Xrisville
Zine, Xris, issue 5, ABM Publishing, [email protected], Free
This printed humour zine is very silly, bursting with content like fake advice, phony ads, goofy letters, and an interview with Toronto-based international touring noise artist, Roman Pilates. It also contains a tribute to a place dear to my heart: Toronto’s Geary Street Rehearsal Factory! I am kind of in awe at the amount of content that Xris has amassed here. He has created an entire universe as densely composed as it is making fun of everything and, most of all, itself.
Xris produces two of these per year and distributes them around Toronto. Soon, he is going to take his expansive joke factory onto the internet. And why wouldn’t he, really? “Fun Cat Facts!” is bursting with viral potential. And why should the world be denied a full colour glimpse of the cruddy TTC graffiti of High Park? Xrisville (pronounced Chris-ville — no relation) is coming your way in some form or another. And if this kind of geeky humour is your thing then prepare to be stoked. (Chris Landry)