FUSE #1

review from Anne: FUSE #1

16 pages, (1/4 page) 4.25 inches x 5.5 inches, $2.75 US /$3.25 Can/ Mex / World. No trades.
Lorna Watt
1515 Claremont Ave
San Mateo, CA 94402
fusethezine@gmail.com
www.facebook./fusezine

Basically, this zine's about yarnbombing -- described by the authors as " a yarnbombing zine celebrating public arts of self-expression through yarn."  Color cover, neat layout & design, and a really interesting editors' letter on the inside front cover. There are some cool pictures (including the Great Moments of Yarnbombing page about the very cool Daughters of Triton pieces) and some pretty cool ideas for yarnbombing (like wee chicken feet on mailboxes -- as well as a thaumatrope yarnbomb, so you're not actually tampering with mailboxes!) as well as a call to action to be part of a yarnbombing project. It's a neat little start for a first zine and I'm excited to see what they do next; both authors say that they're new to zines and while the zine has a little bit of a disjointed feel (word searches and such) it's overall well designed and has a really catchy layout. If you're into yarnbombing, it's worth checking out (and in hopes that the next issue will be twice as long as the editors get more into zinemaking!).

DUMP #2 (2014)

review from Anne: DUMP #2 (2014)

60 pages, 6 inches x 9 inches, $2 US/ $2.50 Can/ Mex / ? world/ trades maybe
David Robertson
15 Elie Avenue
Dundee, Scotland DD5 3SF, UK
d1robertson@hotmail.com
www.fredeggcomics.blogspot.co.uk

For starters, I can't believe this one's only $2. It's 60 pages, with slick bright red covers, and it's pretty substantial. It's a collection of the different comics that the author's composed (the title of the book comes from one of these stories, in which the main character works in a town landfill/dump), plus some collaborations with different authors (these are mostly one-page pieces written by the author and illustrated by other comics artists) and a 24 hour comic as well.These comics are black and white and they're straightforward and clear in terms of both image and flow. Again, it's a pretty amazing deal for such a well-printed title. It's a pretty sturdy thing -- a fast read, but it's a net collection of a number of various smaller projects. (Also, whoa, 60 pages!)

THE MUSTACHE THAT PLAYED ROLLER DERBY #1

review from Anne: THE MUSTACHE THAT PLAYED ROLLER DERBY #1

16 pages, 1/8 page (2.5 x 4  inches), $2.50 US, $? CAN/MAX, $? world, trades yes March 2014
Iliana

Alibabalu@msn.com

This zine is adorable. It's about a mustache that plays roller derby, who started out not knowing at all how to skate. Davida got a copy and immediately got in touch to tell me that I needed to read it -- I'm a derby ref heading into my 7th season! -- and it's so much fun to read! From the author: "This is a true story on how I became a junior roller derby girl. Everything is true except the fact about where I am a mustache. The little mustache had a long journey." I confess: I melted. The zine is super-cute even if you're not into derby; the author is a skater for a junior derby team (note: most junior derby has skater ranging in age from 6 or 7 until about 17) and the story is about a little mustache learning to skate and play roller derby, despite tricky things like tripping over it's curls while skating! Different copies are colored in (blue copy, red copy, etc.) and it's pretty cute. The author is 10 (I got a letter with my copy of the zine as well), and it's an awesome little zine by someone who's just starting out with zines. Recommended. (It's adorable!)

BROOKLYN #84 and #83

review from Anne: BROOKLYN #84 and #83

24 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 $10 for a 4 issue subscription
(PAYMENT IN CASH! Fred adds: US currency please!)
Fred Argoff
Penthouse L
1170 Ocean Parkway
Brooklyn NY 11230

More Brooklyn reviews! Say it with me, people: “The name of this zine is BROOKLYN and that's also what the zine is about, Fred's beloved borough of Brooklyn."

You should all know by now that I'm a long-term BROOKLYN fan at this point. I love that these always appear in my mailbox and I'm always curious as to what Fred will use for stamps -- usually Brooklyn-related zazzle.com stamps. Here's the thing: Brooklyn is always a combination of history, photography, and other Brooklyn related things, and it's a long-standing awesome series that's a fun read even if you're not a NY resident.

#84 contains pictures of a block party (okay, more than a few), the ever-popular Brooklyn Lexicon & Pronunciation Guide (#68, in fact), gargoyles in Brooklyn (yes, really!), a book review (about a book about Brooklyn!) and a Brooklyn version of  classic fable. (Plus some other surprises!)

#85 has a neat caveat: it's a whole issue of two-page spreads, which leads to fun, quick reading. Photos of subways, of architecture, Brooklyn nursery rhymes, another Brooklyn Lexicon & Pronunciation Guide, street art, random boulders (yup, you read that right), and some pictures of the Brooklyn Superhero Supply (well, it's the front for the amazing 826NYC, which is worth your time to Google and support.)

Always, always a fun read worth your time. So, whaddya waitin' for? Read some Brooklyn already!