February 2005
Couch Tag #1, 16p, quarter size, $1.50 ppd
This mini-comic offers three separate short stories by Jesse Reklaw. In the
first story, he recounts a childhood memory of discarded goldfish, while in
the second he relays a bizarre dream about Dan Quayle. The final story uses
text from his grandmother's letters intercut with personal memories that reveal
the true nature of their relationship. Reklaw's approach to storytelling is
often full of an absurdity and irony that separates this from most auto-biographical
comic fare. Reklaw's art is the most impressive feature, revealing a range
of style and level of skill not always seen in mini-comics. A strong debut,
and I hope to see much more!
Jesse Reklaw
PO Box 11493
Berkeley, CA 94712-2493
USA
www.slowwave.com
reklaw@slowwave.com
--AR
Dirtbag #7, 22p half size
With its strange, childlike drawings and rambling subject matter, Dirtbag
is not unlike peeking into an artist's sketchbook. #7 is heavier on the text,
covering a broad range of subjects, such as theater sets, child actor Scott
Jacoby, influential writers and artists, and girls (a common theme of interest
for Dave Kiersh it seems.) Kiersh's artwork has a quirky beauty that continue
to make Dirtbag an interesting read.
Dave Kiersh
568 Grandview Ave. 2nd Flr
Ridgewood, NY 11385
USA
davekiersh@aol.com
--AR
livingProof #2: Rebound, 96p, quarter size,
$3ppd
this personal zine continues to impress me with Andrew's concise and detailed
writing. The quality is often closer to the personal essay format than the
journal format preferred by most personal zine writers. As a result, he manages
to be engaging and honest, without losing any flow. Each section covers a
wide range of subject matter, including: 80's nostalgia, grunge, college,
punk-rockers, ex-girlfriends, new love, and growing up. Also included is the
continuation of the interview with Elizabeth Elmore of The Reputations. Having
no knowledge of this band's material, I found these portions less interesting,
though some of the tangents regarding Eminem and internet fame were a nice
departure.
This is a text heavy zine, but the inclusion of photographs ease the eye.
The text itself is large and easy-to-read with a clear and simple design style.
The quality of the writing makes this one of the better personal zines out
at the moment.
PO Box 14211
Chicago, IL 60614
USA
livingproof@atm4.net
--AR
livingProof #3: Genesis
In the third issue of livingProof Andrew recorded his thoughts and
then transcribed everything afterwards. Quite a task, though an audio version
of this may be a good companion if not hold it’s own. This is a hefty,
text-filled zine with various photographs here and there so if you’re
looking for a lot to read for your money this is it.
The first of three parts includes an essay on the evils of mass communication,
specifically MTV, reality shows, and cable television. Personally I really
have an academic passion for this topic, but the writing is at a level that
anyone with a slight interest could enjoy. In the end the author decided that
“as long as you accept [all of it] you will not be truly free.”
I have to wonder what this freedom is, because there was no explanation given,
just the idea for readers to ponder. You can decide how you feel about the
subject.
The second and most informative part is an interview with Daniel Sinker of
Punk Planet. Readers are introduced to the ins and outs of running
an independent magazine. There is also a lot of Sinker’s personal ruminations
on the music industry and the influence of the internet on the new wave of
zine writers. There was one idea that is often overlooked but very important
in the modern zine community, “The harshness of the internet can kill
some people’s ambition to do stuff. If you were to do something for
the first time out there… and you get crucified, there’s very
little chance that you’re going to go back and do it again.” If
you gain nothing else from this zine at least consider Sinker’s informative
answers.
The third part, and nearly half the zine’s bulk, is dedicated to Andrew’s
summer abroad in Spain. This is a really great experience, but I found myself
losing interest over the length of the author’s time there. It’s
tough to edit a travel experience, but without ever being in Spain it’s
also tough to follow along. I was disappointed by the ending, which was unsatisfying
after so much time spent.
Overall you may need to wade through the occasional pretension and name-dropping,
but you will find engaging arguments and interpretations.
PO Box 14211
Chicago, IL 60614
USA
livingproof@atm4.net
--Jessica Bublitz
Lost Kisses, 44p, odd size (2X2)
This is a tiny stick figure comic that is pretty funny at times. We follow
a stickman’s thoughts on physical and emotional scars relating to a
past love, his job, and silly tangents. The size is a bit too small, as I
found it springing out of my hands while reading. I think this unexpected
action actually added to the comedy of the mini. Though it may not be a life-altering
read, it’s worth a quick laugh.
Silber Records
PO Box 18062
Raleigh, NC 27619
USA
www.silbermedia.com
silberspy@silbermedia.com
--Jessica Bublitz
On Subbing: The First 4 Years, 128p, quarter
size
Dave is a substitute Education Assistant who works with special education
classes, and this is his story. Because his job is so different, the material
in this zine is quite different from the usual corporate slave work zines.
The tone here is casual, yet clear and concise. Often, this is like listening
to a good conversation, where the storytelling takes its twists and turns
before reaching hilarious or ironic conclusions. But there's more than punchline
to these stories. As hilarious as Dave is as a writer, he's also honest and
compassionate. One gets the sense of someone doing the job as best he can,
while hoping to make even a small difference in these kids' lives. He also
makes no bones about his own mistrust for authority and sometimes radical
political beliefs. This collection is a great introduction to a funny and
insightful zine–highly recommended!
Microcosm
5307 N. Minnesota Ave.
Portland, OR 97217-4551
USA
www.microcosmpublishing.com
joe@microcosmpublishing.com
503-286-1038
--AR
One Hundred Dollars and a T-Shirt: A Documentary
About Zines in the Northwest US, dvd
While there are plenty of zine histories in existence (though hardly as many
as there should be) it's nice to see a documentary to fill in the gaps. Though
apparently focused on the vibrant Portland scene, much of the material is
applicable to other locales and the zine community in general. Beginning with
a definition then focusing on the history of zines, the content also discusses
how to make a zine, the zine community, and the future of the medium. A wide
variety of zinesters are featured, from the owner of Reading Frenzy to creators
of zines like Brainscan, On Subbing, Invincible Summer,
and Nosedive. The diversity and sheer amount of information contained
in this documentary makes this nearly indispensable for serious zinesters.
At times the sound and image quality leaves much to be desired, but this only
reflects the DIY nature of zines, where sometimes the information itself is
more pressing than the quality of distribution. Despite these issues, the
whole dvd gets its point across clearly, and is definitely worth a view.
Microcosm
5307 N. Minnesota Ave.
Portland, OR 97217-4551
USA
www.microcosmpublishing.com
joe@microcosmpublishing.com
503-286-1038
--AR
The Perfect Mixtape Segue #3, 20p, odd size,
$1
By choosing a single subject, this zine keeps a solid focus not always seen
in personal zines. More specifically, Joe Biel focuses on his decision to
have a vasectomy, beginning with a brief history of his childhood and the
experience of various friends. He reasons over the decision and writes about
the operation itself, concluding that he is comfortable with his final decision.
Biel's writing is clear and specific. By giving us more than rhetoric and
detailing his own experience, he personalizes the issue, making for engaging
reading. He moves easily from the personal to the political and makes the
connections fluidly, without preaching or talking down to his audience.
The layout here is simple cut-and-paste, the text interspersed with images
of cycling and assorted sundries. My only criticism is with the uneven quality
of the printing: some pages are heavily faded, especially the back inside
page, which is nearly illegible. However, this may be isolated to a single
issue and does not affect the majority of the text. for the most part, everything
is quite readable.
This is a quality personal zine carried by the strength of the writing and
of particular interest to those interested in discussion of child-free issues.
Microcosm
5307 N. Minnesota Ave.
Portland, OR 97217-4551
USA
www.microcosmpublishing.com
joe@microcosmpublishing.com
503-286-1038
--AR