Zines: From Brainscan to Ker-Bloom!
Edited by Jenna Freedman -- Library Journal, 03/05/2009
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Librarians often mistakenly group all zines with serials, perhaps because the word zine derives from magazine (either directly or with a stop on fanzine). While many zines are what are referred to as one-offs or their issues have distinct enough titles and focuses to warrant cataloging them as monographs, we thought it might be nice to dedicate one column to serial zines. The five reviewed zine series have at least ten issues, which is a significant accomplishment given the ephemeral nature of zines and the transitory state of many of their authors. We only selected zines that have issued no threat of stopping publishing or of moving to an online format.
Cindy Crabb is the veteran of the group, publishing Doris since 1991 (under a different name at first), but artnoose has the most zines published, with 75 issues of Ker-bloom! to her credit. Fish with Legs is the most old-school—with current issues available from the author, because, "I like distros fine but am too lazy to pursue it and too cheap to send out random copies for consideration." Brainscan's author, Alex Wrekk, is distinguished not only for her signature zine but also for her creation of a sort of zine bible, Stolen Sharpie Revolution, held by 107 OCLC libraries and about to go into its fourth edition. Ayun Halliday of The East Village Inky has gone on to have four books published by Seal Press, contributes a regular column to Bust magazine, and still persists in producing her zine.
artnoose. Ker-bloom! 1996. bi-m. ¼ size. $3. Distros: Etsy | Parcell Pr.
Every issue of this quarter-sheet letterpress zine tells a compelling story from artnoose's personal life that illustrates a larger theme from one of many threads that repeat throughout the series, such as anarchism, bicycles, friendship, and loss. Each tale is well crafted and compact, perfectly suited to the painstaking process the artist undertakes in hand setting each page, letter by letter. This zine offers gorgeous yet simple cover illustrations and an authentic voice. Ker-bloom! is sometimes funny, often poignant, and always a pleasure to read and to hold in your hand.—Kelly Wooten, Sallie Bingham Ctr. for Women’s History and Culture, Durham, NC
Crabb, Cindy. Doris. 1991. size varies. $1.50–$2.50. $10/5 issues. PO Box 29, Athens, OH 45701. Distros: Atomic Bks. | Microcosm | Paper Trail | Parcell Pr. | Quimby's
In this renowned personal zine, Crabb recounts her everyday experiences in language that evokes the intimacy and immediacy of journal entries or letters between close friends. The boundaries separating the personal and political dissolve in her stories about travel, childhood, friends, lovers, community, and the flotsam of daily life. Crabb's hand-drawn, stick-figure illustrations punctuate the text, adding another layer of wit and poignancy to her captivating stories. Guided by anarcha-feminist politics and a punk, DIY sensibility, Crabb explores challenging subjects like abortion, rape, and the death of loved ones with sensitivity and candor. Highly recommended. [Libraries may also wish to purchase the Doris anthology (Microcosm), which reprints the first 18 issues in a bound volume.]—Abigail Bass, Seattle P.L.
Halliday, Ayun. The East Village Inky. 1999. q. ¼ size. $3/issue. $12/year. Distros: Atomic Bks. | Microcosm | Quimby's | Toronto Women's Bookstore
For ten years, Halliday has written about her adventures as the Gen X mother of first one and now two young children, Inky and Milo, through hilarious anecdotes accompanied by equally humorous hand-drawn comics. Many of the stories serve as cautionary tales for parents, while others provide readers with suggestions on where to go (and where not to go) in New York City. Most issues include a column called "Advice to the Fathers," about Halliday’s husband, playwright Greg Kotis, and his experiences with their children. While The East Village Inky is a sequential history of Halliday's and her family's lives, each issue is self-contained and entertaining from cover to cover. Recommended for adult collections.—Adam Davis, Palm Beach Cty. Lib., Delray Beach, FL
Lyden, Eric. Fish with Legs. 1998. size varies. $2. 224 Moraine St., Brockton, MA 02301. eric.lyden@gmail.com
Endearingly random, proudly low-tech, and consistently funny, Fish with Legs is the quintessential perzine. Lyden’s storytelling style is rambling yet compelling, and his insights—based on observations that few of us would make in the first place—are weirdly fascinating. Over the past ten years the style and substance have remained relatively consistent, though the author does experiment with new ways of organizing his musings, from near-daily journal entries to the "alphabet trilogy" (three issues of alphabetical entries: "E is for Eric," "P is for Dr. Phil," "S is for Squirrels and Soda"). "Fun Facts," interesting tidbits of information, some of which are even true, appear in most issues and have become so popular they’ve spawned a compilation zine of the same name.—Julie Bartel, MLS, Salt Lake City, UT
Wrekk, Alex. Brainscan. 1997. size varies. $2. Distros: Atomic Bks. | Parcell Pr. | Quimby's
Wrekk (Stolen Sharpie Revolution) has been enthusiastically documenting her evolution as a writer and zinester with diaristic zeal and a meticulous cut-and-paste aesthetic for more than a decade. Brainscan is a coffee-fueled journey from the confines of the Salt Lake City punk scene to the center of the zine community in Portland, OR. Recent issues contain a heartrending account of the dissolution of her marriage and subsequent divorce, an unflinching discussion of intrauterine devices (IUDs), and a collection of travel tales and musings. Brainscan's strength is the vulnerability and honesty with which Wrekk explores the politics of community, identity, and relationships through trial, error, and continuous examination. Highly recommended.—Aliqae Geraci, Queens Lib., New York
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Jenna Freedman is Zine Librarian and Coordinator of Reference Services at Barnard College Library, New York. She is also a librarian zinester (Lower East Side Librarian, among others) |
