zine, [zeen] noun. 1. abbr. of fanzine; 2. any amateurly-published periodical. Oxford Reference

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Sunday, November 30, 2008

Life In A Bungalo on Issuu

Life In A Bungalo on Issuu

wow... cool technology

The Delightful World of Dee! : handzine issue one






Blog: The Delightful World of Dee!
Post: handzine issue one
Link: http://deehumidifier.blogspot.com/2008/07/handzine-issue-one.html
November 27th, 2008 
Expozine and Puces Pop holiday fair 
Write a comment on this article !

DIY holidaze 
Meg Hewings 
 




Expozine and Puces Pop's Holiday Craft Fair offer gifts galore

The terrible lie sold by what must be a sick late-capitalism is that anything and everything can be found at Wal-Mart.

One of the most independent, unique and community-minded shopping opportunities on offer this holiday season occurs this weekend at Expozine, Montreal's annual small press, comic, poster and zine fair.

There certainly aren't many places you find In Me Own Words: The Autobiography of Bigfoot and can peruse limited run editions of silk-screened books and handmade zines from small publishers around the globe.

Nurtured by a dedicated and enthusiastic group of zinesters and publishers, Expozine is a literal treasure trove. It's also the best place to discover hundreds of young and emerging authors, publishers and artists.

Co-founder Louis Rastelli expects about 10,000 visitors and over 250 creators of all things printed in both English and French. "This is stuff you can't order online, because some of the European publishers coming create limited-edition silkscreen books. Once they've brought them to a few bookstores and fairs, they're all gone," says Rastelli.

Expozine has grown into one of North America's largest small press fairs mostly through word of mouth, he says. "Very few of these small publishers have the ability to set up online stores, so that's why it's so important to actually come here. I'm excited to be able to buy great American zines with Canadian money, and without worrying about shipping costs and what the exchange rate will be when my credit 

bill arrives!"

Also, check out Rastelli's side project, Distroboto - arty vending machines about town that offer the work of local artists. For only a couple bucks a pop, they make great stocking stuffers.

ooo

Puces Pop's first ever Holiday Fair happens Dec. 6. The Breakfast for Dinner Craft Fair and Bingo Party features 50 local artists, crafters and indie record labels and their wares - from homemade jewellery and clothes to specialty items like little "knitted penises and vaginas" (together in one package). Merrymaking continues post-fair with a giant bingo game starting at 9 p.m. Cards will be sold for 50 cents - and in the true spirit of holiday revelry and silliness, breakfast will be served for dinner (wear your pajamas!).

Expozine 
At Église Saint-Enfant Jésus (5035 St-Dominique, metro Laurier), Nov. 29-30, from 12 to 6 p.m. 
For more info, visit www.expozine.ca
For Distroboto locations, visit www.distroboto.com

Puces Pop Craft Fair
At St-Michel Church Hall (105 St-Viateur W.), 11a.m. to 6 p.m., bingo at 9 p.m. 
For more info, visit www.puces.popmontreal.com


Ithaca Zine

Ithaca Zine .pdf

Download IthAca Zine issue #1

We are so proud to announce the first issue of Ithaca Zine. This was a collaborative zine project by a group of Ithaca Anarchists. Features Essays, Poetry, Collage, Drawings, Horoscopes, Photography, DIY Guides, Etc..

1-a-front-cover

I just started my new photozine, Grey.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

The Faerie Zine Premier Edition, Now Available!



 
 

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via The Faerie Zine by noreply@blogger.com (faerie enchantment) on 11/29/08

Faerie Zine Premier Issue: Revamped!
Hello All,
I finally re-mastered the premier edition of The Faerie Zine, by updating the cover to this, and adding more color and images to this issue which is now available for sale in soft cover, full color, 42pages in print form and cd form. Visit my sites for details!
Magic and Joy!
Lisa!

Please visit:
My Website Store: www.moonfairesworld.com
Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5074220
Ebay Store: http://stores.ebay.com/Queen-Lisas-Art-World/

For ordering in print form, cd or Downloaded E-Book Formats!

Now accepting submissions for The Faerie Zine Vol. 7 and Piddlestixs Vol.3

 
 

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Friday, November 28, 2008

THE COLLECTION by Shintaro Kago



 
 

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via SAME HAT! SAME HAT! by ryan on 11/19/08

We've been sorta overrun with Kagomania here the past week, haven't we? But I assume that nobody really minds, right? Today, we received another great gift from the manga-duo of Rizzah & Anonymous K over at Wanted: Cheap Manga - a new and utterly gruesome short scanlation of The Collection by Shintaro Kago.



This one is old style Kago, with a simple conceit and pretty realistic and grisly gore, like The Savage Mouth by Sakyo Komatsu or Chuck Palahniuk's Guts. As Rizzah explains it,
The Collection is a fucked-up story of one girl's obsession with a dude. She collects everything he touches… EVERYTHING. Very NSFW, NSIFOYGF, and NSIFOYMAD (try to figure out those last two!).

Click here to download The Collection, then go over and leave comment on Wanted: Cheap Manga.



 
 

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ELECTRIC ANT #1 REVIEW ON AICN



 
 

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via SAME HAT! SAME HAT! by ryan on 11/27/08

I got a nice surprise today when I found that Scott Green, the anime/manga columnist for Ain't It Cool News, wrote a review of Electric Ant #1 in his newest post!



I'm a big fan of Scott's weekly columns, so it's a real pleasure to be on AICN. In the review, he talks about the first issue of EA overall, with a focus specifically on my 16 page interview with Fred Schodt. Click for the review on AICN.

I was emailing with Fred this week, and he was happy to see the zine. He is honestly still so very under-appreciated for all his manga missionary work, his translations and his numerous and equally insightful books on the non-manga realms of Japanese history and popular culture. (Additionally, did folks know that he & Dadakai co-founder Jared Cook are currently working on the translations for Naoki Urasawa's Pluto series for Viz? That's PERFECT.) For what it's worth, I think I'll put the entire interview on Electric Ant sometime after Thanksgiving...



Spotlight on Electric Ant #1 - By Scott Green:
If you're not reading Same Hat! for their "weekly manga commentary, featuring horror, gag & erotic-grotesque nonsense," rectify that as soon as you're done with this column! I can't see how anyone who is an AICN follower hasn't added the blog to their RSS reader. If you even half agree with Harry Knowles weekly DVD picks, "ero guro nansensu" manga should be on keen interest.

Same Hat!'s Ryan Sands and Evan Hayden have now launched the print zine Electric Ant. Named as a tribute to Philip K Dick and Suehiro Maruo, the first issue features an interview with the man who literally wrote the book on manga, Frederik Schodt, comics strips, NIN Libs, a collection of illustrations that reinterpret or recontextualize a host of "Dark Lords" of popular media (you'll never look at Shredder the same way again) and an annotated photographic tour of Beijing's Dongyue Temple.

Over the summer, I was looking into what's been said about the concept of heta-uma or "good-bad" manga for a piece on Tokyo Zombie (localized by Sands and Hayden).

What I came up was the discussion of Teruhiko Yumura aka "King Terry" in Frederik L. Schodt's Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga.

"I wanted to draw the picture I wanted in the space provided, rather than tell a story. I started drawing whatever I wanted in each panel, and because I can't draw the same face twice, the character faces all changed." The result was manga with a weird mix of primitivism, energy and dada-ist storylines - a comic where the art, the text and the entire concept fused together in a good-bad style...

At first glance Terry's cartoons appear to be bad art, but on close inspection, they are also good. Hence, they are heta-uma or bad-good. Terry believes that everyone starts as a "bad" artist and tries to become good. But simply becoming "good" is not enough. Artists who try too hard to become "good" emphasize technique over soul, and the life goes out of their drawings; their spirit fails to live up to their technique.


Since reading that, I've been struck with the notion that North America's ongoing conversation on manga still has a long way to go before catching up with Schodt.

For decades, Schodt's 1983 "Manga! Manga!" was the reference source on the subject. In the mid 90's, I remember reading a novel, I think it was one of the Nancy A. Collins' Sonja Blue pieces, that pulled a description of sexual content in manga straight from a panel reprinted in Manga! Manga! A few years ago, when Archie (the red headed guy from Riverdale) did a report on manga in his comic, it read a lot like how Manga! Manga! described the medium.

Schodt's follow-up Dreamland Japan predated the North American manga boom, but it still features breadth and sophistication that's rarely been matched. Set aside for a moment that few North American manga fans have heard of the Avant-garde anthology Garo or even looked at a panel of Doraemon manga. In 1996 Schodt was asking "Do Manga Have a Future?" Now, the trends that Schodt was calling attention to have gotten to the point where commentators are pondering if the west has again fallen in love with another dying Japanese art.

I don't want to apply a tacky label like "gem" or "invaluable" to Sands' interview with Schodt, so, plainly put, if the topic of manga interests you, acquire a copy of Electric Ant.

To do the geek thing and start delineating the field... There's the consumer approach to manga and related pop media. This follows the intended purpose and tracks what's hot. What's the new release? Should you buy it?

There is the academic approach. If you look at what's been said about writings of authors like Susan J. Napier, you'll catch a layperson reaction to the effect that this approach is given to over-interpretation.

Then, there are the people who try to analyze and explain. In this category, there are experts who can authoritatively speak to the subject, then, there are bloggers, podcasters, librarians, AICN columnists and so on who try to offer informed supposition.

From within its DIY framework, Electric Ant offers authoritative insight into the field of manga. Schodt is Schodt. If you don't expect him to be illuminating, you've probably never read/heard him before. But, it has to be said that Sands conducted a brilliantly informed and constructed interview. It starts with the cascading circumstances that made Schodt a manga guru, before looking at the process by which North America adopted its manga reading habits , as well as the current landscape of the medium.

Rather than inside baseball, the conversation offers a savvy, human look into the field. A good example is when the talk turns to manga luminaries, particularly Schodt's late friend Osamu Tezuka, and a keen subject of Sands' interest, Kazuo Umezu. Both of these giants have cultivated cartoonish personas, as much about an image as a real figure; Tezuka in the black beret, Umezu in his striped shirt. The interview succeeds in painting a more fleshed out picture of how they worked and what they aspired to.

Throughout the rest of the zine, whether pop culture or personal subjects are handled grotesquely or irreverently, it's done so in a clever, natural manner. For example, the photo tour offers a look at a 700 year old Daoist temple's catalogue of the tortures of hell, coupled with snide comparisons to Warhammer 40K, Castlevania and Klaus Nomi. I couldn't help but think how often rapid stream of bombardments of irreverence falls short. In this case, both the subject and commentary hit dead on.

In addition to smart geekery with QR codes and such, massive credit to producing appearances by the antagonists from Jem and the Holograms and Go-bots. Shouldn't that be reason enough to seek out a copy?

Electric Ant can be purchased online and at these physical locations.





 
 

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Fw: Death By Insanity (issuu repost)


 
 

via punks is hippies - the blog! by Slobodan Burgher on 10/15/08

First published here, click for info. This one is from the US, came out in 1986 or there about and has Decry and Circle Jerks interviews...


 

Fw: Asocial (Sweden, 1984, issuu repost)


 
 

via punks is hippies - the blog! by Slobodan Burgher on 10/15/08



Another Issuu repost, this Swedish zine from 1984 has no less than Anti Cimex, Mob 47, Bristles and Crude SS interviews - plus more. Pretty amazing actually!

First published at PIH here (click for more info). Originally posted by Mikael Sorling at his Turist i Tillvaron blog.

 
 

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Library Journal review



 
 

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via dangerous compassions by Laura-Marie on 11/6/08

I feel so excited about this review of functionally ill in Library Journal that I thought I would paste it here as well as in functionally ill's blog.

In addition to discussing physical illness, zine authors write about their mental problems. Laura-Marie's series reveals her experiences with bipolar disorder, explaining in precise detail what the voices in her head sound like. The first issue follows her pursuit of professional help and the question of whether to take medication and what kind. In issue No. 2, she describes going to her initial exam, her doctors, and her decisions about drugs. Issue No. 3 serves as an update, with added information about the types of therapy (e.g., dialectical behavioral therapy and somatherapy) that she tries.

 
 

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BUY MY COMICS!



 
 

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via i wish i had a penguin friend by Morgan on 11/5/08

Looking to buy some comics?
every order comes with FREEBIES!


Want to read your favorite penguin friend comics? 
I've compiled only the very best. 
It's perfect-bound with a very fancy laminated cover...
read some sample pages (click to enlarge)

My first paperback book!
72 pages! 
it says $10, but for you special online friends it's ONLY $8!






_______________________________________________________
The much anticipated sequel! It's finally here!

some samples (click to enlarge):


buy More Bad Judgement!
32 pages
onlY $5!








_________________________________________________________
Before you read the sequel, get the original!
read some samples:
(click to enlarge)

56 pages
all stories are true
yes we used real names
$6








(ships from CA)

 
 

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Rambling Review – Hollow Fields Vol. 1



 
 

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via The Comic Spot by John Retallick on 11/4/08


Story and Art by Madeleine Rosca.


I haven't read a lot of manga. I've not been very enamoured at the aesthetic in general and have found it difficult to connect with the characters and stories of the ones that I have come across. But, all this being said, I have and am making a concerted effort to develop a greater appreciation and understanding of eastern influenced comics.

I began in earnest after a brilliant and mind expanding Osama Tezuka exhibition came to the NGV in Melbourne about two years ago. To see the depth and breadth of just a fraction of his work was very special. There is nothing quite like seeing the original art of a great cartoonist to gain a greater appreciation of their skill and talent. Tezuka's art had just this effect on me. In particular I found pages from his unfinished Beethoven biography profoundly beautiful and exciting. The way he depicted music on the page made it a visceral experience. As far as I know this has never been in print in English. If you know different then please let me know so I can get hold of it.

But I digress.

The exhibition motivated me to go out and buy some of Tezukas more mature works. I began with reading the 8 volume Buddha. A lovely work depicting the entire life of the Buddha. Monumental stuff, but also full of mangaesque quirks, humour, asides, in jokes and a story that went from rollicking to somber at the drop of a hat. It helped me develop my way of reading eastern comics. It's through this prism that I find myself starting my manga journey.

From there I read some OzTaku anthologies of seriealised and short manga by Australian creators before reading my first series in the shape of Queenie Chan's 'The Dreaming'. The Dreaming is set in a boarding house in the Australian bush where a set of twins find themselves in a situation populated by ghosts, demons, suppressed secrets and horrific dreams. Queenie was a guest on the June 08 ComicSpot (which I'm hoping to post in a week or two)and she gave us a window into the manga world from a creators point of view. Another step toward my understanding of this hitherto undiscovered country.

Don't worry – I'm getting to Hollow Fields.

So now – October 2008 - I pick up a copy of Hollow Fields after hearing that it has won a Japanese Manga Award and is created by a Tasmanian! Is there a better way to combine an interest in manga and a passion for Australian Manga? I think not.

Hollow Fields is the story of a young spunky girl called Lucy Snow. She accidently finds herself a student at boarding school for the offspring of mad scientists and evil doers. The major plot point hammered home in the volume is that 'detention' (where the worst student of the week is sent) is a place of no return. Once sent – no one ever returns. This leads to Lucy scheming all manner of escape plans and ways to complete near impossible homework assignments. The school is run by a cabal of suitably menacing robot lecturers, a seemingly evil headmistress, a patchwork monster enforcer by the name of Mr Stinch and within this first chapter Lucy's class is populated by friends and foes that I'm sure are further developed subsequent volumes.

I had fun reading this tale. It's fast moving and a good adventure story. The art is dymanic and full of energy. The world Rosca has created is well populated and diverse. She seems to have created many avenues to explore. Whether that be through Lucy, her classmates, the schools staff or the building of the school itself. The school, the 'Hollow Fields' of the title is solidly realised and worthy of exploration in it's own right. A sort of steam punk influenced environment of permanently turning clockwork cogs and complicated architecture that demands a map and good secret passage or two to be the core of at least a few of Lucy's adventures.

There is a second volume and according to Madeleine's blog a third just completed. I'm more than happy to say that I'm along for the ride. This is quality stortelling – and whilst I'm sure I'm not the core audience for this book – I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Check out Madeleine's blog and I also found this great video featuring Madeleine talking about her art, her process and the book's development. It looks like it was taken at a gallery showing of her art. Sweet!


I'm off to Tassie for a few days myself this week so I'm hoping the next episode of TheComicSpot (November 27) will feature some interviews with Tassie creators and comickers. You'll know more as it comes to hand. Hopefully Madeleine will be amongst them.

Cheers for now.

John

 
 

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My newest zine



 
 

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via The Sixth Minky by noreply@blogger.com (Maaike) on 10/31/08


Hello Everyone! Here is the cover of my newest zine. It's a guide for urban gardeners on which herbs will grow well in pots. It has a couple of recipes, but mostly it's about growing from a seed and what to do with it when it's ready to harvest. If you're interested send a trade, Mix CD, or a $1.00 to me at:

Sixth Minky
PO BOX 8891
Moscow, ID 83843

Or, if you're a member of the Carrot Row Distro, you can order it from Dan.

Have a GREAT day and have fun growing!!

 
 

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NEW ISSUE



 
 

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via Somnambulist Zine by noreply@blogger.com (martha grover) on 10/29/08

Somnambulist number thirteen is now available for mail order.
This issue includes a story about growing up out in Corbett, Oregon with six siblings, an interview with the amazing performance artist Joe Von Appen, and the FIRST EVER piece of fiction printed in Somnambulist!

If you live in Portland it will be available at Powell's and Reading Frenzy by the end of November.

If you'd like a copy of number thirteen please send four well-concealed dollar bills to: Martha Grover
PO box 14871
Portland, OR 97293

SUBSCRIBE and get a FREE copy of Somnambulist number nine with your four issues. Your subscription will set you back fifteen dollars.

Back issues are of course available online at microcosmpublishing.com and parcellpress.com.
AND:
In Seattle: Elliot Bay Books, Left Bank Books
In Olympia: Last Word Books
In Chicago: Quimby's
In Baltimore: Atomic Books
In New York: Bluestockings Bookstore
In LA: Skylight Books
In Atlanta: Beep Beep Gallery
In Austin: Monkey Wrench Books

ALSO: Do you have a project, idea, non-profit, cause or business you'd like to promote with me? Shoot me an e-mail about it.









 
 

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Zine - Postcards from... But for the moon nobody could see us - $6.00



 
 

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via gracialouise on 10/28/08

Postcards from… But for the moon nobody could see us, a small zine by Gracia Haby. A 10.5 X 15cm, Colour and B&W copy, 24 page printed zine with a pale grey cover card and gold card spine, with a cardboard back. Featuring many of the postcard collages exhibited as part of But for the moon nobody could see us with Louise Jennison at Imp (August-September, 2008). Postcard collages featured include: Regarding the Devil's Thumb, Building a makeshift tipi by Vermillion Lake, Talking to me in a long forgotten tongue, and Closer to home, things began to make greater sense. Expect within the pages of this zine to discover seals of all kinds, the odd aardvark making a tentative crossing, various big cats and black bears, and even an Arabian onyx in possession of a poor sense of direction. Zine proportions: 10.5 cm X 15 cm. Glean a little more here. {Please note: price shown in Australian dollars.} {Please note (also): coloured pencils not included.}

 
 

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Zine - Good evening - $6.00



 
 

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via gracialouise on 10/29/08

Good evening, good evening. So nice of you to come all this way, a small zine by Gracia Haby. A 15 X 10.5cm, Colour and B&W copy, 32 page printed zine with a bright red cover card and cardboard back, with a glued spine. Featuring postcard collages exhibited as part of But for the moon nobody could see us with Louise Jennison at Imp (August-September, 2008), and collected photographic ephemera and postcards received in their original state from friends and reworked with collage elements and text. Postcard collages featured include: Mind how you scamper, Mind how you go in the capital, A fine balancing act (I and II), and Feeling gigantic. Expect within the pages of this zine to receive a little love with your cabbage roll, to comb the lawns of Killarney in Ireland, to brake a few roof tiles in Stockholm and discover blue skies in Germany. Yours affectionately, with crumpled whiskers and sealed with a wet kiss - discover Postcard Travels, a sporadic series of mail. Zine proportions: 15 cm X 10.5 cm. Glean a little more here. {Please note: price shown in Australian dollars.} {Please note (also): coloured pencils not included.}

 
 

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Feels Like Friday #8



 
 

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via Zine Classifieds by admin on 11/10/08

[name]Ivana Stab[/name]
[email]ivanaforpresident@hotmail.com[/email]
[yahoo][/yahoo]
[aim][/aim]
[gtalk][/gtalk]
[msn][/msn]
[skype][/skype]
[price]2[/price]
[location2]Sydney, NSW[/location2]
[location]Australia[/location]
[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/3018820014_f604e18857_o.jpg,http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3200/3018820102_5dc4dba592_o.jpg,http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/3018820254_119f2e116f_o.jpg,http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/3017990349_686fe65d52_o.jpg,[/img]
[description]Issue #8 of my perzine Feels Like Friday is DONE. Sixteen quarter-sized pages of angst about me, uni, me, employment, me, national identity, me, boy(s) & me.

To get your hands on a copy, email ivanaforpresident@hotmail.com. It is $2 or a trade for your zine/a mixtape/something else.

(Also check out uncleanalibertine.wordpress.com)[/description]


 
 

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Story To… Issue Two: Pod People



 
 

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via Zine Classifieds by admin on 11/16/08

[name]Kate Nicholson[/name]
[email]kate@storytomagazine.com[/email]
[yahoo][/yahoo]
[aim][/aim]
[gtalk][/gtalk]
[msn][/msn]
[skype][/skype]
[price]0[/price]
[location2]Melbourne, Vic[/location2]
[location]Australia[/location]
[img]http://storyto.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/jordi-kerr-pod-people.jpg,,,,[/img]
[description]The second installment of popular commuter zine Story To… has arrived and is centered on the theme Pod People. This issue has more pages, allowing a more ambitious grouping of literary and design talent. Free PDF at: http://storyto.wordpress.com/about/[/description]


 
 

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Then It Sort-of Found Me



 
 

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via Zine Classifieds by admin on 11/17/08

[name]Brittney[/name]
[email]fruityness12@yahoo.com[/email]
[yahoo][/yahoo]
[aim][/aim]
[gtalk][/gtalk]
[msn][/msn]
[skype][/skype]
[price]0.75[/price]
[location2]Arlington, Texas[/location2]
[location]USA[/location]
[img],,,,[/img]
[description]Then It Sort-of Found Me is a zine about the things that I would never dare to say out loud. It's about things I see, find, or come up with randomly.
If you would like a copy email me at fruityness12@yahoo.com

I accept money through PayPal, others zines, stickers, and paper as payment[/description]


 
 

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The DFC 14



 
 

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via Comics Village Reviews by Graham Mogford on 10/31/08

Great anthology comic for kids and those of us who when we put aside childish things remembered where we put them and still get them out now and again.  You probably won't like everything in it, but if you don't like 80% then you have no soul...

 
 

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Kaleidotrope



 
 

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via Zine Writers Guild by Fred Coppersmith on 10/31/08

Kaleidotrope is a twice-yearly print zine tending towards fantasy, science fiction and horror. Issue #5 features stories and poems from award-winning artists like Mark Rich, Eric Del Carlo, Rachel Swirsky -- and many more! SFRevu says, "If you like quirky little tales from out of the mainstream, then Kaleidotrope is for you."

We're always looking for new and interesting work, from new and established writers alike. Visit us online at www.kaleidotrope.net.


 
 

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Wonkavision #28



 
 

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via (title unknown) by admin on 10/31/08

Wonkavision gets more and more fancy with each issue. This is easily on par with Seventeen or any of the top-shelf music magazines out on the market (Spin, Rolling Stone). Glossy and easy to read, the topics employed by the staff of writers is diverse to say the least (covering topics as wide as movies, [...]

 
 

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Voice or Noise Volume 1



 
 

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via Comics Village Reviews by Katherine Farmar on 10/31/08

An intriguing fantasy concept is given a disappointingly bland treatment.

 
 

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Guest Review: Ruff Love



 
 

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via Comics Village Reviews by Lissa Pattillo on 10/31/08

Cute and Charming moments but just not a memorable read.

 
 

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Reviews from Eric



 
 

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via Xerography Debt by noreply@blogger.com (Eric Lyden) on 10/30/08

I like to do a little intro to my reviews even thiugh I have nothing to say. But if you live in the US you gotta go vote next Tuesday. Not so much for the Presidential election because quite frankly your one vote really doesn't make much of a difference unless you live in one of the undecided states and that's assuming the whole thing isn't fixed to begin with. But you may have ballot questions and apparently if I vote wrong here in MA. dogs will be abused, potheads will rot in prison and I will get a few extra bucks in my paycheck while schools, hospitals & libraries collpase around me. They sure make it sound important.


BAMBOOZLED: THE JOEY TORREY STORY- "If the police ask for help, just say no! If the FBI comes knockin, do not answer the door! When you read 'Former boxer Joey Torrey has died' you can remember 'Oh snap, I just read his zine'...I am 47 years old in 2008 and not as quick as I was 20 years ago. I will be assassinated by the hand of someone you read about in this story. Thank you for your time." Thus concludes the zine BAMBOOZLED, the story of former boxer Joey Torrey. I always enjoy zines by people who are not your typical zinesters and Joey, a former boxer currently in prison for murder, is definitely not a typical zinester. This zine actually featured something you don't see a lot of in zines and I hadn't realized I'd been missing- action and adventure. There's definitely more to the zine than that, but at it's core this zine has the makings of a good crime novel. Joey is a pretty impressive guy. After getting sent to prison for murder while working for the mob and having the government back out of their promise to get him out by the time he's 25 he manages to make 6 figures a year while behind bars selling sports memorabilia and even producing a TV show. All the while he's studying law diligently trying to find a way to get himself released from prison. Which he actually does, but that's only the beginning of what can only be described as a huge shit storm. He agrees to help the FBI with an investigation on the corruption of boxing (which according to Joey is really, really corrupt. It's kind of hard to believe that the mainstream media has no idea about this so I can only assume they don't care) and...well, it ends with the quote I started the review with so you can figure that all does not end well for Joey. The writing is a tad choppy in that 5 years will pass without being noted, but Joey is an interesting guy with a fascinating story to tell. I'm kind of surprised it's being told in a zine because it has the makings of a best selling book/
64 illustrated pages, 5.5 x 8.5 send $5 to Microcosm Publishing 222 S. Rogers St Bloomington IN. 47404
www.microcosmpublishing.com jessie@microcosmpublishing.com

FRESH BREATH OF MINT #9- I don't know if this is really a zine, but they sent it to XD so I may as well review it. This is a free magazine produced by Mint Records that you find for free in indy record stores. It's one of the better free magazines I've seen and has some good stuff in here. It also has articles on bands I've never beard of and tons of ads for even more bands I've never heard of. If nothing else it certainly highlights the fact that there are a lot of bands I've never heard of. It also came with a Mint Records Sampler CD that I liked, but I have no idea how you can acquire that. This is worth picking up for free and since it's free I guess that means this is a good review. In my local record store this is in a little display by the door with all the other free newspapers. I don't know where they keep in your local store but I bet it's in roughly the same area.
Mint Records Inc. PO Box 3613, Vancouver BC Canada V6B 3Y6 www.mintrecs.com www,myspace.com/mintrecords

IZZY CHALLENGE #5- Hey, this is pretty cute. It's a jam comic called "Izzy Tours America" featuring 50 artists from every state in the USA. The originator of this comic, JB White drew Izzy the mouse in 50 different poses and then sent them to one artist in each state to draw a specific scene for Izzy to be participating in. It's definitely nothing Earth shattering in it's brilliance, but it's a fun idea well executed.
16 pages 5.5 x 8.5, e-mail before trading, send $1 to JB Winter PO Box 1814 Columbia, MO 65205 info@JBwinter.com

NUNS I'VE KNOWN- I picked this up at the Boston Zine Fair. It's always been a goal of mine to review each and every zine I acquire at the fair, but even I know I'll never do that. Quite frankly it's an accomplishment if I even read 'em all. Anyhow, as I read this it occurred to me that never in my life have I heard anyone say anything nice about a nun. Priests certainly get their share of bad publicity, but by the same token at least people recognize the good that some priests do. With nuns people just seem to dislike them. Not for anything illegal or horribly abusive, it just seems like nuns have a casual meanness and cruelty about them. If you really wanna hear some anti-nun talk you should ask my grandmother. She hates 'em. "Nun is the Loneliest Number" as the Pope once said. At any rate, the author of this zine, Pruella Vulgaris, went to Catholic school and writes this zine about nuns she has known and dealt with. Good stuff. I liked it a lot. Very funny and believe it or not once of the nuns actually seems like a nice woman. The rest of 'em, though, are typically mean nuns. But they're still fun to read about.
12 pages, some kinda wacky size. I'd say 5.5 x 5. e mail prunellavulgaris@ymail.com www.myspace.com/prunellavulgaris

I'll get some more reviews posted here on Saturday.

 
 

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Zine Review - Walking Man Comics Presents No 28



 
 

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via Indy Media Reviews on 10/30/08

Matt Levin's "Flights of Fancy". Matt's whimsy is heavy in this issue, he talks about faith, changes in perspective and how those things cause us to imagine, and allow us...

 
 

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XO #1-3 by Brian John Mitchell and Melissa Spence Gardner



 
 

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via The Daily Cross Hatch by smorean on 10/30/08


XO #1-3
by Brian John Mitchell and Melissa Spence Gardner
Silber Media

Format can do a lot to influence the attractiveness of a book, but even unique and unexpected styles of bookmaking can blend in at big conventions like MoCCA or APE. However, at a small Midwestern show like the Madison Zine Fest, unconventional books have a chance to really stand out.

It was there that I noticed three ultra-mini minis (1.75×2.25″) sleeved in small plastic bags and sitting unattended on a banister. I thought about taking them. They would fit in my pocket. No one would know. The sensation passed, however, and good karma struck back. The books were given as a gift to my table mate who gave them to me. Now I share them with you.

Baby corn, puppies, doll-sized furniture - typically these and other small things define cute. One might expect that XO, a series of mini minis would be cute as well. Even the series' title XO implies kisses and hugs and touchy-feely stuff. However, these books are anything but cute, because each contains a story of murder.

It's completely disarming and even kind of funny, if such a topic can ever be funny. The stories are told from the first-person perspective of a guy who without emotion keeps killing people either by accident or without remorse. The guy is a total sociopath, and the things he does are so unbelievably dry and strange, it makes the book's plastic slip-case seem like a metaphorical body bag or some caution to keep out the younger set.

Each page is filled with a single illustrative panel hovering above a few sentences of plot, in a kind of Far Side style perversion. The odd combination of art, layout and typography makes the stories seem even weirder. Thick, awkward lines outline human shapes and thin straight lines accent the shadows. Each drawing is trapped tightly in a box and clipped at all sides to make room for the words. The font used is some standard sans serif, one you might use on a website or a term paper or, you know, an unassuming murderous comic book series.

Each book left me stunned and laughing awkwardly just to release the unexplainable tension. I'd call them modestly awesome. You can pick up copies of XO dirt cheap for $1 apiece or all three for $2 from Silber Media.

Have a Happy Halloween tomorrow.

- Sarah Morean

      

 
 

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