WJC Comics No 3

By Warwick Johnson Cadwell
warwickjohnsoncadwell.blogspot.com

Cadwell's comics shouldn't really work. His artstyle seems to ignore so many things that I think should be present in "good" comic art. The characters' proportions don't make sense, the panel to panel consistency is weak, and characters warp and change.

And yet I love his style. There's something about the way he draws weird looking creatures, robots, and even humans that really appeals to me. His work has energy, dynamism, and an appeal I find hard to pin down.

Of course it's not all perfect, the reproduction on this is kind of terrible. Greys come out so dark it's hard to make out any detail, and I just know we're missing out on certain aspects of the art. Storywise it's just a chase scene, but it's effective at what it does, and as part of a longer narrative it would work really well.

Cadwell has a book coming out from Blank Slate Books later this year, but until then I'll just have to keep looking at his blog so I can discover awesome drawings like this one of Batgirl vs. Killer Croc.



(This review was originally published on 365 Zines a Year.)

Compilation Station

A compilation zine of lists.

Call for submissions Issue #4 of When Language Runs Dry

Get Fit For the Pit #2 – Submissions needed

Qwerty Pop

By The Thomas Ferguson Band
www.mixcloud.com/ttfb
fulsomeprism.wordpress.com

Every now and then I get a zine and I have no idea where it came from. This one was made for a typewriter festival (in February) at the Sticky Institute (a rad zine shop in Melbourne Australia). Well, no, that's not exactly true. The creator of this zine was asked to make a mixtape/cd about and inspired by typewriters for this event. What on Earth do you have to do to get a reputation as someone who can make a mix based around typewriters?! (I guess the answer is just "be pretty good at making mixes", and this guy is. I listened to the typewriter one already, and am now listening to another right now. Hurray!)

You can listen to the mix in the link above, and it's actually pretty rad. This zine acts as a companion piece to the mix, and I'm a little disappointed that it's a halfsized zine. I make a fair number of mix CDs (do you want to trade? Let me know!), though none with as weird a theme as typewriters. Quite frequently I make little booklets to slip inside the CD case. This zine works in much the same way my booklets do: there's information about the bands, the individual tracks, and random anecdotes about how the music was discovered. It's all pretty fun.

This zine also had a weird and awesome story as an insert. The story is a first person narrative about someone, who is completely oblivious to society as they don't know what money is, serving Salvador Dali in a super market. It's presumably an attempt at creating a Dali-esque piece in text form. I'm not familiar enough with Dali to really know how successful the author was, but I enjoyed it.

Plus the mix features a Missy Elliot/typewriter mashup, I mean, what's not to love about that?

(This review was originally published on 365 Zines a Year.)

krazybov #4

krazybov #4

from Blackguard

52 pages, free, krazybov.com
Don't be deceived by the cover - it looks like this thing could be pretty cool. In fact, it's the exact opposite of pretty cool.
The first warning sign appears on page two - a colour ad for some cliched-looking alien/superhero/whateverthefuck website-only comic turd called Wayward Sons. Then, an ad for a hipster nerd clothing company! (Aha! So that's how they can make this paper turd free.)
A brief word on the comics herein - they're all varying degrees of awfulness. It's painful to read them. And one of the artists' style is a complete rip-off of Frank Miller's. That's probably all you need to know right there.
Editor Bov calls his anthology "a platform for the next generation of comics creators". I say there are generations and there are generations. This generation is the Anti-Crumb.
But wait! There's more! Classifieds in the back, only two pounds fifty for 140 characters! Here's one: "Strong Lifts. A simple effective method to build muscle & lose fat while getting stronger." Here's another: "Rampage Network, for all your webcomic hosting needs." Webcomics? Webcomics suck ass.
Idiots with no taste whatsoever can like 'krazybov' on facebook, follow it on twitter, or befriend it on myspace. Spoilt for choice, you lucky devils!
/kills self

Carck Presents Menagerie

By Harriet Jones & Vicky Samuel

Oh look at the adorable kitty cat! Awwww. And it's head is on a folded paper spring thing, how clever!

NO! Do not be fooled! This zine is nothing but smut! Once you open it you are exposed to a pop up penis! And that's it, it's kind of funny, but I can't imagine how much work went into cutting, folding, and gluing everything together for this. And the penis even sticks out of the side! How shoddy! (I'm joking.)

It's kind of impossible to review something like this. I do really wonder why there are twenty three different website addresses on the back page. Are they sites related to the creators of this zine? Why am I supposed to go look at them? I have no idea. (Actually looking at them it seems a couple might be related to the creators, but I really can't be bothered looking them up.)

(This review was originally published on 365 Zines a Year.)

Zine Showcase #5

Zine Showcase #5

Up Until Now #1 // £1.50 + shipping
Up Until Now #2 // £1.50 + shipping
Up Until Now #3 // £1.50 + shipping
Up Until Now #4 // £1.50 + shipping
Up Until Now #5 // £1.50 + shipping
Up Until Now #6 // Available Soon

If you'd like to buy them all you can do so for a discounted price;
you'll get the complete series including a few little extras.

Up Until Now #1 - #6 // £7.50
(UK-residents only)

Up Until Now #1 - #6 // £10
(Worldwide)

Whilst awaiting the arrival of several zines I'm taking a break from the usual reviews so that I might share with you my own latest editions. Is this cheating? I'm not entirely sure!

Up Until Now is a series of zines featuring my written work from January 2009 to December 2010; there are six* 24 page zines in total, hand stitched, printed in black and white and each one sold comes with an original drawing.

They are the most basic of zines, I have not added anything to them at all. I wanted a tangible, physical copy to read through and for others to share. They were originally written in small Moleskine cahier notebooks; I didn't want to alter them, they were never intended to be made into zines let alone read by so many people. Since they proved to be so popular I wanted to keep them as they were written, so here they are.

There is a little something more substantial on its way although I am going to keep that a secret for a little while longer..


* #6 will be available very soon!

Fifty Fearful Faces

By David Mack
www.monkeyfingers.net

From the title and cover of this zine you may be expecting it to be fifty drawings of monstrous faces. Well, you'd be completely wrong if you thought that, because however you count it there are not fifty faces in here (there's either more or less depending on if you count the cover).

Of course Fifty Fearful Faces sounds a lot better than Thirty-Six Sortof Frighting Heads, so it becomes obvious why the cover was chosen.

I'm not sure how much fear the drawings within inspire within me. A fair number are gross or somewhat unsettling, and I'm sure if I saw people that looked like this in real life I'd be terrified, but as drawings they mostly lack in scarification.

That's not to say the art isn't good! I really enjoyed the drawing below, and there's a heavily lined drawing of an alien/monster thing that becomes increasingly scary the longer I look at it. *shudder*



(This review was originally published on 365 Zines a Year.)

Zine Showcase #12

Zine Showcase #12

from Oh My Clumsy Heart by sophie@ohmyclumsyheart.com (Sophie)

Sarah May
Go For Broke Collective

Shop // Facebook
Boy Noose // $2 + shipping

"I've strung myself up on a number of boys.. I wish that I could say that I've learned something from all of this, but I haven't so much.. I still think that a boy can rescue me from my worst thoughts."

Boy Noose makes for one of the best zines I have had the privilege of reading. Sarah May describes her relationships and break-ups in their entirety; honest, open and utterly unflinching. Beautifully written with gorgeous vintage-style illustrations, Boy Noose is a zine I'd absolutely recommend purchasing.

"Those high school boys have left a lasting mark on me. Not just them, but also how it felt to be a teenager."

Kelsey Keaton

Website // Shop // Blog
WunderKammer // $3 + shipping

WunderKammer is crafted from a single A4 sheet, cut and folded into a small book featuring illustrations inspired by 'Cabinets of Curiosities'; an encyclopedia collection of objects including natural history, geology, ethnography, archaeology, religious or historical relics, works of art and antiquities. Wonderful illustrations presented in a delightful manner, a beautiful little zine!

Jesse Tise

Website // Shop
We Come In Peace // $5 + shipping

A 24 page, black and white zine inspired by the peculiar cover art of science fiction novels and comes with a free Goomblaah vs. Zaarlak mini-comic. We Come In Peace is all about aliens vs. robots vs. space men with terribly poor species communication in-between. Everything about this zine is fantastic; the illustration work is awesome - capturing the feel of old sci-fi books perfectly.

Shawn Scott Smith

Website // Shop
His World / Her World #9 Empire Builder // $1 + shipping

Issue #9 in a serious of zines Shawn Scott Smith created with his girlfriend describing their trips. This issue is about a train journey to Seattle stopping at Glacier National Park. A mix of printed text, receipt stubs, maps, clippings and collage style page layouts, His World / Her World makes for a curious insight into this couples travels.

Jamie Mills

Website // Shop // Blog
Under the Mountain // £7 + shipping

Not a zine but an absolutely magnificent A5 landscape 16 page mini-book. Printed on uncoated recycled paper, hand-stitched and signed by Jamie Mills himself. Received as part of a swap (I definitely got the better deal here!) I simply had to include this book in the showcase; I am a huge admirer of Mills' work, his art features everything I love: geometric shapes, animals and mountain ranges with staggering beauty. Go take a look at his artwork and then buy something because no doubt you'll adore his work as much as I do.

Doris 28! Out now!

Doris 28! Out now!

from doris zine blog by noreply@blogger.com (doris zine blog. for website go to dorisdorisdoris.com)

Doris 28 is finally out!!!!
you can order it though my website at doris distro
or by mail, 2.60 to
cindy crabb
pobox 29
Athens OH 45701

horray!!!

also, we're starting a Girls Rock Camp here in Ohio this summer!
check it out at
athensrockcamp

My Zine #6 Christmas Special

By Alyssa
www.lightsgoout.co.uk/products-page/

At the Brighton Zine Fest a few months back I saw the youngest zinester ever! Apparently when this was made she wasn't even six! Wow!

I think it's awesome how creative kids are, and how tragic that so often people stop creating by the time them become adults. I don't know what it is about the school system that erases the creativity and enjoyment of learning that kids have, but we should probably fix it...

This full colour (!!!) zine features drawings of Santa Claus, a snowman, some sort of horrible monster (yay!), trees, other Christmasy stuff, and what I think is a giant beetroot (but I might be horribly ). Super awesome. I hope she keeps making these forever.

(This review was originally published on 365 Zines a Year.)

The Inner Swine Volume 16, Issue 3/4

The Inner Swine Volume 16, Issue 3/4

from Blackguard

104 pages, digest size, $2.00 from Jeff Somers, PO Box 3024, Hoboken NJ 07030, USA + mreditor(at)innerswine.com + www.innerswine.com
Here's another issue of Jeff's now bi-annual zine. This thing is one big ass motherfucker. How the fuck does he get the staples through 'em? Does he have some kind of gas-powered staplegun?
One thing I'll get out of the way first, is that half of the zine is two fiction pieces, which I didn't read. I've read his fiction stuff in past issues and they didn't hook me. But it's the other half of the zine that makes it worth tracking down, and this is the Music issue (but only for a while). The feature here is Jeff's 'Musical Consumption History: From the Columbia Records & Tape Club to Amazon MP3s.'
There's also a bunch of non-music related stuff like a piece on Jeff supporting his wife, The Duchess, and her marathon running activities. Jeff in his boy scout days. Also, 'Four Reasons Why Terminator: Salvation Made Jeff Angry'.
As usual Jeff reprints reviews of TIS, including a rather unflattering one from maximumrocknroll: "This issue continues his trend of getting less interesting as the years go by, and you can bet not a moment was wasted/invested in the editing process." To which Jeff replies, "Holy shit, you're supposed to edit a zine? This my friends, is news to me. I think we have the advertising slogan for 2011 sewn up here: THE INNER SWINE: CONTINUING THE TREND OF GETTING LESS INTERESTING AS THE YEARS GO BY!
I guess some zine reviewers have been around for as long as Jeff's been pumping out his zine, and you know what they say about familiarity breeding contempt. But Jeff's cool, and smart enough to embrace both good and bad reviews.

Smells Like Zines

Smells Like Zines

from Blackguard

Just added a link (over there on the left) to excellent Aussie zine distro Smells Like Zines, something I should have done a million years ago except for the fact that I am one slack and slow motherfucker.
Elouise stocks such fine publications as Bizarrism, Unbelievably Bad, Phillip Dearest's wonderful abominations, Yuck!, First World Youth Culture Problems To Be Addressed, Blackguard, and a buttload more. Easy online ordering too! Huzzah!

Zine Interview with Matthew Murray Part Two

The first part of this interview went online yesterday.

6. You have made a lot of zines yourself, what inspires you? How do you decide on a subject matter?

My recent zine series (Oblast) is pretty scattershot in what each individual zine is about, but if you look at my zine history as a whole the overarching theme is one of travel. I love travelling, and a lot of my zines take the form of rewritten diary entries of my trips to various countries.

More recently (over the last year and a half) I've been doing zines on more random stuff (YouTube, potato crisps/chips, etc.), and I think a reason for this is that I haven't been writing for magazines and newspapers as much as I have in the past. I used to write for magazines and newspapers in university and afterwards when I lived in Asia. This really helped me use up my creative juices (for good or ill), but my crisp review zine is a pretty clear successor to some of the articles I wrote in South Korea where I reviewed types of soju (a Korean alcohol) or weird ice cream flavours.

I just write about what I'm interested in at the time and hope other people will like it too.

7. How would you describe the style of your own publications?

All of my most recent zines have been laid out using a computer design program. I use a free program called Scribus, but I have experience using Adobe InDesign. I guess my style is slightly more "polished" than some creators, but at the same time I'm clearly going for a different aesthetic than people doing cut and paste zines (though I've made those in the past).

(Edit/addition: Also, my handwriting is terrible!)

8. What do you find to be the positives and negatives of publishing your work in this way?

The work gets published and is out there. I mean, I could make a blog, but I'm not sure how well the haphazard and random things I write about would go over.

I like having a mini project to work towards, and when I'm done I can hand it to someone and say "Here, I wrote and made this". That's something I couldn't do with the print articles I've written (where once the issue it's printed in is gone, it's harder to show people).

Since I have a physical object that I created I can also swap/trade/sell it to other people. They can even act as a sort of business card, providing my contact info and an example of what I'm capable of doing.

9. Do you have full control of every step that goes into creating your zines, from concept through to printing?

Yes. Well, you are limited by the amount of money you have to spend (ie. colour printing is expensive), and the quality of the printers/copiers you are using. It's frustrating to photocopy a bunch of stuff and have it all be slightly crooked, but I can't let it bother me too much.

10. What advice would you give to someone who would like to start creating their own zines?

Just get out there and do it! Zines can be photos or drawings or collages or comics or essays or poetry or stories or reviews or any combination of the above or anything that can be printed on paper. You don't have to make hundreds of copies of your first zine if you don't want to, you don't even have to make any! (I have numerous zines in various states of completion that I gave up on.) However, my friends have been excited to see my new zines, and it's nice to get feedback on what you've created from people you know.

And that's the end of the interviews! (Well, I was also interviewed on video recently, but that was for something not zine related. Proper reviews should return on Monday.

(This interview was originally published on 365 Zines a Year.)

Greenwoman Magazine

here is something you should know...

from the juniper bends as if it were listening by juniperbug

People of earth and readers of this blog (I'm sure the latter are few in number, but the former includes everyone), this is an announcement. A brand new magazine will be surfacing later this year, and it is imperative that you be aware of it. It's called Greenwoman Magazine, and it is a welcome extension of Greenwoman Zine, a publication produced by Sandra Knauf. You can learn all about this project on the Greenwoman Magazine website. I will be a columnist for this magazine, but that shouldn't be your main reason for supporting it. In fact, the magazine is certain to be packed with interesting, entertaining, and informative content by writers, artists, and activists far better versed, invested, and talented than me. My current intention is simply to promote this magazine as a future must-read. Also, I would like to make aware the Kickstarter page which Sandra has set up for this venture, where you can be a pivotal, monetary part in the unleashing of this magazine. There are several levels of donations, each with its more than generous reward. If you are not familiar with Kickstarter, no problem. It's simply a place where folks can seek and gain funding for projects that they are currently working on. Donating is simple, especially if you have an Amazon account (although I don't think such a thing is required). I realize this post is long overdue, because the Greenwoman Kickstarter proposal has just over a month left to collect funds, but it's never too late to pitch in though, right? Like I said, Sandra is being more than generous in rewarding those who donate, so please check it out. Also, keep your eyes peeled for the unveiling of Greenwoman Magazine issue number one. I am certain that it will be a huge reprieve from the tripe and blather that is currently gracing many of the magazine racks these days. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Zine Interview with Matthew Murray Part One

Shortly after the last interview, another girl asked to interview me about my site and my zines for her honours project at Liverpool John Moores University / St. Helens College.

I'm going to split this interview into two parts, with the second one going online tomorrow.

1. When did you first become aware of zines and where did the initial interest come from?

I don't remember exactly, but I'm guessing it would have been around late 1998/early 1999 during my first year of high school. I would have been fifteen at the time and remember going to parties at a punk house in which my friend was renting a room. I recall a couple of zines from that time period, though exactly when I picked them up I do not remember. I think the first ones I read were actually by people I vaguely knew (ie. friends of friends), but it was a long time ago. I didn't make my first zine until about four years later when I was in university.

2. You're clearly passionate about the zine industry, what attracts you to it so much?

I'm a big fan of DIY, and the idea that you can just make your own magazine and sell/give it away is something that really appeals to me. I enjoy the way it sidesteps the mainstream, and find it interesting how literally anything can be the subject of a zine. The only thing that really unites them is that they're printed on paper.

Going back to the DIY aspect I like to encourage people to make stuff and do things. I really enjoy making and trading artist trading cards, and it bothers me sometimes when people say things like "Oh, I'm not an artist" and don't want to create something. I can't draw anything, but everyone has skills doing something. I really wonder what the education system is doing to kids that stops them being creative and wanting to learn.

The same applies to zines. Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone has something they're passionate about. I want to encourage everyone to create more, though I don't know how good a job I do of that.

3. You feature a wide range of zines on your blog, where do you source them from?

I get a lot of zines from zine events. I was recently at the Brighton Zinefest and got a bunch from that. I also go to a lot of comic book events (this one was the most recent). I usually try to trade/swap with other people at the events (I am bad at capitalism), but I also buy them sometimes.

People also send them to me in the mail. I usually get one or two emails a week from people asking if I could review their zines or comics. I always agree! I pretty much always send them a zine back too.

4. How do you differentiate between a 'good' zine and a 'bad' one?

Woah, how philosophical! How do we differentiate between good and bad anything? Or even the very concepts of good and bad?

Reviews are very personal things, and I know there are zines that I don't particularly like that other people really enjoy. I've also learnt that putting a robot or a monster into your zine is probably going to make me like it to some degree.

But I think the most important thing is care and effort. Some people equate "do it yourself" with "do it quickly and badly", and while there is certainly a place for 24 hour zines and similar projects I find myself incredibly frustrated when I come across zines filled with spelling, grammar, and layout mistakes. Just because you want to hand write your zine and use a "cut and paste" style doesn't mean the content has to be a first draft.

5. From your time reviewing zines, do you have any favourite or stand out issues that you could highlight?

I've reviewed over four hundred zines and minicomics by this point, and going back and making a short list would be incredibly difficult...

But! I really enjoy Peach Melba, a monthly list zine made by a 13 year old girl. She's already up to issue 19! I've read/reviewed more issues of PM than any other zine, so it kind of sticks in my mind.

I just read a zine (Loserdom #21) with a massive (over twenty pages!) series of interviews with four or five different punks who lived in a small town outside of Dublin in Ireland in the early '80s. It's a fascinating look into a subculture, a time, an the people who lived during them.

There's a lot of comics I've really enjoyed, and some artists I've enjoyed are Philip Barrett, Will Kirkby, Nich Angell, Nikki Stu, Isy Morgenmuffel, Steve Rumlad, and I could go on listing all day really.

Come back tomorrow for part two!

(This interview was originally published on 365 Zines a Year.)

Zine Showcase #11

Zine Showcase #11

from Oh My Clumsy Heart by sophie@ohmyclumsyheart.com (Sophie)

Dennis Pomales

Website // Shop // Blog
The Heart Cave // $1 + shipping

The Heart Cave is an 18 page, black and white, quarter-sized zine. Dennis Pomales describes the illustrations within as "creatures at the beginning stages of their spiritual, emotional and mental evolution." Divinely intricate illustrations of esoteric things are crowded into this mesmeric zine; being the first of an ongoing series I am curiously eager to see what will come next.

Erd Yakingun
Website // Shop // Blog
Miniature Atrocities // 50p + shipping

Here we have another fantastically twisted "miniature atrocity" in the form of a zine-poster crafted from a single sheet of A4 paper. In the typical style of this London based illustrator, this zine features drawings that can only be described as troubled (in the best possible way imaginable).

Kiddy Qualia
Website // Shop
Pareidolia Zine // $2 + shipping

Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus - in this case water marks, peeling wallpaper and obscure stains - being perceived as familiar. Common examples of this would be seeing a face on the moon or hearing hidden messages in a record played backwards. Pareidolia is a 20 page zine comparing marks found in an attic alongside illustrative interpretations of what one may possibly see within them. A curious concept turned into a surprising little zine.

Shayna

Website // Shop
The Little Coloring Book of Holiday Icons In Fictional Locations // currently unavailable

An 8 page delicately illustrated zine/comic/colouring book featuring holiday icons (think Buddha, Santa Claus and Cupid) in various fantasy locations (Massachusetts, World War Z and OZ). Despite the peculiar subject matter the illustration work is gorgeous (-ly hilarious)

Kelsey Keaton

Website // Shop // Blog
Rangifer // currently not available

Unfortunately Rangifer (if this is its true name) is unavailable for purchase since it is such a pretty little zine. Gorgeous illustrations, beautiful map and constellation imagery and printed on a brilliant azure-blue paper; I really enjoy when creators play around with the methods of zine making and this origami style folded zine is a delight.