Korinna's second Latin America travel zine starts off with a visually stunning cover. Seriously, my jaw dropped when I saw it: every issue comes with a different glossy photograph with hand-written titles. This fat, text-heavy zine chronicles Korinna's travels through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. A stop in Bogota finds her searching for a Colombian boyfriend, and ending up discussing plastic surgery with Australians (I didn't know this, but Cali, Colombia is the plastic surgery capital of the world). In Ecuador, she has a life-changing experience on a commune and befriends a Finnish girl who will become her traveling partner for much of the rest of the zine. Korinna also discusses the widespread use of cocaine in South America, and the ways in which imperialism fuel the drug culture there as much as here. Pictures of street art and cityscapes accompany and enhance the stories, giving them depth. An epic zine for anyone who is interested in Latin American politics, travel, or mature analyses of anarchism. $3.50, quarter sized, 82 pages.
Trebro's personal zine explores identity issues. He describes what it's like to have to mask his true self for the sake of his dysfunctional family, and discusses how he found kindred spirits in the Motown music of his youth. There's also an anecdote about meeting an unconventional childhood hero. A great zine for anyone who has ever felt the need to hide. $1, quarter sized, 40 pages.
As the introduction says, Show & Tell #6 is set in winter, and is a bittersweet issue. A Patti Smith show/reading inspires self-reflection. Rachel's story on depression and self-healing inspired by Doris really spoke to me. And of course there is a how-to article, on screenprinting this time! The illustrations are a little more detailed this time, as Rachel gives us a peek into her favorite coffee shop and a "blanket fort pizza party" (yep, exactly what it sounds like). $3, half-size, 32 pages.
Rachel Lee-Carman's newest zine is an exploration of her childhood. Mostly handwritten, with illustrations, she touches on some of her neighbors, including a reclusive cat man she calls "Jon Arbuckle." Sketches of her friends and the local fauna and flora of her neighborhood paint an image of a happy childhood, though one complicated by a serious flood that forces her family out of their home. A light-hearted, nostalgic read. $2, half-size, 32 pages.
Spanning December '08 to March '09, the newest issue of Carrie's journal comic slips into darker territory, as she sustains a foot injury that leaves her laid up for a month, pushing her into battle with depression and alcohol dependence. Honest and bare as any perzine, Carrie's simple black and white art deeply speaks of isolation and a longing for change. $2, quarter-sized, 36 pages. (Only one copy left!)
YDGTFH #14 starts where the last issue ended, the death of Carrie's cat Jesse. This loss is echoed throughout, but there are positive moments too: a short trip to Oaxaca for Dia de los Muertos, plenty of running, dental work (okay, maybe that's not a positive moment!). Highly recommended for all fans of journal comics. $2, quarter-sized, 36 pages. (Only one copy left!)