March 2004
Buzzing Fiona, quarter size, 24p
This is a one-off zine containing a short story in 4 parts, each part another
look at a young starlet, Fiona. We learn more about her through a high-school
friend, a distant 3rd person report, an aspiring actor who meets her at a
commercial shoot, and the script for the commercial. Each part weaves another
thread into the story, revealing a little more, yet remaining elusive. The
writing is particularly strong as Wayne Alan Brenner shifts easily between
different voices.
wbrenner@onramp.net
--AR
Ingleside News #13: 5th Anniversary Special,
half legal, 48p, $2
Fans of the long-running per-zine, Ingleside News, take note! IsaBelle
has compiled an overview spanning 5 years. She writes about her experience
writing the zine, how the zine has developed over time, and the challenges
of writing in two languages. A full variety of cover images and page samples
are included, along with a zine how-to and reviews like usual. Old and new
fans of her zine will enjoy a walk through history.
IsaBelle Bourret
5591 St-Laurent
Levis, 2C G6V 3V6
Canada
ingleside_news_zine@yahoo.com
www.geocities.com/ingleside_news_zine
--AR
I Used to Be a Moist Girl, quarter size, 148p,
$3
This mini chronicles IsaBelle’s (the author of Ingleside News)
summer spent following the band Moist across Canada. The format is very much
a travelogue and diary, detailing everything from cities visited to concerts
seen. Readers who have never been obsessed with any band, or perhaps don’t
know of the band, may not find this zine very engaging at first, but her descriptions
of people met and food eaten enliven a lot of the text. This is really the
encapsulation of one point in a person’s life, so it feels wonderfully
personal. Those familiar with IsaBelle’s regular zine already know of
her thorough, reportage type of style.
IsaBelle Bourret
5591 St-Laurent
Levis, 2C G6V 3V6
Canada
--AR
Mista GO-rilla’s Anthology of Comic Genius, Volume
One, quarter size, 16p
An adorable collection of mini-comics from Missy Kulik and Five: Seventeen,
with subject matter spanning a wide range. Everything’s pulled together
by the wonderful black and white art, along with the whimsical humor throughout.
Many may recognize Five: Seventeen from the wonderful mini, Capillaire.
For lovers of mini-comics, I highly recommend this one.
USA:
Pocket Publishables
24 Long Vue Circle
Ambridge, PA 15003
Canada:
Mista GO-rilla’s World of Publishables
C/o My Mean Magpie
PO Box 68568
3608 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1X1
info@mymeanmagpie.com
mistaGOrilla@hotmail.com
--AR
You Are Here #4, 22pp, odd size(5.5X6.5), $2.
The odd size of this comic zine definitely adds to its appeal. Roughly square,
each page is divided up into four, square panels per page. While the format
doesn’t vary, there are three distinct styles in which stories are told:
heavy line drawing, collage and photo-collage of action figures posed in conversation.
But before I say these things have all been done before, I have to give credit
where credit is due. Jen tells good stories and she tells them well. She’s
got a cute narrator character and a clever use of the one-liner. Jen manages
to be suggestive of Lynda Barry without being outwardly derivative. That is
a compliment and it makes this comic zine totally worth picking up.
Jen Michealis
PMB 299
1411 W. Covell Blvd., Ste. 106
Davis , CA 95616
USA
www.youareherecomic.com
jenm@fastmail.fm
Also available from: Atomic
Books (MD), Echo
Zine Distro, Love
Garden Sounds (Lawrence, KS), Powell's
Bookstores (Portland, OR)
--ajc