Handwritten and collaged, this set of zines is part homage, part how-to-guide to “thumbing a lift” across Canada and beyond. The author of the zine (54-years-old at time of writing) begins by acknowledging the contradictory nature of supporting hitchhiking while condemning the car, but gets that out of the way quickly enough to share some pro tips on a dying method of transportation. The traveler shares his ups and downs — meeting friendly folks who drove past their own destinations to help a stranger get to theirs, getting stranded on the side of the highway for six hours — but rarely addresses the risks inherent in hitchhiking, which could be a dangerous omission should this zine fall into the hands of the easily influenced type. “Why walk when you’ve got two thumbs?” the zine asks in its Australian instalment. Well, because this way you won’t wind up in the vehicle of a dangerous individual who wants to kill or rob you, that’s why.
Still, this collection of zines is carefree and adventurous, and makes a strong argument against this sceptical attitude. Seldom are the hardships of travelling by ground glorified so freely, and the spirit of that is encouraging. Jack Kerouac would be proud. (Carly Lewis)
Zine, Tim, [email protected]