Zine Reviews

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)