Welcome to Behind the Zines Distro

K. Ratticus, author of Ornery Cuss, is a huge fan of horror and sci-fi movies, as shown by this little brick of a zine.  This zine wanders through her obsession as if we are following her stream of consciousness as it runs through a dark and haunted forest.  Also TV shows, related cultural phenomena, and her own personal memories along the way.  Although there are lots of movie reviews, this is written like a per-zine about horror movies.

Quarter-size, B&W, 88 pages!

If you love gore, horror, space aliens, conspiracies, vampires, werewolves, fantasy, books, movies, comics, or video games, then YOU NEED THIS ZINE.

This issue includes a deep dive on the movie Repo Man, a history of Dracula, and a book review from yours truly.  Also an incredibly perzine-style story by SM Piotrowski, detailing her adventures moving to Chicago after recently giving a baby up for adoption.

Quarter-size, B&W, 112 pages.  (For only $2!!)

Cigarettes I've Smoked is a pocket-sized  zine where East Coast Ed literally reviews every different type of  cigarette he's ever smoked.  Ed talks about the cost, the flavor, where they are made, and  other random tidbits of information mixed with opinion.  This is also a  zine for people who like graphic design and product comparison, as each  2-page spread shows a full-color image of the pack of smokes, alongside  the review.  Cool, weird, quirky zine.  You'll love it.

Quarter-size, full color, 36 pages.          

Donna Ramone, renowned punk rocker and rockstar writer for Razorcake Magazine, brings us the REAL story of Christmas in America. With her sarcastic charm Donna explains the origins of Christmas in America, a holiday that has only been around for 150 years. Did you know that celebrating Christmas used to be illegal in Boston?  Yes, it turns out that this whole holiday is a giant sham, a capitalistic ploy to boost the economy, but yo, I still love it! And I love this zine!
 

Half-size, 12 pages, color cover.  

The weirdest Christmas tradition you’ve never heard of!  There is a town in Sweden called Gavle, and every year for the past 6 decades they have built a giant wooden goat in the middle of town.  And every year someone burns it down.

This zine is funny, weird, and even kind of sad.  But bizarre enough that you have to read it.  From our very own Donna Ramone, the punk rock grinch of the zine world!

Half-size, full color, 16 pages long.

Donna Ramone tells us the history of American  children writing letters to Santa!  Who came up with this idea, anyway?  And where do those letters  go?

Learn  all about it in this hilarious zine, full of all the smart-ass  commentary you'd expect from Donna.  I love this  zine.  Informative and hilarious, a full history on something you've  never thought about before.

Half-size, 12 pages, color cover, with some color images inside.                  

EVI is one of those old school zines that has been around forever.  Imagine what happens when a wacky NY theater person, full of creative energy, decides to put out a zine!  She’s been documenting her life, and the life of her family, for decades.

This particular issue is the “Sports Issue,” and I love it.  Don’t you want to read about Ayun’s sports’ life when she was in middle-school?  How about drawings of her watersking?  Bowling?  Tennis?  I mean, all kinds of funny, exciting, and embarrassing stories, it’s great!

Quarter-size, B&W, 40 pages.

This issue is definitely one of my all time favorite issues of EVI, because it is all about mail!  She talks about her first experiences with mail, as a child.  She talks about penpals now, she gives tips on how to lower your mailing costs, she talks about postage stamps!  Also included is a discussion about mail art, as well as a “mail carrier’s hall of fame,” with really great illustrations to go with it.  If you love the USPS, you’ll love this zine!

Quarter-size, B&W, 40 pages.

Only Child of the 70s!  Ayun Halliday tells us what it was like to grow  up without any siblings, way back in the 1970s.  No Internet, no  brothers or sisters, just her and her imagination.  (And can you believe  she ended up as a weirdo theater kid?  What a stretch, huh?)  Childhood  hobbies included reading lots of books, plying board games by herself,  and hanging out with a string of babysitters.  And what about sex-ed?   Well, she picked up what she could from random sources, such as dirty  magazines at the library!

EVI is always chock-full of handwritten  stories, cute drawings, and hilarious stories.  I love every issue, but  this one was especially charming.  Quarter-size, B&W, 40 pages.

Reflections on music, and on collections.  Why we collect what we do, what it means, what it means about us.  Why Bark Sparkles has saved all of his ticket stubs for all these years.  Issue #2 is more of the same, the author talking about concerts he went to as a kid.  Bands reviewed include Green Day, Silverchair, Candlebox, Ozzy Osbourne, The Cure, and others.  Ever been to a concert with your mom?  Then you might relate to some of this.  I know I did.

Quarter-size, mostly B&W with full-color images of the ticket stubs, 16 pages.

This issue starts off talking about “loudness.”  Different people turn the volume to different levels.  Different types of music sound better at louder volumes.  Why do we do it the way we do?  Many theories.  This issue is more concerts.  Bands include Rage Against the Machine, Tool, Local H, Depeche Mode, Lollapalooza ‘97, and more.  Ever stood outside a department store to buy a ticket from Dillard’s? Then this zine is for you.

Quarter-size, mostly B&W with full-color images of the ticket stubs, 16 pages.

Each issue of this zine is essentially “more of the same.”  It’s a dude going through old concert stubs and telling what he remembers about a show that happened 25 years ago.  Yet, the zine evolves from issue to issue, and certain themes start to form.  Issue #4 starts off talking about the psychology behind crowds.   Concerts in this issue include Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Soulfly, Deftones, Everclear, P.O.D., and more.  Oh, and using a coin toss to decide which concert to attend. Dangerous game.

Quarter-size, mostly B&W with full-color images of the ticket stubs, 16 pages.

More concerts!  We’ve reached the 2000s.  The first concert reviewed is Tool, from 2001.  The author also gives some back ground info on Maynard James Keenan, which is cool to read.  Other bands include Incubus, Millencolin, Les Claypool, Warped Tour, Tom Petty, and others.  Some of these ticket stubs make me so jealous, while others make me roll my eyes.  “You went and saw them? What a waste of time!”  But the writing is fun and friendly, so even bands that are not quite my speed, it’s still fun to read about them.

Quarter-size, mostly B&W with full-color images of the ticket stubs, 16 pages.

The last issue, maybe ever?  Starts off by discussing what it means to be in a band.  The social bonds and friendships that come out of playing music together.  Nice, long, intro, then music reviews!  U2, Nine Inch Nails, Death Cab for Cutie, Reverend Horton Heat, Hootie and the Blowfish, and so many more!  Great writing, great stories, a walk down a stranger’s memory lane,  yet why does it feel so familiar?

Quarter-size, mostly B&W with full-color images of the ticket stubs, 16 pages.

Keith Helt has been writing Flotation Device off and on for almost 20 years now.  His writing style envelops the reader in memory, creating a dream-like state where sensation and feelings override traditional storytelling methods.

This particular issue explores the death of a close friend and bandmate by the name of Alex.  Keith shares a variety of stories about him, bringing us closer and closer to the memory of a person we already know is gone.  It’s a puzzle, coming together one piece at a time, until we finally get a glimpse of Keith’s heartache.


Half-size, B&W, printed on manila paper, 40 pages.

 Goofy Movie Titles is a fun little zine which was written by a woman who  grew up in Brazil, but now lives in the United States.  There are, of  course, many similarities between the two countries, and many  differences as well.  For example, although the author grew up watching  lots of American movies, upon moving to the United States she has come  to realize that many of her favorite movies have titles which are  different from what she grew up with!  She didn't watch "The Sound of  Music," she watched "The Rebellious Nun!"  She didn't watch "Home  Alone," she watched "They Forgot About Me."  Same movie, but given  different titles for a Portuguese-speaking audience.

Quarter-size, full-color, 28 pages.          

This fantastic zine was written by Mark Cunning, and tells the story of the time he picked up Alex Jones for an Uber-Ride.  We are also regaled with stories of Mark’s drug-dealer friend who was obsessed with conspiracy theories.  So when Mark picks up Alex for an Uber, should Mark simply drive Alex to his destination?  Or should he drive that freaking car off the side of the cliff, killing them both?  Tough call, I know.  Pick up this zine to read more about the anguish of his decision.

Quarter-size, B&W, 36 pages.