zines

Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 02:00:00 +0000

First, an admission: like several feminist friends in my age group, riot grrrl didn’t make a profound impact of me until college. I was ten in 1993, the year Sara Marcus claims as pivotal for the movement in her book Girls to the Front. I was moving away from Mariah Carey and getting into the Pet Shop Boys. Riot grrrl was first on my radar through mainstream distortion in the pages of Spin and in the Spice Girls’ defanged “girl power” message. Marcus’s book is a great reintroduction and a valuable entry point for folks who have only a cursory knowledge of riot grrrl.

I especially appreciate that, despite the book’s monolithic title, Marcus incorporates the shared experiences of many girl participants. Riot grrrl tends to be defined by its adult-aged bands, with Bikini Kill and Bratmobile representing the movement. But many teenage girls were inspired by these bands. Some formed ‘zines and bands of their own, like Girl Friend founder Christina Woolner and Heavens to Betsy’s Tracy Sawyer and Corin Tucker. Not all of their contributions were preserved or recorded, so the book’s intervention is all the more important.

Some of these girls also came from working class or single-parent households or did not attend college. Furthermore, while much is made of the movement’s Pacific Northwest origins and identification with liberal arts colleges like Evergreen, Marcus is quick to refute essentializing class assumptions. Riot grrrl’s class heterogeneity becomes more pronounced when Bikini Kill and Bratmobile relocate in Washington D.C. and contend with the hardcore scene, which was primarily peopled by diplomats’ children.

Marcus challenges the notion that riot grrrl was sustained exclusively by white, middle-class, college-educated women. She also points out the movement’s aspirations toward queer inclusiveness were complicated by the efforts of predominantly straight or bi-curious cisgender females. Previous interpretations of riot grrrl represent it as a celebration of white girls challenging gender politics in a vacuum. Marcus points out how some girls created ‘zines, formed organizations, chaired panels, and created conferences challenging feminism’s inherent white privilege, racism, heteronormativity, and class politics, often causing contention and defensiveness from within.

Thus, I also liked reading that riot grrrl was an imperfect, discursive movement comprised of many conflicting opinions, belief systems, and identities. Despite third wave feminism’s investment in the fragmented female self, so often riot grrrl is depicted as a halcyon period for a then-nascent third wave. While it’s sad to read about in-fighting and rivalries, it’s refreshing to read differing opinions on philosophies and movement imperatives. As someone who’s participated in collective and politically-minded non-profit organizations, it seems a more honest representation.

Furthermore, the presence of male oppression from within informs riot grrrl in interesting ways. Riot grrrl formed in response to the right wing’s attack on feminism’s political gains as well as the cultural silencing of incest, sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, poor body image, and low self-esteem. It also opposed punk and hardcore’s exclusionary, homophobic, and misogynistic tendencies, best symbolized by the mosh pit, and implemented “girls in front” or “girls only” policies at shows. So it was really interesting to read about how bands like Fugazi aligned with riot grrrl, but were less willing to cede control over their audience.

In 1992, Fugazi and Bikini Kill played a Supreme Court protest. Frontman Ian MacKaye bristled at the idea of sharing the bill out of concern that the event would be misunderstood as a concert. He was also unable to reign in the aggressive inclinations of his predominantly white male fan base, and blamed the women in the audience who defended their space in the pit.

Marcus does something valuable with Girls to the Front. In representing riot grrrl’s imperfections and contradictions, as well as its relevance, she argues at once for its historical significance while challenging how we understand it. Make sure to check it out. Maybe it’ll convince you form a band with your best girlfriend and kick off a new revolution.

Cross posted from Feminist Music Geek

Written by: Alyx Vesey, September 27th 2010

Girl Zines: Making Media, Doing Feminism

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:01:00 +0000

By Alison Piepmeier

New York University Press

In Girl Zines, Alison Piepmeier elegantly chronicles the emergence in the early 1990s of zines: a complex, multifaceted phenomenon aligned with third wave feminism, and a powerful and unruly articulation of the same cultural moment that produced riot grrrls. It may also have been the last gasp of the manuscript culture—since, some would say, eclipsed by the blogosphere and electronic media—as a pervasive form of underground radical expression. This study skillfully employs post-structuralist feminist theory, along with the implicit collaboration of the author’s students—generations of whom have been rediscovering the excitement and raw force of these documents, adding their own interpretive spin, and reproducing the zine in their own cultural moments.

She traces the rough avant-garde artistry of Tobi Vail in her work on Jigsaw through well-established magazines like Bitch and the literally thousands of feminist blogs that have established themselves in cyberspace. She traces the origins of such zines as Sarah Dyer’s Action Girl Newsletter back through the mimeographed feminist manifestos of the mid-twentieth-century, and even back through women’s scrapbooks made in the nineteenth century and preserved as a deceptively rich collage of women’s interactions with their cultural milieu.

Girl Zines conveys the brazenness of the zines, their “rhetorical excess and flamboyance” still outrageous and shockingly liberating. A wonderful example, “The Splendiferous Oath of Riot Grrrls Outer Space,” illustrates the tone: “I riotously swear to rage in glorious anger against everything that even slightly pisses me off. I swear to be loud, vulgar, obnoxious, illogical, and emotional whenever I damn please. As an Outer Space Riot Grrrl I will dream of impossible utopias, make up wild political theories, laugh at people who oppose me, and as much as I can, be full of supreme confidence and hellacious egotism.” The loud ripping sounds you hear are conventional gender expectations and forms of institutional oppression being torn to shreds.

Significantly, Piepmeier emphasizes the importance of the materiality of these artistic/political forms. Their textuality—the rebelliously crude printing and the hand-drawn visuals—conveys meaning. They are ephemeral—they share that feature with almost all newspapers and magazines from the time of their invention—but they are nonetheless tangible artifacts capable of being preserved, handed down, revisited, and revitalized. This materiality differentiates them from the creative work being done in the blogosphere, and it is a feature that still appeals to students newly introduced to them as physical representations of a spirit linking generations of women.

One wonders what these radical artists would make of finding themselves within the fairly conventional confines of a scholarly/academic history. And yet, clearly, they have generously supplied both material and narrative to the author, as she inscribes a thoroughly researched, tightly written, and highly respectful account of this phenomenon that needs to be a living part of a developing feminist legacy.

Written by: Rick Taylor, February 28th 2010

Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:49:00 +0000

By Kaya Oakes

Holt Paperbacks

I’ve always thought of indie culture as the marriage of individuality and community, and of course, a celebration of the do-it-yourself (DIY) morality that is ingrained in our society. However, some of our most creative pioneers are often obscured from mainstream art, music, and literature. Kaya Oakes’s Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture offers a well-researched history and analysis of the DIY movement and the creative brilliance this community has generated. An engaging and remarkably informed cultural survey, the book examines the development of independent culture in the United States from the Beats and the Diggers through the current explosion of user-created content on the web.

Oakes presents indie culture as a deserving slice of American cultural history, offering an accessible academic portrait of icons such as Mike Watt of the Minutemen and poet Alan Ginsberg. She defines the often hard-to-peg genre of indie culture skillfully and provides major examples in the fields of art, literature, and music. A historical overview of indie culture is followed by chapters surveying the different areas of indie culture including independent publishing, music, zines, and crafting.

As someone who grew up in the post-punk years, I appreciate the detailed background Oakes provides because it gives me a better understanding of how the indie rock bands I love today, as well as their labels and distributors, progressed from the independent communities of earlier decades. And, as a crafter, I enjoy learning how independent culture has given rise to the online crafting communities and knitting collective I participate in today. My favorite quote from the many personal stories Oakes shares throughout the book comes from Handmade Nation’s Faythe Levine. When asked to reflect upon her first forays into independent culture, Levine refers to zine making as “my gateway drug to realizing that I would do whatever I wanted, and by myself.” This perspective really sums up DIY culture for me, as it is empowering to take the reigns of creativity into your own hands and realize you can truly participate in the independent cultural community.

Written by: Meg Rayford, October 3rd 2009

The Chainbreaker Bike Book: A Rough Guide to Bicycle Maintenance

admin — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:55:00 +0000

By Shelley Lynn Jackson, Ethan Clark

Microcosm Publishing

This “rough guide to bicycle maintenance” is really two books in one. The first half is a bike repair manual, with which the authors strive to “serve many people, from the very beginner to a decent mechanic who just likes to geek out.” I found the how-to instructions accessible, written in a way that is easy to understand, not in “high tech or cool dude language.” Although both authors have been professional bike mechanics and stalwart volunteers at the New Orleans Community Bike Project, they come across as real people who just want to help other real people repair and maintain bicycles — no bike snobs here!

The illustrations — by Ethan, Shelley, and Happy, the title page proclaims — are really awesome. They are simple but informative, slightly cartoonish, but factual. For folks who need to know what different styles of bikes or different kinds of tools look like, there are pictures here to help. There are also drawings to assist with adjusting breaks, truing wheels, and replacing cables, as well as other repair and maintenance projects.

The manual ends with two appendices. The first is a directory of community bike programs in the United States and abroad, followed by a helpful glossary of bike terms.

The second half of the book consists of reprints from past issues of the Chainbreaker _zine. Shelley Lynn Jackson edited and self-published _Chainbreaker from 2001-2005, but was unable to continue after losing her typewriter, clip art, desk, drawing supplies, and home to flooding following Hurricane Katrina. Lucky for readers, she was able to collect some of her favorite parts of the old zines in this compilation.

Shelley’s excitement about bicycles shows in the articles she wrote and collected for her zine. In her introduction to the very first issue of Chainbreaker, in a love letter to bikes, aptly called “For the Love of a Bicycle,” she details all that bikes have to offer. “…[T]he bicycle shows a person that their [sic] are options, that there are other ways of living, new horizons undiscovered.” Romantic? Yes. True? Definitely.

Chainbreaker contains not only Shelley’s voice, but includes the art and writing of other folks too. There are instructions for making a bike tube belt from Spitshine the Eye zine, directions for constructing bucket paniers [sic] from Joe Biel of Microcosm, and art and words from long time zinester Icky Apparatus. Andalusia contributes an account of volunteering at Maya Pedal, a bicycle-recycling center in Guatemala, and Happy explains bicycle delivery New Orleans style. Co-author Ethan Clark has participated in the project from nearly the beginning as a contributor of stories and images to the zine.

This bike repair manual doesn’t just show how to fix things; it provides a lot of encouragement and inspiration as well. Shelley gives several pep talks to women throughout the book, cheering us on to ”stand up and be heard…get to know the tools and language…ask questions and look for guidance, but look to your own sense of logic as well.” That’s good advice, not just for bike repair, but for everything we do in life.

Written by: Chantel C. Guidry, May 8th 2008

Invincible Summer, Volume II

admin — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:30:00 +0000

By Nicole J. Georges

Microcosm Publishing

Reading Nicole Georges’ collection of zines, Invincible Summer, is like opening a time capsule to not only the writer’s life, but also the community and time period in which she lived. The title of the eight zines collected in this book hails from an Albert Camus quotation that the author (zinester) found on an inspirational bookmark: “In the midst of Winter I realized that there was in me an invincible Summer.” And really, there’s a breathlessness to these zines, an excitement for life, that does make them an engaging experience for any reader.

The diversity of information in these zines is engaging. How can you be bored when you move from the recounting of a visit to the parental units to a list of the Top Ten songs Georges is digging to fun mini-comics and illustrations ranging from narrative to the random scribble of a pig. Additionally, there are times when Georges seems to directly speak to her audience, and then times that seem like explosive attempts at capturing an experience, whether it’s a trip or conversation or image.

Some zines fall into intellectual masturbation territory, but this book’s main strength is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Georges isn’t trying to play the role Ghandi or an all-knowing sage. Instead, Georges’ work seems hopeful and bright. Even when things don’t go her way, there is no doom and gloom. For example, old boyfriends are spoken about in sweet anecdotes and bad days are framed by humorous sketches.

The best part is that Georges does not romanticize her life or try to seem like a rock star. She’s just like anybody else. She “borrows” her roommate’s toothpaste, hunts (sometimes unsuccessfully) for jobs, and has trouble communicating with her mother. In short, Georges could be your friend, and reading her zines is like reading a friend’s letter.

Georges is as self-aware as she is talented. One of the funnier moments in this zine is when she realizes that she fits the Portland grunge stereotype. The best anecdotes in this collection are the ones linked to the smallest of moments: a night spent with a friend, a recipe, an image, and short illustrated synopsis of a day. To this author, the details of a drawing or moment are as important as its big events. This collection exudes an electric feeling of discovery. Life, as depicted in this book, seems open with possibility. In short, it seems invincible.

Written by: Lisa Bower, April 14th 2008

Lesbian Connection

admin — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 14:18:00 +0000

Elsie Publishing

Lesbian Connection is a ‘zine published out of East Lansing, Michigan. The reader base isn’t immediately apparent, though after one read through it might be assumed that the ‘zine is geared towards older, white lesbians. It opens with a brief introduction and some “housekeeping” items and updates. Readers can then dive right in to articles submitted by readers. The ‘zine goes on to offer a list of “contact dykes,” who are lesbians around the country and other parts of the world that welcome calls, e-mails and letters from other lesbians looking for information about their particular parts of the globe. My fellow Illinois readers might be interested to know that two contact dykes are listed for our fair state, one in Chicago and one in Rock Island.

The majority of the ‘zine is filled with letters and “bits and pieces” from readers, as well as an extensive classified section with hundreds of e-mail addresses, website URLs and mailing addresses for everything from business opportunities to real estate and accommodation ideas for the traveling lesbian. The most affecting section of the ‘zine is “Passings.” This section offers readers the opportunity to eulogize their friends and loved ones whom have passed. With photos included, these obituaries are much more detailed and personal than what was most likely printed in the local papers.

The densely packed ‘zine can be a bit overwhelming, and its contents are scattered, but, overall, Lesbian Connection is just that; an opportunity for lesbians to connect. In a world so busy and with so much to divide us, it’s nice to know that there is a circulating ‘zine that strives to provide a connection.

Written by: Becky Ramsey, July 22nd 2007

Tazewell’s Favorite Eccentric #4

admin — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:20:00 +0000

By Sarah Arr!

This zine, published in April of 2006, is tiny but powerfully personal. It has 30 pages, and, at only 5½ by 4¼ inches, it’s small enough to fit in a pocket for on-the-go reading.

On the very first page, zinester Sarah Arr! writes, “this issue is a lot more personal than things I’ve previously written,” and adds that she will not give copies to co-workers and casual friends. She observes that her life is not all misery and wretchedness, that she has fun every day and reminds us, “like most perzines, this is an outlet.”

Sarah’s first story, in which she pays homage to “bargaining with a real, live, flesh and blood human,” is about the flea markets in her hometown. The topics of the next few pages include the frustration of not having the right words, envy of thin women, drifting away from friends, being attracted to a guy while loving her girlfriend and a parent’s illness as a reminder of her own mortality.

In the middle of the zine the issues get even more intimate, and the label on page 15 reads, “This may be TRIGGERING.” She writes about her mom’s drug addiction, which led to Sarah being sexually abused as a little girl. After sharing what she calls “possibly the hardest thing that I’ve ever written,” she then tells of her younger brother’s death as a child.

While these issues are in no way happy or upbeat, Sarah tells her distressing stories with honesty and clarity. I appreciate that she is struggling to deal with her past and trying to heal by writing about the painful events. The insight Sarah has given into her harrowing experiences will help me behave more sympathetically towards people I know who have dealt with similar occurrences in their lives.

While this zine is not exactly entertaining, it is thought provoking and well-written. Words can be powerful weapons in the struggle for survival. As Sarah says about the sexual abuse that she experienced: “I write about it because that makes it real. Something that I can understand in words that happened. I can wrap my mind and my mouth around those words and arm myself like a soldier. I can wrap them up into ribbons to give other women so that they know that they’re not alone. That you’ve already lived through it once. We are stronger than the past.”

Written by: Chantel C. Guidry, July 16th 2007

You Live for the Fight When That’s All That You’ve Got #1

admin — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:07:00 +0000

By Ciara Xyerra

This zine is the latest from the woman who brought the world five issues of A Renegade’s Handbook to Love & Sabotage. After her dad’s unexpected death in 2002, she took a break from producing zines because “the words just didn’t come out in a way that felt right” to her. With You Live for the Fight…, she is “trying to let the words come out in a way that feels right to them.”

I’m really excited by the way the words came out. It’s been a long time since I’ve liked a zine as much as I like this one, and I highly recommend it to anyone even marginally interested in perzines.

I appreciate Ciara’s candid and honest writing on topics ranging from her dad’s death to her own depression and suicidal thoughts. Despite the serious subject matter, this zine is not a downer, since Ciara utilizes humor and wit when describing her life. She has a gift for telling entertaining and enlightening tales, as well as for sharing illuminating details from her adventures away from home. Best of all, her narratives always come across as sincere and genuine. From the linoleum print self-portrait on the cover of the zine to its eight pages of reviews of books and other zines, Ciara’s personality and individuality shine throughout this project.

Like the best zines I’ve ever encountered, this is one I want to hold on to so I can read it again and again. Even when I memorize what every one of its stories is all about, I’ll still take pleasure in how those stories are told.

Written by: Chantel C. Guidry, June 20th 2007

The Fence: A New Place of Power for Bisexual Women (Various Issues)

admin — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:38:00 +0000

By Cheryl Dobinson

Okay, I have a terrible confession to make: I have a very difficult time reading and enjoying zines. There are so many sub par zines on the market that I often get flustered and run to the nearest issue of Bitch instead. However, the second I read the mission statement of The Fence, I was smitten.

Created by Canadian writer Cheryl Dobinson, The Fence attempts to fill an enormous gap in the GLBTQ community—the voices of bisexual women. The mission statement reads: “Calling bisexuals ‘fencesitters’ has been a way of marginalizing us, of placing us outside gay/lesbian and straight cultures by saying that we haven’t made a decision about our sexuality. The Fence is all about bisexual women reclaiming this position and speaking from our unique viewpoints that traverse straight and gay/lesbian cultures, but also allows us to have spaces of our own. The Fence can be a positive and powerful place, and this zine is for the women who have decided to stay there.” Swoon! The publication also welcomes discussions and contributions from genderqueer and transfolk.

Each issue of this zine presents thoughtful, moving contributions from talented writers, illustrators, poets and other bi women who have important things to say. I carried each issue with me as I devoured them one at a time, marking passages that required more thought, chuckling at comics featuring Steven Seagal (guess you had to be there) and wiping away tears after reading passages that resonate a little too closely to my own experiences. Most of all, I felt overjoyed to find a zine that represents a population of the GLBTQ community that is often represented as second-class citizens in mainstream gay publications.

If I had to offer one criticism of The Fence, it would be that I would love to read more contributions about bisexual women in popular culture because I believe that the media perpetuates many of the myths that keep bisexual women at the fringes of our society. Believe it or not, but Madonna and Britney Spears aren’t exactly positive role models for the bisexual community. For more information about The Fence, or to contribute to the publication, visit their website.

Written by: Kerri Kanelos, June 14th 2007

Venus Zine (Spring 2007)

admin — Fri, 04 May 2007 12:00:00 +0000

Edited by Amy Schroeder

Venus has come a long way from its inception more than a decade ago. In its current form, it bears little resemblance to the average zine. Instead, Venus is a refreshingly sophisticated publication — glossy enough to tempt more mainstream consumers into giving the pages a once-over, while still maintaining a feminist perspective.

The latest issue is packed full of everything one might expect from a woman-centric publication, sans skeletal models and hetero-focused sex tips. Coverage of and interviews with musical acts are extensive in Venus, so if you're looking for a zine that seamlessly blends fashion, DIY culture, music and more, you're in the right place. Even the half-page blurbs on various products and services are more meaty than those of a "traditional" woman's magazine. I was able to find figure-fitting jeans and learn about alternative fuels in the span of a few pages.

While Venus' DIY section was definitely the most fulfilling read (the punk rock yoga techniques actually worked), the other features excelled in their own way. An article centered around Canadian singer-songwriter Feist was compelling, but in terms of what deserved the most front page hype, the five-page exploration of Myspace "e-famers" is definitely worth the cover price.

For those who remember the late Sassy magazine of the 80s/early 90s, there is in-depth coverage of a new book How Sassy Changed My Life, and even an interview with Christina Kelly — known as one of the biggest tastemakers of the former magazine. All in all, Venus is a reasonably well-balanced creation, managing never to linger too long on any particular topic, but still delivering the insight one might expect from a zine aimed at modern feminists. The Spring 2007 issue is on the newsstands until June 1, 2007.

Written by: Corey Janssen, May 4th 2007

Sister Spit: The Next Generation (4/18/2007)

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 02:23:00 +0000

Rag Tag Cinema

Columbia, Missouri

Some of you may have heard about the original Sister Spit tours in the mid- and late-1990’s. The tours were organized punk-rock band-style: a shoddy van with nights spent sleeping on floors of anarchist collectives and punk houses, but instead of music these tattoo-clad queer folks delivered words from their newly published books. Original Sister Spitters, Michelle Tea, Abi Liebegott & Eileen Myles join with five, young, twenty-something female writers, many anthologized in Michelle Tea’s edited volume, Baby Remember My Name: An Anthology of New Queer Girl Writing, to share a new era of exciting writing in Sister Spit: The Next Generation.

The Rag Tag Cinema in Columbia, MO pays honor to its name: its insides are filled to the brim with mismatched comfy furniture for its patrons to watch movies on a large screen. For the Sister Spit tour, the space was filled to capacity with hott dykes, fags, transfolk, and other fans ready to take in the writings of these eight writers. Michelle Tea played the part of MC introducing each writer who read to the crowd from zines, books and folded up sheets of paper. As each writer delivered her work, she left the audience hanging in the hopes that we would buy her work to hear “the rest of the story.”

Nicole Georges, author of the zine eminvincible began the performance with a hilarious tale of moving after a tumultuous break-up with her girlfriend. Canadian writer, Robin Akimbo (pictured above), delivered her work next, a story about doing laundry in public and the negotiating that takes place when a creepy guy insists on talking to you. Rhiannon Argo and Tamara Llosa-Sandor presented their work next before some of the old skool “stars” hit the stage. Abi Liebegott read from her new novel The IHOP Papers, and the crowd laughed along hearing about the shenanigans of pissed off diner waitresses. Eileen Myles shot poems from her mouth in caffeinated blurts, while Michelle Tea read the hot teenage-girl-on-teenage-girl first kiss section of her newest novel, Rose of No Man’s Land. The night ended with slides and words from punk rock illustrator extraordinaire, Cristy Roads, who chose to read an excerpt from her new book, Indestructible.

I left the free show with a lighter wallet. Yes, I hit the merch booth with a vengeance. Don’t worry, if you live on the East Coast, you have almost a dozen more opportunities to catch these ladies live. And rumor has it that they are planning an October tour. Keep an eye out on their website (www.sisterspitnextgen.com) to see if they are coming to a college or community space near you.

Written by: Ailecia Ruscin, April 29th 2007

Croq Zine (Issue #7)

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 02:15:00 +0000

Edited by Heather Mann

Remember reading or making your first zine? It was most likely folded in half, stapled and sold, given or traded to your friends. Staying up all night at your local Kinko’s, you felt inspired and part of a something bigger-something revolutionary. You went to your local bookstore and bought zines made by people you didn’t know personally, but felt connected to in a way that no magazine ever could? Croq is like that.

Edited by Heather Mann of Portland, OR, Croq Zine is focused on crafts and crafting culture. After the reclaiming and subsequent mainstream popularity of “craftiness”, it is refreshing to see something reminiscent of it’s DIY (and I don’t mean the cable channel) roots. It’s a quarter page-sized, paper zine - staples and all. Features include hand-drawn illustrations and some full color photos. A cute button, with the green crocodile logo was pinned on the cover. Croq Zine’s website, www.croqzine.com, says that it “came about due to a mutual frustration in regards to the current craft resurgence”; the political importance of maintaining authenticity in the craft world isn’t lost on these ladies.

Issue #7’s strongest pieces were "How To Make Maternity Jeans" and "How To Make a Little Red Riding Caplet." Both projects were easy-to-follow yet challenging enough for readers who have used a sewing machine in the past decade. Croq is about more than just ideas for crafts, but also about ideas for what to do with the art we create. An interview with Melissa Detloff, who raises money for various animal charities through a craft sales website called “Crafters For Critters”, was particularly inspiring.

Also notable was "How To Write A Press Release." Because many crafters are in the business of promoting their work, information like this can be empowering. However, the example of a press release, which accompanied the piece, contradicted its own rules of keeping it interesting and to-the-point.

Articles that were less about crafts and more about the writers’ personal experiences, childhoods, etc. were at worst- out of place and mediocre, and at best-mildly entertaining in a “reading someone’s live-journal” sort of way. Next time I find myself tempted by the glossy pages of Martha Stewart or zoned out watching Trading Spaces on TV, I’ll try to pick up Croq Zine and a sewing machine instead.

Written by: Amy Miller, April 27th 2007

100 Dollars and a T-Shirt: A Documentary about Zines in the Northwest US

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 02:43:00 +0000

Directed by Basil Shadid, Rev. Phil Sano, Nickey Robo, Joe Biel

This is a documentation of Portland, Oregon’s zine scene between 2002 and 2004. While it’s kind of basic, it’s worth it to see what Portland’s Reading Frenzy and Independent Publishing Resource Center are doing. Reading Frenzy is amazing – a whole store full of zines. The IPRC, right upstairs, is a nonprofit art space dedicated to do-it-yourself publishing – mostly zines, but also letter press, desktop publishing and other crafty things. Watching this movie makes me nostalgic for that kind of insular “we’re really doing something!” community that I used to feel so invested in - hanging out at Kinkos all night long scamming thousands of copies with my friends, convinced that we were bringing the revolution.

There are some interesting women in this movie. Moe Bowstern is dynamic and captivating, a great storyteller. In fact the title of the movie comes from a story about a skipper on a boat she worked on, who wouldn’t write for her zine, even when she offered him the same thing he received for writing for a trade magazine (a hundred bucks and a t-shirt). I related to the way Nicole Georges described her artistic process, as something she just has to do – fill up a blank book with artwork and writing, then take the least emo parts and make it into a zine. Krissy Durden told a great story about meeting a girl who said Krissy’s zine saved her mom’s life by convincing her not to have gastric bypass. Korrina Irwin talked about zines as an outlet for talking about mental health. These stories rang true and struck deep into my experience of the zine world during the hayday of Riot Grrrl (mid-nineties), when zines were helping so many young women connect the most personal aspects of our lives to the overwhelming political reality we lived in.

The juiciest and most entertaining parts of the movie were 1) watching people read reviews of their own zines – this was where people got animated and showed their personalities; and 2) the acknowledgement of scene hierarchy in the zine world. I liked what Kim Fern had to say about the way younger zine makers will look up to and idolize certain older zine stars, projecting their own insecurities onto these “cool” people they want to be like. Moe gave a great sound byte on the subject: “For all that people are anti-authoritarian in the zine world, people are really into creating heroes.” Coincidentally, Kim and Moe are probably the two most recognizable people in the movie.

I think what feels missing is an articulated politic that reflects what has been going on in the world for the past seven (or 500) years. Nobody talked about Bush, the war, racism or really any politics. They barely even talk about how they feel about anything. Almost everyone in the movie is white, and they do say things like “we need to talk about shit, there’s still sexism and racism in our communities” but it didn’t really go much further. I was disappointed because I would love to see how the political discussion has evolved to since the Riot Grrrl era, and this movie made it seem like it just hasn’t.

There are a number of good deleted scenes in the special features - especially the “pulp history” one, which describes the genesis of science fiction fanzines – but the commentary with the film makers is hard to watch. Every time Joe Biel starts getting into some interesting backstory, Alex Wrekk cuts him off to go “hey there’s me,” or “I hate that chair in our house” or “there’s our cat.” One funny thing that does get pointed out in the commentary, though, is that when asked “why do you do a zine?” almost all the men said “control,” while the women said things like “community,” “connections” and “freedom to express myself.”

I feel the same way about this movie that I feel about a lot of zines – I’m glad someone did it, I’m glad it’s in the world and I’m not jumping up and down. Maybe it’s the pop punk soundtrack (I don’t like pop punk). Maybe it’s the blasé attitude of most of the interviewees, or the super-generic questions (“what is a zine?” “where do zines come from?” “why do people make zines?”). It could be the fact that it says it’s about “the northwest,” but really focuses on a specific Portland scene, or it could be the dated-ness and lack of a relevant political analysis.

But I really am glad they made it. I do believe in the DIY ethic, and I love the idea of documenting our own communities. These people are cute and dorky and earnest and I’m sure their lives are interesting. For all of you reading who like pop punk, who want to get a basic understanding of zines, and who are inspired by the prolific Portland underground scene, you should totally get this documentary, learn about zine culture, and then start your own zine.

Written by: Nomy Lamm, April 9th 2007

The Flow Chronicles

admin — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 03:25:00 +0000

By The Urban Hermitt

Microcosm Publishing

Initially, The Flow Chronicles didn't seem like it could inspire me to do anything, but now I feel like wearing baggy pants and freestyling just for the hell of it. The author is really multi-dimensional, making me feel at ease and uncomfortable at the same time. It's about growing up and standing up, with Hermitt's first move to Seattle at only eighteen. "Interview with an actual, authentic lesbian" showed a different side of this brash, unapologetic woman. She made tactless a desirable trait, and self-discovery less painful. The grammatical errors seemed intentional, the fake letters had me giggling and Hermitt's realistic representation of adventures at a liberal arts school were endearing.

With more underground perspectives and queer culture than you can shake a stick at, Hermitt never misses a beat with this coming-of-age punk ethics crash course. She's yet more proof that stoner/hippies are probably the greatest people you'll ever meet. Not that I met her, but she's able to have a presence on paper that most authors would give their right hand for. You have to admire a girl who says that Apricot beer tastes like pussy, even though she's never tasted it. This book has more energy and generates more laughs than most of your friends in real life.

Written by: Jessaruh, March 17th 2007

Greenzine #14

admin — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 18:21:00 +0000

By Christy C. Road

Microcosm Publishing

Any radical unfamiliar with the art and writing of Christy C. Road by now should check this out, in addition to visiting her website at http://www.croadcore.org to get caught up. That being said, everyone already acquainted will know what to expect with Greenzine #14, but this proves to be a good thing. This issue explores similar themes present throughout her work in a classic Road fashion - namely, the musings of a queer Latina feminist deconstructing identity, her love/hate relationship with Miami and moving from her hometown, orgasms and the personal being political.

Written like a journal, you almost feel like you stumbled upon something private that you shouldn’t be reading, but can’t stop because it’s so damn gritty and real. Prominently displayed between entries are her signature drawings of friends, punk rock kids, social issues and, of course, making out. These serve more as snapshots than illustrations, as anyone who has seen them on everything from show fliers to the pages of Jane _magazine knows. I can’t recommend this enough to anyone who sounds interested already. When you’re done, pick up her latest book, _Indestructible (also reviewed by Elevate Difference), which was originally meant to be Greenzine #15, but ended up its own entity.

Written by: Janine Ohnoski, March 15th 2007