A take on parenting advice and other meaty topics with ‘Hollywood Forever Cemetery’

This zine shares its name with a Father John Misty tune, but please don’t mistake it for hipster bait or funky beard stuff. It’s far more than that. Hollywood Forever Cemetery is essentially a little gem of unsolicited parenting advice in the form of a zine. Creator Ed Richter details his experience taking his son to a cemetery. Half field trip and half reality check, Richter ruminates about the importance of teaching kids about big picture stuff, having children later in life and other meaty topics. It works in part because it’s not especially preachy nor heavy-handed. It also works because this cemetery is ultra famous in its own right, and has many famous uh, “long- term residents.” Richter includes a photo of his kid sitting in front of the grave of musician Johnny Ramone to hammer that home. It’s all very honest and visceral. With so many bad or scary takes on parenting floating around the Internet these days, it’s refreshing to see the inverse in print. These thoughts are far more real and concise, rooted in art and death and education. Kudos to Richter for keeping it real. Best of luck with the kid, fella.