Wednesday, January 16, 2008

dream whip no. 11

dream whip no. 11 is one of the best zines I’ve read so far. It details the writer’s cross country trip from Texas to California then back across to New York with wonderful bite-sized stories, most of which are devoted to New York. Each snippet of the journey is filled with musings and little-known facts, well-painted descriptions and injected possibilities. In one piece he describes the evolution of subway car graffiti and how the writers still maneuver around the transit authority’s attempts to “clean” up their cars. Another contemplates an elevator and afterlife. The operator shuttles passengers up and below “like some MTA Charon.” With wit and, what I see as, self-honesty and understanding, dream whip beautifully delivers concise ADHD-suited morsels worth every penny of the 3 dollars it costs.

--adi

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Zine Review: The Strange Voyage of the Leona Joyce

44 pages, mostly text, with 8 photos and 4 drawings.

This compelling zine relays a true-story tale about some friends and a dog that commit to navigate the Mississippi River together for a few months. The narrator and his chums take their ride on a tiny handmade vessel built with found objects scavenged from dumpsters and junkyards. The crew boldly takes their place on the big muddy river amid the chaos of modern commercial barges and luxury cruise ships. Within the story are some feel-good moments and some not-so-fun adventures. Emergencies creep in. For this reader, sitting upon her cushy chair in a climate-controlled room, the narrative is rich. Words reveal that the river is not entirely romantic and tame. After a breakdown on the river, the zine’s author writes a little gem in his log book, “I put the engine together last night by lantern and maglight held in my teeth. It is much nicer to hold a maglight in your mouth if you wrap some duct tape around the end so your teeth have something better to bite on than metal… As long as it keeps running, I’m happy.” So REAL with detail, isn’t it? I recommend this zine to all of those DIY types who crave adventure.
-DeDe

We carry this zine so email us. -Mike