Zine Review

More so than the numerous instances of porking and bodily fluids flying about, the passion of each of the contributors to Spread Love is clear. There’s a lot of passion on full display and I’m not just talking about the smut!

Jason’s memories of his first time hearing a band always seem to occur in some hole-in-the-wall record store in the ‘90s. It seems the real trick here is that this unassuming zine sneaks up on you with its grassroots charm.

Speaking as something of a lapsed wrestling fan, Greater Power makes a compelling case for once again investing oneself in the strange, strange world of sports entertainment.

Craig Berman outlines an inspiring — and, quite frankly, increasingly necessary — approach to creativity that questions whether the labour of design must always be in service to others.

Mario 69 is part of multidisciplinary artist Jon Clark, a series of faux home media covers that each express ‘cursed’ feelings in their own way. Here, a ‘lost’ Super Mario game through lay-outs of the various enemies, characters and girlfriends.

Nicholas Teixeira is like a hyper Max Headroom, be-bopping his way through an explosion of pop culture and its intersection with the self.

Amidst loss, struggle, and pain, Douglas owns her experience and contention with mental health with a true gift for language. Her facility with the narration of emotion is moving and resonant.

This full-colour, richly collaged mini-zine is a touching tribute to a real-life friend, Atticus, and a rendering as fable of Atticus’s coming out and transitional journey.

Despite a few odd omissions, this is a crisply presented fanzine and final exhumation of the exhausting early-aughts archetype.

Run Wolf Run is a well done comic-and printed in nice risograph package to boot, but does that make it worth howling over?