I’m not sure what is trying to be conveyed here. I mean, I’m sure there is a point to this zine, but no matter how closely I look at it, I just cannot see it.
Shoebox is an illustrated look at a woman’s apartment, and the various items within it. The first page describes a couple of dresses in her closet, in which she actually offers a minute history of each dress. This in itself is very charming, and made me want to read more.
However, as I read on, this type of display is only shown a few times more, with her desk, lamp, fan and her windows. The rest is a misshapen mess of random items that I as a reader did not find myself caring about, or comprehending why she felt the need to include it or write a zine about it.
The artwork itself is somewhat well-done, if disjointed and stale. I don’t find myself seeing the woman who owns the items, nor do I find myself wanting to know the details. The only time I found myself hesitating over the pen and ink sketches was when she offered a description of what they were, and even then, it still only opened the window to her life just a smidge.
Shoebox is an interesting attempt at what could have been an amazing project, but its lack of effort or character within the materiel leaves me, the reader, unsatisfied and somewhat confused by the very end. I think the style is simplistic and a good start, but in order to be truly amazing, there should be more depth. The idea of looking into a woman’s home and dissecting every daily item is a unique and original idea for a zine, but it could have been presented in a more organized manner. (Tara Blackmore)
Zine, Madelaine Lyons Cooper, [email protected]