Zines: Do It Yourself and Teach Your Friends
By Lacey Prpić Hedtke, MLIS, Minneapolis Nov 4, 2010The do-it-yourself (DIY) movement has caught fire in the past few years. People are talking about self-sufficiency, living off the grid, and getting back to the pleasures of making things rather than buying prepackaged goods and hiring people to do stuff for them. Zinesters have always loved sharing what they know how to do—what's been passed down, discovered, or known but not really talked about. The zines reviewed below cover radical pet care, mental and physical health, bicycling, and good living. There are many more DIY zines out there—enough to fill an entire zinestyle DIY encyclopedia.
Crabb, Cindy. Doris. No. 15: D.I.Y. Antidepression Guide. 1999–2000. 28p. ½ legal. $2. Distros: Microcosm | Parcell Pr. | Riot Grrrrrr
One of the more sought-out issues of Doris, this handwritten and illustrated guide examines insurance, herbs, and many other issues related to mental health. Crabb approaches depression from a personal level and makes it easy for readers to follow her thoughts with cute stick-figure drawings. She gives suggestions for dealing with depression without drugs and with the help of friends and acknowledges that depression is something a lot of people go through and not to be ashamed of. This is a great introduction to alternative ways of working through depression, shared in a nonthreatening format.
Davis, Bert & Holly Davis. Dwelling Portably. May 1999. 32p. ½ size. $2. Distro: Microcosm (Note: the reviewed issue is part of a compilation available from the distributor)
A classic, this zine is crammed with information on how to live in motion, nomadic and home-free. It's typewritten, by people living in a tent, in tiny six-point font to save paper. Topics covered include how to live in cars, unconventional clothes washing and bathing, traveling with kids, making money on the road, and about a million other things. There's also a cumulative subject index for previous issues. It is unbelievable how much ground is covered in this newsletterlike zine, which has been publishing since 1980. Try out the collection—there's enough information there to fill several books for the transitory soul.
Hansen, Ruthie, Erika Sass, Breeana Blalock, Lee Penn, Claire Stoscheck, & Emily Wergin. Dames on Frames: a Feminist Bike Zine. No. 1. 2007. 40p. ½ size. $2.50 Distros: Microcosm | free pdf
A bike zine for the ladies, Dames on Frames is brought to you by some fierce women riders who tackle grueling Minnesota winters. This group of feminist cyclists conducted a bicycling survey to identify what deters women from bike commuting. In addition to commuting in the United States, they look at what biking is like in other counties and offer a chart of urban planning solutions to address gender differences in bike transportation. The zine has a fun mixture of comics, personal stories, and witty art combined with resources, tips, and a photo spread. An all-encompassing introduction to riding a bike while female.
Nee, Margaret. Radical Pet. No. 4. Feb. 2008. 24p. ½ size. $2. Distros: Bird in the Hand (Australia) | Microcosm
Your furry friends want to be radical, too! Published in California, the state of health-conscious domestic animals, this zine looks at pet food recalls, adopting from a shelter, and issues with the American Kennel Club and presents a food pyramid for your dog covering raw foods and supplements (in a handy centerfold). Nee details homeopathic remedies to deal with your pet's ears and fleas. She knows her stuff; the Radical Pet zines offer a great amount of useful information that is not usually compiled into one neat publication. Recommended to anyone who has concerns about the pet industry.
Down There Health Collective. HPV. Dec. 2007. 51p. ½ legal. $2. Distros: Microcosm | The Mimi Zine Distro | free pdf
This is an extensive resource on the human papillomavirus (HPV) compiled by a Washington, DC, collective of people whose lives have been affected by the virus. The guide begins by explaining what HPV is and how and why the test is done and moves on to men and HPV, cancer, and related health concerns. It includes an extensive herbal guide and information about conventional treatments, too. The collective discusses the vaccine and offers pages packed with resources. You won't find this guide at a typical family-planning clinic, which is a shame. This is the most detailed and well-researched zine I've seen on any health topic. Fantastic.
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Lacey Prpić Hedtke is a radical librarian, zinester, and antiquarian photographer. She holds a BFA in photography from the Art Institute of Boston and an MLIS from St. Catherine University in St. Paul. Lacey lives in Minneapolis with her dog and many instruments. She is always on the lookout for the esoteric, strange, and unusual. Jenna Freedman, who coordinates and edits this column, is Zine Librarian and Coordinator of Reference Services at Barnard College Library, New York. She is also a librarian zinester (Lower East Side Librarian, among others) |
