Zines

Following the profiles of art zines, compilation zines, fanzines, personal zines, and political zines in the March 1, 2008, issue, here is a sampler of five more zine genres that displays the range of content these publications offer and the different means they use to communicate their earnest messages. Although zines can be described as primary sources of punk, in this column you'll see examples of zines by environmental do-it-yourselfers, thirtysomething essayists, a stay-at-home mom, an alcoholic cartoonist, and a pair of Midwestern punks.

DIY zines teach regular folks how to make, build, and operate stuff. The genre includes cook zines.

Guerrilla Greywater Girls. Guide to Water. Black Powder Pr. 2001. 86p. ½ legal. $3. www.blackpowderpress.com. Distro: M

Have you ever wondered how water use in your household affects the environment? This DIY zine employs intelligent, friendly prose and accessible illustrations to show readers how to rearrange their residential plumbing in order to use gray water (i.e., “untreated water from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks, and washing machines”) to flush toilets and nurture wetland gardens. It explains how water-treatment plants work and provides a compelling history of water use and abuse in the United States. Recommended for high school, community college, and public libraries. [Search distros for “Guerilla Graywater Girls” and other variant spellings.]—Emily-Jane Dawson, Multnomah Cty. Lib., Portland, OR

Literary zines cover a spectrum of storytelling styles and themes that can range from fantastical science fiction to haiku to prose that is indistinguishable from that found in personal zines.

We'll Never Have Paris: Fictional NonFiction. #2. 2008. 20p. ed. by Andria Alefhi. ½ size. $3. neverhaveparis.blogspot.com. Distro: At, Q

Coming-of-age stories typically report teenage rites of passage, but this New York City–based zine collects seven authors' stories of maturing in the awkward years of the characters' late twenties and early thirties. The references to the web and shared apartments root the tales in a postcollege, semiprofessional lifestyle. Subjects such as travel, cat-sitting, creative destruction, parenting, Scientology, and divorce populate sophisticated narratives of loss and redemption. The zine is crafted on heavy résumé paper with a color cover that will appeal aesthetically to readers of both YA and adult fiction.—Courtney Bennett, Brooklyn P.L., NY

Mamazines (some are by dads, too) leave no child-rearing rock unturned and provide an alternative to mainstream parenting publications' know-it-all advice, excessive advertising, and cutesy stories.

Haas, Kate.Miranda. #17. 2007. 27p. ½ size. $2. www.mirandazine.com. Distro: At, Q

As a stay-at-home mom and writer, Haas reiterates the theme of the struggle to balance parenthood and a life in her personal zine/mamazine. When her kids go off to school in issue 17, she finally finds a little time for herself. Haas's various subjects include her childhood experiences at a Waldorf school and the ethics of using her son's library card. Each issue contains a number of regular columns, such as “The Motel of Lost Companions,” in which she revisits past friendships. Humorous and honest, Miranda is sure to entertain those with and without kids. Recommended for public libraries and zine libraries.—Celia C. Perez, Harold Washington Coll. Lib., Chicago

Minicomics, like zines, are published by creators but employ comic book–style elements to tell their autobiographical or fictional tales.

McNinch, Carrie.The Assassin and the Whiner. #16. 2006. 56p. $2. PO Box 90049, Los Angeles, CA 90049. cmcninch@gmail.com. Distro: At, M, Q

McNinch (Los Angeles–based pioneer of the minicomics and perzine genres) offers one last installation in order to address an unnamed trauma from the past, her depression, and her inability to stop drinking. These themes are played out in evocative comics created for each day between November 12 and December 31, 2004. The graphics are confident, articulating avoidance, anxiety, and, ultimately, stagnation. Highly recommended.—Michelle Downer, Midwest Zine Collective, Madison, WI

A split zine is a collaboration between two or more zinesters, often combining two established zines into one publication with a shared center page and upside-down and backward covers.

Thompson, Jami & LB.No Better Voice. #31/Truckface. #9. 2006. 48p. ¼ size. $2. no_better_voice@hotmail.com & lbj4prez@hotmail.com. Distro: P, Q

Thompson and LB look back on the horrors of eighth grade: bad best friends, cheating boyfriends, starting your period at school, first kisses, and dealing with your developing sexuality. Thompson's half focuses on friends; LB's stories, mostly about family, are much darker. The halves fit together well, with Thompson's photos and pop culture references creating a compelling contrast to LB's typewritten prose and rough drawings. Both portray universal teenage experiences but with a very personal edge. Recommended.—Laura Jewell, Plano P.L. Syst., TX