June 2003
Big Ray's Bad Attitude #1-#5, 4-6p, full size,
free
Primarily a political zine, Ray covers issues with the government, economics,
and pop culture with essays, poetry, and old-fashioned rants. The oddity about
this zine is that he also includes a section about chess in each issue. All
is addressed with intelligence and hints of sarcastic humor. If you like politics(or
just hate the government) and maybe chess, I recommend reading this.
Ray
PO Box 32774
Kansas City, MO 64171
http://home.att.net/~RayGarth/index.html
--AR
Brainscan #18, 60p,odd size (3.5"X4.25")
So I finally got a chance to read the personal zine I have heard so much about,
and most shocking of all, it is everything I've heard and more. First off,
the cut-and-paste is probably some of the best I've ever seen. Alex designs
her zine with the look in mind and it seems almost flawless. Content-wise
it's high-quality personal zine fare. She writes about her name, riot-grrrl,
her cultural heritage, getting married, and old friends, all with a sort of
wit, intelligence, and experience that makes it real. I was very impressed.
Microcosm
PO Box 14332
PDX, OR 97293
www.microcosmpublishing.com
brainscanzine@ureach.com
--AR
Casa De Los Trucos, 47p, half-size
A personal zine from the author of Doing Maria. She covers a lot
of stuff, and overall, this zine gives a really strong picture of who Tricky
is. She talks about her heritage and xenophobia, a lot about her difficult
past, her weight, and her sexuality. A lot of the content may be difficult
to get through for some (and as she admits, triggering for abuse survivors),
but reading it is highly worthwhile. I really enjoyed.
karaoke_slut@hotmail.com
--AR
Cat and Girl #3, 26p, half legal
Excellent collection of the web comic, Cat and Girl. This was my
introduction to the series, so I was surprised and delighted with my discovery.
It's a comic about a cat and a girl, but I don't know if I can explain anymore
properly. Wonderfully intelligent, cynical humor, and beautiful clean line
drawings. I love it.
Dorothy Gambrell
57 Thames St. Apt. 4D
Brooklyn, NY 11237
www.catandgirl.com
dorothy@catandgirl.com
--AR
The CIA Makes Science Fiction Unexciting #1,
19p, odd size (6.75"X5"), $1
This is a very fascinating, well-researched zine about the assassination of
Martin Luther King, Jr. and the possible CIA connection. It opens a number
of doors to understanding certain holes in the case and serves mostly to ask
questions and theorize, than to give us a definitive answer. If you like conspiracy
theories (though the author denies this as a conspiracy), this zine is very
much recommended. Even if you aren't, you might be interested in an illuminating
read.
Microcosm Publishing
PO Box 14332
Portland, OR 97293-0332
(503)286-1038
www.microcosmpublishing.com
abner@microcosmpublishing.com
--AR
A Coronet Electric Blue #4, 18p, half-size,
$1.25
A collection of comics from Aaron Mews of Project: Masterbation.
I think the drawings are great and the little stories interesting. There are
stories about platinum blondes, crushes on girls, Ray Kroc's big failure,
and the weirdness of Canadians. Lots of fun.
G_I_BRO_99@yahoo.com
--AR
The CUNT zine, 18p, half-size, $1
In the same vein of The Vagina Monologues, Amanda addresses everything
to do with cunts. If you can get over your embarrassment with the term, this
zine is rather enjoyable and useful if you've not had exposure to this line
of thought. This zine reads a lot like like an essay on the subject. She even
has a bibliography in the back! A very positive feminist zine, plus, each
issue includes a sanitary napkin insert!
Ava85867@aol.com
--AR
The Female Species #3, 18p, half-size, single
copy-free, 10 copies-$4
This is a defiantly anarchist zine fulls of essays, quotations, and other
odds and ends. Topics include religion, class war, protesting, and a review
of a Chumbawumba album. If anarchism interest you to any extent, I recommend
this informative zine.
5075 Council Rock Lane
Cincinnati, OH
thefemalespecies@hotmail.com
--AR
Project: Masterbation #2-#3, 26-34p, $0.01
Hilarious compilation comic zines from Aaron, Kaz, and Paiea. The humor is
rather strange and a little gross, but that's what makes comics so much fun.
I also think the artwork is top-notch. #2 gives us a happy story about Stuart,
a babysitting incident, and a special ghost. #3 has got some robots, a sexy
baby, and other disturbing tales. Great stuff!
project_masterbation@yahoo.com
--AR
Stolen Sharpie Revolution, 96p, quarter-size,
$3
This is a wonderful guide for those starting out with zines, or those looking
to find distroes or any other pertinent information. As a resource, it is
wonderfully amazing in its endless uses. There are envelope inserts, copy
scams, template for half and quarter size zines, how-to's on block-printing
and screen printing, distro listings, and much much more.
Microcosm
PO Box 14332
Portland, OR 97293
www.microcosmpublishing.com
brainscanzine@ureach.com
Please note, this is a review of the first edition. There has since been
printed a second edition with even more information and resources
--AR
Twilight Watch, 10p, full size, free
Beautiful local freebie comic from Scot Stolfus. The writing is interesting,
but it's the highly stylized black and white artwork that makes this comic
worth picking up. You can find it for free at Broadway Cafe in Kansas City.
mmmsfoom@yahoo.com