Because I am a bad person, I also began telling everyone that zines are dead. However, such things cannot be true. I've come to realize I am a liar and a cheater and a thief so you should probably never trust a word that comes out of my mouth. Regardless, zines aren't actually dead but I'm starting to form the opinion that they should follow in the format of these four zines I am talking about today. These are exceptions to any kind of waste-your-time vibe that some zines give off.
This first zine is almost more of a book. It's called Totems of Tato, by Peter Kalyniuk, an artist that lives in Toronto. I ran into Peter in kinkos a little while back and he gave me this (!), he told me he had been working on this book of drawings for about 7 years (it's amazing) I literally have nothing to say because the only things I can say slash come to mind are all really positive adjectives that most likely reached their peak use around 1989 or so. They are basically the best drawings ever.
This book is really precious to me, and because of this I think it will remain in my possession for the time being. But if you want to look at it I will lend it to you- just let me know. or contact peter at pkalyniuk@hotmail.com he is a great human being and it's probably in your best interest to own a copy of this.
This zine BAD FEELINGS is also by an artist that lives in Toronto, Jimmy Limit. I met him at Dream Zine (the zine fair Jesjit Gill and Laura McCoy put on this summer) and I thought his name was a joke. It sounds like a cartoon character's name, right? um, this zine is one of my favourites, it has nihilistic vibes which are are the best, also his text is great, statements like WHY BOTHER, NOTHING, ROTTING PUTRID INSIDE OUT are next to his photographs of barren landscapes, black silhouettes atop snowbanks and piles of rocks and hooded/faceless figures.
Totally Rad is a zine of artists from all over the world (it even has a little map at the back showing where each artist is from geographically) put together by Errol Richardson and Greg Durrell. I really like this zine but I won't lie, I find the cover distasteful. First of all it's too yellow and looks like an advertisement for fast food or something equally stupid and I just sort of wish it looked different. but whatever. There are drawings and text based things and photographs and patterns.
This zine is by Michael Deforge (another Toronto artist) and it's all JOKES and ONELINERS and it's called Gags.
Michael was telling me that he used to listen to Jurassic Park's theme song every morning to get himself pumped up to draw: this is alternately the best thing I've ever heard and also the most retarded. his zine is really funny though, so I guess maybe I know nothing about the importance of movie soundtracks?
okay and in other news I am going to be putting on a zine fair at OCAD, unsure of the date right now but there will be more about that in the somewhat close future. as always the zine library at OCAD is accepting sumbissions so do not hesitate to stop by with your zines. A quick reminder that the zine library is located right next to the circulation desk of OCAD's library on the second floor of the smaller OCAD building (the entrance is the grange food court so beware there is a lot of good food that could potentially distract from ever reaching the library)
