What do you like reading in a zine? An online survey

image by Derek Neuland (http://allthingsordinary.wordpress.com)

Last month, from the Spill the Zines twitter account and Facebook page, I asked for people’s favourite things to read in a zine. This was a great way to crowdsource some ideas on what to include in your own zine if you’re stuck for inspiration, and to share some of our mutual likes and dislikes in the zine world, so I am reproducing the answers here.  Please add your own favourite things in the comments!

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Rachel (@bransonatron): I love mood-board style collages, poetry and non-fiction pieces! Oh, and attention to detail with decorations, like borders :)

Sarah-Beth (@kittenesque): I like reading about things other people are passionate about, anything that challenges my own views, lists, things about self improvement, cut and paste or hand drawn layouts, reviews of books/music that make you want to immediately check it out.

Sammstein M: doodles!

Louise: Messy cut and paste layouts, handwriting, textured surfaces, layers – something a little different from the usual typed-text-laid-on-dainty-patterns look!

Lucy (@yes_lucy): I like reading reviews or personal reflections on stuff, as long as they're thoughtful and not a rant.

Ingrid: I love self improvement topics, inspirational ways of living against the grain.

Tim M: I like reading something that tells me what's going on in a person's mind, that gives me the impression s/he has some original thoughts and is not hidebound by rigid ideology and that combines humour (not necessarily laugh-out-loud, but some sign of perspective and perception of how beautifully absurd life can be) and seriousness.

Sarah (@wordgeeksarah): funny/unusual perspectives on the world. Anecdotes (rather than entire lifestories), doodles and collagey layouts! sounds a bit callous, by I'd rather read about one isolated event than a general "my life sucks/is awesome" overview!

Lisa: Personal stories, introspection, lists, hopes & dreams, general musings, anything the writer feels very passionate about...

Caitlin (@wondercaitlin): I like stuff that explores the relationship between politics and the personal, and I love authors getting nerdy about the subjects they're passionate about.  Also, lists, great reviews, positive stories, inspirational tutorials, anything to make you get up and go!

Rebecca: life stories, layouts with pretty patterns.

Lizzy (@msdistro): Musings/opinions on life, be they political, reflective, etc. I also like plans, looking forward.

Sarah: cut&paste layouts, personal photos, lots of patterns, textures, stories about life, lists, adventures.

Tracey G: Doodles – especially of maps.

Tasha (@howdoyoutakeit): aesthetically I'm a lover of cut and paste & black and white textured layers and prefer layouts that have been well thought out... the content doesn’t necessarily need to be grammatically accurate but when well written, regardless of topic, passionately… if it was worth the time of day for that person to want to sit down and write it - that's what really does it for me.

Emma: Personal stories/experiences, lists, feminism, collages, interesting layouts (though anything, really, as long as it's honest and well-written).

Thomas B: a tinier zine inside it.

Zine News Round Up: 25.03.12

image by Strawbleu, 'Loosely Bound Zine Extravaganza'

1. Zine Releases

2. Upcoming Events

3. Submission Calls

4. Distro News

5. AOB (Any Other Business)

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1. Zine Releases
- ‘Your Pretty Face Is Going Straight To Hell’ #16 is out now! Buy a copy through Tukru’s distro, Vampire Sushi, or at her blog.

- ‘Necronomicon’, a fanzine focused on retro horror films, has just released its 22^nd issue! Buy your copy at etsy.
- Louise Viner has released 'Tempest in a Tea Cup' #5 this month! Buy a copy of her feminist perzine at etsy.

- ‘Pandora Press’ #3, a feminist compzine published by the Swansea Feminist Network, is out now! Buy your copy at any upcoming SFN event, or at Marching Stars distro.

- 'Shape & Situate: Posters Of Inspirational European Women' Issue #3 is out now! For a list of places where issues can be found/ordered, visit http://remember-who-u-are.blogspot.com.
Also available via etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/COTL?ref=si_shop

- A brand new ‘Enchanted Times’, an A5 newspaper format zine of re-told fairy tales, is out now!  For more info about the zine and how to order, visit http://enchantedtimes.wordpress.com/.

- ‘The Frightening Church’ was released this week – it’s a zine full of “dreams, hallucinations and thoughts expressed through drawings, words, photography and collage”.  To order the zine contact Robby Shackleton at: hissingframesATgmail.com.

‘Larry’ #5 is out now!  An A5 illustrated perzine, each one is individually numbered and tied.  Get in touch with the author via We Make Zines to buy or trade a copy.

2. Upcoming Events
 - Ladyfest East London: Sunday 1^st April in Hoxton Square.  A day of zines, music, workshops, and cake!  The organisers are looking for people to get involved – email ladyfesteastlondon@gmail.com for more info.

- Victoria Baths Fanzine Convention: Saturday 19^th May at Victoria Baths, Manchester.  There are plenty of spaces for stallholders left – more info can be found here.

- Are you running a zine event in the UK, or do you know of one that we haven’t mentioned yet?  Let us know so we can share the news with our readers!

3. Submission Calls
- Pandora Press is looking for submissions for its 4^th issue!  The theme is “pink”.  For more info and writing prompts, check out this page: http://swanseafeministnetwork.wordpress.com/pandora-press/

- A compzine about arrest experiences are calling for people to submit their stories of being arrested by the police.  Submission deadline is March 31st. Please send all submissions and questions to arreststoriesprojectATriseup.net.

 - A new UK film zine called Human Batteries is looking for submissions for its first issue.  More info can be found on their comprehensive flyer.

4. Distro News

- Black Sunday is in the process of setting up a new UK-based distro that specialises in dark zines, e.g. horror, death, macabre, rock n roll.  If you’re interested in submitting your zine for consideration, email katiedirgeATgmail.com with details of your zine.

- Vampire Sushi is open, with a new design and lots of new stock! www.vampiresushi.co.uk

5. AOB
 - Did you get a chance to pop down to Bradford’s zine extravaganza yesterday? If not, here are some great photos from the day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/strawbleu/sets/72157629294265658/

Zine Reviews: March '12

Xyz #4 / C-Section #1

Will/Chloe - http://zisforzine.blogspot.com

I was originally going to review this zine in my zine review vlog, but I had so much to say about it that I couldn’t fit it all in!  This is a great split-zine, as both sides deal with the overarching theme of trans and genderqueerness, and both make reference to each other rather than remain entirely separate.  Will’s section is as informative and fascinating as ever – we read about the concept of bodily autonomy and its relation to medical care, the Feminine Apologetic (“the performance of socially approved models of femininity as a form of penance for behaviours considered unfeminine”) and The Patriarchal Bargain (when “those who would not otherwise succeed under patriarchy agree to accede to its demands in return for whatever small amount of personal gain they can take from it”), how to avoid menstruating, cis privilege, what oestrogen and testestorone do, and lots of other interesting gender goodness. I love Will for hir ability to write about difficult concepts in a clear and interesting way, and it's clear that ze has really done hir research.  'C-Section' is much more perzine than 'xyz', and deals almost entirely with Chloe’s story of coming out as a trans woman – how, when and why she came out, what it's like to be come out to, and the positives and negatives of coming out.  There’s a particularly interesting piece about children’s reactions to visibly trans/non-binary people, and some thoughts on how parents can or should respond to their child making tactless comments like “THAT’S A MAN!”  Finally, there’s a great section in the middle where both writers discuss their friendship, and a middle page spread of cute notes and facts about each other, e.g. “Will is a bear because… ze is very protective of hir cubs”.  I learned so much from both writers - this is possibly the best zine I’ve read this year.

Elderflower Tea #1
Sarah, Staffordshire – http://elderflowertea.blogspot.com

At only 18 pages long, Elderflower Tea is a fluffy perzine that makes for a quick and cheerful read with a cup of tea.  It has a romantic and whimsical theme; the author discusses daydreaming, friendship, love, flower picking, and her favourite book “The Perks of Being A Wallflower”.  We also read a love letter to Miranda July, and a list of things she loves.  The layouts are neat and pretty, with some doodles, though the typewritten text is fairly messy (not that it bothers me – I think it adds to the charm - but it might bother some). The cover is really cute too.

Sweet & Tender #1: British Gloom

Ariane, Wales - http://goldenscales.wordpress.com

Ariane explains in the introduction that she decided to write about British gloom when she realised that her grumpiness and loneliness made her feel like a cliché - she realised that her fulfilment of this cliché gave her a sense of connecting with a wider community, and that this turning suffering into belonging is a very British thing to do.  She begins with a geographical explanation of British gloom – London has Jack the Ripper and Oliver Twist, while Northern England has 'This is England' and 'Jane Eyre'.  There are UK-wide gloomy things documented too, including BBQs ruined by rain, and angsting over the Daily Mail!  Ariane goes on to discuss the gloominess of charity shops, the gender implications of Wales being called “The Land of My Fathers”, and female misery icons, such as Anne Elliot from Jane Austen’s 'Persuasion'.  My favourite piece is a funny hand-drawn guide to Goths, including “history-loving Goths” and “trendy modern Goths”!  While this zine is not very substantial or focused, it’s an entertaining read nonetheless, packed with drawings, interesting collages, and cut-and-paste text. 

Financially Hard Times #10: Feb 2012

Tom Casson, London – financiallyhardtimesATgmail.com

My favourite issue of 'Financially Hard Times' so far, the February issue offers us a glimpse into a totalitarian future where Facebook, Tesco, Subway, and Apple are the world superpowers, politicians are elected by winning reality TV programmes, one’s Facebook Timeline becomes their gravestone (so passers-by can “browse through pictures of happier days in ‘Malia 09 Babyyy’”), and Middlesborough becomes a holiday hot-spot due to its balmy post-global-warming weather.  Brilliant!  You can buy a copy at Tom's Big Cartel store.

Mythologising Me #4

Ingrid, Oxford – mythologisingmeATgmail.com

The fourth issue of Ingrid’s perzine focuses on more positive (and mostly grown-up) topics than the previous three – we read about budgeting and dreaming of being debt-free, thoughts about job-seeking and careers, trying to start 'Couch to 5k', positive things that have happened since she moved home, and her favourite TV shows at school (I loved 'The Racoons' too!).  Her writing style is quite casual, as if you’re having a chat with a friend.  A messy, cut-and-paste interior, with mostly typewritten pages, and a few handwritten sections. 

Zine News Round Up: 04.03.12

via http://bit.ly/x0Si08

1. Zine Releases

2. Upcoming Events

3. Submission Calls

4. Distro News

5. AOB (Any Other Business)

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1. Zine Releases
- Girls Get Busy #11 is out now!  Buy your copy here: http://girlsgetbusyzine.bigcartel.com/product/girls-get-busy-11
- Financially Hard Times #10 is out now (we'll be reviewing it this month, by the way)!  Take a look here: http://tomcassonillustration.blogspot.com/2012/02/financially-hard-times-february-10.html

- Have you released a new zine this month?  Let us know so we can share the news with our readers!

2. Upcoming Events
 - Loosely Bound’s Zine Extravaganza: Saturday 24th March at 1 Tyrell Street, Bradford.  The collective are looking for stallholders for the event - Please email your expression of interest and a link to your website tolooselybound@hotmail.com  by Monday 12th March.

 - Ladyfest East London: Sunday 1^st April in Hoxton Square.  A day of zines, music, workshops, and cake!  The organisers are looking for people to get involved – email ladyfesteastlondon@gmail.com for more info.

 - Victoria Baths Fanzine Convention: Saturday 19^th May at Victoria Baths, Manchester.  There are plenty of spaces for stallholders left –more info on applying for a table can be found here.

3. Submission Calls
- I’m putting together a blog post on what people like to read/see in a zine (e.g. lists, collages, rants, future plans, handwritten text), and I need you guys to send me a few words about your favourite things in zines!  Either tweet @SpilltheZines, write on our Facebook wall, or email us (spillthezinesukATgmail.com).  I’ll be putting the post together at the end of the month.

- Zineage Kicks (awesome name, huh?) are looking for images of the zines you made in your teenage years!  More info can be found at the website.

- A compzine about arrest experiences are calling for people to submit their stories of being arrested by the police.  Submission deadline is March 31st. Please send all submissions and questions to arreststoriesprojectATriseup.net.

4. Distro News

 - Marching Stars is off hiatus, with lots of new zines in stock, and an exciting new feature: the Marching Stars loyalty card! Every zine you buy that costs £1 + earns you a stamp. Earn 15 stamps and you get a free zine!  Check out all the goodness at www.marchingstars.co.uk

 - Vampire Sushi Distro is closed for a little while for a post-zinefest stock check.  There will be new zines in stock when they re-open!  www.vampiresushi.co.uk

 - Some new stuff has been added to Pushpin Publishing’s catalogue! http://www.pushpinzines.co.uk/collections/new

5. AOB
- Spill the Zines’ Facebook page has had a makeover! Take a look and “like” us!

- check out this cool video taken at Tooting Zine Fair last weekend:

Zine Reviews: Feb '12 - vlog special!

I decided to do something different this month, and put February's zine reviews as a vlog!  It's a bit rough, but then it is only my first vlog.  Let me know what you think! :)

Zine News Round Up: 12.02.12

photo by Hello Amber (http://fight-boredom.com)

1. Zine Releases

2. Upcoming Events

3. Submission Calls

4. Distro News

5. AOB (Any Other Business)

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1. Zine Releases
 - The first issue of Now In Lemon is out, featuring illustration, art, and a bit of writing.  More info at http://nowinlemon.com/.

- Toastycats #6, a comic by Magda Boreysza published out of Scotland, is out now!  Buy your copy here.

 - A new perzine, Any Old Iron, is out now, featuring musings on nude modelling, colouring for grown ups, comics, a lino print, and other lovely stuff. Get in touch with Hannah to buy or trade.

2. Upcoming Events
 - Cardiff Book Arts Fayre: Saturday 25^th February at Turner House, Cardiff, 11am til 5pm.  http://ffotogallerybookartsfayre.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/six/

- Tooting Zine Fair: Saturday 25th February at Construction Gallery, Tooting, 12pm til 6pm.  There are still free stalls and workshop spaces available!  For more info on the event, visit http://tootingzines.tumblr.com/ (and check out their cute flyer!)

 - Loosely Bound’s Zine Extravaganza: Saturday 24th March at 1 Tyrell Street, Bradford.  The collective are looking for stallholders for the event - Please email your expression of interest and a link to your website tolooselybound@hotmail.com  by Monday 12th March.

 - Ladyfest East London: Sunday 1^st April in Hoxton Square.  A day of zines, music, workshops, and cake!  The organisers are looking for people to get involved – email ladyfesteastlondon@gmail.com for more info.

 - Victoria Baths Fanzine Convention: Saturday 19^th March at Victoria Baths, Manchester.  There are plenty of spaces for stallholders left –more info on applying for a table can be found here.

3. Submission Calls
 - Pandora Press, a feminist comp-zine created by the Swansea Feminist Network, has extended its deadline for submissions until 20^th February!  For writing prompts and detailed info on how to submit something, check out the SFN website.

 - A new UK film zine called Human Batteries is looking for submissions for its first issue.  More info can be found on their comprehensive flyer.

 - Most of last week’s submission calls are still open too!

4. Distro News

 - Vampire Sushi Distro is closed for a few days for a post-zinefest stock check.  There will be new zines in stock when they re-open!  www.vampiresushi.co.uk

 - Over at Pushpin Publishing, the 'Answers on a Postcard' series of crafty business zines are now half price, just £1 each. They also have a new artist bookmark by illustrator Chris Summerlin, which is free with all orders over £6. www.pushpinzines.co.uk

5. AOB
 - Instead of including zine reviews in the fortnightly zine news posts, I’ve added a list of UK zine review blogs to the sidebar.  Check them out!  If you write a UK zine review blog and want to be added to the list, email me!

 - Not really UK-related, but just to let you know that Alex Wrekk has launched an awesome Stolen Sharpie Revolution website, which features lists of zine events, distros, and resources from the international zine community.  Also, we’ve been mentioned a few times there!  Check it out - http://www.stolensharpierevolution.org/.

Feature: Working With Distros

This is a guest post by Lizzy Goddard, who has been running Marching Stars Distro since July 2007.  These opinions are all Lizzy's own. Every distro is different; probably because every distro is run by an actual, gloriously unique person/collective.

Marching Stars at London Zine Symposium 2011

Distros. You’ve heard of them. You’ve seen them around. You might have even ordered from one. Why then are so many zinesters so nervous about working with us?! We want to stock your zines! I’ve run marching stars zine distro (www.marchingstars.co.uk ) for 4 ½ years and this little guide is based on a “Working with Distros” Workshop that I ran at Camden Zine Fest 2011. I hope to run it again at future zine events, because I love talking about distros and my experiences of running one. But more importantly, I want zinesters to feel more comfortable working with us, because we only exist because of YOU and YOUR ZINES.

What is a Distro?

Distro, short for distribution or distributor, quite simply, distributes zines on behalf of zinesters. Lots of zines, in one place. Distro is both a noun and a verb. I run a distro and I distro zines. I truly believe that distros are very much part of the zine community, and here’s why:

Role of a Distro

From a zinester point of view

- get your zine out to a wider audience

- get your zine to a different country

- promotion of your zine

- get your zine in with similar zines

- get your zine sold with other zines you respect and love

- money/shifting your stock

- getting your zine out there without giving your address/etc

From the zine reader point of view

- get lots of different zines in one order

- save on postage

- pick up zines you might night ave otherwise heard about

- lots of similarly themed zines in one place

- might trust the distro owner’s opinion

From the distro owner point of view

- there aren’t other distros selling what you want to buy

- help make lots of zines available in one place

- promote zines in non-zine places (e.g. gigs)

- collect together zines on a certain theme in one place

- help make international zines more accessible here

- not competitive

3 main ways distros work

Quotes taken from ‘Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2’ by Alex Wrekk.

1. Buy zines outright at wholesale prices. “This is when a distro pays you wholesale price for the zines upfront, before they sell any copies or sometimes before they receive them.”

 - Wholesale price: “The discounted price you would offer a distro for buying multiple copies. You can specify a minimum quantity if you like. Most wholesale prices are around 50-70% of the retail price.”

 - Retail price: “The price that you sell a single issue of your zine for and the price you would like other distros to sell you zine for. A high price can detract distros and potential buyers from your zine."

2. Consignment. “When a distro pays you the wholesale price after all or a portion of the zines have sold. Some distros work on a regular time frame like quarterly or monthly. This can vary from distro to distro” 

3. Flat copies. You send the flat pages of your zine to the distro

3 main ways distros sell

1. Online (usually through a website with integrated paypal or online checkout)

2. At shows and events (both zine-specific and non-zine specific)

3. Paper catalogue (good old snail-mail)

Do’s and Don’ts

Do

- reply to emails

- only send zines for consideration that you can make lots of and intend to for quite a while (i.e. not a limited print run)

- include a note with important info on (email address, wholesale/retail price, etc)

- email when you have new issues out

- package zines well when you send them

- keep accurate records

- ask questions if you don’t understand

- send personalised emails

                - maybe look up the distro owners name?

                - tell them how you heard about them? Why you chose to submit to them?

Don’t

- not look at what the distro normally stocks and offer something totally different

- send a zine for consideration and then never reply to emails

- have a ridiculously high wholesale price

- not send zines (either before or after payment), the ultimate ‘not cool’.

- expect to make money out of it

Things you can expect from the distro

Distros are run on love alone. I cannot stress this enough.  But now I’ve put that out there, the following things you can expect from a distro (in due time – life does get in the way sometimes!):

- replies to emails

- accurate records

- zines promptly added to the website

- updated website

- your zines being promoted

- their choosing ‘good’ zines and maintain a certain standard

Distros aren’t for everyone

Sadly selling your zine through a distro isn’t for everyone, but a lot of the problems with distros applying to selling your zine in general.

- No control over who reads your zines/where they end up

- Might work out that you lose money

- Might not like the description of your zine

- Some distros wholesale zines to other distros (they’ll say, but just heads up)

- Producing in the quantities they want if it’s a limited print run

- Zines can stay in distros for months/years after you’ve stopped printing them

- Zero contact with the reader

Rejection

- You might not get a reply. This is probably because it’s really hard for distro owners to reject zines (no-one likes to say no to what people have lovingly created).

- Try not to be too disheartened and consider submitting elsewhere.

- Definitely submit future issues (or ask if it’s ok to submit future issues)

- There are lots of reasons why a distro might reject a zine including space/money and it not ‘fitting’ with other zines stocked. Reasons I’ve, sadly, had to reject zines include: poor spelling/grammar; hard to read; poorly photocopied/put together and too expensive.

- If your zine is rejected, or you just don’t hear from them, feel free to ask why they rejected it and hopefully you’ll get some constructive criticism (or hear it was rejected for some reason out of your control).

- Remember, distros are run on love, so at the end of the day it is the prerogative of the distro owner to decide what they do and don’t want to stock, and that can be a little irrational.

Where to find distros

- The links over there -->

- Google

- Zine fairs/events

- ‘Links’ section on most distro websites

So, I know that’s quite a lot of information, but it’s really not that scary. You haven’t got much to lose in submitting to a distro, and stand to gain a huge amount – so go for it!

Zine News Round Up: 28.01.12

http://thesebodiesareengines.tumblr.com/post/14306352378/d

1. Zine Releases

2. Upcoming Events

3. Submission Calls

4. Distro News

5. AOB (Any Other Business)

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1. Zine Releases
 - Fanzine Ynfytyn #18 is out now!  Buy a copy at Emma Jane Falconer’s website. (Read my review of Fanzine Ynfytyn #17 here)

 - Journeyman #4, a zine  featuring photographs taken with a selection of toy cameras.  Sold at Lulu.com.

 - Perzine Cat’s Teeth #10: Mother of Otherness is out now.  More info can be found on the author’s We Make Zines page.

2. Upcoming Events
 - Girls Get Busy 1^st Birthday Party: 31^st January, 9pm onwards at The Alibi, London.  Riot Grrrl karaoke, with a free party bag for everyone who participates!  More info here.

- Bristol Radical Zine Fest: 12^th February, 12 til 6pm at Kebele Community, Co-Op.  The first stalls have now been confirmed, and there are very limited places left, so apply now! http://bristolradicalzinefest.wordpress.com/
 - Loosely Bound Zine Extravaganza: 24th March at 1 Tyrell Street, Bradford.  The collective are looking for stallholders for the event - Please email your expression of interest and a link to your website to looselybound@hotmail.com  by Monday 12th March.

3. Submission Calls
 - The Swansea Women’s Centre, a women’s refuge and campaign group in Wales, are holding a workshop day for International Women’s Day. One of the rooms at the centre will be turned into a feminist art gallery for the day, and we’re looking for all kinds of artwork to feature in our gallery!  More details can be found at the Swansea Feminist Network website.
 - Zinester Sophie Sherwood is looking for love letters for a project she’s working on. All submissions will be anonymous.  Email her for more info on We Make Zines.

 - London-based artzine Playerist is looking for “all styles of words and images on the theme of artifice”.  Email slidelAThotmail.co.uk for more info.

4. Distro News

 - Marching Stars is on hiatus for a few weeks. Lizzy is looking for new zines to stock in the distro – if you have any zines that you’d like Marching Stars to stock, or if you want her to stock your zine, get in touch at distroATmarchingstars.co.uk.

 - All orders made at Vampire Sushi distro  before the end of January will get a free poster! Only a few days left!

 - Princesa Pirata’s Kissing Behind the Barricades 2012 calendars are now half price! Buy yours before they sell out: http://princesapiratadistro.wordpress.com/postcards-etc/

 - Loads of new zines have been added to Pushpin Publishing’s catalogue! Take a look here: http://www.pushpinzines.co.uk/collections/new

5. AOB
 - Someone made a Shit Zinesters Say video (e.g. “Hey do you take trades? I made this 6 hours before the zine fest, it kinda sucks”)!  Although not all the statements are universally relatable, it’s quite funny on the whole:

Zine Reviews: January '12

Split Peaches #1: The Zine

Split Peaches (feminist collective) – lola-roseATriseup.net

Split Peaches is a “women’s and trans people health collective” based in Leeds, and their first zine features writings that represent what the collective is all about.  The zine opens with a description of what Split Peaches is, and why they chose to only remain open to women and trans people.  The rest of the zine focuses mostly on health, with articles on self-examination, eating disorders, “chub rub”, the mental health benefits of being child-free, how to get pregnant, effective methods of contraception, and a map of the cervix.  There are also some feministy articles that avoid the subject of health, including a discussion of the relationship between women and bicycles, a passionate rant against the gender binary, and growing old disgracefully.  Each article is detailed and lucid, and the layouts vary from plain and functional, to messy cut-and-paste, to pretty and dainty. This zine reminded me a little of Reassess Your Weapons (the zine created by feminist group Manifesta), as it looks and feels very similar.  A very good read!

Kerb Crawled: Reacting to Street Harassment

Various, Bradford - femreadATnorthern-indymedia.org

This zine, as explained on the cover, was created at Bradford Zine Fayre 2010 and the Brighton Zine Festival 2011, following workshops on experiences of sexual harassment.  I found this zine funny and entertaining, handling the difficult subject matter with humour and sharp mockery of the curb crawlers and their enablers.  The zine is almost entirely hand-drawn and hand-written, with each contributor focusing on a different aspect of street harassment.  We read definitions of curb crawling, personal stories of harassment, critiques of victim-blaming adverts that tell women how to avoid harassment, examples of the obscene language curb crawlers use, and some ideas they have heard on how to avoid getting hassled by someone (including picking your nose)!  Read it for free here.

Black Ski Mask #1
Max Mallender, Yorkshire - blackskimaskATliveDOTcom
Described as “the visual ramblings of a university drop-out”, Black Ski Mask consists of full-colour photographs, some of which are captioned, of the author’s life.  Such things photographed include picking locks, smoking weed, climbing trees, partying, exploring, and vandalising; combined, they tell an interesting story about the author's life.  There’s also a nice poem inside.  As someone who enjoys something to read in a zine, I have to be honest and admit that I didn’t get much from Black Ski Mask.  However, I will say that it’s among the better photo zines I’ve read, mostly due to the high quality and interesting subject matter of the photographs.  Some of them are very good indeed, both in terms of quality and concept.  A very well-designed zine, if you’re a fan of photography and art.

Fanzine Ynfytyn #17

Emma Jane Falconer, Kent – www.emmajanefalconer.com

Fanzine Ynfytyn is a short and sweet perzine filled with lists, pretty backgrounds, and heart-warming stories.  In the 17^th issue, we read about Emma’s mother’s cats, and Emma’s quest to get hold of a working Mr. Frosty.  This issue is packed FULL of lists – these include things Emma is bad at, things that annoy her, and small pleasures.  At 22 pages, it’s a quick, cheerful read.

Inc. magazine #4
Edited by Will Coldwell and Anya Pearson – www.inc-zine.blogspot.com

This isn’t the kind of zine I usually go for, but I was tempted by the awesome cover and the concept.  The zine features two chains, each one alternating between poets and illustrators, “charting an unpredictable journey as ideas get reused, recycled, and downright corrupted”.  I would have to say that this is one of only three poetry zines I’ve ever enjoyed – usually zine poetry is poorly-written (from an outsider’s perspective, at least), but the poetry in Inc was great.  The illustrations were excellent too.  It has quite a personal touch, for a comp-zine – each copy is hand-numbered, stamped, and sealed.  I would recommend this zine to those of you who enjoy poetry, illustrations, and conceptual art.

Financially Hard Times #8: December ‘11

Tom Casson, London - http://tomcassonillustration.blogspot.com/

A short, monthly zine which takes a scathing look at pop culture.  Filled with Tom’s awesome illustrations, this issue features Greg Wallace from Masterchef, Clegg & Cameron, David Miliband, and an imagining of the House of Commons Christmas party.  A quick read, FHT is irreverent and funny – I only wish it was longer and wordier!  Subcribe for a discounted rate here.

(Next Sunday is International Internet Free Day, so Spill the Zines will be posting its fortnightly news round-up a day early, on Saturday 28th!) 

Zine News Round Up: 15.01.12

via GirlsGetBusyZine.tumblr.com

1. Zine Releases

2. Upcoming Events

3. Submission Calls

4. Distro News

5. AOB (Any Other Business)

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1. Zine Releases
 - We Heart Lisa Simpson is now available!  A zine dedicated to a “feminist icon”.  More info here!
 - Disregarded London, a zine filled with photographic mixed media images of forgotten spaces in London.  More info on etsy.

 - Sky Nash has released two new zines this month: My Phone Hates Me #2, and The Mallades.  More info about both can be found at Sky’s etsy shop.
 - Miles Better: A Guide To Glasgow, is a guide to Marceline’s favourite places in Glasgow.  Buy a copy on etsy.
 - Black Sunday #2, a metal/horror zine, is out now! Get your copy here.
 - Theodore Knuckle #1, a comic zine about a lonely midnight DJ!  For more info, or to buy a copy, visit Hannah’s Folksy store.

2. Upcoming Events
 - Girls Get Busy 1^st Birthday Party: 31^st January 2012, 9pm onwards at The Alibi, London.  Riot Grrrl karaoke, with a free party bag for everyone who participates!  More info here.

- Bristol Radical Zine Fest: 12^th February 2012, 12 til 6pm at Kebele Community, Co-Op. Want to apply for a table? Email bristolradicalzinefestATgmail.com with a bit about who you are and what you’ll be selling before 8^th January 2012.

3. Submission Calls
 - Tiny Doodles zine is looking for people to submit a page of doodles for its second issue.  Any topic is welcome.  More info can be found here.
 - Brown Paper Bundles is a website dedicated to distributing 2D art for free to the general public. Submit your art work by sending an email to thechickencoopATlive.co.uk.

4. Distro News

 - Marching Stars has had a big update,  with new zines in stock!  If you order over 12 zines in January, get 20% off your entire order!  www.marchingstars.co.uk

- Princesa Pirata has nine new zines in the distro! http://princesapiratadistro.wordpress.com/about-2/

- Vampire Sushi has a nice new layout, and every order in the month of January gets a free vampire sushi poster! www.vampiresushi.co.uk

5. AOB
 - Sarah Tea Rex has turned her zine, I Am Not The Rain (a zine about life after childhood sexual abuse) into a video story that can be viewed online for free.  I highly recommend giving it a watch, though some may find it upsetting or triggering.