STRATU'S DIARY COMIX

review from Anne: STRATU'S DIARY COMIX

8 pages,  11 inches x 8 inches, 3 US /3 Can/ 3 Mex / 3 World. Trades for comix
color cover, B&W inside with some color pages
Stuart Stratu
PO BOX 35 Marrickville NSW 2204 AUSTRALIA
sstratu@gmail.com

Pretty straightforward title: this is a diary comic made up of three panels a day. "My comix pal David Puckeridge and I tried this back in 2013 but quit after six months. This time we're going for a whole year -- Jan 1 to Dec 31 2015! (And beyond? Maybe ... if it doesn't kill us...). This issue covers April -- all of April -- which involves crossword puzzles, a dashboard camera and a betting brother, driving around, zines and getting the mail, a sakura flavored Kit-Kat from Japan (!!!), among other things. It's really cute, and different from many of the other diary comics I've read. It's day to day stuff, which I like. It's fun, and I enjoyed reading it. I haven't checked, though, to see if Stratu kept going with the diary comics -- the original plan was to go for a year, so we'll see if there are other issues out there...!

King-Cat Comics #75

KING-CAT COMICS #75

48 pages, digest pages (5.5 x 8.5 inches) , $5 ppd in USA
John Porcellino
PO Box 142
South Beloit, IL 61080
trades? better write and ask first

This issue of King-Cat is all about Maisie, first met by Porcellino way back in March 1992. Porcellino moved in with friends in Denver and knew right from the start that this "tiny little black cat" was trouble (she kept biting his dad's feet while he crashed in the living room after the move) in the best kind of way. The issue is charming, and especially so if you've ever had a kitty in your life, retelling Maisie's original story (Maisie wasn't her first name), her taste for sabotage on Christmas tree decorations, her disagreements with dogs (short lived!), her last name (it's explained, a little, in the issue), wearing a harness and riding in the car to make it through a move, more dogs (not good), going for walks, and a romp in the rain!

There's more of course but I don't want to ruin the sweet story -- it's a lovely tribute to a best friend in kitty form. As some of you know, I have a wee boy here, a diabetic Siamese, so I dig what Porcellino is saying here. The issue's got a drawing of Maisie on the front and I sat down and read it with my kitty; it was well-paced and the layout is clean and crisp. If for some reason you've missed King-Cat until now, it's well worth your time to start reading. This issue's quite good, with a compelling and sustained narrative throughout. I loved it. And I won't tell you what happens -- you'll have to get the issue to find out for yourself about Maisie -- but needless to say, it's a great read & most highly recommended.

review from Anne: BROOKLYN: Special Issue: Abandonment IV (#89)

BROOKLYN --Special Issue: Abandonment IV (#89)

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

You know it, you love it: “The name of this zine is BROOKLYN and that's also what the zine is about, Fred's beloved borough of Brooklyn."

If you're new to all this, you should know that BROOKLYN is a long-standing awesome series that's a fun read even if you're never been to Brooklyn and maybe never will. It's all about Brooklyn (no surprise there), but it's always a combination of history, photography, and other Brooklyn related things, including Brooklyn-related zazzle.com stamps. This time, it's Zippy the Pinhead who apparently announced in an issue that he was born in ... you guessed it ... Brooklyn! (I wouldn't have gotten the reference without Fred's note cluing me into the fact!). I've been reading for a while now and I really enjoy it; I'd recommend a subscription to get the full effect & a full dose of BROOKLYN.

This issue is mostly photography based, as are many of the special issues. There's a lot of Brooklyn history here, along with some pictures of artist Miru Kim -- I'll let you get the issue to get the reference, though! If you like history, architecture, Brooklyn, urban spaces, etc. you'll want to check out this issue, even though the lexicon, one of my favorite things about this series (i.e. You haven't subscribed yet? Wat the hell? You crazy, or wat?), isn't included in this special issue. 

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

New Address!

To submit your zine for review please send it to:

PO Box 347Glen Arm, MD 21057

NODE PAJOMO (Winter 2014)

review from Anne: NODE PAJOMO (Winter 2014)

28 pages, (1/2 page) 4.25 inches x 5.5 inches, 3 US /5 Can/ Mex / World. ?  trades. Cash (US or equivalent or unusued US stamps -- "stamps preferred!")
POB 2632 Bellingham, WA 98227-2632
Free editions of just listings available upon request. Listings due by the 15th of June and December
Issues published around first of July and January.
MAILART. ZINES. LIFE. reads the tagline for this zine, but there's a warning in there as well: "Herein you will find a ton of zine reviews, a few stone of audio reviews, and only half a kilo of mail art listings. The emigration of mail artists to the internet has been detrimental to those whose inclinations are exclusively postal. We understand the attraction of social media, but prefer it tangible not digital. Your mileage may vary." That said, there's a CD inside of this zine that's a collection of audio mail art as well as other inserts and other interesting things. I don't know if this zine will continue (it sounds like they aren't totally sure if they will as well, so...), but it's pretty interesting conceptually. If it IS the last issue, I would recommend that you check it out before it vanishes -- there's a little bit of everything in here, and it's worth a look.

COPY THIS! #10

review from Anne: COPY THIS! #10 (Dec 2014)

40 pages, (1/4 page) 4.25 inches x 5.5 inches, ? US /? Can/ Mex / World. ?  trades.
D. Blake Werts 12339 Chesley Drive Charlotte NC 28277
bwets@vnet.net


COPY THIS! is a compilation zine with an ALL ART issue planned for January. #10 is mostly a long and very detailed interview with Steve Lafler, but also includes and news & updates from people in the zine community about their various projects and interesting things that are happening...and it comes with rad trading cards! (I'll save the surprise, but if you like Steve Lafler, you'll totally dig the cards.). This zine is pretty straightforward and the layout is very crisp and clear, and though the interview is the bulk of the issue, it's really well done and specific. It's a lively interview and worth reading.

Cabildo Quarterly #7 / Dead of Winter 2015

review from Anne: Cabildo Quarterly #7 / Dead of Winter 2015

2 pages, 18 x 20 folded to pamphlet size, $1 US (Can/Mex ? trades ?)
cabildoquarterly@gmail.com
cabildoquartlery.tumbler.com
PO Box 784 Belchertown MA 01007

A short review for a short zine: poetry, short stories (very short), other items of note. More updates online; clean layout, no frills.  The construction might seem simple but the writing is interesting and intricate. There are worse ways to spend a buck and postage, folks. It you like it literary, check out this one.

BROOKLYN #86 and #87

review from Anne: BROOKLYN #86 and #87

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

OMG, SO MUCH BROOKLYN! 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."

If you've been reading my reviews for a while, you should be pretty familiar with BROOKLYN by now. 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. If you're new to all this, you should know that  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.

#86 is a special issue. The Brooklyn Industrial Special Issue, thank you very much! There's some history, a lot of photography, and interesting facts. #87...is also a special issue! "When I was busy gathering material for the special theme issue about Bushwick, the possibility of a sequel was the furthest thing from my mind," writes Fred. "But, as often happens in the course of zine research, you never know exactly where it's going to lead. I wound up with more material than was necessary at the time. And then I thought, 'Well, since it's all here in one place at the same time...'" So in reading both back to back, you get a lot of information about Fred's favorite borough, but the neat thing is that BROOKLYN's at number 87! I can't imagine what Fred's got up his sleeve for #100!  #87 also includes the ever-hilarious Brooklyn Lexicon & Pronounciation Guide, which is totally one of my favorite things about this series. (i.e. You haven't subscribed yet? Wat the hell? You crazy, or wat?)

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

A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF BUTTONS #1

review from Anne: A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF BUTTONS #1

24 pages, 9.25 X 12.5, $15 US (shipping included)

BusyBeaver/net/button-zine.html

Honestly, this zine is one of the fanciest zines that's ever appeared in my mailbox. I've been a longtime fan of Busy Beaver buttons, and I love the idea that there's a button museum of rad buttons. This zine's an interesting, clever romp through the history of the pinback button (well, even before: the zine's got images of a historical Abraham Lincoln pre-button!).  Busy Beaver owner Christen Carter and production manager Joel Carter, who co-wrote the zine in collaboration, wanted to focus on how buttons are artifacts of cultural history. It's also got some pretty substantial production values: I know $15 sounds like a lot of money, and for most zines it is, but when you're looking at this and holding it in your hands, it reads more like a museum's exhibition catalogue. It's expertly designed and the captions are hilarious. It's a great read, especially if you're interested in history and material culture.