Zine Reviews

Review: Feminism for a Genderqueer Generation

The way Melendez mixes theory with personal anecdotes is a graceful way to deliver intellectual critique with relatable humour. This is a strong, accessible read that even someone who might be hearing about “agender” for the first time can understand.

Review: Beat The Rust

Life doesn’t unfold in a neat narrative, neither does Kelly Fruh’s brief, deft, illustrated vignettes.

Review: The Novice

In Sean McCarthy’s The Novice, a strolling snail-man is consumed, only to survive and meet worse horrors in the gullet of the beast. Things are not always what they appear to be. Both within and without this whimsy world.

Review: at the 7/11 outside Club Q

A deeply personal zine rendering moments of grief and joy, cartoonist and science illustrator Annabel Driussi reflects on the aftermath of the shooting that occurred at Colorado Springs’ Club Q in November, 2022.

Review: Anxious

Anxiety, while a sometimes terrifying experience, can also be a place of self-discovery as it forces some into periods of self-reflection. There’s something wonderful that lurks in that space between our ears.

Review: Krello

A couple deal with an alien crash landing in their backyard in cartoonist Kanekiel’s debut effort.

Review: Proof I Exist

Honest and reflective, Billy McCall provides anecdotes that are both workaday and philosophical, in a voice that adds to their relatability. The zine calls to mind the capitalist question of our times: how does one continually produce quality content?

Review: everyday oil

A perfect prologue to Kate Beaton’s Ducks, everyday oil brings to light each organization involved in oil, every new pipeline, private clubs founded by oil men, the realization of downtown Edmonton’s building names and where they originate (spoiler alert: oil).

Review: Grunge Tejana

Bonnie Cisneros’ zine is an all-inclusive haunting. A quintessential ’90s love letter, Grunge Tejana sheds light on the brown folks who made up a big part of the grunge scene down here in Texas.

Review: Sleepy Hollow Motor Inn

Molly Young breathes life into her tale of homicide, hemophilia, Cape Cod motels and underwater exploration. She brings a love of language, rigorous research approaches and a jovial reportage style reminiscent of a This American Life episode.

Review: but i digress

Our perspective on a past event can change over time given someone else’s account or our desires creeping in. Nestor Kok’s photozine encapsulates our warped perspective through Chicago’s infamous Bean.

Review: Boobless

In an age where gender affirming care is increasingly being restricted, it is a political act to describe your journey through top surgery. Boobless breaks down how difficult recovering from this surgery would have been without the support of partners, friends and family.