Reviews

Review: Through the Billboard Promised Land Without Ever Stopping

Initially penned in 1971, it was not until recently that House Sparrow Press published Derek Jarman’s voyage for the first time. Steeped in notes of Americana, the brief novella is a poetic fairy tale of a fantastical road trip across a trippy landscape.

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: Boat Life Vol. 1

The perfect blend of the mundane, the nostalgic and the fantastic, Boat Life collects Tsuge Tadao’s stories serialized from 1996-2000 in a wonderful volume. The river might just be the perfect place to escape and find oneself.

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: Tegan and Sara: Modern Heartthrobs

Unlike many other acts who saw the quality of their music degenerate in inverse proportion to their pocketbooks, Tegan and Sara’s art has only increased in its popularity and reach. Melody Lau does an excellent job of highlighting these tensions.

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: Continuity Errors

Catriona Wright’s poetry book is for millennials who are climate anxious, financially insecure and over-saturated with the dark humour of the internet.

Review: The Marigold

Equal parts Cronenberg and Ballard, the Toronto of Andrew F. Sullivan’s satirical horror is most effectively unnerving when rendered from the vantage point of foundation pits, damp parking garages, fortress-like backyards and underground tunnels.

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.