world of postmodern Marx Brother academia. We are told that Stephen "is active in radical politics" and receives grant money from the Jacob Javits Foundation to help him plumb the sociological trenches. Steve uses the phrase "New Left" and proudly claims to have "been part of the underground cultural scene."
Quite simply, Stephen Duncombe feels the need to rebel. He just won't be happy unless he can channel his dissent through a non-coopted outlet. Against all evidence, he believes in the possibility of positive social change. And he casts it all under the soft spotlight of anti-consumptionist rigamarole. It only takes two pages before capitalism is blamed for everything. I'm only jealous that I didn't think of it first.
Like most college commies, Duncombe insists that his entertainment be more than mere entertainment. In fact, it doesn't even have to entertain as long as it ... um ... radicalizes. To him, zines only seem valuable if they corral the reader into the Left Bank bullpen. The great failure of zines, if I may speak for the author, is that they encourage a sense of personal control which verges on the antisocial. Duncombe seems tweaked that zines haven't yet forged a mass movement of Left politicos who take to the streets in order to throw raw meat and Xeroxed flyers at people.
Begging to differ yet again, I remain untweaked. The great strength of zines, as I see it, is their ability to encourage selfish behavior. Politics and entertainment usually mix as well as pickles and ice cream. The Id is much more entertaining than the Superego; the personal is much more fun than the political. The personal is NOT political. When I dab my armpits with roll-on deodorant, it has nothing to do with the suffering in Rwanda. Zines succeed or fail not on the strength of the zine format itself, nor the veracity of the politicking, but on the power of the zinemaker's personality. Most zines fail because most people fail. The problem with Do It Yourself is the stampeding unoriginality of most of the Yourselves who are Doing It. Zines never provide insight into new political thought, only the occasional window into an amusingly pathological personality. Duncombe, not a fan of personality when it gets in the way of social activism, doesn't mention some of zinedom's more intriguing goofballs, should-be superstars such as Randall Phillip, David Van Hyle, and The JMan.
And it's on the personality tip where Duncombe himself fails, both as a writer and as a person. He seems nice, but dull as cement. The world of alternative culture that he proposes is even blander than the mainstream, for at least the mainstream throws a good party every once in a while. Stupid politics can be forgiven; being boring can't.
So why buy this book? You asked the wrong guy. Writing a book on zines is like making a movie about a sitcom. All books are ultimately useless, yet here's one that doesn't wait so long. Phrases such as "full of shit" or "rank art-faggotry" spring to mind, yet why take the low road? It's hard to get pissed at something so thoroughly blasé. I found myself sighing a lot as I read this book. I also found myself unable to achieve an erection within ten feet of it. Outside of that radius, and I'm OK. The moment I'm out of the underground, the veins start bulging all along my shaft.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Zombre #2
Zombre #2 : The Magic Forest
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
from Blackguard
52 pages, digest, $4.00, from Ansis A. Purins >>> siransalot(at)gmail.com
What a pleasure it was to receive this absolutely charming comic!
Set in a national park, this one begins with Ranger Jones trying to get scatterbrained hippy underling Ranger Elvis out of bed and to work. Pretty soon a zombie appears, but he's not one of those scary Romero zombies. Right from the get go he seems like a likeable fellow, bumbling around the forest trying to figure things out.
Also visiting on this day is a father and daughter who arrive by motorcycle with sidecar, and a young couple - the man loudly revels in the grandeur of nature while the missus refuses to come out of the tent, seemingly only wanting to get back to the big smoke for a coffee.
The characters are all unique and fascinating to follow. The art is really great too, with nice use of zip-a-tone. A really neat touch are the tiny, appropriated images throughout, like flowers and birds, even an old hi-fi amplifier that has fallen out of a garbage bag the zombie finds. I also totally loved that the masked woodpecker on the little girl's t-shirt materialises in real life, landing on her helmet. Aw!
I had a big, goofball grin on my face the whole way through this. Really gotta get a copy of the first issue if it's still available.
Zombre is one of those rare comics that I'd have no hesitation in recommending for little folks as well as big folks. Get one! Get more than one!
[Note: The bird on the cover is actually ultra bright orange. Unfortunately my scanner refuses to acknowledge the existence of day-glo colours.]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Awesome little comic. Great artwork. The story involves a zombie running amok in a quirky little campground. The zombie seems to have a good heart though; his violent and gruesome actions are simply a result of his zombie-ness. He can't really control himself, though he seems to try. The zombie is befriended by a little girl and her dolt of a dad. Soon the zombie is discovered by a goofy park ranger who, just trying to do the right thing, turns him in to the man in charge. The story is to be continued I think. Get yourself a copy of this. It's a great little story, and it's worth it for the artwork alone.
siransalot@gmail.com
http://www.ansis.tv/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From Jack Cheiky
44 pages, card-stock cover, digest
$4
I love it. This is a one-story comic, weird and quirky, about a zombie, two park rangers, and a father and son, in the great outdoors.The story doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's part of its charm. One thing I liked was the juxtaposing typical sloppy caricatures with some really nice detailed art.
order from:
www.ansis.tv
Creating a Teen Zine Collection
Creating a Teen Zine Collection December 16, 2010
Posted by heathercolby in Articles.Tags: Crafts, Magazines, Self-publishing, Zines
trackback
It’s no secret that I love zines (which I often describe as self-published mini magazines). I’ve been reading them since I was in high school, and I’ve made many close friends because of them. So when the possibility of creating a zine collection for teens at my library (the Homer Township Public Library) was brought up, I got REALLY EXCITED. A few months later, we now have a small collection of zines available (which still makes me REALLY EXCITED). So here’s a little bit about the how and the why, in case you want to do something similar.
Why a zine collection for teens? There are several reasons. Many teens have never heard of or seen a zine. As a librarian, I am lucky to have a public space in which to introduce someone to new things. I also think it’s our responsibility to offer collections of all kinds, and while zines will never be as recognized as other forms of media, that doesn’t make them of any less value. Having zines at the library (and offering books, pamphlets, and workshops about zines) shows teens that you don’t have to be a super famous writer in order to have your voice heard. All you need is a story to tell & access to a photocopier.
How did I create this collection? The short version is this: Once I got the okay from my director, I did some research on zine collections in public libraries, and then I headed to Quimby’s. I was able to spend a few hours sitting on their floor, flipping through hundreds of different zines and mini-comics (I wanted to make sure what I was buying was age appropriate, of course). I pulled a few zines from my own collection, had some zines donated by friends, and then I bought Whatcha Mean What’s a Zine? and Stolen Sharpie Revolution. We decided not to catalog the zines, and to keep them as an in-house-only collection (for the meantime, at least). I purchased a small bin to store them, made up a sign, printed off a few copies of Zines 101 (thanks, Zine World!), and started to spread the word. I spent about $100, and now we have a unique collection of awesome zines in my teen space.
Zines are not usually found on the shelves within public libraries (although the number is increasing each year). I’m lucky enough to have a director who is supportive of new ideas and a teen community that is responsive to additions to the YA collection. As a zine enthusiast and a public librarian, it doesn’t get any better than this.
http://yasfnews.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/creating-a-teen-zine-collection/
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Foragers #2
Foragers #2
16 pages, digest, $? by Jaimie Hashey
I haven't seen the first issue of this totally cute and charming comic, but this issue gives some background. It's set on a farm and the humans have vanished. The animals have busted out, night has fallen and beside the pond with the noisy bullfrogs they discuss the situation and try to figure out what happened to the humans. Some animals (like Shylo the rabbit) are glad the humans are gone, but others, like the domesticated cow (Georgia) and chicken (Sally) miss them, well at least the children. This issue ends with some of the animals making it back to the farmhouse to search for clues, and food!
I love the art, and the whole thing seems to be coloured with coloured pencils.
Foragers completely charmed the socks offa me. (And wife Jojo was thrilled that one of the animals, a guinea pig, is called Jo-Jo!)
Unlike Butt Rag Mag, Jaimie's other zine, this one is suitable even for the munchkinheads.
One-Year Subscription to Ker-bloom letterpress zine
$20.00
This is good for one year subscription to the letterpress printed zine Ker-bloom!, which comes out 6 times a year. No more will you have to check my site for the newest issue--- each issue will be mailed directly to your mailbox. In addition, sometimes I include fun little things in with subscription mailings.
I have been printing Ker-bloom! since the summer of 1996, every two months without fail. Check my Etsy shop for back issues and special sets.
There is no additional shipping cost for people in the US. A small amount is automatically added to international orders to defray the additional mailing cost for everyone outside the US.
Note: The photographs accompanying this listing show my tables at recent zine fairs. They are not, however, images of exactly what you'll get, since I haven't even made the zines you'll be receiving. To see more of what my zines look like, check out the rest of my Etsy shop.
Drawing club and hour changes
Due to people not coming to our WTF Wednesday hours, we've decided to shake things up a bit. Starting next week, we're introducing Drawing Club.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
EVERY REASON 1&2
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.
Meniscus #17
from Blackguard
36 pages, digest, $? c/o Brainstorm, 1648 W. North Ave., Chicago IL 60622, USA + hadmatter(at)hotmail.com
Desides doing Meniscus, Matt is also a reviewer for Xerography Debt. He gave Blackguard #2 an awesome review, so receiving his comic in the mail was tricky. Was I obliged to give it a great review even if it sucked? Hell no! I couldn't do that! I'd chop my damn fingers off before I did that, man. But it sure fucked with me before I read it. So thank god Meniscus was really great. (In fact it made me depressed that it was up to #17. How the hell am I gonna get the other 16? It's not gonna happen, is it?)
The main theme of this issue is that the comic store (Brainstorm) that Matt started working at, then later became co-owner of, is in danger of having to close down as a result of the shitty financial crisis, and distributor dramas. I got pulled in real fast. Great writing and cool art, plus Matt comes across as a real likeable guy.
On the one hand I tip my hat (or more accurately my 'Hard Wars' baseball cap) to Matt for getting to issue #17, but on the other hand it really sucks that I didn't get in on the action back when he started it. (What the fuck was I doing?) It would be great to see how Meniscus (and Matt's life) has developed and changed, progressed, or whatever you call it.
I've read a few other reviews giving the thumbs up to Meniscus and now I know why. It's bitchin'!
First World Youth Culture Problems To Be Addressed #1
20 pages, digest, $2.00 from Nicholas >>> firstworldyouthproblems(at)gmail.com
Very funny zine this. First up he writes about dragons, how cool they are, loads of spelling mistakes, so it's as though written by the most passionate yet spazziest contributor to an online forum for teen fantasy fans.
Then there's a bunch of personal ads. Example: "OLDER MAN IN 70S LOOKING FOR LITERATE COMPUTER OPERATOR OR SUBMISSIVE/DOMINANT WOMAN WHO ENJOYS CLEANING POOL. NO SEXUAL CONTACT NEEDED. I AM NEUTERED."
There's some movie reviews. Example: "Orpahn. This movie is scary about a oprhan that looks bad & I think she kill people. She gets in a home w/ parents but then bad stuff happens. i dont want to see this movie..."
An overview of the recent Batman movies including The Dark Knight, in which "the criminal masterking JOKER was played by super dead actor HEATH LEDGE."
I love this kind of demented idiot savant type humour and I know some of my zine pals do too. You know who you are.
[Note: There's at least five issues of FWYCPTBA. Collect 'em all!]
calling zinesters for articles
calling zinesters for articles
Hello Zinesters, the Australian Book Arts Journal (ABAJ) is dedicated to book art, binding, letterpress, printmaking and zines and we want to invite you to submit an article about your work, zines or zine related stories. Every issue will have an article on zines so contact Linda at theraggededge@hotmail.com The website for ABAJ should be up and running in time for the December 15 issue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Available by subscription only. Dec issue will include Paper Cuts collective's story and the Qld zine scene!! Lu
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
