Zine Reviews

Own the Whole World opens with a thorough interview and story of musician Craig Bell, followed by a conspiracy theory about actor Susan Oliver being an alien from Mars. It’s safe to say this particular zine covers a lot of topics! Mostly focusing on music (album reviews and interviews), this issue says it’s the “odds and ends” issue, which checks out. There are scene reports, Devo cover bands, collage art, and information on ordering music from the Walls Flowing label. A hodgepodge of information for your short attention span. –Tricia Ramos (Own The Whole World, 200 W. Hermosa Dr., 2H201, Tempe, AZ 85282, [email protected])

Another issue of the painstakingly crafted king of full-color zines is here! As always, M. Thorn spends time elevating punk photogs, this time interviewing Senny Mau, R. Ramos, and Erik Phillips. Thorn’s love of punk documentation extends just beyond photographers and bands (this time Exil, Restraining Order, and Feel The Darkness, among others), as evidenced by interviews with John Rash, formerly of Slave zine, now head of the Southern Punk Archive, and Dan O’Mahony talking with Otto Buj, director of the great Detroit hardcore doc Dope, Hookers and Pavement. Always a great read. –Michael T. Fournier (razorbladesandaspirin.com)

This perzine features a story about the struggle of riding a loaner tallbike in New Orleans (one that kept falling apart), chickens and creating their coop and water feeder, recipes, gardening, and some instructions for creating PVC pipe clips and how to make a lap steel guitar. Extremely relatable stories about working a nine-to-five and wanting out, and how maybe it’s time to have a mid-life crisis. Stop preventing yourself from enjoying life, or holding off on doing things till a “better time.” There may be no better time than now. –Tricia Ramos (Resist, PO Box 582345, Minneapolis, MN 55458, resistlaboratory.com)

“Haunting” is the best word to describe this small yet striking art zine. Deep diving into the human face, (especially when it’s abstract like when you just catch a glimpse of yourself in a broken mirror) Jonathan Canady’s exploration of the human visage is displayed in this limited run art zine. Each page is done with either watercolor, collage, pencil, or ink medium. The pieces were unsettling, but I couldn’t look away. Limited copies are available on Etsy if you dare. –Tricia Ramos (Visage: Anima Animus Art Series Zine, jonathancanady.com)

Angus’s “lunchtime yoga dystopia” is a collection of photos juxtaposed with dense blocks of prose with gossamer connections to the idea of health and human services. –Michael T. Fournier ([email protected])

Living through year two of the pandemic, it’s still not entirely safe to attend zine conventions. Thus, you may be wondering what zines are out there right now? Who’s making what? How do I find new things to read? If you’re looking for a zine that reviews zines, check out Xerography Debt. There’s over sixty pages, and fifty of those pages are zine reviews. The only thing annoying was that several times the same zines were reviewed by multiple people, which I suppose could be interesting to get different takes, but after a while I found myself skimming. Also included are a few pages of columns, the standout being one that touches on the fanzine community in Japan. –Tricia Ramos (Xerography Debt, PO Box 347, Glen Arm, MD 21057)

You all should be impressed that a zine documenting graffiti has gone for forty-six issues. This issue features more graffiti pieces, a ten rule mantra for how to be a better artist, and an interview with tagger Mega T2B. It’s a good insight into the lingo and life of graffiti culture. It’s a nice-looking zine with a well-done layout. Be careful, it may tempt you to steal some shoe polish and commit some vandalism. –Rick V. (etsy.com/shop/howardian)

A whole hellava lot is packed into this issue of The Big Takeover, including revealing interviews with J. Mascis and Murph of Dinosaur Jr. (the cover story), Joe Pernice of Pernice Brothers, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, Juliana Hatfield, Danny Thomas of 13th Floor Elevators, and Paul Leary of The Butthole Surfers. There is an insightful “behind the lens” interview with British rock photographer Phil Nichols, whose photos of Echo & The Bunnymen, Nick Cave, Kim Gordon, Björk, the Pixies, and more accompany the article. Plus, there is an abundance of reviews, including of new releases from Triptides, The Bresnard Lakes, The Reds, Pinks & Purples, Chad Vangaalen, and a bunch more. Issue #88 of The Big Takeover really feels like it has something for everyone. Be ready to dig in. –Gina Murrell (356 4th St., 2nd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11215)

Come with me down the rabbit hole that is this issue of Broken Pencil. The theme you ask? Hate Zines. The zine community isn’t exempt from propaganda, fear mongering, and white supremacy, and this issue showcases that. The legacy of neo-nazis and skinzines is well documented in one essay, and another takes on the 1990s and Vice magazine, with its discreet (or not so discreet) history of inspiring Proud Boys and incels. I couldn’t look away. –Tricia Ramos (Broken Pencil, PO Box 203, Station P, Toronto, Ontario M5S, Canada)

Fuckeyes is back: one half-page of perverse pleasure straight to your mailbox. FARM BOYS LOVE THEIR COCK, it announces in huge, bold letters, and for the rest, you’ll have to write ’em—enough of a tease? –jimmy cooper ([email protected], IG: @fuckeyeslovesyou)

Geek Grab #5 is an effective medley of comics, collage, and reflections on incarceration and wage slavery. Kit Brixton’s work is evocative and heavy, and I always appreciate seeing it in my mailbox. The collage in this zine is largely to do with police brutality, a powerful combination of images of liberation and repression. We’re caught in a bind: the fight keeps going but so does the violence. You can see more of their work at abocomix.com, or write them to get copies of their zine, but only on plain white paper in a standard white envelope, please! –jimmy cooper (Kristopher Storey, 26731-018 FMC, PO Box 14500, Lexington, KY 40512)

Exemplary punk poetry by Doug Sartesky for fans of vitriol, rage, and grief. Vivid images of daily life in Minneapolis, reflections on the pandemic, last summer’s uprising, and plenty of destruction. Good Kid Dead City reads like a death wish, but whether it’s for you or him is yet to be determined. –jimmy cooper ([email protected])