Audio Review: The Match

Fred Woodworth's The Match is unparalleled in current zine publishing ... 109 issues and going strong.

Commentary: Three Dirty Words

Over the past twenty years I have witnessed three words become “dirty words” in the arena of public media. Now you can be derided publicly for being a treehugger, feminist or hippy. Politicians and “moralists” like to snidely reference all of the above as being the reason for most of society’s ills. We wouldn’t have abortion rights if it wasn’t for those damned feminists. We can’t build that nuke plant because of those treehuggers. Those damned hippies never did a day’s work in their lives. I don’t know how many times I have heard a woman on TV or the radio begin a comment with “I’m not a feminist, but …” as if you have to apologize for supporting your own gender. With global deforestation upon us and nuclear disasters in Japan, perhaps the treehuggers – or the environmentalists – were right all along. This is the only planet we’ve got – period. Trash it andwe humans go extinct along with everything else. Once upon a time, “hippies” advocated peace, love and understanding. Now, we have endless war and hate-mongering in the culture everywhere. And this is an improvement? I have three words for people who use these three words in a sneering, self righteous way – fuck you, assholes.

Zine Review: Brooklyn!

71 issues of Brooklyn! And I’m just discovering it now! Fred Argoff’s zine is a mix of tourguide, commentary and photography about … that’s right … Brooklyn NY. Fred writes about the history of Arbitration Rock, a border between two now vanished villages. He also shares pictures from the annual Idiotarod, the sport of Pentaque, and a Cancellation Shoestore. I learned more about the soul of Brooklyn in 15 minutes than in my previous 51 years on the planet. Don’t let this zine elude you any longer. You can write to Fred Argoff at Penthouse L 1170 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn NY 11230-0406.

Audio Review: Ms. Films

Twilight World

How often do you stumble across a zine that combines some of your personal interests with incisive personal observations & cool graphics and comix? I happily discovered Twilight World by Don Fields while perusing an issue of Zine World. Two issues I have read include strange & cool music reviews which carry on the tradition of two of my favorite publications of the past 20 years: Cool & Strange Music Magazine edited by Dana Countryman and Re/Search Incredibly Strange Music Volumes I & II edited by V. Vale. Twilight World is written in a friendly, engaging tone with healthy doses of reality a la the late wondrous Harvey Pekar. Highly recommended. Send a few bucks to:Don Fields 266 Ramona Ave Grover Beach CA 93433.

Audio Review: Show Me the Money #33

Zine Review: Trust Me

Trust Me: I Know What I am Doing - Bargaining and Negotiating by Bianca Barragan

When I ordered this zine from False Start distro, I literally thought it was a zine about bargaining and negotiating. Turns out it is a collection of three stories about rebellious copy machines, peeing one's pants and trying to co-exist in harmony with wasps (the kind that sting, not white anglo saxon protestants). Enjoyable read that is over too soon.