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AND THE SURVEY SAYS!!!

($1.00 from Jay Koivu / PO Box 931333 / Los Angeles, CA / 90093 USA)

A while back Jay of Mr. Peebody's Soiled Trousers sent out a survey to a hundred zinesters with questions about their little obsession. This zine, if you haven't guessed, contains the responses to those questions. It's interesting to see the answers, but a little disheartening that they're generally not quite what I expected. Of course, that may simply be a side effect of only surveying a hundred people since the zine community is so diverse and the people are so varied in their interests and approaches. Anyhow, the questions involve topics such as what makes a good zine, zine-heavy cities, ways to promote a zine, popular places to steal copies from, etc. They're fun questions, there are some surprising answers and Jay chimes in after each question to offer his own responses to those answers.

By the way, Mr. Peebody fans may be interested to know that Jay will soon be dropping the journal entries, instead opting for a looser catch-all sort of format. I'm looking forward to it.

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< zine:resource >



MEDIAGEEK #1

($2.00 ppd – cash or stamps only – from Paul Riismandel / PO Box 2102 / Champaign, IL / 61825-2102 USA. Web: www.mediageek.org)

This zine is an offshoot of the Mediageek website and radio show and the focus of all three is independent media, how it relates to the world at large and how you can create your own to effect change. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turns out this is a fantastic primer for getting out there and just doing it. The issue starts off with an editorial that's as much introduction as it is mission statement. Following that are: "A Radical Media Call to Arms", a well-written (and convincing) piece on why everybody should create their own media; Aj Michel on creating a zine (including a nice list of tool suggestions and other advice); and indepth reviews of a couple of local-music documentaries (from Chicago and St. Louis). My favorite piece in this issue, though, is a really helpful article about what to look for in a camcorder, including the differences between all the types (from those old VHS shoulder-mount units to miniDV), what you should expect to pay, features to look for, brand advice, etc. It's really pretty comprehensive, but written so that the information won't go out of date any time soon. I've had a camcorder for years, but I learned some things and I'll definitely refer to this article when I go to purchase my next one. I found every piece in this zine to be informative, helpful and encouraging. Definitely recommended to anybody who needs media creation demystified or just wants some good advice on making their own.

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< comics/x >



CYRIL IN THE FALSE LANDS

(Jason Neuman / 11861 Killimore Ave. / Northridge, CA / 91326 USA. Web: www.cafeshops.com/neumie)

Cyril the Little Dead Boy is a ghost who's trying to make sense of it all. Allow me to quote from the "Previously" section that starts this issue: "Cyril came across a group of sperm ghosts that refused to believe that he wasn't one of them. After being chased by the sperm, the Ghost King came to Cyril's rescue and gives Cyril vague hints about his hidden destiny." Wacky, no? In this issue, Cyril wanders into the False Lands, which I gather is even stranger than the other places a ghost might normally go. He encounters lots of bizarre creatures and an evil doppelganger. Weird stuff.

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< zine:media >



HITCH #34

(www.hitchmagazine.com)

Hitch is subtitled "the journal of pop culture absurdity" and that's a pretty accurate description. This sentiment is reflected especially in features like "Police Academy: Assignment Hell". Rod Lott and Louis Fowler committed themselves to watching all seven Police Academy movies in a row in one day. That's over ten hours, friends. Reliving the stupidity of that series is good for laughs but, unfortunately, the laughter is tainted by the sheer agony brought on by, well, reliving the stupidity of that series. Still, I appreciated the graphs that illustrate how many times, throughout the series, someone falls down, an offensive gay joke is made and Michael Winslow makes a "funny" noise.

The feature I was most looking forward to was the interview with Mr. Show's David Cross and Bob Odenkirk. Those guys, they're just never dull or unfunny, so I enjoyed it quite a bit. My only complaint is that it isn't longer. Other good stuff in this issue: a funny comparison of eight different Nigerian business proposals that promise lots of cash (you know the ones), Fowler's story of watching a Ricki Lake Show taping (sounds like Hell to me), a short interview with Joe Bob Briggs and a handful of zine reviews. Seeing as how this is a pop culture zine, the obligatory reviews are here – and lots of 'em, too – of movies, rekkids and books. Sometimes I like an assload of movie and CD reviews, but this time I just didn't have as much patience, mostly because we disagree on most of the items I'm familiar with. Still and all, the section warmed my cold, dead heart with a hilarious Speed Racer review and "Harrison and Audrey at the Movies", which features critiques by two small kids of Finding Nemo and Old School (!). Funny stuff. And, hey, there are also some deranged comics that are pretty funny, an e-mail exchange with Office Max's rebate department (oh, how I loathe that company) and other fun stuff.

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< zine >

INTERSTITIAL #1, June 2003

($1.00 US/$2.00 CAN-MEX-WORLD from James McQuiston / 308 S. Maple / Lancaster, OH / 43130 USA. Web: www.neufutur.com)

Review by Louis Fowler of Damaged Magazine

Moderately entertaining zine, with a few good pieces, especially the mix-tape article (I'm very guilty of making a mixtape for a girl I want to bang), the zine reviews and the awesome article about Warren Zevon. It actually made me go out and buy Excitable Boy. But for every great article, there are two crap ones. Anytime the zine goes into horrible poetry (note to all publishers: EVERYONE HATES POETRY!), or even worse, when it devolves into half-baked, uninformed, bumper-sticker politics, it becomes the same-old thing everyone seems to be making these days. Yeah, yeah, Bush sucks, blah blah. Find a new platform because it's getting old. And also, why all the press for the Red Hot Valentines? Who are they? Are they your friends or something?

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< comics/x >



TOP SHELF ASKS THE BIG QUESTIONS

(Top Shelf Productions, www.topshelfcomix.com)

This anthology's been a long time coming and with 335 pages and a stunning number of contributors, this is the biggest Top Shelf yet. It's a pretty impressive collection of work and seeing as how most of this volume was assembled several years ago, it's a bit like reading an anthology from 2000 that I'm only just now getting to. I don't know if you consider that a good thing or a bad thing, but it is interesting.

As for content, well, there's a lot of it. Fans of European comics should be pleased and fans of the now-defunct Robot Publishing should be pleased. But there's so much more than that. Regular readers of my reviews know that I love the variety anthologies offer, but editors Robert Goodin and Brett Warnock went a step further than most anthologies by including themed sections and features that aren't strictly comics. These sections include an interview with David Chelsea (with a healthy sampling of his comics and commercial work) by John Weeks, a "Peanuts" tribute section (commentary and comics by Ivan Brunetti, Ted Stearn, Tom Hart, Dean Haspiel, Joe Matt, Eric Reynolds, Warren Craghead and others), a Martin Tom Dieck sketchbook section and a focus on the Swiss comics scene with work from a number of Atrabile artists.

I guess the most satisfying discovery for me was Joven Kerekes, who has a beautiful cartoony style that brings to mind Mark Martin (if he'd been raised in Europe perhaps). He gets a few of this volume's color pages and they certainly weren't wasted. Some of the other standouts include Winshluss (the story of a monkey too smart for his own good told in pantomime with nicely animated characters), Mahler's "TNT" (about a down-and-out boxer), Mack White ("Bison Bill's Weird West"; you just can't go wrong with a traveling, supernatural sideshow in the Old West), Dave K (I don't know if this is his best work, but it's very nice nonetheless), Aaron Renier's funny romance and Seth's "Peanuts" tribute.

That's a lot of good stuff so far, right? Well, there's also plenty more by Tomer Hanuka (beautiful covers), Cathy Malkasian (interesting commentary on body image), Cesar Spinoza ("Pacho Clokey" strips in color), James Sturm/Ribs, Kevin Scalzo, Goodin, Ulf K, Jesse Reklaw, Kevin Quigley, Jeff Zenick, Josh Simmons, Frederik Peeters, Marc Bell and, well, lots more. The production and design are fabulous. Hell, even the handful of ads serve to enhance the thing. What else can I say? Recommended.

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< comics/x >

NICKELODEON MAGAZINE August 2003

(available at newsstands everywhere)

This certainly isn't an independent production, but they certainly utilize a lot of alternative cartoonists and illustrators, so I wanted to mention their 10th Anniversary issue. For those who don't know, each issue of Nickelodeon features a "Comic Book" section of really good comics aimed at entertaining kids, but their value isn't limited to that audience. In this one, the Comic Book features a four-page strip that manages to fit in practically every single character that's been in the Comic Book since the beginning. That comic's by Chris Duffy, Mark Martin and Kevin Slattery, plus there are other comics by Sam Henderson, Nick Bertozzi, Jef Czekaj, Ellen Forney, Craig Thompson, Johnny Ryan, Evan Dorkin/Sarah Dyer, Jen Sorensen and more. Also, throughout the issue you'll find illustrations by such folks as Wayno, Michael Slack, Jordan Crane and Michel Rabagliati. I honestly enjoy these comics as an adult and I recommend the mag on those terms, but I also think it's a great tool for turning kids on to comics. Do check it out, won't you?

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< zine:lit >

RABID TRANSIT: A MISCHIEF OF RATS

Review by Jessica Bublitz

($5.50 US, $6.00 CAN, $6.50 INTL from Velocity Press / Box 28701 / St. Paul, MN / 55128 USA. Web: http://www.taverners-koans.com/ratbastards/rabidtransit.html)

Rabid Transit is an excellent chapbook collection of short fiction. Each piece includes some twist, which I'm always a sucker for. Dramatic, comedic, conspiracy, and just uncatagorizable. "Wally's Porn" by Victoria Elizabeth Garcia is a look into a boy's trouble pleasing women. "The Headline Trick" by Douglas Lain unfolds a little mystery and a little pain. "Braiding" by David J. Hoffman-Dachelet looks at a relationship in a new way. "joanierules.bloggermax.com" by Nick Mamatas is a pun on modern life and history that never leaves character. "Gramercy Park" by Haddayr Copley-Woods is a beautifully sad tale of a forgotten girl. All authors are semi-established and have appeared in numerous publications including national magazines. This chapbook is well worth the price.

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< zine >



SCIENTIFIC DINOSAUR #2, May 2003

(free from Uranium Thousand Dollar Bill Press / 120 Wooster St. / New Haven, CT / Unit W / 06510 USA. Web: www.scientificdinosaur.net)

Review by Louis Fowler of Damaged Magazine

Basically an anti-prison art pamphlet, SD starts off really interesting, with an article about what to prepare for and how to deal with your upcoming prison sentence. Unfortunately, it finishes too soon and, on top of that, it's only part one so you have to wait until next issue, which in the zine world, is always indefinite. I would've liked this opening article to be much longer, or hell, even if it was the whole zine, but unfortunately, this is where the kudos stops. The rest of SD is whiny, feel-sorry-for-me bullshit. Yes, this guy is in prison, yes, mandatory prison sentences can be bad, but jeez, do we need a whole zine about it, with articles that reiterate the same thing over again from all the guy's buddies? Yes, I guess so. The zine finishes up with some nice artwork, but other than that, there's not much else to recommend. But, it's free, so what the hell. [Editor's note: The zine is free locally, I know, but I'm not certain what the cost may be for mail orders.]

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< zine >



TANGLEFOOT #1

Review by Jessica Bublitz

($3 US, $4 CAN/MEX, $5 World or trade from Superfrida / 315 NE Buffalo / Portland, OR / 97211 USA. E-mail)

Tanglefoot seemed like a good idea – an all-contributor zine with art, photography, fiction, and poetry – but once I dove in nearly everything was even too dark for my taste. I felt most of the writing was trying too hard and the artwork, though done with obvious talent, was too strong. Some of the finer pieces include "Encounter: A Fragment" by Chris Perry and "Empty Carousel" by Nicole. This is only the first issue so I'm sure there'll be some improvement in the future. There is something worth seeing in this, but your $3 is better spent somewhere else. Certainly if you enjoy reading about cutting, sex, and oddity for the sake of it, this would be the zine for you.

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< comics/x >



BOGUS BANZAI #1

(2 stamps or trade from Simon Parducci / 21085 Turkey Ridge Ln. / Andalusia, AL / 36420 USA. E-mail)

This one's got comix by Bill Jeffery (my favorite piece, it's the story of a kid who got the costume shaft at Halloween), Marcel Herms (his adaptation of Sonic Youth's "Schizophrenia", which is nice but looked a whole lot better when he ran it in his own zine) and Simon Parducci (an interesting angst-ridden romance that makes me wonder about the story behind the story). There's also a short interview with the band Kid Brother Collective and a presumably autobio prison tale from Cedric Knowles.

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< comix/art >



PROPER GANDER #40

(PO Box 434 / San Marcos, TX / 78667 USA. E-mail)

Proper Gander publishes what they call "anticomics", though I'm not exactly sure what that means. The comics and art here are certainly unconventional by mainstream standards and this issue's got a nice line-up that includes Andrew Goldfarb (an Ogner Stump piece, plus the cover), Lance McMahan, Marcel Herms, Grady Roper, Claudio Parentela, Kapreles, Bill Jeffrey, Santa Brutus (interesting stuff in a highbrow/Ft. Thunder sort of vein), Chris Cilla, Hans Rickheit and still more. Not a bad batch of artists, eh? I don't get every issue, but I think this is probably one of the best I've seen yet. You can pick this up for free around San Marcos and Austin or contact them about getting a sample copy.

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< comics/x >



SADDER THAN YOU #2

(John Mosteller, www.hairlessape.net/extras)

Here we've got more tales of dumbassery from John Mosteller's college days. Whether they're hilarious or just pathetic you'll have to decide for yourself. The funniest thing to me is the art. Everything's done on computer with geometric shapes and it's pretty stiff, but it has more character than I'd expect and a lot of the illos are just darn amusing. The stories themselves deal with animal cruelty (for fun) and stupid things said to women. Check out the website for more.

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< zine:comics >



THE HOLLYWOOD ECLECTERN #37

(free from Ed Buchman / PO Box 4215 / Fullerton, CA / 92834 USA)

This issue of Ed Buchman's Little Lulu-centered fanzine sports a patriotic color cover by Larry Blake, a regular contributor to its pages. Inside you'll find letters from fans, a Lulu crossword puzzle, info on Lulu research, product photos and more. If you're a diehard Little Lulu fan or just curious, you can't go wrong by sending a stamp or two for this.

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< comics/x >



FREE SUMMER FRANKS

($2.00 ppd from Tim Kelly / 946 North Indiana Ave. / Lindenhurst, NY / 11757 USA. Web: www.angelfire.com/ny4/timkelly19)

As the cover proclaims, this is a collection of "new and rare comics from the Zook and Max Show". Tim Kelly's comix are generally a frenetic roller coaster ride of Tex Avery slapstick, corny jokes, cute girls and '70s cartoon references. In other words, the fun here is of the seriously goofy variety. My favorite story in this one, however, is a serious piece (and the most tightly-rendered) about Tim's 9/11 experience. Another good story features a group of Kelly girls visiting Sappy Sapsucker's comic shop. The only thing missing from the punchline of that one is a pair of "oy vey!" feet thrown up into the air. Like I said, goofy – but satisfying. There's also a jam comic by Tim and Jenny Gonzalez, a one-pager by Tom Ferranti and other fun stuff.

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< resource >

FANZINE FANATIQUE Spring 2003

(Keith and Rosemary Walker / 6 Vine St. / Lancaster LA1 4UF / ENGLAND)

This is a reviewzine of sorts that's written in a relaxed, conversational style. Nearly 40 zines are covered in this issue, many of which are from the SF side of things (so you get terms like "locol" and "thish"), but they seem to be open to most anything, so you'll also see comics, mail art, perzines and other stuff listed. I believe the price is "the usual" (in other words, a nice letter, stamps, a trade, etc.).

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< comics/x >



SWEATERWEATHER

(Alternative Comics, Sara Varon)

Man, this is a good book. Sara Varon's comics tend to be sweet and understated and suitable for all ages. The majority of the strips are sans dialogue, which makes them more accessible for younger readers and those who don't read English. I think this book is great for adults, but I'd definitely recommend considering it for a kid in your life. The stories illustrate friendship, generosity, flights of fancy, the changing of the seasons, cooperation and community – all without being preachy. Also, the educational angle is covered by a piece on a bee farm and now I want to go outside and see if I can tell the difference between a worker and a drone. The comics in this volume are charming and lots of fun, but what really pushes this over the top for me is the production and all the little extras. Inside you'll find some added color (including several pages of full-color ready-to-use postcards), an insert (a clever addition to one of the stories), lovely paper dolls (in color) and a page of cool two-color Chickenopolis postage stamps. Recommended? Without question.

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< comics/x >



SKETCHBOOK DIARIES Vol. 3

(Top Shelf Productions, www.topshelfcomix.com. Daily strips at www.americanelf.com)

If there's one way to describe the bulk of James Kochalka's work, it's sentimental and cute – which is exactly what some people hate about it. His Sketchbook Diaries is a good example of that cuteness as it tends to feature his kitty cat, the author getting snuggly-wuggly with his True Love and other preciousness. Hell, these people are cute even when they're bitching at each other. And that's just part of the charm. It seems to be the sort of thing that people either love or hate. The cuteness gets to me at times – depending on my mood – but I'm a fan of both the author and autobio comics in general, so you know which side I fall on.

Kochalka's diary comics are inspiring, actually, in that they're generally snippets of everyday mundanity that the average reader may find endearing (or possibly clever or amusing) due to commonality. It's Everyman material (even if the Everyman in question appears to be a bit eccentric) and one might feel it's something they could do. Thus, the sudden spate of diary comics (especially online) that followed the debut of the first volume in this series.

Besides all that, of course, they're just fun.

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< comics/x >



AMAZING ADULT FANTASY #22 / DUMBLUCK #4

(send stamps to Tim Doyle / 924 E. 40th, #106 / Austin, TX / 78751 USA or Alan Reynoso / 2902 Cole St., #211 / Austin, TX / 78705 USA)

This is a split between Tim Doyle's Amazing Adult Fantasy and Alan Reynoso's Dumbluck, both of which are Austin-based diary comics. Austin, it seems, is diary comics headquarters. Really, it's quite a phenomenon. In Tim's half, he works a lot, hangs out with pals, rails on his customers, goes to the movies, talks about his dog (who was recently put to sleep), wears a funny hat and gears up for the final issue of this comic (#25). In Alan's half, he goes to live shows, draws, gets a haircut, finds a dead bird and goofs off. Both guys fill their pages with humor and it's a fun read. Look for this one all over Austin.

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< zine:personal >



CHICKENHED ZINE AND ROLL #5

($2.00, stamps or trade from Josher / PO Box 330 / Richmond, VA / 23218 USA. E-mail)

I really enjoyed this. Although I'd call it a perzine, CZAR is a collection of autobiographical stories rather than journal entries, favorites list and whatnot. Josh is a hardcore-minded punk who writes from the heart – and writes well, too. He relates tales of drunkeness (you've seen it, I know, but these are good), being mistaken for a prostitute, how he helped lower the working standard by making use of the union and a car crash (this is my favorite story and it's not really about a car crash). One of the stories he tells – the history of his band – is told completely in "Hell-ku", a bastardized form of haiku that adheres to a 6-6-6 syllabic pattern. This is a good read and probably one of the best perzines I've seen.

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< tabloid >



ARTHUR July 2003

(www.arthurmag.com)

If I didn't already know it, the cover alone would tell me that this rag's got moxie. This special "Hooray for Empire!" issue sports a cover photo of David Cross waving a flag and talking on a cellphone while wearing an ensemble that includes a cross necklace and patriotic sweatshirt. If you're familiar with David Cross' work, then I think you can see the angle here. Other stuff in this issue: Alan Moore commentary on the US and UK governments, David Byrne's wartime journal, more commentary from Michael Moorcock and other subversive content. And the comics. For those who don't know, Jordan Crane and Sammy Harkham are the comics editors at Arthur and this one's got comix/art by Martin Cendreda, David Lasky, Johnny Ryan, Carol Swain, Megan Kelso, Sharon Rudahl, Peter Kuper, art spiegelman, Crane and others. Oh, did I mention that it's free? Yeah, so go to the website for a list of places around the country where you can pick it up. Recommended.

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< comics/x >



INNER BEAR OR BUNNY BUTT #1

(Jenny Smith / 924 E. 40th, #106 / Austin, TX / 78751 USA)

I love the title of this one. You may have seen Jenny's cameos in the pages of Tim Doyle's Amazing Adult Fantasy, but now she's made her own diary comic. I think it may be the first comic she's ever done, so kudos there. Being that I'm a regular reader of Amazing Adult Fantasy it's interesting to see a different version of some of the same incidents. Jenny draws about hanging out with friends, live shows, movies, work, a psycho waitress, riding the bus and other stuff. Fun!

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< comics/x >



HAPPY: ZIRKUS

(Top Shelf Productions, www.topshelfcomix.com. For "Adults")

This new Happy continues the story from Cirkus New Orleans (one of Top Shelf's Small Batch books) and follows cartoonist Josh Simmons in his travels with the End of the World Cirkus and the Know Nothing Family Zirkus Zidezhow, a beautiful (or grotesque, depending on your view) menagerie of freaks and madpersons. That is to say: sideshow performers. It's something of a travel journal in comix form and Simmons takes full advantage of that combination, not only in depicting the many outrageous events, but in page design as well. Really, I bet there aren't two pages designed alike.

I've been reading Josh Simmons' work since before he started using his real (?) name and I just love the stuff. He has a real passion for highlighting the beautiful ugliness of life that so many people pretend doesn't exist. In this issue you'll find recollections and visual depictions of what must be a remarkably disturbing show, a plush performer that sports a genuine phallus (he really performs, if you see what I mean), fistfights, puppet shows, "What's Up Your Ass?" (it's a guessing game!), an impromptu sex-change, anal love and oh so much more. I find myself repulsed by and enamored with these people and their lifestyle and I'm looking forward to reading more.

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< comix/art >



SCREW, CRASH & EXPLODE

(Anima Mal Nata / Postbus 6359 / 7401 JJ Deventer / THE NETHERLANDS. E-mail)

Here's another mind-altering collaboration between Monobrain and Marcel Herms. It's a multi-colored affair (stencil-printed, I believe), each page an explosion of drawings and other graphics. Some pages appear to be Monobrain doodles with other things underneath and others appear to be jam drawings, all the while telling the story of a man condemned by technology. If this sounds like your cup of tea then you'll definitely want to contact Anima Mal Nata. Between the two of these guys, there's a whole lot of art brut for your lonely eyeballs.

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< games >



SHOT BY A RAYGUN #3

($1.00 from Billy McKay / PO Box 542 / N. Olmsted, OH / 44070 USA. E-mail)

Man, what will that Billy McKay come up with next? The package for this "issue" of Shot by a Raygun contains a thick deck of cards and rules for playing "Bamboozle", a game of his own design. Each card has a wacky Billy McKay drawing on it and the deck even comes shrinkwrapped! It's a nice production and I think it'd make a great gift for kids. Billy's apparently selling these for only a buck apiece and that's a steal.

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< zine:comics >

COMIC EFFECT #35

($3.50 from Jim Kingman / PO Box 2188 / Pasadena, CA / 91102-2188 USA. Web: www.comiceffect.com)

Comic Effect collects articles and reviews by comics fans in which they discuss comics old and new (mostly old) and what those comics mean to them. The previous issue contained Mike Hall's look at the history of the Atlas Comics line of the '70s and the most interesting segment in this issue is Murray Ward's letter citing a number of questionable facts from that article. This is followed by Hall's rebuttal and the whole thing has really gotten me curious about what exactly happened with that company. Also in this issue: Mike Hall's reminiscences of milestones in his comic-reading life and Jim Kingman on the connection between comics and music, plus reviews of Superman #128 (1959), Action Comics #1 (1938), The Punisher #20 (2003), Marvel Team-Up #75 (1978), The Essential Iron Man, The Demon #10 (1973) and the Comico run of Justice Machine.

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