Everlasting Road Trip - Hannah Williams

I received this zine after I posted my PO Box address on Reddit. Hannah was super cool and sent me an envelope filled with zine goodness for review. 

Everlasting Road Trip is a 24 paged B&W half-size zine. It is in a cut and paste collage style documenting their road trip. 

It opens up with a very relatable thought, one that I have thought about many moments in my life. 

"Sometimes I'm afraid that I will forget the way it felt. It felt like a dream. It felt like stepping into a movie that no one is watching. It felt like the world leaped around me in 3-D. The land was so flat but the sky opened up higher and wider than ever before and it scared me. As if the world would tilt and I would slide into the sky like dropping off a cliff into a sea. How can you get scared of heights while standing perfectly stable on the ground?"

Their words inspired so many memories to come forth, reminding me that I haven't forgotten the way it felt. Moments while I've been on vacation. Moments where I stayed out late at night just to go to a park and swing on some swings while swinging so high it felt like I could touch the sky and singing along to music so loud it felt like I could live forever in that moment. Moments spent around campfires. Moments spent walking along the ocean. So many moments.

They go on to explain this isn't about being free spirits travelling to see the country. During the first year of marriage, they followed their husband as he travelled for work. This zine is filled with little moments experienced and observed, and thoughts.

They talk about how some memories start to blend together (hotels, gas stations, streetlights passing overhead) and how some moments become forever remembered on their own (learning about & buying tire chains). 

They group some of the memories together by the place they happened in. Others are a grouping of memories about different moments that are connected by a trail of thought; diners, wandering, nature.

Even though this zine is written specifically about the author's experiences and thoughts, it is a very nostalgic filled read for me. I also enjoy that I'm not the only one who thinks in fragments. It's well written, but not trying too hard. It has the distinct feel of sitting with a friend as they explain the things they did on their vacation. It's not all big flashy stories, just an honest look into a wandering life.

Along with Everlasting Road Trip, I also received two issues of Sometimes People Don't Suck and two untitled collage zines.

The issues of Sometimes People Don't Suck feature a single short story of a moment in their life where people, you guessed it, don't suck. They are mini zines made in a cut and paste style. If I had to choose between issue #2 & #4, I would have to say I adore issue #2. I would definitely love to see more of these in the future.

They sent me a note explaining that of the untitled mini zines "the one with the sewing on it is inspired by Cleveland's Rapid train stations, and the other untitled one I made at the Street Cat Zine Fest this past summer in Lancaster, OH." The zines themselves are beautiful, and it's awesome having some context behind them as well. I love the added touch of sewing on the one zine, and I feel inspired to add sewing to a zine as well. However, I'm fairly certain I don't have the patience for it. So I'll leave creations such as these to talented people who enjoy doing it.

If you'd like to get in contact with Hannah to buy their zines you can email them at hwilliamswrites@gmail.com

Or check out their Instagram

Or their Wordpress

Bearqueft Comix

I received Bearqueft Comix #3 along with some cool stickers in the mail for review a while ago. It arrived right in time for my birthday which was super cool and totally appreciated.

This issue is a 52 page B&W zine, including the cover, featuring an abundance of art from a ton of amazing artists. They include contact information for all the featured artists, which I totally appreciate, and label each page with which artist contributed that piece. You can also find this list of artists on the Bearqueft website which links directly to them. Click here to see the Hall Of Fame.

It is an interesting selection of art with multiple submissions for most, if not all, of the artists. There were a few pages with no context on it that I loved trying to guess what the inspiration for them was. [Although, it would be cool to have a “behind the scenes” issue where the artist could talk about their inspirations. Just an idea that I had the fifth time I flipped through the zine.] A few of the pieces are a statement about life and society, showing that technology has left us dissatisfied. There were also a few short comics within these pages. I do have to admit I love “Slum Cat” (which is a comic by Charlie Haggard who is the creator of Bearqueft) and want to see a lot more of this spunky cat in the future. There is also an untitled comic by Loïs Dalou that had a raw honesty within it that I thought more people need to see.

I adore the art in this zine and have sought out some of the creators to see even more by them. The mix of art that is both lighthearted and deep truly makes this zine feel very well rounded. I’ve included some photos of my favourite pieces. I didn’t want to spoil the end of the comic, so I only included two frames of it. I suggest you get yourself a copy of this zine and the previous issues. And luckily for you, Issue 4 is coming out soon. So keep your eyes peeled for that.

Click here to buy your own copy of the zine.

Click here to go to the Bearqueft website to see information about submitting to a future issue, or to see a list of artists.

If you have any questions about this zine you can contact Charlie via Instagram, their website or email them at smelldog@gmail.com

Moldy Old Cider (designed cover art for Bearqueft as well)

Majic Monsters

Macartney Greer

For the record, if you are an artist in this zine and I didn’t mention you please do not feel left out. I truly loved this zine. It has taken me a long time to decide which people to mention or not.

Sewer Babe

Found this zinester on Etsy and thought it was cool that they have a series of mental health mini zines each one featuring a creature with a shell.

The zines are comics telling a short story about an aspect of their lives. The hermit crab struggles with body image. The turtle struggles with following their dreams. The armadillo struggles with gender identity. The snail struggles with seeking help with their mental health. Each zine is a cute little story about trying to find the bright side for each struggle.

I really enjoy the art style of Sewer Babe (Whitney Billings). I love how they decided to personify each creature, although if I had to pick my favourite it would have to be Snail. It will probably be the cutest snail human I ever see.

For more art and comics (zines) by Sewer Babe you can check out their Instagram, Etsy, Patreon or Gumroad (for digital comics).

Tofu Press Zines

This zinester is someone I discovered off Instagram. Thank goodness for #zines. I love seeing all the cool things people create.

First off I have Hello there: I’m a mini zine and this is my front cover which is a mini zine that explains the layout of a mini zine and provides some ideas for what you could put inside of your mini zine. As a bonus, the whole zine unfolds and the flip shows instructions on how to fold your own mini zine. Very cool zine.

Secondly, I have Things To Do At Work At Work When You’re Depressed which is a relateable mini zine about not being in the right mental space to be able to focus on work and feeling guilty and ashamed because of it.

Lastly, I have Stuff I Wish Therapy Had Taught Me which is a perzine about things they believe they should have been taught in therapy years ago. For the most part, I think most of this should be taught to everyone in school. What healthy boundaries are, activities you can do to help your mental wellbeing, and being told that abuse is not your fault ever. Not everyone will need to apply the knowledge in their lives but it’s something you should know just in case. Relateable zine for anyone who has tried getting help but felt misunderstood instead.

You can find their zines on their website, on Etsy or by going to their Instagram.

KD Falconer

I met this zinester at my local zine fair in October. Which means KD is the first person I ever got an art zine from. Thanks for trading with me!

I have 3 of their zines. One is an untitled mini zine that is filled with sword drawings. Another is called What A Pansy which contains a short story/poem which I really enjoy. It features artwork of pansies and swords to illustrate the story. And lastly, Dungeon Crawler Cuties which is an art zine. Filled with dessert themed warriors. If I had to pick, I would have to say Creme Brulee is my favourite warrior.

I love their art style and I am very intrigued with what lures KD to draw swords aplenty. Considering the What A Pansy zine I believe there is some awesome symbolism going on with swords in contrast to their life. But maybe I’m reading into this too much.

To see more of their amazing artwork check out their Instagram or website.

Outer Space

Outer Space is a mini zine that features a short story and space-themed artwork. It is about wanting to disappear because having so many possibilities feels more like a prison sometimes. Or at least that is the meaning I saw in the words and it’s definitely a feeling I relate to. I enjoy the middle spread pages the most, the artwork and words... there’s something about being an astronaut drifting in space that has always intrigued me. 

You can find more art and zines by OutaSight on Instagram and Etsy.

Jeffery Kingsley

This zinester is someone I found on Etsy when trying to search for PTSD & CPTSD related zines. 

Each zine is a comic book and features a specific mental illness that Jeffery has. Each comic describes how that particular mental illness affects their life on a daily basis. How it can be hard to cope in the midst of struggle. Jeffery does a great job explaining with images and words how it feels to live with mental illnesses. I think what I enjoy most about these zines is that you can tell they are about a very dark time but each issue ends with the message that they will not let their mental health destroy them. They can survive.

To check out more of their art go to their Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter or website. To get a copy of these zines head over to their Etsy page.

Mental Health Advice - Hattie & Evie

Mental Health Advice We Wish Someone Would Have Told Us Sooner

This is a 12-page quarter sized zine. With really good advice and a title that kind of reminds me of a Fall Out Boy song. There is not much to say besides Hattie Porter & Evelyn Basch do a great job collaborating on mental health zines. You can tell they have been through a lot and they use their experiences to try to help others. If you are struggling with your mental health I always recommend their zines. They are great self-care reminders. Hattie ( dogsnotdiets ) creates zines that promote recovery and self-care, and Evie ( HumanSightings ) creates space themed zines and art that deals with living with a mental illness. Both great zinesters individually and also when they work together.

You can find Hattie / dogsnotdiets on Etsy or Instagram.

You can find Evie / HumanSightings on Etsy or Instagram.

Bethany Fortner

This is a zinester I discovered on Reddit. I am so glad I did because these zines are awesome. 

I am often fearful of the people in the world is about people who get hurt and don’t know how to handle it and become desperate. It features drawings of wild animals and does a great job of tying the images and words together without smacking you in the face about it.

This is a lamp... is about how lamps can end up being victims to themselves. It is a great mental health themed zine about choosing to actively live instead of just letting life happen to you. It is an awesome metaphor for this topic. I didn’t know what to expect going into this zine, but it definitely has become one of my favourites. 

For more art and zines you can find Bethany on Etsy and Instagram.

Bloomurder

This is a zinester I discovered on Etsy. They have a few different types of zines. They have botanical and literary-inspired zines, as well as poetry zines. If you follow me on Instagram then you already know I am really into poetry, so that’s what I have from Bloomurder.

Spring time pleasures

This one is a mini poetry zine that is spring and flower themed. The poetry is typed on a typewriter and copy and pasted onto the sheets along with images of flowers. A fun touch/bonus: inside of zine unfolds to a flower collage poster. A fun zine to look over multiple times.

Celestial

A poetry zine that features poetry by bloomurder accompanied by some of their favourite pieces of art. Poetry in this collection is celestial themed, it is second in a trilogy of poetry zines, and curated from all the poems they wrote between 1997 - 2016. I love that they included the title and artist for each of the art pieces featured so you can look into it more if you love the art as well. I think my favourite poem in this zine is Refugee. 

The Lilac Dreamer

This is a beautifully handwritten poetry zine that features a single narrative poem which includes a few photos of lilac trees, that I believe were photos taken by bloomurder. I really enjoyed this one. They did a great job with the storyline. I imagine they could write really cool short stories someday if that is a thing that is of interest to them.

Vapid

This is a poetry zine which includes poems that feel like moments of lost hope. Each poem is pasted onto a simple background that brings attention to the poem and adds to that stark feeling these poems inspire.

After seeing what a great job they did with their poetry zines it leaves me wanting more. You should definitely check them out. You can find them on Etsy, Instagram or Facebook. You can also email them at bloomurder@gmail.com.