The first thing I thought when I picked up this zine was, “WOW! This sucker’s HUGE!” Creators Anto and Eugene didn’t foresee this issue growing to 112pages of punky, political goodness, but it did and it packs a wallop.
Loserdom is a quarterly zine based out of Dublin that thrives on sticking it to the man. Really–the whole thing is about inciting social activism through protests, music and any other measures people take to be heard.
But what I really love is that it uses a lot of different media to do this. There are newspaper-like articles about the Spanish Revolution, interviews with activists like Caoimhe Butterly, and, delightfully, comics! With so many pages to chew through, Anto and Eugene make sure you’re engaged from start to finish by having an even ratio between images and text. Tired of reading?
Look at the pretty doodles of scruffy boys in punk t-shirts riding bikes. Okay, ready for more Subcultural Digest? Good. Turn the page and read an engaging article about Irish punk rocker Deko Dachau.
I also really love the newsletter approach it takes in the beginning. Basically, the zine lists all the recent events that have transpired in the community since the last issue. So it’ll tell you about the relocation of a favourite community centre or a food co-op that’s closed. It also keeps people updated about developments in protests and new records from indie bands. It even has its own zine reviews at the back of the issue! Crikey, it’s like Dublin has its own Broken Pencil!
If you’re into more serious zines that are largely political in nature (I mean, these articles have FOOTNOTES and recommended reading lists!), grab this zine. It offers a heck of a lot of material to mull over. (Amy Greenwood)
Zine, Issue #17, Anto & Eugene, $3.50, Microcosm, [email protected], loserdomzine.com