AS YOU WERE #4, $10, 5½” x 8½”, 118 pgs.
As new issues of As You Were continue to roll out, I’m amazed at the number of excellent cartoonists that I’ve either never heard of or have known in name only. Part of it has to be that this is the longest issue thus far, and there are a high number of excellent pieces this time around. The theme for this issue was “Roommates from Hell,” an excellent theme to which we all relate. Though absent from the issue, Mitch Clem’s printed baby has legs, and I hope As You Were is able to continue into the foreseeable future. It carries the tradition of showcasing the broad and varied talent of underground cartoonists from all walks of life, loosely connected by the sponge of punk. My personal favorite story this time around was about Load Bearing Rats, which is so fantastic of an idea I’m going to think about it for a few days. –Bryan Static (Silver Sprocket, 1057 Valencia St., SF, CA94110, silversprocket.net)
BROKEN PENCIL #70, $5.95, 8”x 10½”, glossy bound, 64pgs.
Broken Pencilis a zine centered on zine culture and independent arts based in Canada. Can I just say that Canada deserves absolute props for the Canada Periodicals Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts that fund cool zines like this one? Light years ahead of the U.S. Issue #70 is chock-full of artists interviewing artists, a zine reviewing zines, book reviews, and music reviews. Broken Pencil lets artists shine with lushly printed excerpts, comics, and illustrations. There’s a bitchin’ feature, “Up the Disabled Punx” by Sidney Drmay, where “cripple punks” discuss ableism, accessibility issues at venues and the punk community in general, and self identification within their community as disabled. There’s also a sick comic, “The Dream Is Over” by JB. Great zine for zines, with a femme touch. –Camylle Reynolds (Broken Pencil, PO Box 203, Station P, Toronto, Ontario M5S2S7, Canada, brokenpencil.com)
CABILDO QUARTERLY #9, $1, 11” x 14”, copied, 2 pgs.
It’s another issue of my favorite non-fiction/fiction/poetry two-page literary writing! For this issue, the piece that spoke to me the most was Karen Lillis’s well-written introduction to self-publishing. She dropped the names of a number of people with whom I am familiar, such as Soft Skull and The Minus Times, making it relevant to my past experiences with writing. It was a very encouraging piece about the possibilities of writing and getting your own works out there for people to read. There was an interesting piece of fiction about a man and his “pretty awesome” mustache. It’s kind of humorous, even though if you knew anyone like this in real life (and chances are you probably do) you’d want to smack them into next week. The poetry this time around was so-so. Still, the piece by Lillis totally made this worth reading; for those of you who are authors, I’d say this is required reading, especially if you’re feeling discouraged about ever getting your work published. -Kurt Morris (CQHQ, PO Box 784, Belchertown, MA01007)
CONFESSION BOX, $?, 5 ¼” x 8”, clear-plastic/copied bound, 12pgs.
Artist Kayla Tange created this zine to complement her interactive, confessional performance piece that she originally performed at Rhabbitat in Los Angeles. She begins with an intimate narrative that confessions of shame, desire, and self-truths can create a connection between others and even oneself; ultimately setting people free. The zine opens to two pictures of Kayla in her “modern interactive confessional,” dressed in white and blindfolded, sitting within a sterile, closed-pane glass box, while anonymous secrets and lies were written by participants. These pictures are a muted ethereal black and milky white covered by clear plastic pages with their confessions written in red font. The next picture is Kayla quietly scrawling each intimate, brutal, and sometimes loathsome confession in scarlet red onto the clear walls of her box. She states, “In doing this, the artist not only brings people together, but also allows the participants to become closer to their own truths.” Beautiful little zine. Fifty printed. –Camylle Reynolds (Self-released, kaylatange.com)
DEEP FRIED ZINE MPLS #6, $1, 8½” x 11”, 26 pgs.
One of the best meldings of punk rock and junk food since the Faction decided to go get Cokes and take up the “Fast Food Diet.” This particular issue is the “arts and culture issue,” so that includes a photo gallery of famous people eating hamburgers, a short survey of skateboard decks rocking junk food designs, and a very classy history of Del Taco and Taco Bell written in the style of Charles Dickens (titled “A Tale of Two Tacos,” naturally).There are a couple fast food-centered interviews with the bands togetherPangea and Cherry Cola about their fast food preferences on the road but, personally, the zenith of this zine’s musical dalliances is the re-written lyrics to Drake’s “Hotline Bling” called “Deep Fried Bling.” Just try not to replace the lyrics the next time it comes on in the in the grocery store or mall with this extra greasy version. –Adrian Salas (Deep Fried Zine MPLS, 2901 Yosemite Ave S., St. Louis Park, MN 55416, [email protected])
DEEP FRIED ZINE MPLS #9, $1, 5 ½” x 8 ½”, copied, 24 pgs.
Don’t pretend that you don’t love fast food. You do. Even if it’s just a small part of you that’s weirdly nostalgic for the days of skipping class and scarfing down personal pans at Pizza Hut, you love it. Deep Fried continues to celebrate diarrhea-inducing delicacies in the most punk rock manner possible. In this issue, the DF team covers fast food Garfield promotional items, the pizza-centricness of Home Alone, and the band Mean Jeans’ tour boycott of Taco Bell, among other important things. This is perfect post-Arby’s toilet reading. –MP Johnson (Deep Fried Zine MPLS, 2901 Yosemite Ave S., St. Louis Park, MN 55416, facebook.com/deepfriedzinempls)
DITHERING DOODLES #25, $1, 5½” x 8½”, copied, 60 pgs.
Dithering Doodles #25 is all about daydreams, night dreams, and the new Star Wars movie. Starting off Christmas day, this comic zine takes us through his thoughts on the new Star Wars, how his new job is going, and some recent interesting dreams he’s had. I really enjoyed the goofy drawings of Star Wars characters. Also mentioned is that it was the author’s birthday (happy belated birthday!) recently, his thoughts on getting old, and how he hopes to keep making this silly comic zine till the end. You’re doing great so far, dude. –Tricia Ramos (Dithering Doodles, 259 E 200 St., SLC, UT, 84111, [email protected])
GAD! #10, Free or trade, 8½” x 11”, copied, 25 pgs.
This is Gadsden Alabama’s own punk zine. Open to any submissions—be it art, music, photos, whatever. The contents are mostly reviews of punk, metal, hardcore records, and demos, but it also includes interviews. This issue in particular features an interview with members of +44 (remember that band that the guys from Blink 182 did after Blink 182?), director Chuck Hartsell, and Chuck Mosley from Faith No More. The most useful part of the zine, in my opinion, was the last two pages—an “Alabama Underground Music Directory,” which was a thorough list of Alabama bands (their name, the city they reside in, the genre of music, and contact info) and music venues. When I think of Alabama, I don’t tend to think “punk rock,” so this was a cool zine to read! –Tricia Ramos (GAD!, PO Box 394, Gadsden, AL, 35902)
GENERAL ADMISSION MUTT#2, $2, 8½” x 11”, copied, 22 pgs.
This is less of a traditional punk zine than a curated collection of shining moments: a classified ad for R.L. Stine’s dream journal, a poorly translated Spanish essay about a day in the life of Conan O’Brien, a coupon that excuses me from apologizing for something, and a lengthy email from “Dave Grohl” that features the line, “I’m glad you asked about the documentary ‘cause the one location we didn’t get to do an episode of Sonic Highways was Somalia.” Despite the impression I may be giving, GAM #2 actually doesn’t suffer from that scatterbrained feeling that so many similarly “random” zines have—somehow the editor’s sense of humor and occasional moments of unexpected candor tie it all together into something that feels like a tangent-riddled but legitimately hilarious conversation with some thoughtful punk weirdo. There’s also a review section that abruptly drops the post-ironic thing and offers some sincere, well-developed insight on recent releases by Beach Slang, Pleasure Leftists, and Night Birds. Didn’t see that one coming, huh? These are immediately followed by “a transcription of a totally real call made to NPR’s syndicated talk radio program ‘Car Talk,’ presented in Comic Sans.” As with any respectable publication, increasingly bitter social media statuses from a not-quite-alternate reality Greg Ginn are sprinkled throughout. –Indiana Laub (General Admission Mutt, PO Box 9, NY, NY10034, gamutt.storenvy.com)
GOODBYE, OR THE STATE OF NATURE: A COMIK, $6, 4” x 5 ½”, offset with cardstock cover, 88 pgs.
Goodbye begins by parodying a myth from Plato’s The Symposium. It’s the one where humans originally had four arms and legs and two faces. Zeus, in his infinite wisdom, feared man’s power so he split them in half. And, lo and behold, we all now must seek out our other half so as to feel complete. That’s love, folks. But then the scene ends with a character stating, “No, that doesn’t make me feel better about group sex,” revealing Passmore’s incisive sense of humor. Passmore explores loneliness and inner turmoil through wavy black lines that resemble Brandon Graham’s art. There’s a beauty to the simplistic narrative, but I couldn’t tell you what Goodbye is reallyabout because its ambiguity is what draws you in; it’s what has made me reread it three or four times. Maybe it’s a political piece (it does end with a circle A comprised of people kissin’ and cuddlin’). Or it’s deeply personal: an allegory about death and caving in to societal expectations. In the end, what matters is what you make of it, and Passmore provides a lot of food for thought. –Sean Arenas (Silver Sprocket Bicycle Club, 1057 Valencia St., SF, CA94110, silversprocket.net)
I WANT YOU AROUND, $?, 5½” x 8½”, color copied, 42 pgs.
I Want You Around is a short but engaging zine compiled of color photos by Abby Banks. Abby’s done a lot of traveling and touring with bands over the course of ten years. These photos include shots of nature and bands, but mainly pictures of friends and other random people. I’m so glad she made this color, as it makes the scenes more vibrant and real. These photos could easily be mounted and placed in a photography show, pondered, and reflected upon. They’re full of energy and contain scenes from all over the United States (and some abroad). The photos show people really living—excited and in the moment. That’s not to say that this zine changed my life or moved me spiritually, but of the many photo zines I’ve reviewed over the years this is certainly the best.-Kurt Morris ([email protected])
INSIDE ARTZINE #18, 8 ½” x 11”, glossy, bound, 60 pgs.
First page features a sculpture of a severed tongue with teeth growing out of it. It’s an unsettling piece that is hard to stop staring at, but is wrong to the extent that it makes something twist in your stomach. This is what Inside Artzine does best. It compiles some of the most gorgeous and disturbing art from all over the world. In these pages you will find sculptures of various types of religious buildings made out of guns and bullets. You will find art made out of human skulls. Of course, there is a brief H.R. Giger retrospective that seems almost obligatory in these pages. Ultimately, this zine is everything I want out of art. –MP Johnson (inside-artzine.de)
MAXIMUM ROCK’N’ROLL # 392, $4.99, 8½ x 11”, newsprint, 112 pgs.
Plenty of decent stuff to check out in this January issue of MRR: an interview with Marco from Salinas Records; a piece on the unfortunate demise of Toronto’s S.H.I.B.G.B.’s venue; Erika Elizabeth’s “Futures and Pasts” column; other things. But the reason to go out of your way to track down this MRRfrom six months ago or whatever is Julaya Antolin’s G.L.O.S.S. tour diary. Holy shit. Antolin nails all the absurdities and banalities of tour life, and since this is a tour with maybe the most visible LGBT hardcore band in our lifetime you also get a clear (if brief) view of both how liberating and how scary that can be. For every good crowd, cool regional band, and inspiring conversation, there’s a sulking dude, threatening internet posts, or a warning about an upcoming city. Antolin’s voice throughout the piece is fresh, insightful, and often hilarious. When I got to the part of the Bloomington, IN entry (in reference to an upcoming show in Louisville) that read “Apparently somebody called us a band of faggots or something, which is unsurprising in this fuckin’ weird corn world,” I think I cackled. What do you do when you’re a tough-as-shit band, everyone knows it, and you’re dealing with submentals? You laugh and you keep going and maybe you play in a driveway because too many people came to the house show because your band rules and then someone stagedives off a compost bin. –Matt Werts (MRR, PO Box 460760, SF, CA, 94146, maximumrocknroll.com)
MAXIMUM ROCK’N’ROLL #393, $4.99, 8½ x 11”, newsprint, 112 pgs.
Everyone’s favorite fingerprinting smudge-fest is back for the three-hundred and ninety-third time. This issue is comprised primarily of the staff’s 2015 year-end top ten lists. I learned a couple things reading the lists: 1) I have no idea who most of the bands are that MRR covers, but the staff are passionate as hell about their choices. Many of the staff write wonderfully about why they chose the albums they did. 2) That being said, I can’t help but wonder how insular the MRR world is, as I saw a lot of the same album titles again and again. I’m not saying they don’t deserve it (that G.L.O.S.S. cassette is pretty badass), but a little diversity would’ve been cool. As always, the columns are generally solid and there are a plethora of reviews of all sorts. There are also interviews with Scabeater, Busted Outlook, Communion Of Thieves, and Sei To Shi. Despite any minor nit-picking, this is still another entertaining, solid issue. -Kurt Morris (PO Box 460760,SF, CA94146)
MAXIMUM ROCK’N’ROLL #394, $4.99, 8½” x 11”, newsprint, 112 pgs.
The great thing about Maximum Rock’n’roll (or the great problem, depending on your perspective) is that they figured out their brand a long, long time ago and have stuck with it. You know what you’re getting with this: MRR plunges into some of the darkest recesses of the rock’n’roll underbelly and brings out those hobgoblins for all to know and love. This issue features interviews with Scumraid, Cold Beat, Clocked Out, Darfür, the Landlords, Utah Jazz, and Constant Insult. Also featured is a scene report from the United Arab Emirates. Enjoy! –The Lord Kveldulfr (PO Box 460760, SF, CA94146-0760)
MISHAP #34, $2 or trade, 8½” x 11”, copied, 48 pgs.
This issue collects interviews from Latino hardcore band La Armada from Chicago (by way of the Dominican Republic), Juggling Jugulars from Finland, and the bands Novelas and Not A Part of It from the writer Ryan’s hometown of Eugene, OR. There is also a chat with Anna Vo who helped organize a “Punx of Color”-centered festival in Portland called Intersect Fest, and an interview/primer on women’s-oriented self-defense with founders of the women’s self-defense group Warrior Sisters. The overwhelmingly inclusive and positive vibe that Ryan makes an effort to promote in his writing makes this a pretty engaging read. Appropriately enough, he kicks off this issue with an essay where he reflects at a recent 7 Seconds’ show on punk’s longevity and efforts to strive for positive changes. I highly approve of the La Armada and Juggling Jugular’s interviews that exposed me to these pretty furious-sounding bands for the first time. Seriously, look up the La Armada Bandcamp page. That is some high-grade hardcore. –Adrian Salas (Mishap, PO Box 5841, Eugene, OR97405, [email protected])
NEW WAVE CHICKEN #1, $5, 5½ x 8½”, copied, 44 pgs.
In all my years reviewing zines, I don’t think I’ve ever come across one from Hawaii. It’s cool to see they’re doing them on the islands. It’s even better that they’re doing ones that are so well put together and interesting. Contrary to the title of the zine, it’s not all just about chickens. While Steve, the author, is a chicken farmer, this issue focuses more on the new wave aspect of the title. He asked a bunch of his friends to share their experience with new wave and early punk music. I love reading how older punks, especially, got into the scene, so I enjoyed just about every page of this. Toward the end it got a little old, as some of the authors rambled and weren’t as concise as they could’ve been. But, overall, this is a strong first issue. I’d love to read more. -Kurt Morris (PO Box 880081, Pukalani, HI96788)
NO FRIENDS #3, $6.50, 8” x 10½”, newsprint, 120 pgs.
There is so much awesome in this zine, I don’t know how to handle it. It’s honestly overwhelming in the best possible way. No Friends’ latest issue offers interviews with bands like Jamie & The Debt, Börn, Shopping, and record label Halo Of Flies. But No Friends is willing to boldly go outside of the typical territories of DIY punk fanzines by including interviews with the composer of the It Follows soundtrack, Disasterpeace; the creator of Cinema Sewer, Robin Bougie; and comedians Kyle Kinane and Caitlin Gill. Plus, there’s an article about skating in North Korea, a plethora of op-eds, and countless record reviews. I don’t mind the newsprint stains on my fingers because every page is chock-full of insights and entertainment. Oh, I forgot to mention that this issue also includes a flexi disc featuring Violence Creeps, TV Slime, Shockwaves, and Bleeding Gums. If you’re reader of Razorcake or Maximum Rock’n’roll, which I assume you are, then a No Friends’ subscription makes perfect sense. –Sean Arenas (No Friends, nofriendszine.com, PO Box 12343 Chicago, IL 60612)
NO FRIENDS#3, $6.50, 8½” x 11”, copied, 120 pgs.
I’ve been keeping an eye on this quarterly zine since the first issue last year, so I’m glad to report thatNo Friends is coming in strong for the third time. What I think makes or breaks these “big deal” punk zines—you know the kind I mean, the Razorcakes and Maximum Rock’n’rolls of the scene—is variety. Without some diversity in the pages, you’ll end up with a stack of newsprint that doesn’t amount to much more than a list of punk-as-fuck all-caps band names and a handful of “What are your influences?”-type interviews. Who reads those? Fortunately, the No Friends crew has got variety covered, with the interviews once again hitting a good balance between the straight-up punk rock content (represented by bands and labels including Violence Creeps, Shopping, Stickshift Recordings, and Halo Of Flies) and the more tangentially related stuff, like Disasterpiece, the artist behind the synth soundtrack to It Follows, and DIY-minded comedians Kyle Kinane and Caitlin Gill. And that’s only a portion of this issue—also featured are a queer non-profit ride service from the Bay, a roving documentary filmmaker, and a guide on how to skateboard in North Korea, not to mention the columns and reviews… they really pack this thing, don’t they? As always, an exclusive flexi is also enclosed. This is a zine that feels like it’s made by a group of people who know what they’re doing and know what they want. If these early issues are any indication, No Friends is well on its way to a solid place in national DIY punk culture, right beside all the fixtures that no doubt inspired it. –Indiana Laub (No Friends, PO Box 12343, Chicago, IL 60612)
NON MONOGAMY 101: A PRIMER FOR QUESTIONING COMPULSORY MONOGAMY #1, $5, 3 ¾” x 6”, copied, 38 pgs.
This zine is smart, well researched, and engaging. The author presents many examples throughout history where different cultures flourished with non-monogamous relationships. Alongside the historical data, there are several interviews from people from all sorts of backgrounds: cis, trans, gay, lesbian, many races, and from all over the world. Each quote from these people is presented in a word bubble with a caricature of the (assumed) person it’s attributed to. Adelaide Barton runs the gamut on counterarguments to those opposed to non-monogamy, and also stresses the importance of communication and comfort. In no way is she advocating a lifestyle for those who are not prepared or interested in it, but she is offering guidance for those who may be considering it, or those who had not even thought about it at all. Each part of her research is backed up with a “works cited” page at the end and footnote references, making this zine more of an illustrated essay. I really enjoyed that there’s a glossary at the back of the zine just in case something didn’t make sense. There’s absolutely no judgment passed or any sense of disdain for choices that one makes in their romantic life. It merely acts as an explanation, a walkthrough of alternative relationship arrangements. Also included are lists of celebrities (including sex/advice columnist Dan Savage) who engage in various forms of non-monogamy, complete with quotes about their set up. This is a great zine to remove some wool from the eyes of the monogamous couples (not that there’s anything wrong with them). –Kayla Greet (Adelaide Barton, 290 2nd St., Troy, NY 12180, [email protected])
NOT LIKE YOU #6,$7 ppd., 8½” x 11”, offset, 40 pgs.
Hardcore-centric zine with a full-color cover, comprised almost entirely of interviews. Bands included: the dude from Leeway, Sammy from Fang, Night Birds, the guy behind the New Breed tape comp, and pro skaters Julz Lynn and Greg Harbour. Also five pages of record reviews. Layout’s readable, if a little dry—same goes for the questions themselves—but let’s be honest here: six consistent print issues of a zine still being released in the year 2016? That in and of itself is commendable. –Keith Rosson (Not Like You, 102 Richmond Ave. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106)
ORGAN GRINDER #5, $5, 8 ½” x 11”, offset, 26 pgs.
Punk rock puzzles to keep your brain zesty! My favorites include “Cosa La Morte,” in which you match the dead celebrity to the means of their demise, and “These Are the Daves We Know,” in which you stare at a collage of people named Dave and try to figure out who the fuck they all are. I spotted Dave Murray and David Carradine right off the bat. The crossword puzzle references both Star Wars and Ani DiFranco. There’s an answer key in the back, but don’t cheat, okay? –MP Johnson (organgrindermagazine.com)
QUITTER #10, $6, 3½” x 5”, ink-jet printed, 36 pgs.
Tightly kept inside a thin parchment paper sleeve, Trace Ramsey’s Quitter is a beautiful looking zine with personal stories of a small, American life. Beginning with the words, “I AM NOT A TALKER” in bold red font, the chapters that follow are all named after different ages in the author’s life. Reading through, I felt a slow, quiet American life. Every chapter recounts a memory or a personal family story. Trace’s descriptions of the nature around them and attention to detail are superb, putting the reader right into their writing, as though you’re experiencing the dry grass beneath their feet, the hot summer nights in the South, and the personal family tragedy that lives in your blood and veins and travels on to your children. This contemplative, small, and deep zine is something you’ll read through quickly, and then want to immediately re-read again. –Tricia Ramos (Quitter, 100 E Kansas Ave, #248 Lansing, KS, 66043, pioneerspress.com)
SEVEN INCHES TO FREEDOM #13, $3.50, 5½” x 8½”, offset, 36 pgs.
SITF writer Joe Lachut puts it best in his preamble: “Punk zines kind of exist in a vacuum to me and act as a time capsule. The interviews are a bit old, but the time lapse doesn’t hurt them any.” At the older end of things are Lachut’s interview with the ‘90s hardcore group, Halfman, and a refreshingly anecdotal section on “The Best Hardcore Bands You’ve Forgotten About.” My favorite pieces in SITF were about the culture around the music. There’s a fun interview with Adam P. of Viper Video, a VHS distro out of L.A. that sells recordings of recent punk shows, video zines, and miscellaneous wild shit. In our digital age of Bluetooth rays shootin’ through our gunk at all hours of the day and night, I welcome Joe’s celebration of the unexpected, to me, corners of DIY news, especially his conversation with one of Cleveland’s finest, Emmy, author the fantastic Cretins of Distortion zine. (My pick for the gem of SITF #13.) In it, Emmy gives the lowdown on the loss of the Staple’s copy code—a memo went out to employees, “THERE HAS BEEN A SECURITY BREACH AND ALL COPIERS [sic] PASSWORDS MUST BE CHANGED!”—praises the Midwest, and unrolls the gospel zine truth: “paying full price for copies is the real crime and no zine maker should ever do it!” Issue #13 is dedicated to the late Travis Fristoe, wonderful author of the zine, America? and creator of much else. “Times are ugly, confused, and hectic,” Joe muses, and while that’s true, one crawls away from Seven Inches to Freedom feeling revitalized. –Jim Joyce (Joe Lachut, PO Box 457, Ft. Meyers, Fl, 33902)
SUBURBAN BLIGHT#12, $?, 5½” x 8½”, copied, 54 pgs.
The latest installment of this long-running—yet somewhat infrequent, judging from the issue number—political zine continues to cover current events in radical politics and social justice, including the Black Lives Matter movement, teacher strikes across the country, anti-Columbus Day protests, and more. Following the news is an “Arts & Culture” section that features several poems and… drawings? Paintings? It’s hard to tell in black-and-white photocopy; some of the art looks good, but it really doesn’t translate well to this format. Wrapping up the issue are some in-depth book reviews, some of which border on short essays. The content is dense throughout this zine, but the writing is thoughtful and accessible. –Indiana Laub (Stephanie B., 370 Seventh Ave., Suite 1401, NY, NY 10001)
TURNING THE TIDE Vol. 28, #6, $?, 17” x 11”, 8 pgs.
Turning the Tide is a periodical calling for immediate and ongoing political action. This is not a publication that is going to offer pros and cons on the fifteen dollar an hour minimum wage, or offer ways that the prison system can be reformed. The title page demands radical change now: “Abolish the police, Abolish the prisons, Abolish wage slavery.” Police officers are commonly referred to as “pigs” and the Black Panthers are far from a history lesson—they are here, now, and active. This issue offers stories on movements to free political prisoners, like Black Panther Herman Bell, an “anti-colonial response” to the Oregon militia standoff, the murder of indigenous Mexicans by paramilitary groups, and a two-page story on ending forced labor in Texas prisons, which the paper rightly refers to as “slavery.” Another feature, Know Your Enemy, offers stories on the police and U.S. intelligence agencies. It’s nice to see a product like this in hardcopy form and not just one of the millions of pieces of trash that float upon the internet’s endless ocean of conspiracy theories and shouting in all caps. This is not the kind of stepping stone you would want to offer to your friend who is really excited about another Clinton presidency, but this is good information for those who know that something is wrong and that moderate reforms will not fix it. –Jon Mule (Anti-Racist Action Publishers, PO Box 1055, Culver City, CA, 90232-1055)
WHATEVER #3, $4, 5½” x 8½”, copied, 32 pgs.
A femme-identifying anthology zine. This issue focuses on body positivity and deconstructing self-hate. Contributors submitted art, short stories, and poetry all having to do with our bodies, which makes this zine an introspective look into how the media and society forces beauty ideals on us everyday. My favorite part was one contributor’s track list of songs to make you feel “body posi.” –Tricia Ramos (Whatever, etsy.com/shop/thehandandtheart)