Fact: It is a dream of mine to be a librarian. So I obviously loved this zine, which is all about Heather wanting to and becoming a librarian. You can definitely feel her passion for what she does, and that's always refreshing to see. There's also a few reviews of zines that I'm excited to check out. Pick this one up if you're a book worm! Or if you like cute zines that fit in your pocket! |
Intricate Dwellings - by Philippa - half size - 16 pages This art zine is spectacular. There are black and white drawings of houses, villages, and towns - done so intricately that you will see something new every time you look at it. Philippa also includes a list of items to search for within the drawings, a la Where's Waldo. It's a beautiful piece of work, while also providing the viewer with a fun challenge. |
Nicole lost her nephew to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Sydrome), and this zine is dedicated to and about him. She writes about the events of that day, how her family dealt with it (then and now), and her own fears about having children in the future. Also included is info on SIDS and different organizations that deal with SIDS. Could be triggering. |
Katie describes her zine in the intro: “In this issue you will find an interview with a writer who has made English-language adaptations of Japanese manga. An adaptation is different from a mere translation; you’ll see. I have also written an essay about a poem I wrote a few months ago. Both of those pieces of writing are concerned with foreign words that have no direct English translation. I also wrote descriptions of some of the weirder language usage books I’ve bought recently, and I included a piece I wrote about found poetry, which has a lot to do with meaning and context – you know, semantics. And then there are those etymologies. The story of where a word came from and how it developed is like the story of a person’s life.” A zine about words - can it get any better? Not only is the writing stellar, but the artwork inside is detailed and beautiful. I wish I could frame this zine. |
I actually bought these zines without even reading them because I have an obsession with squirrels. And a squirrel riding a bike is something everyone needs to see. I was very excited when the cuteness of the cover matched the cuteness of the writing inside. This zine is very twee, and I certainly don't mean that in a negative way. Maranda (who also writes Telegram Ma'am) includes cute drawings and stories about all of the objects in her life that she has named, like her bike, stuffed animals, guitar, etc. She also writes a list about what's been going on in her life, and a list of stuff that makes her happy. This zine makes me happy. |
I think the best thing about this zine is the old yearbook photos interspersed throughout, along with the quotes often found beside said photos. So funny! Anyway, Maranda writes about how things always break for her, how she was/is slightly morbid (she kept a box full of dead flies and held funerals for them – it's kind of awesome), and stuff she plans to read in the future. This was a lot of fun. |
Written by Ciara of the sorely-missed Learning to Leave a Paper Trail distro, this zine is a nice text-heavy look into common sense meshing with radical politics, with a nice dash of snark thrown in. Basically, my kind of zine. I found myself saying, “Yes, exactly!” a lot, and was connecting with what I was reading throughout. Inside, you will find pieces about her abortion, her belief that monogamous relationships can be radical, how she left the Skillshare that she had created, growing up among a youth-centered Anarchist movement, and book talk. One of my favorite zines, with a nice old-school typewritten layout. |
Into the Grid - by Heather - 1/6 size - 30 pages
Introvert #6 - by Nicole - quarter size - 30 pages
The La-La Theory #6 - by Katie - half size - 26 pages
Little Acorns #2 - by Maranda - quarter size - 24 pages
Little Acorns #3 - by Maranda - quarter size - 22 pages
Love Letters to Monsters #2 - by Ciara - quarter size - 46 pages