Sunday 19 August 2012

Zine Reviews: August '12


Ellipsis #2
Sarah-Beth, Coventry – kittenesqueATgmailDOTcom
This is such a beautiful little zine!  Sarah-Beth’s second perzine explores topics including feeling overwhelmed by all the things she’s yet to learn (like how mortgages work) and feeling unsure as to whether she can discuss something if she doesn’t know much about it, a scathing review of the 50 Shades trilogy that clearly highlights the problematic nature of the story, lists of what she’s been up to recently and what she’s enjoyed recently, thoughts on fitness and body image, her feelings about Gala Darling, and girl-hate.  The layouts are gorgeous and carefully thought-out, with printed text (in a nice arial narrow font), stamped headings and the odd handwritten line here and there.   The cover sheet is very clever too – purple paper printed with purple ink.  ‘Ellipsis’ is one of my favourite UK perzine series – highly recommended!

And All The Rest Is Talk #1: Lungs And Lips Locked
Lindsey, UK - thesmingitAThotmail.com
In this 14-page half-sized perzine, Lindsey writes about how everyone is a little bit creative, her thoughts on war (“war means someone has to die”), her experiences of her own femininity and cross-dressing, and her new-found love for zines.  We also read a review of female-fronted punk band Drag, and a nice piece of prose titled ‘To See the World in a Grain of Toast’.  Mostly handwritten, with some magazine clippings and hand drawings alongside the text.  Feels very personal and hand-made, like the pages have been taken out of someone’s journal.

Mythologising Me #5
Ingrid, Oxford – mythologisingmeATgmailDOTcom
Ingrid describes the fifth issue of her perzine as being more honest than previous issues, exploring her feelings on some difficult and personal topics.  The longest written piece focuses on her career plans, frustrations at not being able to afford postgraduate study, and thoughts about why one’s job seems so integral to one’s identity (why do so many people ask “so what is it that you DO?”, as if your job is all you ‘do’?).  There are also lots of shorter pieces throughout, on topics including diary-writing, feeling nervous about standing up for what she believes in when others disagree with her, the internet and how everything has become intangible (ebooks, blogs, etc), feeling down and starting CBT, and making a bigger effort to stick to her vegan diet.  There’s a theme of self-improvement and looking forward that comes out in her writing, and Although Ingrid writes inside that she thinks this issue isn’t as cheery as previous issues, I think I would disagree.  Mostly written on her typewriters (I love the cursive typewriter font!), the layouts are among her best yet, with some hand-drawings and nice cut-and-paste artwork. 

Ok Werner
Jean & Brian McEwan, West Yorkshire - www.jeanmcewan.com
A fanzine made by brother and sister Jean and Brian about their favourite filmmaker, Werner Herzog, this zine was put together on a self-appointed week-long “Herzog Holiday” at Jean’s house.  Inside we read reasons why they love Herzog’s work, common themes in his work, lists of their favourite films, their favourite quotes of his, and more.  I love it when people write enthusiastically about the things they love in zines, and ‘OK Werner’ is a lovely example of that.  I hadn’t heard of Werner Herzog until reading this zine, but I’m definitely going to check out some of his stuff when I get the chance.  Thanks Jean and Brian!

Sunday 12 August 2012

Zine News Round-Up: 12.08.12




1. Zine Releases
2. Upcoming Events
3. Submission Calls
4. Distro News
5. AOB (Any Other Business)

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1. Zine Releases
- Feminist perzine ‘Buy Her Candy’ #3 was released a little while ago!  Buy a copy, plus some cute crafts, at Bettie’s etsy.
- Tukru has released ‘Your Pretty Face Is Going Straight To Hell’ #17: A 24-Hour Zine!  Buy your copy at Vampire Sushi distro.
- Bloomigrant, a 24-hour zine written by the author of Bloomurder, is out now!  Details and order info can be found at etsy.
- Here. In My Head. #11, a 24-hour perzine, was released last week.  More info at my blog.- Perzine 'Ellipsis' #2 is out now! To buy or trade, get in touch with Sarah-Beth at her We Make Zines page.- 'We Are Adventurers' #1, a 24-hour zine about recent adventures, is out now!  Buy a copy from Tracey’s etsy. 
- Ingrid has released two issues of Mythologising Me: #5.5, a 24-hour zine, and #6, subtitled ‘Change and Consumption’.  Email her at mythologisingmeATgmailDOTcom to buy or trade.
- Jean McEwan and her brother have created a zine called ‘OK Werner’, about their favourite filmmaker Werner Herzog.  Buy your copy at
http://jeanieszines.bigcartel.com/product/ok-werner.
- 'Angry Violist' #6, a zine about music-making and experimental string playing, is out now! Etsy again.
- 'Elderflower Tea' #3 was released last week!  Details and ordering info can be found at Sarah’s blog.

2. Upcoming Events
- You can catch readings from Chella Quint’s zine ‘It’s Not You, I Just Need Space’ at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival tomorrow at 2.50pm, venue 156!
- Girls Get Busy Zinefest: 25th August at The Shacklewell Arms, London.  Spill the Zines has a table, so come and say hi!  More info can be found at the event page here.
- Zine Readings & Rock Music: 15th September at Chameleon Arts CafĂ©, Nottingham. Organised by Steve Larder (author of ‘Rum Lad’). Download the flyer here.
- Birmingham Zine Festival: 12th – 15th October.  Want to get involved?  More info can be found at http://www.birminghamzinefestival.com/.
- Leeds Zine Fair: Sunday 4th November at Wharf Chambers.  If you'd like to get involved in organising the zine fair, or hold a stall at the zine fair then get in touch at footprintATfootprinters.co.uk

3. Submission Calls
- Bettie (of ‘Buy Her Candy’ zine) is making a compzine all about the 90s, and needs submissions!  There’s no fixed deadline as of yet, but Bettie is hoping to put it together in September.  More info can be found here.

4. Distro News
- Vampire Sushi and Pushpin Publishing have recently been updated with loads of lovely new stock!
- Marching Stars is on hiatus until September, when it will reopen with a new website, shopping cart system, customer order history, and an intergrated loyalty card system!

5. AOB
- Download Richard Herring’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival podcast (#10) to listen to a review of Chella Quint’s compzine ‘Adventures in Menstruating’!
- Bettie wrote a nice review of last weekend’s Little Zine Party’ event, which you can read at her blog.
- I was interviewed for culture blog 'twenty-four hours'! Check it out: 
http://www.twentyfourhoursonline.com/2012/07/spilling-zines-with-cath.html