Sunday 27 December 2015

Zines of the year!

You get  lot of end of year lists round this time of year, mostly music ones, but seeing as my tradition from 2000 onwards seems to be that I don't get more than two new albums a year (forever stuck in the 90s) that would be a boring list.
I do however get more than 2 zines a year and this year I got some great zines.
here are my top 5....


BRUXCORE A zine about Irn BruHolly Casio
March 2015

My favourite zinester Holly made a few zines this year, but I think this is my favourite.
With a bright orange front cover and blue inside pages, a zine full of stuff about one of her main loves, Scotland's finest import, Irn Bru!
The zine has all about Holly's love for Irn Bru, Irn Bru imposters, Irn Bru in different forms, contributions and a bunch of recipes.
It's a zine for anyone who likes the orange fizzy pop!
GET IT HERE!


SCRATCH THAT ITCH #5Kathleen
July 2015

Kathleen is someone I have known for years, but never spent lots of time with. But I had the pleasure of doing that in August when she drove us round on our super summer tour!
Kathleen also brought a mini zine distro with her, which included her latest issue of Scratch That Itch zine.
Scratch That Itch is always a treat, but this one is particularly great, for a start it looks great.
It's an A6 affair that Kathleen hand bound (there ain't nothing Kathleen can't do!) and is a tour diary!
It's a diary of the month in spring 2015 Kathleen spent driving top notch band Caves round on tour with Against Me!
It has some highs, some lows and some pretty great scenery! It made me want to get out more and visit places.
It was like reading someone's diary and Kathleen writes so well, would recommend this to anyone!


GO FIGUREA.K
August 2015


In 2015 Holly an I went to a comic con in Las Vegas and we made a great friend.
Fast forward to 2015 and this awesome friends makes her first zine!
She has been making really intricate and awesome dioramas with her vast collection of star wars figurines and then turned them into this zine!
The zine is ascetically amazing, full of detail, heart and passion, just like the diorama.
You don't even need to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy it.


AFTER GRRRL small stories from big livesCarrie Jo Tucker/ Jessicka Addams
October 2015

A zine full of short pieces written by all my favourite artists and musicians! what more could you ask for!
It has Allison Wolfe talking about her Cool Mom and rubbish boyfriend, Camille Rose Garcia talking about being told girls can't do art and Lori Barbero on learning drums and SO MUCH MORE!
It also has a page where you can write your story!
I wrote a lot more about it HERE.
And you can get yourself a copy HERE!


SHAPE AND SITUATE 7 posters of inspirational women in Europe
Melanie Maddison
December 2015


Melanie compiles some of my favourite zines (her Colouring Outside The Lines zine will surely top next years list) and this one just made it out before the end of the year!
Shape and Situate is a zine made of posters people make of women they have found inspiring for one reason or another, artists, educators, activists, community pioneers. I love tis zine because you learn about so many great figures you may not have heard of otherwise, plus you get all the different styles of posters the contributors send in, from illustrated to written.
This is the last issue of S&S (boo) but fear not Melanie will still be working on other zine projects.
Also I co-produced a poster for this one, so get it now.
Get it HERE!


Special mention goes to Poor Lass #6 Health Issue, a zine about working class people from working class people, that I co edit with top lass Em!
Get it HERE!

Sunday 13 December 2015

Sugar Paper #16 OUT NOW!!!!

*just* in time for the festive season, here is issue #16....
Image of Sugar Paper #16

this is the SPACE issue with all sorts of out of this word things to make and do, alien biscuit recipe, crocheted planets, X Files cross stitch, fabric marbling, fizzy bath stars and much more.

Comes with headpins and beads to make your own constellation jewellery and  holographic card cover!

get it HERE!

Sunday 6 December 2015

Alison Erika Forde; There's nothing for you here

Last weekend I headed to Bury Art museum to the opening of a new exhibition there by my bff (and favourite artist) Alison...

There's nothing for you here is a collection of old and new works featuring brown ladies, animals, trees and creatures painted on all manner of things from vintage mirrors, cupboard doors, second hand pictures and pieces of wood!

Even though there is definitely Alison's signature style on everything, each piece is different.
Two of my favourite pieces were new works , A girl of Trinidad, which is a portrait of a lady on a wooden souvenir and Speak no evil, a collection of large side profiles silhouettes painted in a wood effect on cardboard.

The title of the exhibition comes from cult TV show The League of Gentlemen and just like the show itself, Alison's works are a touch of the gross, some sadness and mischievous but always served with humour!

The exhibition runs until 20 February.

MORE INFO HERE!!