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Issue #84

From the Editor

Letter from JV: These zines are personal

Jonathan Valelly

Features

In the Ring: Wrestling Zines and Dreams

Amelia Ruthven-Nelson | Features

$IDE HU$TLE: Sex Worker Zines Tell Many Truths

Amber Dawn | Features

“The Age of Hyper-Reality” is a text is dated from the ‘80s with the aesthetics to match

Elwyn Murray | Zine Reviews

Fiction: Small Miracles

L.D Nguyen | Fiction

“K!MMORTAL” is a combination of pop, R&B, and rapid-fire, spoken word rants

Scott Bryson | Zine Reviews

Ian Daniel Kehoe’s “Secret Republic” is intimate, confessional, and lyrically dense

Scott Bryson | Music Reviews

“Vinegar” is an intimate affair fixating on absence and loneliness

Scott Bryson | Music Reviews

“Ich Will Nix Alter Werten” is a riveting story and an ingenious reworking of a small and tragic historical episode

Joshua Barton | Zine Reviews

“Diana’s Song” is an ever-familiar suburban tragedy — sentimental, melancholy, a first love after which she will forever pine

Joel W Vaughan | Zine Reviews

This poetry book is all about “denpa”: a Japanese term for people who are disconnected from those around them

Scott Bryson | Zine Reviews

Walsh isn’t afraid to get down in the dirt in “These are not the potatoes of my youth”

Kathleen Brennan | Book Reviews

“On the Count of None” blurs the lines between message and tone

Maxine Kozak | Book Reviews

“It Begins with the Body” invites you to laugh, get angry, feel empowered, and manage everyday difficulties with blunt irony

Broken Pencil | Book Reviews

“Yellow Yellow” is a storybook for curious kids, and a picture book for comic-fanatical adults

Julia Busatto | Book Reviews

“Vibrant Mood Swings” is an eccentric take on the inner workings of the author’s own mind

AriCannarozzo | Book Reviews

“Leaving Richard’s Valley” offers models of friendship, collective action, and meaning making

Jonathan Valelly | Book Reviews

“I Threw a Brick Through a Window” is a book of literal magic

AriCannarozzo | Book Reviews

Welcome to the world of Nick Maandag in “The Follies of Richard Wadsworth”

Hal Niedzviecki (Moderator) | Book Reviews

“Awesome Possum Vol. 4” provides an educational experience about these adorably scary marsupials

Tina Olah | Book Reviews

“A Grander Vision, My Life in the Labour Movement” promotes the need for meaningful change through social movement

Feliks Jezioranski | Book Reviews

Say goodbye to West End Toronto’s distinct green and brown themed mall in this documemoir

John Nyman | Book Reviews

Cynthia Cruz’s writing echoes that of mad studies scholars in her critique of fixed narratives in “Disquieting”

Maxine Kozak | Book Reviews

“This Keeps Happening” will leave you laughing, cringing, and page-turning

Broken Pencil | Book Reviews

This short story collection is a dry-witted, often tender-hearted addition to the coming of age genre

Nick Pearce | Book Reviews

This typical hardboiled detective novel will have you chuckling, scratching your head, and asking for more

Anisa Rawhani | Book Reviews

“The Laws of the Skies” is a horror novel that represents a loss of innocence and the fear of abandonment

Broken Pencil | Book Reviews

“The High-Rise in Fort Fierce” features quirky characters facing hopeless obstacles against backdrops of poverty and casual violence

Rob Thomas | Book Reviews

“Pastel Houses” appreciates the beauty of residential architecture traditions while remaining mindful of that necessity

Jeff Low | Zine Reviews

“Our Lady” is a view into a new and rewarding relationship, and one that may make you consider some of your own

Graham Sigurdson | Zine Reviews

Despite the wordlessness of “no health” and “Real Screamo”, Kai Lumbang’s artistry still invites you to linger

Graham Sigurdson | Zine Reviews

Everything in “Nerves” is where it should be, with nothing unneeded or unnecessary slowing things down

Graham Sigurdson | Zine Reviews

“localz only #1” manages to find the perfect balance as a collage zine with a great sense of style and placement

Graham Sigurdson | Zine Reviews

This comic zine is a journey about overcoming obstacles in both the physical and mental world

Cam Gordon | Zine Reviews

This zine with an awkwardly long title is also an awkwardly long story about struggling with mental health issues

Jeff Low | Zine Reviews

“Tour Book #2” shines with a sardonic observational tone cutting a line through the dull absurdity of a situation

Elwyn Murray | Zine Reviews

This zine features the missed connections of Craigslist in a fun and creative way

Cam Gordon | Zine Reviews

“T&A” opens up an aspect of the trans experience that’s hard to cope with

Sidney Drmay | Zine Reviews

Podcasting possible worlds

Jonathan Valelly | Sharpeners

“Syndicate Product 24” provides a middling reading experience

Joel W Vaughan | Zine Reviews

“Sometimes Human Issue #2” is a simple reminder that your feelings are valid regardless of what others say

Jeff Low | Zine Reviews

“Secret Shame” is a refreshing read about common facets of everyday life

Cam Gordon | Zine Reviews

“Paramnesia” is the perfect zine for aspiring analysts and fellow dreamers

Joshua Barton | Zine Reviews

Saying goodbye can feel good in this zine that focuses on the feeling of nostalgia

Sidney Drmay | Zine Reviews

“No Quarter #9” is perfect for anarchist history buffs and those alike

Joshua Barton | Zine Reviews

You don’t need to be personally invested in nursing or healthcare to connect with this zine

Chris Landry | Zine Reviews

“Flotation Device 15” is personable, multi-faceted, and bold

Jenna McClelland | Zine Reviews

I don’t really know what this zine is about, and I kind of like that

Cam Gordon | Zine Reviews

“Ecocidal Capitalism” may cause anxiety about the future and what is to come

Chris Landry | Zine Reviews

Learn how to create your own collages with the help of “Collagio #3”

Joshua Barton | Zine Reviews

“All in Your Head” addresses the lived experiences of chronic pain and a world of barriers

Sidney Drmay | Zine Reviews

Hindsight proves powerful in “The Landscape We Left on Each Other” chapbook

Scott Bryson | Zine Reviews

4 Questions with The Atomic Elbow

Amelia Ruthven-Nelson | Columns

Latest issue of “I’m Looking for the Magic” fanzine mixes personal history with cultural texts and moments

Chris Landry | Zine Reviews

“Nothing To Write Home About” photo zine celebrates the chaos of being alive

Elwyn Murray | Zine Reviews

Folio: Blood Relatives by Darien Taylor

darienleslietaylor | Folio

3 Questions with Don’t Hate My Heels

Amber Dawn | Columns

“your third emoji is your reaction” chapbook recounts an entire upbringing to the beat of global events

Scott Bryson | Book Reviews

“everyday mythologies” chapbook packs an emotional punch

Joel W Vaughan | Book Reviews

“The Awkwardly Long Book of Autobio Comics About Being an Anxiety Ridden and Depressed Person” is cheeky and honest

Jeff Low | Book Reviews

Fiction: The History of “BOOBZ”

Clare Tascio | Fiction