Introduction to the Interviews by Androo Robinson Page 4
Interview with Bobby Tran Dale Pages 5-6
Reviews by Eric Lyden Pages 7-9
Interview with Jesse Reklaw Pages 10-11
Reviews by Fred Argoff Pages 12-13
Reviews by Sarah Manvel Pages 14-15
Interview with The Makofsky Sisters Pages 16-17
Reviews by Sarah Oleksyk Pages 18-19
Reviews by Scout Finnegan Pages 20-21
Interview with Madison Clell Pages 22-24
"Culture Construction" by Cali Ruchala Page 25
Reviews by Davida Gypsy Breier Pages 26-36
Contact information for the Lovely Interviewees Page 37
Back Cover by Bobby Tran Dale
"The walk toward the po box is always significant, I never know what to expect, yet always hope for a full box. putting the key in the lock I can usually tell if I've gotten anything even before opening. There's a certain feeling to the door when envelopes and magazines are pushed up against it from within. It's very pavlovian, I begin salivating the moment I walk through the post office doors. If my senses are right and the box is full, I receive my daily fix and drive off giddy. If they're wrong and it is empty (or worse yet, a single record label postcard informing me of some shitty band playing in Missoula, which usually arrives post performance anyway), my head hangs low and I drive or bike off feeling blue and desperate. A junkie without a fix is a junkie in need."
Randy - SPAGHETTI DINNER AND DANCING #14
Introduction
If this is your first issue of XEROX DEBT this should clarify things: Xerography Debt is a review zine for zine readers by zine writers. It is a hybrid of review zine and personal zine. XEROX DEBT has its own freestyle approach. It is all about communication, so each reviewer has used the format or style most comfortable to him or her. Also, each reviewer "owns" the zine in a completely communal, non-possessive sense. We are individual artists and writers coming together to collaborate and help keep zineland flourishing. It is a communal experience from start to finish. I would like to thank Tracy, Dave, and for helping me staple and fold the last issue. To further promote this effort to connect readers and writer/artists, Tom Hendricks of MUSEA has agreed to host Xerography Debt on his website: (http://musea.digitalchainsaw.com). It will be available for free online (some artwork will only be available in print) or paper copies can be ordered through me.
Something I have grudgingly come to realize is that there is no way I can review everything that I receive. I will do the best I can. I am but one overworked person. I had about 100 zines in my "possible review" pile and could only squeeze in about 30. Do your part by ordering a few zines from the many reviewed here and if you self-publish please consider including a few reviews in your zine.
I have to admit to one major pet peeve - people who send zines without a note or even form letter. I have no clue if they want to trade (and if so for which of my zines) or reviewed. Thus, I have a new policy - any new zine (ie, someone that I haven't before corresponded or traded with) that comes in without a note is cast into the "do not review" pile. Harsh? Probably, but oddly most of those zines are usually crap anyway. How hard is it to scrawl "for possible review?" or even just "review?" If you don't have the time to write a 5 word note, I'm sorry, but I don't have the time to review your zine.
If you are interested in reviewing for Xerography Debt, please contact me by mail or e-mail for some rather vague, but supposedly helpful guidelines. All you need to do is write five reviews that will excite people to send money, stamps, or a trade. I hope to have #4 done around September, so the deadline for reviewers is August 15th, 2000.
"Mail is the oil that greases the gears of life."
DGB Penn Station 3/15/00 4:45pm
In the Mailbox
From Kate Haas (MIRANDA)
I have recently mastered the fine art of reading while breastfeeding, and Xerography Debt was one of the first publications I used my new skill on.
(Ed.- Wow.)
New addresses
Bobby Tran Dale - 2539 Potomac St., Oakland, CA 94602
Fred Argoff - 1800 Ocean Parkway (#B-12), Brooklyn, NY 11223-3037
Patrick Tandy - PO Box 963, Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Supporters
Here's a catch-22: I had to work an additional job to pay for the printing and mailing of this issue. While it meant I could publish this issue, it cut into the time I actually had to work on it. I don't want to take ads, so if you would like to help sponsor XEROX DEBT with a few stamps or cash, please feel free to do so. Also let me know if you wish to remain anonymous. XEROX DEBT sponsors are:
Al Cene
Androo Robinson
DB Pedlar
Lydia Ricci
Sam Cucchiara
Sharon Silverman
Steve Sikora
Tracy, Dave, and Marc
Eric Lyden
5 ZINES I LIKE THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN MENTIONED IN XEROX DEBT YET
OK, I guess I'm not exactly going to win the award for most clever review theme, am I? I spent a long time trying to think of a clever theme but it didn't work out. I felt bad enough having to limit this list to only 5 zines, trying to choose 5 in one specific category was nearly impossible. For example, I considered doing a list of five zines with animals in the title but then I thought about all the great zines that don't have animals in the title. It just didn't seem fair to do anything so specific that anyone could be excluded. The only zines I excluded were ones that have already been in XD because... well they've already been in here. I want to write about zines that haven't been in here yet because just because I felt like it. I don't need any better reason than that, do I? Damn skippy I don't. So lets end this rambling and move on to the reviews.
KING- CAT COMICS AND STORIES
The first zine I ever read was King Cat #50 and my reaction was...well, I was less than enthusiastic. I thought the artwork was horrible, the stories were all pretty boring and nothing really happened and overall I was pretty underwhelmed by the whole thing. Well folks, I'm happy to say that in the 3 or 4 years since I first saw this comic I've done a complete 180. Now I can't figure out why I didn't like this comic in the first place. Yes the art is pretty simple, but it's quite beautiful at the same time and fits perfectly with the stories he's telling. And hey, I haven't even mentioned the stories which are the real strength of this comic. A lot of them are about being in touch with nature, a lot of them are about Zen Buddhism, all of them (or at least most of them) are wonderful and if I even try to describe them they'll come out sounding a lot stupider than they really are. This is a great zine. One of the best.
Current issue #56
$2
Spit and a Half
c/o John Porcellino
PO Box 881
Elgin, IL 60121
SHOUTING AT THE POSTMAN
One thing this zine has going for it that very few other zines have is variety. One issue will be nothing but art by Ken and his friends, the next issue will be all about the frustrations of moving into a new home and a very odd and funny Thanksgiving spent with friends which also teaches you a very important lesson - you should always spend the holidays with your family - of course they'll drive you insane but at least you have an idea of how you'll be driven insane. Spend it with friends and you can't be quite sure what the Hell you're getting into. At any rate, you can never be quite sure what to expect from a new issue of this zine but whatever you get will be damned entertaining and well written (unless it's one of the art issues, in which case there won't be a whole lot of writing. The writing that is there will be well written but you're supposed to be focusing on the art [which is always very interesting to look at by the way] not the well written descriptions of the art) and all it'll cost you is a stamp. A stamp! C'mon, you can't beat that price.
Current issue #38
each issue is only one stamp or trade and I'm pretty sure that if you send more stamps you'll get more issues (But don't quote me on that)
Ken B Miller
PO Box 101
Newtown PA 18940-0101
kenbmiller@aol.com
members.aol.com/satpostman
FUNK ON THE BURNER #7
First of all, this zine has one of the coolest covers I've ever seen. The cover has a full color photo of some poor bastard's chest who apparently underwent some sort of heart surgery. At first I thought it was a corpse who just had an autopsy but then I realized that if it was a corpse the wound would not heal and leave a gruesome scar. I'll tell you what though, the dude on this cover is in desperate need of a tan. This zine is worth getting just so you can see the cover. And as a bonus it's a pretty damn good read. Now if you're someone who only enjoys zines with fancy layouts and lots of pictures then this is not the zine for you. Outside of the cover there are no pictures and the layout is simple and readable but the writing is where this zine shines with funny articles such as 'Why Not to Date a Drug Dealer," "Dating Tips for Horny Boys" and more thoughtful articles such as "A Devaluation of Self." All in all this is a very entertaining zine. Its a bit on the short side (10 full sized pages) but I'd rather have a short well written zine than a zine that's loaded with poorly written articles just because the editor felt that they needed to fill space. A very good zine. And damn is that cover cool.
current issue #7
$2 or trade
Marie Martin
PO Box 1515
Portland, OR 97207
waster@gateway.net
CAT BUTT IN YOUR FACE #3
This is a zine that quite frankly I wasn't expecting to enjoy as much as I did. At first glance it looked like every article was about heavy metal and since I'm not much of a metal head (those kids with that crazy music...Perry Como- now that was music) I wasn't expecting much. But then I actually read it and I was very pleasantly surprised. While most of the articles are in some way related to metal music don't let that scare you away because the metal-ness of it all, while it's always part of the story, it never becomes the story. My favorite pieces in this zine were "My Very First Metal Show" and an account of what it's like being a metal head in Catholic school (and surprisingly it's not the horror story you might think it would be) and I also reality enjoyed the live show reviews which are more about what happened at the show than the show itself which is a good move because in general there's nothing I find more annoying than reading show reviews of bands you've never heard of and would have no interest in even if you had heard of them. But Shoshannah does the near impossible by making these reviews interesting and one of the zine's highlights. While I could've done the metal album reviews and some of the more pure metal stuff overall it's a fun read and recommended.
current issue #3
$2
Shoshannah Flach
PO Box 470263
San Francisco, CA 94147-0263
DAFFODIL #18
Last and certainly not least comes this beautiful zine. I'm at something of a loss for words here. This issue is basically about Emily's prescription drug addiction and features cheery topics such as addiction in general, suicidal thoughts, a visit to the "nuthouse," withdrawal from drugs, and finally coming to terms with the fact that she is an addict. If all this sounds depressing...well maybe it is to a certain degree but it never becomes hopeless. You never reach the point where you just want to throw it in it trash because it's so depressing. Maybe the thing that saves from becoming over the top depressing in the fact that Emily is such a great writer and is so good at explaining what happened and why she feels it happened and she's just great at explaining her emotions and what she was going through at the time. Just an amazing, brave, honest zine that I can't recommend to you highly enough.
current issue #18
trade city (your zine or anything you make)
Emily
PO Box 124
Willington CT 06279
Fred Argoff
Do you know something? After my batch of reviews in the previous XEROX DEBT, I actually got letters from several of you guys. And since letters are pretty much the elixir of life to zine editors, I figured I'd do it again. If you send me a zine hoping I'd review it and you don't see it here, hang out a while, willya? I wound up with a backlog, and as long as Davida keeps doing the zines (and wants my reviews), I'll get around to them, eventually.
Oh yes, and one other thing. Since I'd like to continue receiving mail, please note my new address, effective whenever you are reading these words: 1800 Ocean Parkway (#B-12), Brooklyn, NY 11223-3037. And now to paraphrase something my Mom used to say when I was a little kid, less talk, more zine reviews.
On a fairly regular basis (and this goes double for whenever I ask someone if they'll be interested to write something for either of my own zines), I hear people complain that they can't write. Maybe they don't know when to use a given word, and they'll be embarrassed if someone they know sees their work in print. Well, here's a nifty little zine that will help. GRAMMAR Q & A is exactly what the title suggests. People write in with questions, and editor Alden Scott Crow and his contributing editors respond with easy-to-understand explanations. For instance, in issue #20 earlier this year explained the differences between could, would, and should. You read this zine for a while, and you realize that language isn't the stuff of nightmares -- it's fun. And before you know it, you'll be slingin' some pretty vigorous grammar yourself! You don't even have to crack open your checkbook to subscribe: one year's worth of the zine goes for five first class stamps.
Alden Scott Crow
PO Box 445
Clements, CA 95227
Have you noticed that there are some crazy things going on in the world? You have? Hey, that's good; it means you're not living under a rock. The only way to get from one day to the next (preserving your sanity, I mean) safely is to have a sense of humor. And that's why you need a zine like CULTURE FREAK. At first glance, it looks awfully serious -- sort of like one of those "fact sheets" put out by a major corporation when they have to cover up for something they've done. But then you see that, factual through it may be, it's really parodying the insanity rampant around the world. Scattered throughout each issue are "ads" for products that don't exist -- at least, they won't until some weirdo marketing person dreams them up! If I have a problem with this zine, it's that you never really know when the next issue is coming out (that's an idiosyncrasy of mine; I do zines like clockwork. Ask Davida, she'll tell you! [ed. It's true. You can count on Fred's zine clock more than the lunar calendar.]) That bit of complaining aside, you really ought to stuff $3 in an envelope and send for the next issue. Just don't read it while drinking soda -- it's such a terrible feeling to have carbonated liquid shooting out of your nose.
Mike Juhre
PO Box 1186
Cooper Station
New York, NY 10276
Suppose you really feel strongly about something. Wouldn't it be great if there was a way for you to share your passion with the rest of the world? Well, God bless America, because there is a way you can. It's a zine yclept PASSIONS. Actually, its subtitle proclaims it to be a "Cooperative Press Association." In plain English, this means that you join up, contribute your scribblings, and they get printed in the next issue right along with everyone else's. You also share the costs of production and postage, all of which works out wonderfully if you'd rather not produce your own zine by yourself. And since everyone has something they're passionate about, well, why wouldn't you consider something like this? (It happens to be a great read, too. One of the contributing members writes about cartoons; I find that fascinating!) You can inquire about joining the association, or check the latest issue out via the sample route, which means that you should send $3.50 to:
Ken Bausert
2140 Erma Drive
East Meadow, NY 11554-1120
I should say right here that SUITABLE 4 FRAMIN' gives much of its emphasis to graffiti, and I've never been a major fan of that endeavor. However, the intricate lettering graffitists are capable of producing amazes me to no end. Maybe that's because my artistic abilities extend only to pathetic stick figures. Editor Raju Singh collects examples of graffiti from around the world (everyone wants to show off their stuff!) and the more I see of it, the more artistically disadvantaged I feel. There's also reviews of flix -- kung fu and hip-hop tend to predominate -- and the occasional political rant. You're invited to reply to these, but Raju doesn't want to hear from you unless you know what you're talkin' about. That sounds fair to me. There wasn't a price on the cover of the last issue, but I think $3 will land you a copy, cash insisted upon. Tell Raju you heard the news from me.
Raju Singh
PO Box 12686
Berkeley, CA 94712-2686
Sarah Manvel
SCORPION
Willona has hit a balance between two very difficult subjects: the punk scene worldwide, and political awareness at home. What's more, she does both without getting preachy or too obscure. Her love of both these subjects radiates off the page and you can't help but be impressed. In issue 5, she embarks on her biggest project to date, making contact with punks from France to Guatemala to Indonesia, interviewing them on their local scene and learning their languages in order to read their zines. If that ain't commitment to DIY and building community, I don't know what is.
($2 USA, $3 world. #5, fullpage newsprint about 60 pages.)
Willona Sloan
Scorpion Zine
PO Box 7804
Washington DC 20044-7804
wsloan1@erols.com
MARVEL ZOMBIE SOCIETY APA
An apa is like a zine round robin - every month sends in copies of their zine, the central mailer collates them, and sends them back to everyone. It started for people obsessed with Marvel comics - duh, but has expanded out into comics in general (mostly mainstream and anime, at the minute, but it changes), movies, wicca, and general mayhem. The effort people put into these zines is amazing, and you can never guess what people are obsessed with. Confession time: I've been a member of this, on and off, for five years now, and I can personally attest to how addictive it is. It's a regular little community. And, you can set up your account for only $5.
($3 sample, usually AT LEAST 150 pages)
Shane Hutchinson
Central Mailer
8126 Glorieta
Houston TX 77083
skullduggery@ev1.net
MORGENMUFFEL
The name means 'slug-a-bed' in German. Isy lives in an anarchist collective on the south coast of England and draws amazing slice-of-life comics about her roommates, hitchhiking to demos, the Spanish Revolution, and her cat. She has a really great sense of humor, which makes her stories very accessible whether you agree with her anarchism or not - although anti-Nazism is a topic on which everyone can agree! In the collected issue, she writes a heartfelt piece about being German-Korean and being out of place in both cultures. Get 'em both, for god's sake, she's really wonderful. Don't be skimpy when you send her money, either - postage is three times as expensive over here.
($1 + 1 IRC for issue 5, $1 + 3 IRCs for issues 1-4 collected. Halfsize, #5 about 20 pages, collected much thicker)
Isy
c/o Box B
Public House Bookshop
21 Little Preston Street
Brighton BN1 2HQ, England.
BITCH
What Andi and Lisa do is rip pop culture to shreds, pointing out all those little things in daily life that bug you so much and then explain why. Why must Buffy have perfect hair, makeup and nails while kicking vampire butt? What is "Ally McBeal" trying to say about single women? Why are naked women so prevalent in advertising? Whose porn is it anyway? They also interview women like Ariel Schrag (teenage cartoonist) in every issue to examine their position as artists and promote their work. This is my favorite magazine. Please, please, please, please, please buy a copy or even subscribe - because we women are goddamn worth it.
($5 for one, 4 for $12)
Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture
Lisa Miya-Jervis
2765 16th Street
San Francisco CA 94103
www.bitchmagazine.com
Sarah Oleksyk
WOUNDIG
Kirsty's thick little zine might be the most all-inclusive of anyone's personal zines I have ever laid eyes on. Each issue has pro-vegetarian, pro-marijuana, pro-DIY articles, many recipes and information on coffee brewing and drink mixing, political opinions, and comics. Her artwork is scattered throughout and I was extremely impressed as to how quickly her drawing improved once she started art school - issue 7 in particular has some gorgeous cityscapes. I hope she's continuing with this, because if she's this good while in college who knows where she'll go? An all-around impressive zine - you'll like it, I promise.
(7 issues, #7 winter 99)
$2
Kristy Schmisty
1720 Baseline Rd.
Apt. 203c
Nepean, ON K2C 0B9
Canada
BEER FRAME
Paul Lucas has an obsession with products. Not just what you see on the shelves in the supermarket, but the obscure, why-were-they-ever-created type of toy or drink or canned food that, when brought into the public eye, make you say, "What the hell?" reviewed in his zine are such marvels as pondaeggi (canned bug larva, a Korean snack), ketchup and clam favored chips, body glue, lawn make-up (a green spray paint), and reindeer paté. He also explores ad copy to the last detail, including his often hilarious attempts to contact the company's PR people and get some answers about their confusion packaging phrases. All this plus record reviews (which never seem to be about the music). One of the few zines that is as smart as it is funny.
$3
Paul Lucas
160 St. John's Place
Brooklyn, NY 11217
READ MAGAZINE
I don't know if I would call this a perzine, but it contains rambling thoughts on a multitude of random topics that enter the lives of Adam and his friends and family - and boy, these kids are funny. Adam in particular writes in such a way that you can almost imagine him in a room of people, telling a story while everyone around him cracks up the whole time. Highlights of this issue: Reviews of Movies I Haven't Seen, photos of a bunch of dorks dressed up at an anime convention, and a back and forth rap war on the topic of meat. Reviews, interviews, and rants round out this phat package. I was laughing outloud in parts.
Vol 4, #15 goth and cartoon issue
$2.50
Adam Liebling
PO Box 3437
Long Island City, NY 11103
I'M JOHNNY AND I DON'T GIVE A FUCK #3
Andy collected these stories from his life and wrote them out by hand - yes, you can actually read it - and you get the sense that some people's lives have been given to them for them to make tales out of, to pass along their experiences so that others can live in their shoes for a few hours. Each issue seems only to focus on a few months of his life, which amazes me not only cause the zine's so compact and, in a way, like a novella, but just that so much goes on. Travel, mischief, girlfriends, escape from the cops. The Canadian Aaron Cometbus.
$3
Andy
PO 21533
1850 Commercial Dr.
Vancouver, BC V5N 4A0
Canada
BUST
This has got to be my all-time favorite women's magazine around. I'm still considering it a zine (even though in NYC you can buy it at newsstands) because it runs no ads and is independently published, but the quality is strictly professional. You will throw away every Cosmo and Glamour after reading something this read. One issue is all about money and investing (when was the last time your women's mag covered this?); one is about the power if girlfriends. This is a strong, well-written, politically aware mag devoted to enlightening and connecting women as hip, thoughtful, strong smart beings and not as the painted clotheshorses "the man" wants us to be. Order one; you'll see what I mean.
$3.50
PO Box 319
Ansonia Station
New York, NY 10023
Scout Finnegan
My last issue of SCOUT took entirely too long to finish. After I was done, I sent away for a bunch of new zines. After my recent stagnation, these zines inspired me to get off my can and get cracking on a new issue. So I guess you could say that these are five zines that inspired me in one way or another.
KING-CAT COMICS AND STORIES
After I received John Porcellino's most recent issue (# 56), I loved it so much that I instantly sent for some more. #56 is entirely one comic of a coming of age story.
My favorite so far is #55, which is a collection of various shorter autobiographical comics. Subjects include encounters with possums, owls, and getting an eyelash trapped in his eye. I think what I like the most about them is their calming simplicity.
I was amazed to find out that he's been doing this zine for ten years. I certainly hope that I can do a zine that good for that long.
$2.00/8.5" x 5.5"/28 pages
John Porcellino
P.O. Box 881
Elgin IL 60121
TIME'S UP
Patrick Lee sent me a copy of issue #9 out of the clear blue sky. I love getting zines as a surprise. I had read one of his previous issues, so this was a nice treat for me. The title of this issue is "Bearing the Wait," and it's a collection of short autobiographical comics. My favorite was "Can You Identify the 5 Types of Comics-Convention Geeks." Even though I've never been to a convention, this make me laugh out loud at its homage to Matt Groening. Plus, Pat takes one of Davida's journal entries and puts pictures with it. I guess what I like best about TIME'S UP is Pat's ability to sum up a complex story in only one page.
$2.00/8.5" x 5.5"/28 pages
Patrick J. Lee
280 N. Florence Street
Burbank CA 91505-3618
NOT MY SMALL DIARY
The fact that I am in this zine somehow seems to ruin my credibility, but here goes. Delaine rocks my world! Not only is she the fabulous collector of Atari and Pez dispensers (a girl after my own heart), she produces her comics MY SMALL DIARY, and also publishes the work of others artists IN NOT MY SMALL DIARY. For those of you who haven't seen NMSD, this time around (issue #7) it features work by thirty-six artists, each chronicling one day in their life. It's sheer genius and truly a bargain at only $1.00. Delaine is fantastically friendly and sums up all that is right in the zine world.
$1.00/8.5" x 5.5"/60 pages
Delaine
1248 22nd St. S. C-2
Birmingham AL 35205
delangel3@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/delainederry/MySmallHomePage.html
WISHBONE
This is a wonderful per-zine by Bunnigrrrl. #9 is the first issue I've seen, and it knocked my socks off. Bunnigrrrl writes about socialism, the earthquakes in her California home, environmental issues, and highlights of her favorite spots in her hometown. I especially loved her one page comic about her experience with yoga. Very amusing. WISHBONE is intelligent without being intellectual. It's honest without being whiney. And there is a great mix of serious and fun articles. Never before have I seen Socialist rants and facts about bunny rabbits in the same zine. But somehow she pulls it off. An excellent read.
$2.00/8.5" x 5.5"/40
Bunnigrrrl
PMB 200
32158 Camino Capistrano, A.
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
wishbone@exo.com
www.wishbonezine.com