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Americas Dreaming #10
by Sophie Mol
[Sold out, on re-order!]
This zine is done by Sophie Mol, who also does "Dear Diary". It's the first UK based zine that Frenzy carries, I know, very exciting! This zine was just absolutely fun to go through! Sophie's zines are always fun. In here there's a piece about her love for curvy girls. She includes a part from her book journal, which consists of 4 very good book reviews. A piece about her obsession with the show, "Buffy". She also writes about her trip to the US, in journal entry form, with over 10 entries, actually. She also has a list with details a about her favorite drinks in the US as well as where it was purchased(very amusing!). There's also a piece about her favorite sexy comedians! There's just so much more, you'll just have to find out for yourself :) "We went to South street & I drank Aunt Annie's lemonade till I was ready to burst. I spied on all the cute punk kids. This boy working in a store noticed my pin that says, "I make zines" & he said, "So do I!" He was wearing a pin made by Taryn Hipp too." $2.00/1/4 size/34 pages/1 oz.
Artichoke #7 (Anger, envy, pride, gluttony, sloth, greed, lust)
by Kate
The seven deadly sins, that's pretty much the theme for this issue, which is ingenious! If you've never read any of Kate's zines you must pick up a copy. Her writing is purely honest and it's a smooth intake and very fast-paced, which leads me to wanting more, really. The layout was simple, but pleasing. "..come morning my legs & your legs found themselves tangled up in sheets together..room 413 at the shilo inn your intensely beautiful fingers were like smoke against my skin..you fell asleep before I did, and I was captivated by how you so confidently slept. Your legs were long & sinewy & you were so sinfully sexy. Thanks for the good time. I hope I never see you again."
$1.00/1/4 size/18 pages/1 oz.
Artichoke #8
by Kate
Kate describes this issue as "nothing profound here, just simple things that make me excited to get out of bed every morning." And that's what it's about! It's fun and simple issue filled with stuff about her favourite video games, garage sales, libraries, New Kids on the Block, mail, knitting and much more! She also gives you a free jamab juice smoothie recipe! She use to work there, I did too. Oh yeah, there's also a nifty zinester trading card inside! "Dear Mexican Food,
Please get in my belly. You are full of beans and rice and meat and cheese and sour cream and other such tastiness and I want to eat you so bad all the time."
$2.00/1/4 size/34 pages/1 oz.
Bad Grades
by Carla Marie
I picked up Bad Grades at the SF zine convention. I'm not too into comic zines, but Bad Grades I definitely got into. As Carla Marie explains she mainly draws "vulnerable and alienated girls." This is pretty much a hate it or love it thing, you'll either be annoyed by these characters or love them, or maybe you'll even find connection, or just find them funny, like I did. I happened to find most connection with the girl with Bettie Page esque bangs/cat-eye sunglasses, of course. I for one definitely loved this zine and got some good laughs out of it. There are three stories, in of course comic style and she ends it with a list of people's styles she's inspired by, accompanied with some drawings. This is definitely an aesthetical treat!
$2.00/half-size/28 pages/1 oz.
Broken Records:the memoir of a record store clerk:a perzine
by Jessica
This was an absolute joy to read, it's quite text-heavy, which is a plus and even more of a plus if you need to just kill time. Reading this all reminded me of the movies High Fidelity and Empire Records. And this zine is also kind of like a movie because she introduces you to co-workers individually and pretty much lets you in on everything..from the time "Too fast, too furious" was filmed at the "Broken Records"(which is the name of the record store she worked at, if you already didn't figure it out.) parking lot to the time she saved a toddler's life. My personal favorite was reading up on the top 5 regulars. By the way, when purchasing this zine you also receive a free cd, which is the soundtrack to this zine! Check out Jessica's other zine "Cross Examination"! "At Broken Records, along the back wall, there are a few poster stands. A couple days ago, this one guy(who bore a slight resemblance to redneck comic:Larry the Cable Guy) was looking at this poster of Gwen Stefani who was wearing a bra and some sort of cropped jacket. From across the store, I could hear him moaning at it. He bought the poster."
$2.00/1/2 size/52 pages/2 oz.
Call me if you need me #2
by Alice Dee
This particular zine is done by my good friend Alicia of Def Crew distro. Out of all zines she's done this has to be the most emotional one. In here she writes about losing her virginity and her thoughts on that. Basically, this whole zine is about a bad decision she made that changed a lot of things for her, which also includes the aftermath of that decision. Lots and lots of raw thoughts here. This was a bit personal for me because Alicia and I talked about what happened personally, before this zine was made. I'm glad she made this issue, she needed this emotional scream. Also, included is a cd soundtrack she made for this issue, which is a lovely listen :-) "Learning that my zine was burned added another wound to my heart. Zines aren't so easy to make. They have so much meaning for a person. To hear "Your zine was burned" hurts, a whole fucking lot. Especially if it's the original. All my love went into that zine..I lost inspiration."
$1.00/1/4 size/30 pages/1 oz.
Cartography for Beginners #5
by April
The picture on front is of Jim Morrissey of The Smiths , which pretty much gives you an idea of what this zine is mainly going to be about, but to be more specific the picture is of Morrissey wearing a shirt that April(she writes this zine) made, how it got to him is what the majority of this zine is about. April shares her tour diary, it's about the 9 Morrissey shows she went to and how she actually got to meet Morrissey himself, lot and lots of fun details. Of course, you will get the scoop on how she found out about Morrissey and such! Besides Morrissey, you will find a piece which was inspired by Joe Biel of Microcosm roomate reviews piece, in which April revews her past neighbors, which was just super hilarious and fun. And last but not least in the end April included a story about her friend Sarah(who owns a Domino's pizza store) who told her about some heinous pizza scammers, which is the absolute cherry on top..hehe.. just comedic and fun.
$2.50/1/4 size/54 pages/2 oz.
Clark 8
by Megan
This zine is done by the lovely Megan who also writes the wonderful zines Trabant and Full Tilt, which you can also find on here. This specific zine is about Megan's one week stay at a psychiatric treatment unit. In the beginning she writes about the deep depression she went through and wanting to commit suicide. She then individually describes the other patients and the groups at the treatment unit. She also has a list of reasons to live because sometimes this is needed. There's also info on how to help a depressed friend and so much more you need to read up on. Keep in mind:this could be triggering. "At every meal I drink my styrofoam cupful of lukewarm, unsweetened herbal tea. They bring the water to us already in cups, and it's not really hot enough to make strong tea, so sweetener's not necessary. Besides, the only sweetener is sugar and I refuse. What a completely different meaning for tea to have, compared to what it is at home. Everything is so dull. Standardized, normalized. I can't believe I have an individually-wrapped slice of wheat bread."
$2.00/1/2 size/36 pages/2 oz.
Coffeeshop Crushes
by Nicole and Jon
[Sold out, on re-order!]
Jon and Nicole had this ingenious idea to compile a zine full of stories about coffeeshop crushes, and here it is, "Coffeeshop Crushes"! this zine contains over 25 stories/comics about coffeeshop crushes from various contributors. I enjoyed this zine so much. It was incredibly cute/made me blush a couple of times. It's text-heavy and full of great illustrations, which will absolutely make you swoon! After reading this zine, I wanted to immediately hit up a local coffee shop, even with the fact that I don't like coffee. Without a doubt, a total must read, duh! "Sex with a coffee boy is either mind-numbing or explosive, but either way you are guaranteed bruises on your inner thighs from their prominent pelvic bones." $1.00/w:7" h:8.5"/33 pages/3 oz.
Comics and Beer
by Rory
In all, Comics and Beer is a zine filled with humour. Rory writes about her life/passions in such a comical manner, which reminds you that personal zines can be humorous/light-hearted! It consists of very random content, from the time she was high on happy gas to the time she was drenched in tears from a Buffy episode, this is where it's at! "I have shared probably 100 times as many emotional moments with a stupid plastic box as any other living person. It's impressive that someone can create & film a scenario with such passion & skill that it makes me care about the characters & their situation, that it makes me clash home from a relative's house or a coffeeshop so as not to miss the 1st few minutes of that week's action..but is it healthy? Hell, no, it's not healthy."
$1.00/1/4 size/28 pages/1 oz.
Corduroy Stars #1
by Laura
[Sold out, will not re-stock!]
I have to say, Laura is an amazing writer/artist. Her words have it's own way of making you feel the written moment, which isn't bad, at all. Her words are intertwined with drawings, drawn by Laura, herself, which is a total treat. In this particular issue she writes about nipple piercings, easily formed crushes, joining the gym, gaining self-esteem, confusion with her sexuality, the hardships of being bi in a small town, wanting to move to a big city, how Billy Martin of Good Charlotte stole her tattoo idea. There's also a long beautiful letter written to a boy she once loved, it's about letting go and not looking back, the rythym of the letter was melodic and wonderful. Then, she ends the zine with a drawn illustration of what a "Starbuckster" looks like! "When I was away at school, London had this certain smell whenever it would rain. It was one of the only things that would keep me from falling apart completely while I was there. It was a smell of newness and cleansing and everything that truly matters in life. It reminded me that everyday was new and that everyday I was given another chance to make the best of things." $1.00/1/4 size/38 pages/1 oz.
Corduroy Stars #2
by Laura
Again, another wonderful issue! I can really relate to a lot of Laura's writing in here. Like said, Laura is a splendid writer. And quite persistant when it comes to expressing her feelings. She is fierce and quite often makes me blush! I think I may have a crush ;) Warning: this zine may be triggering. In here, she writes about being diagnosed as a manic depressive, then being re-diagnosed as a Borderline Personality disorder case with bipolar tendencies. She also writes about change, self-identity, learning to love herself, self-injury, mental-illness, insecurity with her self-image, self-esteem issues, a repetitive dream she's been having. She then continues on with writing about in detailed form about the four boys she's ever been with, which on some parts I was on the verge of crying. She then writes about her sex drive and how low it's been, her sexual preference, And ends the zine with a bean sprout pancake recipe and a letter to her friends! Did I mention there's wonderful drawn illustrations? Well, there is! "I had experienced and seen things far more damaging than any person should ever be expected to even know about, let alone see. I was raped by someone I'd trusted then had to watch as he put a pistol to his mouth and pulled the trigger. It's rather strange being able to sit here and write this with a cold sense of detachment. It's as if it wasn't even me."
$1.00/half-size/30 pages/1.5 oz.
Crapulescence
by Stephanie!
[Sold out, will not re-stock!]
This zine is done by the fabulous Stephanie of Fork N' Spoon distro! For Stephanie's first ever personal zine I was extrememly impressed! Not only was it aesthetically gorgeous(the colored pages are beatiful!), but the content was well put together as well. In here, Stephanie writes about how she was obsessed with writing and drawing, which lead to socializing becoming difficult, to her not even dating anyone in highschool, which lead to regret. In highschool, Stephanie promised herself never to date/kiss anyone until she graduated, which eventually left her in regret, since there was a boy she absolutely crushed over. She also wrote about joining the cheerleading squad & being anti-social. In all, a must-have zine with one of the best happy endings, ever! Plus, when ordering this, you receive a copy of Reflex(which is a Duran Duran fanzine she made) and a snazzy Crapulescence button(while supplies last)! "I was a wierd teenager. I, Stephanie, emerged from high school totally inscathed, dateless, unkissed, a virgin. And I was, disturbingly, kind of proud of it." $1.00/1/8 size/26 pages/1 oz.
Cross Examination
by Jessica
This zine was simply about Jessica(who also writes Broken Records) being cross examined. She gives details in basically story form about the whole process about being cross examined and how she got in to this mess with her father. She also includes an interesting essay that deals with media representations. "What I was going through was so bizarre & well, highly uncool to say the least. My father calling the cops on me for assault? I have to get a restraining order? What?"
$1.00/1/2 size/32 pages/1 oz.
Cupcake:a zine of secrets
by SaraEllen
[Sold out, will not re-stock!]
This zine is done by the same girl who also writes the lovely zine, "Inner Monologue". In this zine SaraEllen's thoughts are transformed into honest ramblings that have a tasteful smooth flow when reading. I especially like how she really didn't focus on one specific subject, the subject changes were consistent and smooth. Words are complimented with little cute doodles. "She looks more and more evil to me everyday. Her arrogance is astounding. Her friends are annoying and boring. I feel terrorized when she is in a room. 2 months ago I was skipping through cofeeshops with this girl." $1.00/1/8 size/22 pages/.5 oz.
Cursive Bomb #2
by Ms. Pine
This particular issue is a cute little travelogue. Ms. Pine begins the zine wth, "This is Cursive Bomb #2 and it's all about travel. All trips were taken in 2004 I am a reminiscent girl with red hair and this zine is my secret obsession...and I want you to read it." These are the following places she travelled to: Wallace Idaho, Beartooth Mountains, Yellowstone, Billings Montana, Washington DC(she writes mainly about she attended the March for Women's lives), Lincoln Nebraska, San Francisco California, and Portland Oregon! This zine made me keep in mind to make a travelogue myself, one of these days. "Went to Castro: Gay men with baby strollers, gay men holding hands in the ice cream shop, gay men laughing and flipping through books in the gay book store. I saw one dyke in the hardware store. A bit of a disappointment."
$1.00/1/4 size/18 pages/1 oz.
Dance Matador Dance
by Michelle
I'm happy that I got this zine in for consideration, simply because it was absolutely fascinating. Michelle's words captivated me in way that I cannot explain, lets just say when reading this, it was like being given a shot of inspiration. Enclosed are 4 stories, which are fiction(if you love young adult fiction, you'll be in love with this zine), and for me getting into a fiction piece is quite hard because a lot of fiction stories I've read recently are just dry, but not the stories Michelle wrote, these will completely suck you in, making you mentally beg for more. Not only that, but there are also two personal reflections, one where she writes about her trip to Florida and two, well I'll keep two a mystery.So, you'll also get a scope into Michelle's life. Also, the layout was I think a plus as well! You already get the picture of how much I enjoyed this zine, but I'll say it again:This is a must! "But deep down, there is universal truth:that from the moment you are brought to life, you are married to Death. He lurks whereever you go, breathing down your neck, reminding you of your commitment. An anxious virgin, you await your wedding night, the night at which your love(or lack thereof) is consummated, the night at which you quite literally leave your life behind."
$1.00/1/2 size/28 pages/1 oz.
Dark Throat
by Katie
Katie writes about when she was a "Self-hating, boy obsessed bulimic loser!" This zine is compiled in journal entry form with a lot of great illustrations. This zine is capable of making you smile, laugh, and cry. It will put you in utter shock. It's wonderful detailed truth. It's a fast paced zine, leaving you wanting more. It's about a girl who once had an eating disorder. "They told me I was going to a treatment facility, I told the lady I couldn't put cream cheese on my bagel, that I liked bagels dry, then I started crying, I started to cry because she said it didn't matter what I liked."
$2.00/half-size/24 pages/1.5 oz.
Dear Diary
by Sophie Mol
[Sold out, on re-order!]
This zine was put together by Sophie, who also does the zine, "Americas Dreaming." This zine actually contains real-life journal entries from when she was 13 to 16. Reading all this made me wish I knew where I placed my old journal entries & diaries.It's cool because Sophie comments on each journal entry, so you get the now and thens. This was just in all a fun read that happened to make me giggle a lot and squirm in connection. "My parents are so mean. I was wearing my Bjork t-shirt & a denim skirt & they made me change because I was "inapproriately dressed" for Brian coming round. What idiots! Like Brian hasn't ever seen-oooh!-bare legs before!" $1.00/1/4 size/? pages/1 oz.
Deseur #1
By Meredith <3
[Sold out, will not re-stock!]
This zine is done by the lovely Meredith of Supernova Distro(which sadly closed down.)! After 4 years, it's finally here, a zine by Meredith! This is definitely one of those bang for a buck zines, simply because it was that enjoyable. In the beginning Meredith explains that most of the writings are fiction in a way, but not so much because the writings are actually based on a true event, person, etc. Like me, for Meredith distinguishing reality and thoughts is a hard task, which isn't a bad thing, the coolest conclusion to this was obviously this zine! In all, there are over 5 wonderful pieces to slowly intake and possibly save for reference, for maybe future zine talks(hehe)?! For me, most of the writing, I can easily relate to, there were various paragraphs when I thought, "That's so much like me." This was just in all a zine that brought numerous feelings to work and a smile that wasn't awkward or not even slightly forged. Plus, words are intertwined with polaroids and collected vintage photos, I mean, now, that's the cherry on top! "At recess we would draw on each other's shoes. My feet were an extension of my brain. I used my stubby body to talk because my mouth wouldn't. My shoes spoke in punk and riot grrrl and hers in hippie music I didn't get. Sometimes hers spoke in things I did understand, Lou Reed and Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison , but most of the time I was clueless. " $1.00/1/4 size/60 pages/2 oz.
DIY Guide II/The Walls are Alive
[Sold out, will not re-stock!]
A split zine, which both sides are great how-to guides. DIY Guide II contains: a guide to protesting, shoplifting tips, A DIY guide to software piracy, DIY spelling and grammer, info on travelling on trains/backpacking, at home hebal abortion, sewing, DIY oil change, safety pin tattoos, a pocket guide to black and white photos and more! The Walls are Alive is a simple guide to graffitti! I only wish I came across something like this when I was 13, oh how compelling that would have been! $.50/half-size/70 pages/2 oz.
Do As I Say, Not as I Do:family lessons to unlearn
by Kelly
Kelly starts off the zine with, "Has your family ever said or done anything that made you scratch your head and wonder how you turned out ok?" In here, Kelly writes in a somewhat comical manner about the thanksgiving dinner when she introduced her transgender boyfriend to her, as she describes racist/very patriotic family. It also includes detailed reactions as to when she came out to her family about her sexuality. Many of you can probably relate to Kelly's family, many of you won't, either way this is an enjoyable read, with some jaw dropping areas. "The first time my mom met my dad's side of the family, my uncle came home late because he was at the police station. Why? He was helping to burn down a house, it was rumored that a black family was moving into."
$.50/1/4 size/24 pages/1 oz.
(Image coming soon!)
Edgy! #12
by Star Blue!
Edgy is one of my favorite zines to read. It's based out of Southern California. Every issue Star Blue puts out is so wonderful. The layout/illustrations/writing is always a treat. The zine is filled with pictures which usually are vintage, drawn, or pictures taken by her and a lot of times she'll include some photobooth pictures(which is virtually all the time)! Her writing is simple, yet beautiful/quite enjoyable. She brings out the giddy in me. In this issue of Edgy! she writes about a dream she had, finally being independent, meeting people and finally having friends, being a vegan, the Rilo Kiley show she went to, how she can sleep through anything now, being hermitive, her airplane ride from LA to Oakland, "Girl Posse kicks ass!", being in college, self change, descriptions on some dance moves her and her friend made up along with some awesome illustrations!, the diversity of her school and the amount of foreign exhange students, Irving in So.cal, spotting Jason Schwartman, quotes, there's also two pages with pictures and descriptions of some thrift store finds and way more! "I'll stop making judgments about your perceptions if you'll just listen to me with out dissecting every word I say and defining it differently than I mean it." $1.00/half-size/34 pages/2.0 oz.
Edgy! #13
by Star Blue!
[Sold out, will not re-stock!]
Again, another terrific issue of Edgy! filled with lots of awesome clipart! On the cover is a picture of Star and her brother Llano, so cute! In this particular issue there's a short profile of the zinester herself along with some photobooth pictures! She has a listing of celebrities she's spotted in Los Angeles which includes their name(of course) and a description. She writes about 2 boy dreams she had, her thoughts on having crushes, how she's shy around girls, pick up lines her and her girlfriend made up. She also wrote about the road trip she experienced with her friends, she wrote about the stops they made(one being Haight street in S.f.!), stunts they pulled, etc...oh yeah and more photobooth pictures. There's two cute comic made by her friend Jenn, they're about Star, one is about what usually happens when Star goes thrift store shopping. There's some yummy vegan recipes, now you can make "the best smoothies ever made". She also write about holidayss, about being a packrat, And like always there's a section on her thrift store finds aling with illustrations. Oh, and she also reviewed some idie films/books/zines! And more! "My wounds from twenty years of living have mostly sealed up. but I am proud of the scars, they form a map inside my body to show you how I got here." $1.00/1/4 size/48 pages/2.0 oz.
Edgy! #16
by Star Blue!
[Sold out, on re-order!]
62 pages for a buck, whoa! This issue marks the 5 years anniversary of Edgy! And is the last issue that was made before she went to New Zealand to study for a semester. This issue of Edgy! is actually a little different than the other issues because you can tell that Star has changed a little, if you've read past issues then you probably can distinguish it. This issue was mainly about self-discovery/wanting to change/realizations. She wrote about her trip to Vancouver, Canada, she wrote about her thrift finds over there, about the Queer Film Fest she attended, about the improv shows she went to, and more. Then, there's also more on thrift finds along with illustrations, like always, but this one is specifically about jackets. She tells you about how she made an 80's skateboarder flick and she included some pictures. There's a letter to her friend Jenn. She also writes about not wanting to be dependent on her parents, wanting to be clean, wanting a home, her diffused tendinitis, about a girl who she thought was her best friend, why she doesn't get in touch with high school friends, meeting Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, list of movies that made her want to be in a gang, about being stalked. There's also a section of fun and easy fashion ideas, like how to make buttons. I don't want to give it all away, so I'll just end it with a "And way more"!
"He gives me gifts of burned cd's and writes me little notes. We cuddle, and go out for vegan dinners, and dance together. he likes my zines, and we both love the Wizard..I can't maintain this balance; one of us will get too close or go too far, we'll hold too tight or we'll just let go." $1.00/1/4 size/62 pages/2 oz.
Edgy! #17
by Star Blue!
Ok, so basically I was super excited when this issue came out because I'm really a big fan of Edgy! zine. This specific issue is about the time she spent studying abroad in New Zealand! I've always wanted to visit New Zealand, so reading about it in zine form got me a tad bit excited. In here there is the usual "About Me" page. She included a few letters that were sent to her in reply to issue #16. There's a piece titled "Talk like a Kiwi", which is fun simply because learning new lingo can only be fun. There are journal entries. She also writes about the wonderful people she's met and includes their picture by her description of each one. There's also NZ film reviews and show reviews. And just so much more! This zine is simply text filled with a fun layout! Oh yeah and it comes with an awesome Edgy! patch!
"It's funny, being here I really want to immerse myself in NZ culture but now that I'm here I feel really in American culture as well-books, tv-stuff that I wouldn't even be interested in at "home" but I feel comforted by the familiar within a strange/foreign environment."
$2.00/1/4 size/80 pages/2 oz.
Escaping Suburbia #1
By: Jen
[Sold out, will try to re-stock!]
Jen is a wonderful teenager who writes wonderfully about her trip to Echo Lake and her stay there. She begins the zine with when she came to the realization that she can be happy without material junk. She made the liberation of her mind sound so wonderful. After that there's a lot of good random blurbs on boys, "stereotypical girls", on music, her trip to the bookstore, msg, etc. Jen's writing can sometimes get very detailed, so sometimes you'll feel as if you're there, which isn't a bad thing at all. This is a must. "And that is what escaping suburbia is all about. Not only leaving physically, but freeing myself mentally from the drudgery of this place.." $1.00/1/4 size/42 pages/1 oz.
Four Star Daydream #5
By:Fawne
In the beginning, Fawne writes, "Please do not expect the world's greatest novel or the most romantic poem from me. I make this zine to share a piece of my life with you." And this is exactly what this zine is about, her life and she tells you about it so beautifully. In here, she writes about how everyone is always wanting to leave the town she lives in and how she's an exception, about her daughter Mazzy, about how she ran away in past and the outcome of it, wanting to get married to her boyfriend, her daily schedule and finding comfort in it and really opening up to her mom for the first time. She continues on with a piece about travelling to Alabama to attend a friend's funeral/re-aquaint herself with the past while over there. And more! Very great per-zine, indeed. "Some people probably would not like living my life; they would need excitement and suspense. Not me, most of my life was too excited, too unstable, and too loud. There is peace now..."
$1.00/1/4 size/30 pages/1 oz.
Four Star Daydream #6
By:Fawne
Again, Fawne has put out another splendid issue of Four Star Daydream! It starts off with, "I wanted the theme to be "one minute autobiographies" but some of the stories took longer than a minute to develop; some less than a minute. they are all here. they are all real and true." What a fun and brilliant idea, I thought! It really is fun and brilliant, by the way. It's jam-packed with short autobiographies, 22 to be exact! And I'm not going to list what they're about, simply because there's too many to list. All I have to say is that this is a wonderful zine in unique form and you will be pleased! "I'm devastated when I read his break-up email, full of cliches and I'm sorry's. I cry. I chain smoke. I figure if my heart is already shattered, what's the point of having perfect lungs?"
$1.00/1/4 size/31 pages/1 oz.
Four Star Daydream #7
By:Fawne
It probably would never cross your mind that someone would bring a gun to your school, it never crossed Fawne's mind either, but it happened. And this zine is all about the day she witnessed a school shooting at her very own highschool. From the beginning of that same day to being featured on CNN, it's all documented in this wonderful zine! I definitely give kudos to Fawne for having the courage to write all of this down! "I watch one of the most popular girls in school trip, stumble & run past me. A teacher runs by & says, "Shut the door! Shut the door!" I shut the door."
$1.00/1/6 size/23 pages/1 oz.
Full Tilt #2
by Megan
Ok first, if you've never read any of Megan's zines you seriously must pick this up, Clark 8, and Trabant #1, which are her other wonderful zines that I'm quite fans of(and are on the catalog!). Megan really knows how to glue her readers in. I'm really into her writing and the personal level she brings to her zines, it's comforting. This specific zine is about how Megan lived away from home in highschool training to become a professional dancer. She lets you in on all of this in a personal/detailed manner. This is certainly a must for your zine collection! "There were those whose bodies were naturally right for dance and those whose weren't. Courtney's was probably the most perfect:beautiful feet, flexible hamstrings, a flexible back, long legs, thin body. And yet, classic, she didn't really care. It was her mom who wanted her to dance, who wanted her daughter to do what she hadn't been able to do herself."
$2.00/about 1/2 size/40 pages/1.5 oz.
This zine is done by Sophie Mol, who also does "Dear Diary". It's the first UK based zine that Frenzy carries, I know, very exciting! This zine was just absolutely fun to go through! Sophie's zines are always fun. In here there's a piece about her love for curvy girls. She includes a part from her book journal, which consists of 4 very good book reviews. A piece about her obsession with the show, "Buffy". She also writes about her trip to the US, in journal entry form, with over 10 entries, actually. She also has a list with details a about her favorite drinks in the US as well as where it was purchased(very amusing!). There's also a piece about her favorite sexy comedians! There's just so much more, you'll just have to find out for yourself :)
The seven deadly sins, that's pretty much the theme for this issue, which is ingenious! If you've never read any of Kate's zines you must pick up a copy. Her writing is purely honest and it's a smooth intake and very fast-paced, which leads me to wanting more, really. The layout was simple, but pleasing. 
Kate describes this issue as "nothing profound here, just simple things that make me excited to get out of bed every morning." And that's what it's about! It's fun and simple issue filled with stuff about her favourite video games, garage sales, libraries, New Kids on the Block, mail, knitting and much more! She also gives you a free jamab juice smoothie recipe! She use to work there, I did too. Oh yeah, there's also a nifty zinester trading card inside! 
I picked up Bad Grades at the SF zine convention. I'm not too into comic zines, but Bad Grades I definitely got into. As Carla Marie explains she mainly draws "vulnerable and alienated girls." This is pretty much a hate it or love it thing, you'll either be annoyed by these characters or love them, or maybe you'll even find connection, or just find them funny, like I did. I happened to find most connection with the girl with Bettie Page esque bangs/cat-eye sunglasses, of course. I for one definitely loved this zine and got some good laughs out of it. There are three stories, in of course comic style and she ends it with a list of people's styles she's inspired by, accompanied with some drawings. This is definitely an aesthetical treat! 
This was an absolute joy to read, it's quite text-heavy, which is a plus and even more of a plus if you need to just kill time. Reading this all reminded me of the movies High Fidelity and Empire Records. And this zine is also kind of like a movie because she introduces you to co-workers individually and pretty much lets you in on everything..from the time "Too fast, too furious" was filmed at the "Broken Records"(which is the name of the record store she worked at, if you already didn't figure it out.) parking lot to the time she saved a toddler's life. My personal favorite was reading up on the top 5 regulars. By the way, when purchasing this zine you also receive a free cd, which is the soundtrack to this zine! Check out Jessica's other zine "Cross Examination"!
This particular zine is done by my good friend Alicia of Def Crew distro. Out of all zines she's done this has to be the most emotional one. In here she writes about losing her virginity and her thoughts on that. Basically, this whole zine is about a bad decision she made that changed a lot of things for her, which also includes the aftermath of that decision. Lots and lots of raw thoughts here. This was a bit personal for me because Alicia and I talked about what happened personally, before this zine was made. I'm glad she made this issue, she needed this emotional scream. Also, included is a cd soundtrack she made for this issue, which is a lovely listen :-)
The picture on front is of Jim Morrissey of The Smiths , which pretty much gives you an idea of what this zine is mainly going to be about, but to be more specific the picture is of Morrissey wearing a shirt that April(she writes this zine) made, how it got to him is what the majority of this zine is about. April shares her tour diary, it's about the 9 Morrissey shows she went to and how she actually got to meet Morrissey himself, lot and lots of fun details. Of course, you will get the scoop on how she found out about Morrissey and such! Besides Morrissey, you will find a piece which was inspired by Joe Biel of Microcosm roomate reviews piece, in which April revews her past neighbors, which was just super hilarious and fun. And last but not least in the end April included a story about her friend Sarah(who owns a Domino's pizza store) who told her about some heinous pizza scammers, which is the absolute cherry on top..hehe.. just comedic and fun. 
This zine is done by the lovely Megan who also writes the wonderful zines Trabant and Full Tilt, which you can also find on here. This specific zine is about Megan's one week stay at a psychiatric treatment unit. In the beginning she writes about the deep depression she went through and wanting to commit suicide. She then individually describes the other patients and the groups at the treatment unit. She also has a list of reasons to live because sometimes this is needed. There's also info on how to help a depressed friend and so much more you need to read up on. Keep in mind:this could be triggering. 
Jon and Nicole had this ingenious idea to compile a zine full of stories about coffeeshop crushes, and here it is, "Coffeeshop Crushes"! this zine contains over 25 stories/comics about coffeeshop crushes from various contributors. I enjoyed this zine so much. It was incredibly cute/made me blush a couple of times. It's text-heavy and full of great illustrations, which will absolutely make you swoon! After reading this zine, I wanted to immediately hit up a local coffee shop, even with the fact that I don't like coffee. Without a doubt, a total must read, duh!
In all, Comics and Beer is a zine filled with humour. Rory writes about her life/passions in such a comical manner, which reminds you that personal zines can be humorous/light-hearted! It consists of very random content, from the time she was high on happy gas to the time she was drenched in tears from a Buffy episode, this is where it's at! 
I have to say, Laura is an amazing writer/artist. Her words have it's own way of making you feel the written moment, which isn't bad, at all. Her words are intertwined with drawings, drawn by Laura, herself, which is a total treat. In this particular issue she writes about nipple piercings, easily formed crushes, joining the gym, gaining self-esteem, confusion with her sexuality, the hardships of being bi in a small town, wanting to move to a big city, how Billy Martin of Good Charlotte stole her tattoo idea. There's also a long beautiful letter written to a boy she once loved, it's about letting go and not looking back, the rythym of the letter was melodic and wonderful. Then, she ends the zine with a drawn illustration of what a "Starbuckster" looks like!
Again, another wonderful issue! I can really relate to a lot of Laura's writing in here. Like said, Laura is a splendid writer. And quite persistant when it comes to expressing her feelings. She is fierce and quite often makes me blush! I think I may have a crush ;) Warning: this zine may be triggering. In here, she writes about being diagnosed as a manic depressive, then being re-diagnosed as a Borderline Personality disorder case with bipolar tendencies. She also writes about change, self-identity, learning to love herself, self-injury, mental-illness, insecurity with her self-image, self-esteem issues, a repetitive dream she's been having. She then continues on with writing about in detailed form about the four boys she's ever been with, which on some parts I was on the verge of crying. She then writes about her sex drive and how low it's been, her sexual preference, And ends the zine with a bean sprout pancake recipe and a letter to her friends! Did I mention there's wonderful drawn illustrations? Well, there is! 
This zine is done by the fabulous Stephanie of Fork N' Spoon distro! For Stephanie's first ever personal zine I was extrememly impressed! Not only was it aesthetically gorgeous(the colored pages are beatiful!), but the content was well put together as well. In here, Stephanie writes about how she was obsessed with writing and drawing, which lead to socializing becoming difficult, to her not even dating anyone in highschool, which lead to regret. In highschool, Stephanie promised herself never to date/kiss anyone until she graduated, which eventually left her in regret, since there was a boy she absolutely crushed over. She also wrote about joining the cheerleading squad & being anti-social. In all, a must-have zine with one of the best happy endings, ever! Plus, when ordering this, you receive a copy of Reflex(which is a Duran Duran fanzine she made) and a snazzy Crapulescence button(while supplies last)!
This zine was simply about Jessica(who also writes Broken Records) being cross examined. She gives details in basically story form about the whole process about being cross examined and how she got in to this mess with her father. She also includes an interesting essay that deals with media representations. 
This zine is done by the same girl who also writes the lovely zine, "Inner Monologue". In this zine SaraEllen's thoughts are transformed into honest ramblings that have a tasteful smooth flow when reading. I especially like how she really didn't focus on one specific subject, the subject changes were consistent and smooth. Words are complimented with little cute doodles. 
This particular issue is a cute little travelogue. Ms. Pine begins the zine wth, "This is Cursive Bomb #2 and it's all about travel. All trips were taken in 2004 I am a reminiscent girl with red hair and this zine is my secret obsession...and I want you to read it." These are the following places she travelled to: Wallace Idaho, Beartooth Mountains, Yellowstone, Billings Montana, Washington DC(she writes mainly about she attended the March for Women's lives), Lincoln Nebraska, San Francisco California, and Portland Oregon! This zine made me keep in mind to make a travelogue myself, one of these days. 
I'm happy that I got this zine in for consideration, simply because it was absolutely fascinating. Michelle's words captivated me in way that I cannot explain, lets just say when reading this, it was like being given a shot of inspiration. Enclosed are 4 stories, which are fiction(if you love young adult fiction, you'll be in love with this zine), and for me getting into a fiction piece is quite hard because a lot of fiction stories I've read recently are just dry, but not the stories Michelle wrote, these will completely suck you in, making you mentally beg for more. Not only that, but there are also two personal reflections, one where she writes about her trip to Florida and two, well I'll keep two a mystery.So, you'll also get a scope into Michelle's life. Also, the layout was I think a plus as well! You already get the picture of how much I enjoyed this zine, but I'll say it again:This is a must! 
Katie writes about when she was a "Self-hating, boy obsessed bulimic loser!" This zine is compiled in journal entry form with a lot of great illustrations. This zine is capable of making you smile, laugh, and cry. It will put you in utter shock. It's wonderful detailed truth. It's a fast paced zine, leaving you wanting more. It's about a girl who once had an eating disorder.
This zine was put together by Sophie, who also does the zine, "Americas Dreaming." This zine actually contains real-life journal entries from when she was 13 to 16. Reading all this made me wish I knew where I placed my old journal entries & diaries.It's cool because Sophie comments on each journal entry, so you get the now and thens. This was just in all a fun read that happened to make me giggle a lot and squirm in connection.
This zine is done by the lovely Meredith of Supernova Distro(which sadly closed down.)! After 4 years, it's finally here, a zine by Meredith! This is definitely one of those bang for a buck zines, simply because it was that enjoyable. In the beginning Meredith explains that most of the writings are fiction in a way, but not so much because the writings are actually based on a true event, person, etc. Like me, for Meredith distinguishing reality and thoughts is a hard task, which isn't a bad thing, the coolest conclusion to this was obviously this zine! In all, there are over 5 wonderful pieces to slowly intake and possibly save for reference, for maybe future zine talks(hehe)?! For me, most of the writing, I can easily relate to, there were various paragraphs when I thought, "That's so much like me." This was just in all a zine that brought numerous feelings to work and a smile that wasn't awkward or not even slightly forged. Plus, words are intertwined with polaroids and collected vintage photos, I mean, now, that's the cherry on top! 
A split zine, which both sides are great how-to guides. DIY Guide II contains: a guide to protesting, shoplifting tips, A DIY guide to software piracy, DIY spelling and grammer, info on travelling on trains/backpacking, at home hebal abortion, sewing, DIY oil change, safety pin tattoos, a pocket guide to black and white photos and more! The Walls are Alive is a simple guide to graffitti! I only wish I came across something like this when I was 13, oh how compelling that would have been!
Kelly starts off the zine with, "Has your family ever said or done anything that made you scratch your head and wonder how you turned out ok?" In here, Kelly writes in a somewhat comical manner about the thanksgiving dinner when she introduced her transgender boyfriend to her, as she describes racist/very patriotic family. It also includes detailed reactions as to when she came out to her family about her sexuality. Many of you can probably relate to Kelly's family, many of you won't, either way this is an enjoyable read, with some jaw dropping areas. 
Edgy is one of my favorite zines to read. It's based out of Southern California. Every issue Star Blue puts out is so wonderful. The layout/illustrations/writing is always a treat. The zine is filled with pictures which usually are vintage, drawn, or pictures taken by her and a lot of times she'll include some photobooth pictures(which is virtually all the time)! Her writing is simple, yet beautiful/quite enjoyable. She brings out the giddy in me. In this issue of Edgy! she writes about a dream she had, finally being independent, meeting people and finally having friends, being a vegan, the Rilo Kiley show she went to, how she can sleep through anything now, being hermitive, her airplane ride from LA to Oakland, "Girl Posse kicks ass!", being in college, self change, descriptions on some dance moves her and her friend made up along with some awesome illustrations!, the diversity of her school and the amount of foreign exhange students, Irving in So.cal, spotting Jason Schwartman, quotes, there's also two pages with pictures and descriptions of some thrift store finds and way more!
Again, another terrific issue of Edgy! filled with lots of awesome clipart! On the cover is a picture of Star and her brother Llano, so cute! In this particular issue there's a short profile of the zinester herself along with some photobooth pictures! She has a listing of celebrities she's spotted in Los Angeles which includes their name(of course) and a description. She writes about 2 boy dreams she had, her thoughts on having crushes, how she's shy around girls, pick up lines her and her girlfriend made up. She also wrote about the road trip she experienced with her friends, she wrote about the stops they made(one being Haight street in S.f.!), stunts they pulled, etc...oh yeah and more photobooth pictures. There's two cute comic made by her friend Jenn, they're about Star, one is about what usually happens when Star goes thrift store shopping. There's some yummy vegan recipes, now you can make "the best smoothies ever made". She also write about holidayss, about being a packrat, And like always there's a section on her thrift store finds aling with illustrations. Oh, and she also reviewed some idie films/books/zines! And more!
62 pages for a buck, whoa! This issue marks the 5 years anniversary of Edgy! And is the last issue that was made before she went to New Zealand to study for a semester. This issue of Edgy! is actually a little different than the other issues because you can tell that Star has changed a little, if you've read past issues then you probably can distinguish it. This issue was mainly about self-discovery/wanting to change/realizations. She wrote about her trip to Vancouver, Canada, she wrote about her thrift finds over there, about the Queer Film Fest she attended, about the improv shows she went to, and more. Then, there's also more on thrift finds along with illustrations, like always, but this one is specifically about jackets. She tells you about how she made an 80's skateboarder flick and she included some pictures. There's a letter to her friend Jenn. She also writes about not wanting to be dependent on her parents, wanting to be clean, wanting a home, her diffused tendinitis, about a girl who she thought was her best friend, why she doesn't get in touch with high school friends, meeting Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, list of movies that made her want to be in a gang, about being stalked. There's also a section of fun and easy fashion ideas, like how to make buttons. I don't want to give it all away, so I'll just end it with a "And way more"!
Ok, so basically I was super excited when this issue came out because I'm really a big fan of Edgy! zine. This specific issue is about the time she spent studying abroad in New Zealand! I've always wanted to visit New Zealand, so reading about it in zine form got me a tad bit excited. In here there is the usual "About Me" page. She included a few letters that were sent to her in reply to issue #16. There's a piece titled "Talk like a Kiwi", which is fun simply because learning new lingo can only be fun. There are journal entries. She also writes about the wonderful people she's met and includes their picture by her description of each one. There's also NZ film reviews and show reviews. And just so much more! This zine is simply text filled with a fun layout! Oh yeah and it comes with an awesome Edgy! patch!
Jen is a wonderful teenager who writes wonderfully about her trip to Echo Lake and her stay there. She begins the zine with when she came to the realization that she can be happy without material junk. She made the liberation of her mind sound so wonderful. After that there's a lot of good random blurbs on boys, "stereotypical girls", on music, her trip to the bookstore, msg, etc. Jen's writing can sometimes get very detailed, so sometimes you'll feel as if you're there, which isn't a bad thing at all. This is a must.
In the beginning, Fawne writes, "Please do not expect the world's greatest novel or the most romantic poem from me. I make this zine to share a piece of my life with you." And this is exactly what this zine is about, her life and she tells you about it so beautifully. In here, she writes about how everyone is always wanting to leave the town she lives in and how she's an exception, about her daughter Mazzy, about how she ran away in past and the outcome of it, wanting to get married to her boyfriend, her daily schedule and finding comfort in it and really opening up to her mom for the first time. She continues on with a piece about travelling to Alabama to attend a friend's funeral/re-aquaint herself with the past while over there. And more! Very great per-zine, indeed.
Again, Fawne has put out another splendid issue of Four Star Daydream! It starts off with, "I wanted the theme to be "one minute autobiographies" but some of the stories took longer than a minute to develop; some less than a minute. they are all here. they are all real and true." What a fun and brilliant idea, I thought! It really is fun and brilliant, by the way. It's jam-packed with short autobiographies, 22 to be exact! And I'm not going to list what they're about, simply because there's too many to list. All I have to say is that this is a wonderful zine in unique form and you will be pleased!
It probably would never cross your mind that someone would bring a gun to your school, it never crossed Fawne's mind either, but it happened. And this zine is all about the day she witnessed a school shooting at her very own highschool. From the beginning of that same day to being featured on CNN, it's all documented in this wonderful zine! I definitely give kudos to Fawne for having the courage to write all of this down!
Ok first, if you've never read any of Megan's zines you seriously must pick this up, Clark 8, and Trabant #1, which are her other wonderful zines that I'm quite fans of(and are on the catalog!). Megan really knows how to glue her readers in. I'm really into her writing and the personal level she brings to her zines, it's comforting. This specific zine is about how Megan lived away from home in highschool training to become a professional dancer. She lets you in on all of this in a personal/detailed manner. This is certainly a must for your zine collection!