Mean Zine
Comic zine, Noah Izak Langer, Peter J Stankiewicz, Chealsea Bellrose, Andry Kirkness, Emma unit, Jordan Aelick, Ian Meyer-Macaulay, [email protected]
The snappy epigraphs that open each of the half dozen short comics in Mean Zine seem somewhat strategically placed – as if to mitigate how irreverent and nutty the comics are themselves. The literary musings of Philip K. Dick, John Steinbeck, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and others lend a certain gravitas. What follows includes insect body horror, beard and pube tangles, and demonic trophy dogs – all of which make this quick read worth a chuckle and a cringe. The visual style varies from piece to piece but the gleeful perversity of each submission holds this zine together nicely — – and its creators (comprised of many seasoned indie comics folk) know it. The final epigraph, ascribed to Frank Herbert, God Emperor of Dune, reads: “Mischief is a most profound pleasure. It’s in the ways we deal with mischief that we sharpen creativity.” There was no price on this, but for a couple bucks it’s certainly worth it to have your mind gently blown. Solid. (Chris Landry)