Finally got a hold of a copy of issue #3, and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint me. I've read quite a few politically-oriented zines lately, and I have to say, this one actually makes some of the strongest, most well-supported points I've yet to hear... Taco is done by Butch of 30footFALL, and he's doing a kick-ass job with it. One of the coolest parts (for me, anyway) is the HUGE number of other zines he talks about in here - something like a full quarter of the zine (which is pretty damn hefty) is listings of other cool local zines, including in-depth descriptions & stuff. Besides that, there's also a ton of environmental-type info, stuff on vegetarianism, intelligent rants about the current state of music today, personal journal entries about how fucked life can be, stuff on racism, stuff on sexism, tour diary-type bits, "scene" elitism/hypocrisy, poetry (by Butch and others), and musings on death, life & the whole mess in general. This rocks. It's only $0.50, so go buy several, and give 'em to all your friends, right? (Oh yeah, and the name's an anagram for "Total Chaos," if you were wondering...)
AT LEAST WE DON'T HAVE EARTHQUAKES: And to go with the as-yet-unreleased zine above, here's one that just plain doesn't exist anymore... According to Ah Lost Taco, this used to be a cool zine done by Kevin of Badger & Sore Loser and Matthew of Dig Dug & Sore Loser, but they've been lazy lately, and haven't put out another. Maybe one of these days...
I have to admit that I never got to see much of it, but from what I did see, Audities is (or was, at any rate) a cool, very well-done online and print publication. Unfortunately, it's apparently inactive, "and will remain inactive for the forseeable future." sigh. The site's still up, though, so go ahead and check it out. The magazine was billed as "The Journal of Insanely Great Pop," and pop in general was pretty much the focus (although they did review & talk about lots of other genres of music, too). Reviews I've zipped by include folks like Catherine, The Shambles, Emmit Rhodes, Velvet Crush, The Connells, The Vandalias, and Houston's own Bee Stung Lips (among others). There're also interviews and articles with folks like The Posies and Richard X. Heyman, columns like "Guilty Pleasures" (which reviews stuff you really shouldn't like but do, like Rachel Sweet and Shaun Cassidy), cool folks like Marshall Crenshaw listing their fave albums, and "Pop Detective," a feature that tracks down your favorite "where are they now?" people. Even though it's no longer running, I'd still recommend this to folks who like pop (or, heck, music in general). [2/9/2000]
AVENUES & ALLEYWAYS: Dunno much about this one, other than it's free & it's distributed to kids in the Spring/Woodlands area... Oh yeah, and the title might be changing sometime in the near future... [12/26/97]
BLACK FIST: Interesting anti-authoritarian publication -- they call themselves "Street knowledge for the radical massive." They don't do music at all, but have plenty of good, informative political- and activism-related stuff. Take a look at the online sample, and write to 'em for more.[2/9/2000]
Saw this one mentioned in the Public Noise column, of all places, and then ran across it in the zine rack at SoundEx (I'm told it's been found at Fitz, too, down where people always put flyers & stuff, but I couldn't find it there). This one's one of the few "big" zines in town (meaning it's full-sized, as opposed to digest-sized), and it's got some cool shit in it. A lot of it is literary-type stuff, poetry and the like, even a story or two, which I'm not usually too into, but it's darned decent, to say the least, at a few points. Worth checking out, definitely - oh yeah, and as of issue #4, they've changed their name from Bonesmuggler to just B.S. (which, I'm sure you'll agree, is much less confusing). Issue #4's a lot like the last one I was able to find (#1, I guess?), with quite a bit of poetry, some intriguing stories, random musings, a cute little conspiracy theory claiming that Marilyn Manson is a covert government agent, and the "Instant Skater Punk Kit"; overall, pretty entertaining. If you wanna contribute to the zine, send stuff to 'em via e-mail at the address given above... [8/16/98]
Found this one a while back at SoundEx...it's an alright little zine, fairly standard stuff in there - the issue I got (#1) little articles about how much the U.S. education system sucks (well, yeah); interesting clippings of an article about fighting in Israel; an interview with Karl of the Descendents & All; goofy horoscopes; articles about violence & sexism; and a bunch of other stuff. It's pretty small, as local zines go, but hey, it's not bad... Ran across issue #2 recently, and it's similar, except that...well, it's pretty close to unreadable (sorry, but it's true). Even so, it's got some entertaining cartoons, poetry, and lots of rambling about the punk scene, etc., etc., yadda yadda yadda. Oh yeah, and it's a "split" deal with The Tow Truck Orgy (see below)... [9/26/97]
Okay. This isn't really a "zine"-type zine, but is actually a zine distro, meaning the actual publication is this big-ass catalog (it's thick, seriously) with page after page of cool zines from all over the country, mostly grrl-zines and stuff like that. I haven't read any of the zines they list, but there are a hell of a lot of 'em, and a lot of 'em sound damn intriguing - so write to the Bratgirl trio (Katie, Amy & Skip), send them some $$$ and some stamps, and they'll send you some rockin' zines. Also, the catalog itself is worth reading, 'cause there's lots of personal info & insight from the Bratgirl folks thrown in just for the heck of it, and some of it's real good (there're lots of little excerpts from various zines they distribute, too). These people rock. (And check out some of the other zine-type things they each do, too, like Katie's there is a song in me and if i don't sing it i die. Really powerful, impressive stuff, seriously...)
Hmm. This is a weird one, to say the least. I feel a little odd listing this here, because, well, it's not about current Houston music, by a long shot. Instead, this zine focuses on garage bands that existed in Texas and Louisiana waaaay back in the mid-to-late 60's - bands very few people out there will have heard of, like The Five Canadians (from San Antonio), The Roamin' Togas (Lafayette, LA), The Bad Roads (Lake Charles, LA), Oedipus and the Mothers (Austin), and dozens more (yeah, I know none of those are from Houston, but the guy who writes the zine swears he'll do an all-Houston issue soon). Also thrown into the mix are lots of old photos, ads for slot cars, and a piece about a freaky Christian organization in H-town back then called The Teen Liberators. Odd little magazine, and not exactly what you'd expect, but really well done & cool (and plus, it's very nicely put together). And damn educational, I must say - makes me want to root around in junk shops to see if I can dig up an old Playgue 45 or something... For anybody who's a fan of garage rock, 60's music that wasn't about guitar wankery or arena-rock (no, Woodstock does not encompass the 60's), or music in general, it's a cool read...
CANVAS MAGAZINE: This is a cool, well-done little e-zine I hadn't heard of 'til recently. It's not really a music magazine, but is more aimed at art and art collecting, focusing on Houston. It's a neat subject, especially for folks like me who know nada about that stuff. Go check it out. [7/5/99]
A joint effort between Demetrius of Clandestine Star (see below), Kei of Mantras Rise, and their buddies Alek & Lucas. It's fairly small, and there's nothing about music in there, but instead it's full of little thoughts on various subjects. Interesting, if small... [8/16/98]
This one apparently used to be known as Hidden Veneer, but there's a little note inside saying it's now called Clandestine Star. Odd, considering this seems to be issue #1, but hey... At any rate, this is mostly a writing/personal/poetry-type zine, w/little to no musical stuff in it, but it's still kinda interesting. I'm not big on poetry (which is the majority of this, written by four or five different people), but some of it's neato, and there's a really insightful little bit on going vegan near the beginning... [6/30/97]
Finally got a hold of a copy of this zine, after hearing about it for a long while - it's pretty small, but packed full of lots of political stuff, and is pretty interestingly done; I particularly liked the bit about shrinking the world to a village of 100 people, and how only 1 would have a college education and nobody would have a computer. Pretty neato... [12/26/97]
Yup, more cool stuff from Cool Beans Press kid Russell - and it's easily just as neato as his last zine, Smack, if not more (I think Velvet Comics is still my favorite of the ones he does, tho'). He's got a cool idea here, definitely - the zine's all about dancing and getting down & funky, and it's got odd little articles on breakdancing and cool bits where random friends of Russell's reminisce about dancing, as well as some interesting personal-type stuff and interviews with folks like the Peechees and Los Crudos. And of course, it's all held together by lots of Russell's ultra-cool art (man, I can't tell you how much I dig some of his stuff), and it's generally really well-done, overall. Darn cool. He moved recently, up to Pittsburgh, where he's going to school (at Carnegie-Mellon, I think), but I'm gonna keep him up here 'cause, well, he's a Houston kid at heart. Anyway, there's a new issue of Dance Party out, and it's great, as you might expect - features some awesome cartoons (no, really), articles about Ally McBeal's repressed side, and all kinds of stuff about dancing. Russell, you rule. [1/29/99]
D.I.W.
002 is actually an "advertising supplement" of the city's lone "big" newspaper, the Chronicle, but for that it's not bad, really. As the name suggests, the magazine focuses on downtown, and on swanky-type stuff for folks to do here in Houston -- they cover art openings, restaurants, opera, fancy hair salons, architecture, and all those parties at places like Metropol, where the city's "elite" hobnob (although, really, who the hell are Houston's elite, if you think about it?). Not for everyone, but they do some cool stuff; their recent article on Barnum & Bailey's "Kaleidoscape" circus was pretty damn good.. [2/9/2000]
Definitely an odd little zine... This one's pretty much exclusively non-music-related, but what the fuck, I'll list it here anyway. In the issue I got (which is apparently issue #1 1/2), there's loads of obscure facts (like how in Kansas it's illegal to catch fish with your bare hands), odd "how-to"s (like how to make a "Pez gun"), some fiction, a Mr. Goodbody centerfold (of sorts - man, I thought that guy was surely dead by now...), musings on punk & straightedge, poetry, and some handy info on Amnesty Int'l. Check it out... [7/5/99]
EDURANCE OF WISDOM: This one's mentioned in Flush, and sounds interesting, at least if you're into loud, nasty, whoo-hah-type music. Interviews with people like metal-industrialists Skrew and local scary punks Sad Pygmy, some deal on serial killing, and lots of other stuff about noise and metal. (Oh yeah, and according to the website, the name of the thing's now changed from Void of Tolerance to Endurance of Wisdom...) [8/16/98]
ENGINEWITTYS:
EXHAUST ZINE:
Interesting little zine I picked up recently; I think it's pretty new, 'cause the only one I could find is #1. It's kind of your typical Houston punk-youth zine, but it's not bad - in fact, it's got some pretty damn cool shit about why people should view the Houston punk "scene" with pride, as opposed to the other way 'round... Anyway, it's also got some record reviews, ranting (rightly) about underage drinking at Fitz fucking it up for the rest of the kids out there, some vegetarianism-related stuff, stuff about how hellish Barbie dolls are, and a plea for all-ages places to play in town (sigh...). Not bad, and Anthony's definitely got some cool shit to say. [6/15/97]
Picked issue #3 of this one up at SoundEx recently, and it's not bad. It's pretty small, in comparison to things like I'm Not Afraid or Out Of Order, but it's still got a lot of good information in it. Some album reviews, some zine reviews, lists of Texas shows, poetry, info on political prisoners and the atrocities being committed (daily) in Tibet, an interview w/Squirtgun, and a list of addresses of the few remaining drive-in theaters in Texas. Take a look, eh?
Man...much as I like the direction the Houston Press has been headed in for the last few years (especially with regards to music in this city), it's great to see a new Public News-/Houston's Other-/The Rag-style B&W music/etc. paper out there. The Free Press has only been around for a few issues, but they're staking out an impressive territory, covering everything from shows to food to video games, and even bringing back the "Houston Band Registry" both the PN and Other used to do, which is a darn good thing. Anyway, pick up the mag wherever you can find it, buy ads, write for 'em, whatever -- the more media, the merrier, trust me. [5/10/2004]
I think that of the zines Nothing Solid distributes, I like this one the best - it's another photocopied deal, smaller-sized, but I really like the design of it. Kinda neat. [8/16/98]
FUG DUP: I've actually found a few different issues of this lately (he's up to #3, at least), and y'know, some of it's hysterically funny. I think my favorite strip is where Donald Dorknut learns about "The Gangsta Life" ("Issallabout love, troop")...ah, man... Oh yeah - this isn't a zine, per se, but it's more of a collection of goofy comics, mostly either quasi-autobiographical or centering around the misadventures of his favorite characters, Donald Dorknut, Spaz-Boy (who happens to look just like Bart Simpson), Lil' Joe Scenester, and hapless moron Gueedo. It ain't all great, by a long shot, but some of it's funny as shit. It actually reminds me a bit of fellow local artist Scott Gilbert's True Artist Tales strip, but more silly and slap-happy. [1/29/99]
Heh. Got sent this one a few months back, and finally got off my ass to put something about it online... It's pretty neato, a real zine-type zine; Holly says she owes a lot to Patrick Phipps' Trick Hips zine, and yeah, I can see the resemblance (particularly in the fascination with all things Sanrio). I must admit, I was a little partial right out of the gate, mostly because the intro to the zine echoes my own feelings on Houston's "scene" -- there's some amazingly cool stuff out there, but you have to work to find it, that's for damn sure. Anyway, Hello Lunchmeat contains a bunch of entertaining stuff, including a "match-the-underwear" game, writing on music, funky cartoons, and even a little glimpse of the Houston scenester world from Larry of farrago records... [3/26/2000]
This one's another pretty much entirely political zine, and it's not bad. It's small, but real cheap (as in, $0.25 at SoundEx). Issue #3 has a lot of girl-/riot grrl-/nerdgirl-oriented stuff, along with lots of general personal stories (some of which I seriously empathize with), why child beauty pageants are some of THE most disgusting displays on earth (why, might I ask, is there a "swimsuit competition"? are these kids supposed to look sexy, or something? fuck...), poetry, conspiracy theories, and a cool little bit about a new organization called "Bikes Not Bombs," who are trying to spread the use of "ecologically sound transportation," by getting bikes donated by various folks in Houston and leaving them at several spots around town for people to use. Sounds like a cool idea to me...(although us unlucky bastards who live in Houston but work in Clear Lake are still screwed, but hey...)
This is an interesting one, and it kinda snuck up on me; apparently there've been some previous issues, but I sure as hell haven't seen any of 'em, y'know? Anyway, the format's basically like the PN used to be -- show listings, CD reviews, interviews with local bands, all that, even some art-type stuff -- these folks definitely cover some cool stuff. If you can find it, I'd definitely pick it up; it's very cool to have an alternative to the Other and the Press. [3/26/2000]
Well, the much-loved Public News went the way of the dodo, but some of the true-believers behind the PN refused to call it a day, and those brave ex-staffers got together to form a "commune" of sorts and release their own alternative paper-type thing, covering local & non-local music, art, movies, and whatnot. It started off a little shakily but built up to where it eclipsed even its progenitor, writing-wise (the folks at the Other didn't much like being compared to the PN, by the way). Sadly, the Other didn't last, and the paper closed its doors back in May of 2001, due largely to the fiscal demands of running a print publication (something we here at SCR can relate to, believe me). They were a damn fine paper, and we miss 'em. [2/1/2005]
Man...this one gets better every time I read it. Not your average scissors-and-a-copier-type punk zine (not that those are bad, mind you - some of them bore the crap out of me, and some are damn amazing), the folks at INA actually do some cool, slick design stuff (and now they've got a photo editor, who's doing a damn good job - that picture on the back of INA #4 kicks ass...). Beyond that, they also have some cool content, too - they're largely into indie-rock & melodic punk-type stuff, but they do get into some other cool shit, too: their 3rd issue features a Jawbreaker retrospective (entitled "That Fucking Hurt"), plus interviews with Mineral, Weston, Propagandhi, and Houston's own Celindine; and then #4 had them talking with face to face, J Church, Spent, New Sweet Breath, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and the New Bomb Turks, with a big pile of reviews alongside. Cool, intelligent stuff. Issue #4 claims #5'll be out in March, but I have yet to run across it... (The website's now gone, unfortunately - seems that the folks at the Jesuit college where they'd been hosting it didn't want outsiders getting the wrong idea from looking at it...sigh) [4/16/98]
JEAN IS DEAD:
Stephanie Dunno a thing about this zine, except that it was listed in You Ain't Punk!, but damn, that's a hysterical name for a zine... According to Ghost of You Ain't Punk! (haven't seen this one myself, unfortunately), there's a ton of women's issues information in here, along with a bunch of album reviews, band interviews, and other random shit, too... [1/29/99]
Had this one a while, but man, I'm a lazy bastard... This is a fairly small zine, as ones from 'round here go - it's decent, though, largely because Danny, the guy who writes it, is a totally in-your-face sarcastic jerk. Why is that a good thing? Well, it does get annoying at points, but he makes some interesting points about the state of zine-ville today, punk rock clothes, and love in general (this is "the love issue," apparently). Beyond that, there's an alright interview with the Groovie Ghoulies, a few album reviews, and some other random stuff - it ain't Cometbus, but hey, what do you want for a buck? [12/9/97]
LADIES' FETISH AND TABOO SOCIETY COMPENDIUM OF URBAN ANTHROPOLOGY
LETHAL DOSE:
LIP UP! SKA FANZINE: This is actually the only full-on ska zine I've heard of in Houston, and it appears to be growing. Lip Up's now free, I believe, and has expanded to full page size, even. The latest issue I've seen, #5, has cool interviews w/The Allstonians, the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble, and ska god Laurel Aitken, and is filled out with a ton of fairly insightful ska (and other) reviews. Nice job...except for one thing. This may be nitpicky for some, but it's not to me - in the zine's little "bio" section about the creators, Dennis and Fat Todd, they both state that they dislike homosexuals. Ah, well. If it weren't for that, I'd recommend this wholeheartedly. Sorry. [8/30/2000]
Another zine of the Nothing Solid family, this one's pretty similar to the rest, handmade & d.i.y.-Xeroxed all the way. It's done by Alva, and the issue I've got's pretty much just one long rambling bit from her...odd, but intriguing. [8/16/98]
MY TABLE: HOUSTON'S DINING MAGAZINE
Yeah, yeah -- so, My Table doesn't have a damn thing to do with music; so what? Few people who live here even notice it, but Houston has some of the best restaurants in the whole country, and some of the really good ones are rarely crowded and even fairly cheap. Don't believe it? Well, check out this mag and see (although, from what I remember, it's a little pricey for a local magazine). Nicely-done, all focused on the best eating establishments in town, and well worth a look. [3/26/2000]
MY WALLPAPER COULD KICK YR ASS: This zine's one reviewed in Out Of Order (see below); don't know it, myself, but it sounds cool, at least.
NOW AVAILABLE WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION:
Found a copy of issue #11 the other day at SoundEx, so here's what I think... As opposed to the large no. of politically-oriented zines out there in Houston today (not that they're bad, by any means), this one seems to focus a lot more on the actual music - punk, pop-punk, and lots in-between. This particular issue features cool interviews with Austin punkers Ignorance Park and Dynamite Boy, as well as a few pages of music reviews and a pretty surprising number of ads. Decent (and cheap - it's a mere $0.98 at SoundEx on Westheimer)... Oh yeah, picked up #14 recently, and things have changed a bit. Rather than the usual music & politics zine, this one's pretty much all punk-type cartoons (kinda like The Toilet Papers; it's not as funny, tho', sorry...). Some autobiographical stuff about getting in fights w/skinheads & shit, but a lot more little comics about silly punk stereotypes, like The Runaway Boys vs. SxE and "Poser Explosion." (Oh yeah, and the "Hi-Five" comics, which are pretty pointless & bizarre, but y'know. To each his own.)
Every time I find an issue, it seems like things've changed...this time Moz moved (from Katy to Pearland) and changed the name of his zine (it used to be called Oi-Punk), but it's still the same cool stuff. Picked up issue #21 recently, and it features interviews w/folks like Gorge, Hermit, The Haters, and The Grumpies, among others. Again, it's nice to see a punk zine that focuses on the music more than anything else - I sure hope he keeps it up. Oh yeah, and he also does some music-type distro stuff, as well (at the same address), so check that out, too.
PAPER KUTS:
PAPER SUITCASE: Haven't ever gotten hold of a copy, myself, but lots of other zinesters in town seem to think this is The Shit, so if you spot it, get it (and get me one too, eh?). From reports I've heard, issues have really cool info about women's issues, all kinds of activism, and lots of personal stuff (and a classifieds section? huh?). I may have to write to her & get a copy of my own... [6/30/97]
Hmm. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what this is - it's just one page, art & poetry. Very odd, but kind of interesting. [8/16/98]
PIX & STIXX MAGAZINE: I dunno what this one is, but just the title scares the crap out of me. I envision hair-flinging metal gods when I think of this, for some reason...
Ah, the PN. I can still remember the first time I ever read it, way back when I'd just started college - it was my first exposure to nipple rings, music columns, and hot-sex ads. Pretty damn cool. Unfortunately, due to some poor business sense, the PN recently went under, and had all its assets bought by the Houston Press. So...no more Public News. sigh. It really sucks that it's gone, and I'm gonna miss 'em. (Note, by the way, that several ex-staffers have gone off on their own to form The Houston Other - see above.) [8/16/98]
RAGE MAGAZINE: Yup, the "Richmond Area Guide to Entertainment," in-house rag of Richmond Strip kingpin Dennis Lange. And surprise, surprise - guess how many of the bands in the magazine are bands Dennis manages? Anyway, as magazines covering local music go, it's not great - but that may reflect my bias against the cover-happy, party-friendly bands that usually play the young-collegiate-person-lovin' Strip clubs (no, not that kind of "strip club," you sick little monkey, you). On the plus side, this does have club listings for all over Houston, not just the Strip, and well, it's free. What do you want for nothing? (By the way, I don't really mean to be that down on the Strip or Dennis Lange - or the mag - it's just that it's not my thing, eh? If you like it, go for it...) [8/16/98]
Hmm. Anybody know what's up with this zine? I know their old URL & e-mail stopped working a while back, and the new address above actually got an "Under Construction" page for a bit, but now it gets me nada... Any idea if this is still goin? Damn, I hope so... When I first heard about this zine, I'll admit, I was more than a bit skeptical. How the hell can you surf anywhere around here, when the waves barely get high enough to bodyboard? Apparently, tho', it is possible (and in fact, this issue that I've got has a bit directed at ignorant folks like me...). Anyway, I finally ran across a copy of this one night at Fitz, and while I haven't read the whole thing yet (it's pretty hefty, seriously), it looks pretty damn cool. Issue #5 has quite a bit of stuff in it - some thoughts on Bob Marley; news about surfing, local music, etc.; articles on "the zen of skateboarding" and the Las Vegas Triple Crown of skateboarding (complete w/tons of pics); interviews with locals I End Result and Taste of Garlic; and a big pile of music reviews. Overall, damn cool and damn informative - and the surfing photos make me hang my head in shame that I ever doubted... [8/16/98]
THE RED PUB:
SAD CHILD: Dunno much about this, other than it's a zine/zines by somebody named Dayna, and that they'll supposedly "rock your cooter". I dunno what a "cooter" is, but I guess I wouldn't mind mine being rocked. Send some stamps, and she/he will send you some zines.
Heard of this one a while ago, but only actually got to see a copy recently (thanks to a friend of mine who's lent it to me)... It's an odd little comic, to tell the truth - some of it's genuinely funny, but some of it just feels like "weirdness for weirdness' sake," y'know? The one I've seen, issue #4, actually doesn't have much to do with Side-Kick Boy himself (a.k.a. Billy Bo Bob), but is an story about an old enemy of Emanuel, his genius pet monkey. There's love lost, people beaten up, and uh...well, other stuff. Not my favorite, but fun & entertaining, at least... [1/29/98]
SLAGBAG:
Well, this's the zine-type effort of Cool Bean Press guy Russell (who also does the super-cool Velvet Comics (see below). He sent me a copy of issue #4, and it's pretty neato - it includes some silly zodiac stuff he found on the Internet (I think I'd seen it before, actually); details about how obsessed he is with those wacky Canadians, The Kids In The Hall; a story about nearly getting his ass kicked for shooting spitballs; a synopsis of those trying high-school years; some zines reviews; and a few other random things...not bad, definitely. He's also got a coolio-sounding split zine in the works, a joint effort w/Arizona's Puberty Strike zine (it's gonna be called Jump Start My Heart) - and even though the Dig Dug/Ghosty Grams split flexi isn't happening anymore (d'oh!), I still think it sounds neato.
Unfortunately, I think Russell's decided to not do Smack anymore, but he is still doing Velvet Comics, and he's working a new zine called Dance Party that's gonna be, well, all about dancing (make sense?). Write to him & ask for a catalog, eh?
SPACETAKER:
To tell the truth, I'm not sure this is a zine, but anyway... This's a little (no, really, it's tiny) booklet of writing, mostly deeply personal, insightful bits about blame, pain, being in love, and all the rest. It's pretty cool, actually - I'm always impressed as hell by stuff like this, 'cause it's a seriously brave thing to do to state your emotions this plainly for the whole fucking world to see... Anyway, there is some very thoughtful, painful stuff in here (a good thing). I dunno where you can normally get 'em, but I found a copy or two on one of the "flyer shelves" at the front of SoundEx. [6/30/97]
THE STUPID PAPERS:
Sarah O'Brien "Frisco"
Odd little rambling, not-really-musical zine, along the lines of stuff like Out of Order and Hey Jerkface, more than anything. The issue I got contains a lot of useful info, like which major (and minor) corporations you should boycott because of environmental, animal rights, and labor abuses (the list includes the Houston Zoo and the Gulf Greyhound Park, unsurprisingly), some truly scary stuff about corporate control over textbooks, some poetry (of course), some really personal writings about losing friends and trying to live each moment like its important, vegan info, Bikes Not Bombs stuff, Food Not Bombs stuff, some defiant ramblings on rollerblading, an article in defense of Mr. P.W. Herman, and a bunch of other stuff. It's not bad; definitely worth a look... [4/16/98]
Man...this one made me laugh harder than I have in a while, seriously. The main focus of this zine (this issue, anyway) is these cool little punk-rock mini-comics that poke holes in all the stupid "more punk than you" fucked-up-ness that goes on so often in the punk rock "scene". It doesn't pull any punches, and it slams everybody, from skins to straight-edgers (my fave, I think, is the kid with the "Really Cool Punk Album"...). And in addition to the criticism, he's also got some cool music stuff, notably interviews with Nomeansno and Tilt, and some really good, thought-provoking words on vegetarianism and the the untimely demise of the APV Room. Anyway, this zine pretty much rocks (and it's a mere $0.50!), so get a copy now... Plus, Brett (the guy who does it) also runs a distro called Down the Drain, and while I'll admit I haven't heard any of the folks he distributes, they definitely sound interesting. Keep it up, man.
This one's pretty damn cool, and indie to the core - writer Mike is a cool guy, with a lot of strong opinions about some important shit, and he does a pretty good job of letting people know what's going on. In the one issue I've got, he does a lot of soul-searching, really, and spills his guts about a lot of his own problems, which is pretty fucking brave, really... There is some music-related stuff in here, reviews of punk & ska albums and shows, a tribute to Propaghandi, and stuff like that, but most of it is political- or ecological-action-oriented (stuff about capitalism, how much Republicans suck, and recycling, for starters). And then some of it's just plain silly (like the Olympic photos and the stuff about kabaddi).
At any rate, he's apparently out of Issue #2 (dunno about #1), and soon will be changing the name of his deal to Exhortion for #3, so keep an eye out. He also asked me to put some stuff in here about the group he's trying to get going, currently called Concerned Individuals Performing Benevolent Acts (C.I.P.B.A.), so here 'tis:
So, there you go - send Mike a couple of $$$ for the new issue of Exhortion, and send an index card to join C.I.P.B.A...
TOO MANY LOVE POEMS:
THE TOW TRUCK ORGY: Well, I got the first issue of this one recently quite by accident - it's the "other side" of a split-zine deal with Brain Cleanser (see above). So, what's in this? Uh...I'm not entirely sure what all of it is, to be honest - there's a deal about a trip to El Salvador (taken by Chocolate Thundarr, one of the zine's three creators, alongside Loc Dog & Fat Boy), some stuff about racism, weird games, a trip-down-memory-lane bit about the Boy Scouts' Order of the Arrow (yup, me too), and lots of other random shit. Hmm. Can't say as I'd die to read it again, but it's not bad for the price... [4/20/98]
My current favorite of all of these, I think...(and one I know a bit more about than most) This is the love-child of one Patrick Phipps, an artist who works at the Menil bookstore and pines for Molly Ringwald in his spare time. It's funny, personal, awkward, sometimes even painful, and very, very cool.
Issue #1 features stuff like "Eurotrash Travel Diary," record reviews (Patrick is apparently a serious Teenbeat fan, even including their whole catalog in this issue), a very short interview w/Malcolm McLaren, "The monster island cycle" poetry, and lots of bloody Hello Kitty haikus; issue #2 (the "love issue") is even cooler, with a neat, colorful, watercolor cover, an art-/lit-student dissection of Star Trek: First Contact, some music reviews (including the Junior Varsity 7" - woo-hoo!), why all "long-haired sensitive guys" are all lying bastards (I happen to be a "long-haired fuck-up guy," myself; at least I'm honest...), lots of love poetry, and a cool list of good love-type songs to put on tapes.
This is truly a cool zine, and everyone should send him some $$$ to get their own personal copy (although, to be honest, I dunno how many copies he makes of each issue...). There're also a few copies of a little mini-comic of his floating around, called Mecha Comickes (???), and it's pretty neato; it's an odd little Xeroxed comic about love & robots, mostly... Anyway, send this guy your money.
TWENTY THREE:
THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY: This dark, kinda morbid lit/music-zine, run by 2 guys named L. B. Noire and S. R. Prozak, is a pretty bizarre experience. Includes stuff like "Stoner Adventures," reviews of all kinds of death-metal (and heavier) bands, strange poetry, and ruminations on the end of the world. Note, by the way, that at least one of the editors (L. B. Noire, I believe), moved up to Austin a while - I'm told S. R. Prozak got sick of L.A. already and has moved back to similarly-smog-clad Houston. [8/16/98]
22136 Princeton Cr.
Wow, there sure are some cool comics being done in this town... It may sound like exaggeration, but seriously, Velvet Comics is one of the coolest, funniest, most interesting small-press comics I've seen... I've got a few issues, now (#7-#9), thanks largely to co-writer/co-artist/zine-guy Russell being a cool guy and sending me copies of his latest issues, and they're all darn cool. #7 is pretty much what the comic "anthology"'s usually like, w/a bunch of different bits from a bunch of different artists; there's some good stuff in there, esp. the bits by Russell himself. #9 is kinda along the same lines, with the continuation of the "Contamination" story from earlier issues, a guest comic by Moz & Scott of the Oi-Punk zine (see above), and some other truly cool stuff (I esp. like Russell's own comic "The Interview"). Oh yeah, and the cover is this cool butterfly-collection thing - he'd warned me that it might be cheesy or something, but seriously, it's not. The kid's a damn good artist...
Of the issues I've got, #8 is definitely the oddball - and I think it's still my favorite. It's all one story, the minimal, dialogue-less story of one guy's willingness to do whatever to make his friend happy. It was apparently written & drawn by Russell's partner Tim Weldzius and inked by Russell; it's a bit bizarre for some, I'd bet, but really touching and well-done. I like it a hell of a lot.
Anyway, this comic's another Cool Bean Press product, like Russell's old zine, Smack (see above; I think I like what I've read of this more, really). He's also working on one called Dance Party, so keep an eye out for that - and be sure to check out the samples he's got up on his web page, 'cause they rock, and then bug him 'til he sends every issue he's got, alright?
WORSHIP GUITARS WEBZINE: Don't have a real-world address for this one, but that's okay, 'cause I think this is a web-only 'zine. It's a combination zine/record label, actually, run by Ramon Medina (who I think is part of The Linus Pauling Quartet, and who used to do the KTRU Local Show before Justin Crane), and the most recent thing he's got up are an odd little interview with "The Dunlavy," former Mike Gunn member Scott Grimm, and French filmmaker(?) Claire Denis. Says it'll be quarterly, w/new articles & stuff every 3 months or so, so check back... [2/9/2000]
Well, no, I'm probably not, but anyway... This is an interesting little zine; unfortunately, my opinion of it's marred a bit by the fact that some of the cooler shit in here is ripped straight from Giant Robot (a truly cool zine, by the way). At least he admits it, tho'... Anyway, there's some interesting stuff in the issue I got (#2): some handy zine listings (some of which I've added to this page); stuff about the restoration and "loudening" of the classic Bruce Lee flick Enter The Dragon; journals of Ghost's time on tour w/30footFALL (he's a roadie); ways to annoy your roommate (from another zine, The Conqueror Worm); instructions for "The Hole Game," something I haven't played since I worked at summer camp; and even a quick Japanese primer. All in all, it's pretty neato, and the zine listings are very handy, but c'mon...half this stuff is from other zines! Granted, some of it is from zines I wouldn't know of otherwise, but still... Anyway, that's just me being annoying & bitchy, so feel free to ignore, eh? [6/30/97]
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AH LOST TACO:
AUDITIES: THE JOURNAL OF INSANELY GREAT POP:
B.S.
BRAIN CLEANSER:
BRATGIRL:
BROWN PAPER SACK:
CHUNK:
CLANDESTINE STAR:
CRAP FOR THOUGHT:
DANCE PARTY:
EAT DIRT:
FALL INTO PLACE:
FLUSH:
FUCK EDITING:
HELLO LUNCHMEAT:
HEY JERKFACE:
HOUSTON'S OTHER:
I'M NOT AFRAID:
KNOW IT ALL:
MY PLACE IN LIFE:
NEW ROCK REVIEW:
PIG BLOOD BLUES:
PUBLIC NEWS:
RED FLAG MAGAZINE:
REPRESSED TEARS:
SIDE-KICK BOY:
SMACK:
STOOPID HEAD:
THIS BAG IS NOT A TOY:
THE TOILET PAPERS:
TOILET READINGS:
TRICK HIPS:
VELVET COMICS:
YOU AIN'T PUNK!:
All contents © 2008 Space City Rock, unless otherwise credited (photos used on the site excepted).