Dwelling Portably, 2000-2008
$7.00; 165 pages paperback bound
www.microcosm_Publishing.com
503.232.3666
ISBN 978-1-934620-61-8
Eight years of brief, How-To essays from zine readers and from Bert and Holly – the experts in the art and science of living an off-the-grid lifestyle.
To a person trapped in a midlife crisis, with no survival skills, slowly dying of ennui and purposelessness, and hopelessly burned out by the workplace, this is the best armchair reading Fate can deliver.
To an aspiring survivalist, it's truly great stuff.
Multitude of topics are covered in the excellent index. Learn about what happens when social services finds a family living in the “wild”; how to live on an improvised boat; jug vs spray showers; solar cooking; squatting in an empty house; candles vs flashlight longterm costs.
It's all thought provoking, and makes one wonder about all the hours wasted in an office just so one can have the creature comforts, and if they are worth the effort.....
Urinal Gum, vol. 8
$2.00; ¼ sheet; 41 pages.
P.O. Box 1243
Eugene, OR 97440
urinalgum@gmail.com
www.urinalgum.com
Amusing potty-humor zine with news-like essays on random topics. Highlight is a “Field Trip to the Roller Derby Bout.” By Bjorn Stevens. Gives an excellent history and synopsis of the game, its rules and culture.
Zine contains lots of foul language and adult topics. Includes book reviews and a film review of the ancient Bond flick, Thunderball. Why? I don't know, but the review is great.
Late Night Cuddle Date, vol. 3 [2008]
No price listed.
Holden Wakefield Attradies
latenightcuddledate@hotmail.com
Not quite a poem, not quite a story, but infinitely readable, personal and vital. Somehow the author (Attradies) is able to draw people and scenes with minimal ink, with mind-blowing simplicity; a slightly heroin-tinged, muddle that takes the edge off, but gives incredible clarity.
Duplex Planet, #169
$12 / 6 issues; $25 / 15 issues (US)
$12 / 5 issues; $25 / 12 issues (Canada)
$12 / 4 issues; $25 / 10 issues (Overseas)
Back issues $2.50 ea. 10 or more $2 ea
ISSN 0882-2549
P.O. Box 1230
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
www.duplexplanet.com
Biographical interviews conducted by David Greenberger at nursing homes, adult centers and meal sites.
Gives fascinating, brief glimpses into the history, and personalities of a diverse group of older Americans. Gives one pause to think who will listen to our stories of life before the Internet, and how we weathered the crash of 1999, 2001, 2008.....
The Inner Swine, vol. 15, issue 1
$2.00; 60 pages
subscribe 1 year: $5.00; 2 years $9.00; Lifetime for $50.00 (US dollars)
P.O. Box 3024
Hoboken, NJ
07030
So you want to be a middle-aged, midlist writer? This issue covers how to achieve this remarkable goal in 3 easy steps. Amusing highlights: how to not handle criticism of your work, bad writing in movies, the uselessness of Twitter and Facebook, and a complaint about blogging. Me thinks he even took a swipe at my own self-important, economics blog. Oh well, I suppose as long as they're talking about you, that is not such a bad thing.
Or to quote a poorly remembered Chinese proverb: if the poet doesn't anger the Emperor, he isn't doing his job.
Showing posts with label dwelling portably. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dwelling portably. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Reviews of Mostly True, ETC, Dwelling Portably, Hell's Half-Acre Herald and Exit 63 from Fred Argoff
Once upon a time, there was a magical, mystical land known as Brooklyn. People traipsed around saying such strange, wonderful things as, "Geddoudahere!" "Fuhgeddaboudit!" and even, "You got a problem with that?" Some of the people from this fanciful country got involved with zines. Producing them, and even reviewing them. So enough with the fairytale introduction already, and let's see what's here to review...
Well, I kept telling myself that I was going to save the best for last, but all my resolve just melted away. So let's begin with Mostly True. There's very little question that Davida only sent this one to me because she knew I was going to love it! Right there on the cover of Vol. 19, No. 7 it says, "The West's Most Popular Hobo Graffiti Magazine," and for anyone who's even vaguely interested in railroads, this one is the jackpot! Railroading adventures, hobos, loads of photos, even old ads. Featured in this issue, the search for Bozo Texino, and the Colossus of Roads. It's really more of a magazine than a zine, but why be a nitpicker? Don't waste another minute, and get your $6.95 in the mail right away, to Bill Daniel at Microcosm Publishing, 222 S. Rogers St., Bloomington IN 47404.
And yet more creativity, this time in ETC (that stands for, Everybody That Creates). The premise is simple: people create things--that is, things like artwork and short stories, and this zine presents them. Issue #2 has a story about bees (watch out! Somebody is going to get stung) and some comics. I, personally, liked the "Real Life for Real" panels, maybe because I relate to stick figures as about the only type of drawings I can manage. It's fun to check in and see what other people are creating, so I say, go for it. $2 from Chris Almond, P.O. Box 678421, Orlando FL 32867-8421.
Dwelling Portably has been around a long time. And the way things are going lately, it appears more and more relevant with each passing day. The premise is that you don't necessarily have to live within the grid. The issue at hand has tips for dealing with dirt floors, various (and very creative) uses for free water barrels, the merits of vitamin D, solar cooking, and plenty more. Also has a summary of past issues--many of which are still available--and a listing of unusual sources, many of which are zines. $1 per issue (6 back issues for $5 or 12 for $10) from P.O. Box 190-L, Philomath OR 97370-0190.
Remember the old sci-fi movie "Day of the Triffids?" Well, don't look now, but... Hell's Half-Acre Herald presents the Texas Triffid Ranch. Did you guess that the subject is carnivorous plants? Congratulations! Featured in the first issue, feeding P. Americana (the good old American cockroach) to your pitcher plant, and the coming of the dragonfruit. There's also a listing of resources. I didn't know that there was an International Carnivorous Plant Society, but there is. Do they sell Venus' flytrap T-shirts, I wonder? In any case, no price listed, so "the usual" will have to do, from Paul Riddell, 5930 E. Royal Lane (#140), Dallas TX 75230.
Next up, we have Exit 63. At least, I think that's the title. The cover of #8 also has Blues in big letters, so I can't say for sure which one is the title. That, by the way, is a demerit, if we have to guess what the zine is called. Anyway, this is the Lust for Lists issue. Our friendly local editor lists the things he did every day, from June 1 through August 17. For example, the list for July 4, representative of the zine: 1--worked most of the day. 2--tried to call Liz. 3--skated a lot. 4--listened to some baseball on the radio. Liz is definitely important to the zine, as she shows up in most of the lists. I hope we're dealing with genuine youth here, or something is terribly wrong. No price listed (pun unavoidable) but if you like reading lists of things, you might want to give this a try, from Matthew Bodette, 6466 Rt. 125, Vergennes VT 05491.
...And they all lived happily ever after. There! We got back to the fairytale theme just in time for my closing.
Well, I kept telling myself that I was going to save the best for last, but all my resolve just melted away. So let's begin with Mostly True. There's very little question that Davida only sent this one to me because she knew I was going to love it! Right there on the cover of Vol. 19, No. 7 it says, "The West's Most Popular Hobo Graffiti Magazine," and for anyone who's even vaguely interested in railroads, this one is the jackpot! Railroading adventures, hobos, loads of photos, even old ads. Featured in this issue, the search for Bozo Texino, and the Colossus of Roads. It's really more of a magazine than a zine, but why be a nitpicker? Don't waste another minute, and get your $6.95 in the mail right away, to Bill Daniel at Microcosm Publishing, 222 S. Rogers St., Bloomington IN 47404.
And yet more creativity, this time in ETC (that stands for, Everybody That Creates). The premise is simple: people create things--that is, things like artwork and short stories, and this zine presents them. Issue #2 has a story about bees (watch out! Somebody is going to get stung) and some comics. I, personally, liked the "Real Life for Real" panels, maybe because I relate to stick figures as about the only type of drawings I can manage. It's fun to check in and see what other people are creating, so I say, go for it. $2 from Chris Almond, P.O. Box 678421, Orlando FL 32867-8421.
Dwelling Portably has been around a long time. And the way things are going lately, it appears more and more relevant with each passing day. The premise is that you don't necessarily have to live within the grid. The issue at hand has tips for dealing with dirt floors, various (and very creative) uses for free water barrels, the merits of vitamin D, solar cooking, and plenty more. Also has a summary of past issues--many of which are still available--and a listing of unusual sources, many of which are zines. $1 per issue (6 back issues for $5 or 12 for $10) from P.O. Box 190-L, Philomath OR 97370-0190.
Remember the old sci-fi movie "Day of the Triffids?" Well, don't look now, but... Hell's Half-Acre Herald presents the Texas Triffid Ranch. Did you guess that the subject is carnivorous plants? Congratulations! Featured in the first issue, feeding P. Americana (the good old American cockroach) to your pitcher plant, and the coming of the dragonfruit. There's also a listing of resources. I didn't know that there was an International Carnivorous Plant Society, but there is. Do they sell Venus' flytrap T-shirts, I wonder? In any case, no price listed, so "the usual" will have to do, from Paul Riddell, 5930 E. Royal Lane (#140), Dallas TX 75230.
Next up, we have Exit 63. At least, I think that's the title. The cover of #8 also has Blues in big letters, so I can't say for sure which one is the title. That, by the way, is a demerit, if we have to guess what the zine is called. Anyway, this is the Lust for Lists issue. Our friendly local editor lists the things he did every day, from June 1 through August 17. For example, the list for July 4, representative of the zine: 1--worked most of the day. 2--tried to call Liz. 3--skated a lot. 4--listened to some baseball on the radio. Liz is definitely important to the zine, as she shows up in most of the lists. I hope we're dealing with genuine youth here, or something is terribly wrong. No price listed (pun unavoidable) but if you like reading lists of things, you might want to give this a try, from Matthew Bodette, 6466 Rt. 125, Vergennes VT 05491.
...And they all lived happily ever after. There! We got back to the fairytale theme just in time for my closing.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Maynard reviews a bunch of zines
Dwelling Portably 1980-89
Edited by Bert and Holly Davis
ISBN 978-1-934620-08-3
Retail: $8
Paperback ½ size, 178 p.
microcosm.com
With the imminent collapse of the Western financial world looming, we all need a copy of this resource favored by hikers, campers, hobos, dumpster diving hipsters, and armchair travelers.
This zine is what MacGyver would read on his day off. Need to make a knife holster out of scrap leather? Get some sketches. Hypothermia worries? Gotcha covered. Need a review of Primitive Life Skills video? (Where can I get a copy on DVD?) It's in there. From building a fire to pest prevention to waterproofing matches, improve your current hobo lifestyle or prep for doomsday with this handy book.
3-2-2-1
Pod Post
P.O. Box 170271
San Francisco, CA 94122
$5.00 US, $6.00 world
No trades
4.25” X 5.5”
Email contact: mail@podpodpost.com
Website: podpodpost.com
Library geeks, and any other folks pondering the meaning of our disposable, isolating culture, will love this sophisticated, extremely appealing zine. It's scrap-booky in feel, but slick in production values. Layout is really tight, well done, and engaging. The content is self-questioning and a thinking-person's eye candy.
Split Zine:
I'd start a revolution but I don't have time by Jolie Noggle
Riot Grrrl by Hannah Neurotica
Jolie Noggle
655 Martin St.
Greenville, OH 45331
No Price given
½ size
Email contact: mrsnoggle@yahoo.com
Back to the old, tried and true, copy-machine-generated, angst-filled collection of essays on being a girl, liking music and the whole She-Power of the late 90s and early 2000s. It is amazing how much has changed in just a few years! But it is fun; full of heart and spunk; and takes you back nearly a decade.
Inner Swine, Vol. 14, issue 2, June 2008
Jeff Somers
Subscribe for only $5.00 per year in the US, $6.00 in Canada
Trades considered.
½ size, 60 p.
P.O. 3024
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Email contact: mreditor@innerswine.com
Well, what more can I say about the Inner Swine: a veritable institution of zineland, with the focus being on what it means to be a guy. This issue is true to form, and my favorite bit is the Refusal to Twitter. In this hilarious commentary on the egotism involved in the whole Twitter movement, I found myself in total agreement (once again) with Jeff and his near-Luddite view of the whole technology-driven social scene and how it continuously erodes our humanity and communication abilities with each new “breakthrough.”
A sad note, please send Jeff encouraging email as he noted he feels kind of tapped out with the whole zine thing. His next issue is called No Future. He has covered a LOT of ground in the 200 years he's been writing, and it's only natural to do a “best-of” issue. Let's hope that he'll sharpen the saw, do some sort of retreat and recharge the creative battery. He didn't actually say he was tapped out, but with a title like No Future, what other conclusions can one jump to?
The CIA makes Science Fiction Unexciting #5: the things you may not know about Iran/Contra
No name given
$1.50 postage paid
Microcosm Publishing
222 S. Rogers St.
Bloomington, IN 47404
This little zine is for a conspiracy theorist with only minutes to live or with ADHD. The author has a gift for summary that is astounding. You'll read this and feel like you actually understand the Iran/Contra affair. In this day and age, it is both enlightening and depressing to see that our government has been remarkably consistent: bad for years.
The author goes into the history of our meddling in oil-related foreign affairs, which started innocently enough at the end of WWII, when we were the last English-speaking empire standing. It pretty much goes downhill from there. As time passes, it becomes less obvious when we are aiding friends across the sea and when we are bungling in the jungle or desert.
In order to continue this meddling once it gets on a scale large enough to be detected by the press, our gummint decides to tamper with the Constitution. Iran/Contra was a glaring example of how the folks in charge clearly ignored the foundation of what makes this country tick. Their violations, and the lack of repercussions for the transgressors haunt us to this day.
The founding Fathers would be absolutely furious if they could see us now.
Edited by Bert and Holly Davis
ISBN 978-1-934620-08-3
Retail: $8
Paperback ½ size, 178 p.
microcosm.com
With the imminent collapse of the Western financial world looming, we all need a copy of this resource favored by hikers, campers, hobos, dumpster diving hipsters, and armchair travelers.
This zine is what MacGyver would read on his day off. Need to make a knife holster out of scrap leather? Get some sketches. Hypothermia worries? Gotcha covered. Need a review of Primitive Life Skills video? (Where can I get a copy on DVD?) It's in there. From building a fire to pest prevention to waterproofing matches, improve your current hobo lifestyle or prep for doomsday with this handy book.
3-2-2-1
Pod Post
P.O. Box 170271
San Francisco, CA 94122
$5.00 US, $6.00 world
No trades
4.25” X 5.5”
Email contact: mail@podpodpost.com
Website: podpodpost.com
Library geeks, and any other folks pondering the meaning of our disposable, isolating culture, will love this sophisticated, extremely appealing zine. It's scrap-booky in feel, but slick in production values. Layout is really tight, well done, and engaging. The content is self-questioning and a thinking-person's eye candy.
Split Zine:
I'd start a revolution but I don't have time by Jolie Noggle
Riot Grrrl by Hannah Neurotica
Jolie Noggle
655 Martin St.
Greenville, OH 45331
No Price given
½ size
Email contact: mrsnoggle@yahoo.com
Back to the old, tried and true, copy-machine-generated, angst-filled collection of essays on being a girl, liking music and the whole She-Power of the late 90s and early 2000s. It is amazing how much has changed in just a few years! But it is fun; full of heart and spunk; and takes you back nearly a decade.
Inner Swine, Vol. 14, issue 2, June 2008
Jeff Somers
Subscribe for only $5.00 per year in the US, $6.00 in Canada
Trades considered.
½ size, 60 p.
P.O. 3024
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Email contact: mreditor@innerswine.com
Well, what more can I say about the Inner Swine: a veritable institution of zineland, with the focus being on what it means to be a guy. This issue is true to form, and my favorite bit is the Refusal to Twitter. In this hilarious commentary on the egotism involved in the whole Twitter movement, I found myself in total agreement (once again) with Jeff and his near-Luddite view of the whole technology-driven social scene and how it continuously erodes our humanity and communication abilities with each new “breakthrough.”
A sad note, please send Jeff encouraging email as he noted he feels kind of tapped out with the whole zine thing. His next issue is called No Future. He has covered a LOT of ground in the 200 years he's been writing, and it's only natural to do a “best-of” issue. Let's hope that he'll sharpen the saw, do some sort of retreat and recharge the creative battery. He didn't actually say he was tapped out, but with a title like No Future, what other conclusions can one jump to?
The CIA makes Science Fiction Unexciting #5: the things you may not know about Iran/Contra
No name given
$1.50 postage paid
Microcosm Publishing
222 S. Rogers St.
Bloomington, IN 47404
This little zine is for a conspiracy theorist with only minutes to live or with ADHD. The author has a gift for summary that is astounding. You'll read this and feel like you actually understand the Iran/Contra affair. In this day and age, it is both enlightening and depressing to see that our government has been remarkably consistent: bad for years.
The author goes into the history of our meddling in oil-related foreign affairs, which started innocently enough at the end of WWII, when we were the last English-speaking empire standing. It pretty much goes downhill from there. As time passes, it becomes less obvious when we are aiding friends across the sea and when we are bungling in the jungle or desert.
In order to continue this meddling once it gets on a scale large enough to be detected by the press, our gummint decides to tamper with the Constitution. Iran/Contra was a glaring example of how the folks in charge clearly ignored the foundation of what makes this country tick. Their violations, and the lack of repercussions for the transgressors haunt us to this day.
The founding Fathers would be absolutely furious if they could see us now.
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