Zine Reviews (May of 2025)

This volume of Ditto is a journey into a thirteen year olds’ life and memories. The first page asks “who were you at thirteen?”  Candace explains what her world was like and the big headlines from 1993. She includes photographs, notes, doodles, school maps, and other keepsakes. She also navigates her feelings for “boy” by collecting “the most mundane details about his existence.” The heartbreak and loss still leave an impression 25 years later.  It made me want to dig out my shoebox of high school memorabilia and cry along with her as she navigates grief and loss.  https://candacejaneopper.com/  (review by Karin Panther)

The movie Jurassic Park was released in 1993 and was a blockbuster hit – Not only for its groundbreaking digital affects but for its deep moral themes. This zine starts with Candace explaining she was 13 when the movie was released. The instant love she felt for the movie than still holds true today. She writes “This zine is my attempt to index Jurassic Park’s many wisdoms and the ways in which one might…apply them to reality.” She pairs illustrations and quotes from the film with the lessons. Eerily the lessons from this movie are even more applicable today – 31 years after the movie’s release.  https://candacejaneopper.com/  (review by Karin Panther)

As a child the 80s I was instantly drawn to this zine about Kari B’s love for care bears. This zine includes a short history of the Care Bear’s franchise. She includes lots of photos of her collection and shares her favorite characters. She ends with some elusive memorabilia she hopes to one day find and add to her collection. Instagram: Care_Bears_Collector   (review by Karin Panther)

This issue includes words that were chosen by inmates when Sharaya worked as a prison librarian. Each page includes and inmates’ chosen word of the day along with a small colorful collage of related images. This zine is a fun vocabulary lesson for all. PO BOX 294, Morro Bay, CA, 93443  (review by Karin Panther)

In this zine Sharaya explains she was raised in a Pentecostal home. Many typical children’s activities were forbidden due to being secular – think girl scouts, cartoons, and pop music. Sharaya explains the alternatives that she was allowed to participate in and offers the reader a personal and reflective account of her childhood. She ironically notes Christian companies are just as capitalistic as any other “worldly” business.   PO BOX 294, Morro Bay, CA, 93443 (review by Karin Panther)

Similar to magnetic poetry, Sharya takes bible verses and blacks out words to create here own poetic messages. I really like her idea of taking archaic texts and making a personal re-interpretation.   PO BOX 294, Morro Bay, CA, 93443    (review by Karin Panther)

Before  dating apps there was craigslist. This zine starts with the personal ad Amy posted on craigslist in 2005.  She was looking for a distraction from her research and boy did she get it! The responses are varied - from the nerdy, the egotistical, the mean, the sweet, and the silly. And then there men who are just one of a kind.  One calls himself “luv sxe god mikey” and writes “we can even go to peets  cofe and fuke. I don’t fuk with condoms but I have know desises.”  Swoon. This zine is a comical reminder that dating is, has, and will always be a  battle field.  http://awkwardladiesclub.com   (review by Karin Panther)

Issue number three also sports an amazing cover, with an image of a foil mushroom inlaid onto red paper.  How does she do that?!  This issue came out in November of 2024, and has a loose Thanksgiving theme, with a cranberry recipe, a quote from Wednesday Addams, a grim story about 1600s Pilgrim cannibalism, and a "side dish astrology" page.  What does your favorite side dish say about you??  Full range of emotions in this one, I loved it.  Learn more right here.  (review by Billy McCall)

Thanks to our friend, Nyx, over at Sea Green Zines, I found out about Commonplace, a zine coming to us from Clearwater, Florida.  Commonplace is a real mish-mash of perzine, a little bit of everything with no particular theme, other than the friendly voice of our narrator carrying us from one article to another.  This issue starts off talking about tiny toads that are terrible at jumping.  From there it goes into a description of various cryptids, some zine reviews, some poetry, a breakdown of a Katy Perry song, and much more.  A really fun read packaged in a high-quality layout with an amazing cover.  Learn more right here.  (review by Billy McCall)

 A cautionary tale of what can happen when too many of us are oblivious to elections. After the most current election, this zine feels more relevant than ever.  The dark uncanny drawings help tell a story that manages to remain hopeful and encourages the reader to keep having important conversations about voting because our lives depend on it.  @TdiousCafe     (review by Karin Panther)

I love a good info zine. The more random and obscure the topic the better. Tora dives into the history of pigeons and calls on us to reexamine our relationship with them. Tora includes lots of photos from 1800’s manuals on birds along with images in public domain. I particularly enjoyed learning about how pigeons helped play a role in WW2 and some even received medals for serving valiantly in the war. The zine ends with recommended book recommendations if the reader wants to learn more about these birds.  (review by Karin Panther)

Lynne spends 10 months watching and reviewing 51 Official Disney animated features. The movies date from 1937’s Snow white to 2018’s Ralph Breaks the Internet. All the usual suspects are here.  But the most interesting reviews come from the lesser known films, the one’s I had never even heard of. I am in admiration that she was even able to find some of them. This is more than just an fanzine. Lynne combines the reviews with personal thoughts and opinions. Both blend together nicely.   https://www.etsy.com/shop/ButchNorFemme   (review by Karin Panther)

Lynne journals daily thoughts throughout September of 2020.  Lynne would paint with watercolors in the morning and then journal on the page after it dried.  The binding is long stitched which adds a nice touch. I feel like I am holding someone’s art journal. Lynne includes a mini magnifying glass in case the print is too small for some to read. Lynne shows the reader that journaling does not have to be a long tedious process. Just a few lines each day is enough to make something really meaningful and beautiful. https://www.etsy.com/shop/ButchNorFemme   (review by Karin Panther)

The zine creator uses high quality paper and printing which is great for a zine showing archived documents from a catholic orphanage. Included are the real letters mother’s left with their babies. Some mother’s wrote they hoped to return soon for their child. In another, an honest mother heartbreakingly admits she would not be back ever. Its deep.  I really wish this zine provided some history of this orphanage or a reference to these letters so they reader can learn more about this orphanage and where these archived documents are from.   https://chevaliersbooks.com/product/feeble-spark-zine  (review by Karin Panther)

 Jeena’s zine is about serving on a grand jury for 2 weeks in 2015. Throughout the zine she does not hold back how she feels which gives the zine a very honest feel. By day 6 the sad reality of the justice system is apparent. She writes, “People are horrible. This goes for the accusers, the accused, jurors, and ADAs.”  In more upbeat sections her sarcasm is golden. Lots of witty commentary sprinkled throughout. Boredom shows through little sketches and wandering thoughts in between explanations of how the jury process works, cases, and legal definitions. Her descriptions of other jurors and the acronyms she assigns them made me laugh. The zine finishes with a bingo card should you ever find yourself on a grand jury.  http://lesixine.storenvy.com/  (review by Karin Panther)

This zine is about a trip Ed and Tara take to Chicago to explore the museums, food, and architecture. I grew up in Illinois and visit Chicago often so I was hesitant to get this zine. I already knew everything about this city right? Well I was pleasantly surprised and appreciated experiencing Chicago through new eyes. I like that Ed includes color pictures that help show how beautiful and fun Chicago is. I was so happy when I saw he wrote the “SearsWillis Tower” because to some of us, the name changed but can never be erased. It’s etched in our hearts. I laughed when he realized the Chicago Flag is EVERYWEHRE. Tara includes a trivia section that is fun. I even found out one of the last wooden streets in the city that I had no idea existed.  theworddistribution.com  (review by Karin Panther)

Originally published in Razorcake #103, April 2018

In this zine Donna writes about her favorite WWE Wrestler the Undertaker. Like Donna WWE wrestling was a huge part of my childhood. Donna shares some of the Undertaker’s best and worst career moments. While Donna found him awesome, I was afraid of him as a kid. I remember crying when he locked the Ultimate Warrior in a casket (iykyk). This zine is not just for wrestling fans though. About halfway through the tone changes and becomes so much more. Donna perfectly explains how it feels to be disappointed by someone you love. Donna eloquently explains how it feels when we realize our idols are actually imperfect beings and we are better off without their influence. iknowbilly.etsy.com  (review by Karin Panther)

This is a great zine for anyone dealing with well-meaning religious family members.  Many of us were indoctrinated at a young age and find the journey to deconstruct our faith difficult. Sharya manages to take a very heavy topic and mix it with a healthy sense of humor. Her zine helped me see that I am not alone dealing with conservative Christian parents. Sharya shares her mom’s beliefs and a passive aggressive prayer her mom gave about body piercings. Her mom’s behavior unfortunately felt very familiar to me but I was comforted knowing that I was not alone. Sharaya O, PO Box 294, Morro Bay, CA, 93443 (review by Karin Panther)

I'm not usually a big Cometbus fan.  I pick them up from time to time, and they're usually good, but I don't yearn for it the way that some people do.  But a couple different friends told me to pick up this issue, and I'm glad they did.  By far my favorite CB ever.

Aaron goes back to his old California punk scene to ask them just what the hell went wrong.  He interviews a lot of well-known punk establishments, like Epitaph Records, Fat Mike from NOFX, the Thrasher Mag HG to hear their take on DIY culture through the years.  Then he goes back to NY to do the same thing, then to Seattle, and so on.  The end result of all these conversations is a history lesson on punk culture over the past 30 years, coming straight from the people who have been living it.

What I love about this book is that it isn't just a bunch of line-for-line interview transcriptions.  The whole thing feels reads like a perzine, which is probably why Aaron Cometbus will always be a zinester, even though I can't remember the last time I saw a Cometbus zine;every “issue” is a perfect-bound book.  But his books feel like zines, and instead of straight interviews, we get mostly Aaron's inner-monologue to describe the conversations, with direct quotes filling in the gaps.  Pick it up most anywhere, even here.  (review by Billy McCall)