BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: BK ZINE FEST ROUNDUP!
A few weeks ago, we bussed from our respective neighborhoods to Downtown Brooklyn on a Purple Pony + Anitas excursion and got caught up in a whirlwind of zines for hours and hours, finding a ton of awesome vendors and loads of new reading material. Here’s the breakdown of some favorite acquisitions:
SHELF LIFE #1: A journey through used bookstore adventures, this first installment follows Annie (a fellow Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls alum - so many of us would never be zine fans if it weren’t for camp!) and her bf Tim as they peruse their favorite bookshops in the East Village. Stay tuned as they take their explorations to other towns and cities in future installments. Definitely a must-read if you have ever gone on an obsessive quest for any bargains through this great city. You can find more, like Tim's film-dedicated zine, at their STUDIUM/punctum Etsy shop.
HOME BREW #3: Hilarious and touching little snippets of life and relationships in the modern/digital age by Adam J. Kurtz. The total package includes a ton of fun swag like the “congrats on that exciting thing” balloon, “I wish you would catch on fire so I could put you out” matches (my mind immediately goes HERE), and my personal favorite, the “Everything sucks but I’m OK” and Everything is OK but I suck” pins - because one is always relevant, right? Bonus points for the kaleidoscope, vampire fangs and candy we got, and wait…shouldn’t I be talking about the zine?? Follow Adamjk on the tumblr and the gram.
BLOOD VIDEO ISSUE THREE: As the name implies, this zine talks about movies on VHS featuring a fair amount of gore. Horror is something I’ve only recently become acquainted with, but after reading all of these reviews and interviews, it’s easy to find the enthusiasm for these pieces of little-known cinema totally infectious. It's also making me think that the stack of silly thrift-store videos stacked next to my VCR could use some company. (Rewind a movie when you finish and tell me you don’t get a secret joy out of it!)
SYNDICATE PRODUCT ISSUE 15: I was assured that this issue is a classic in the Syndicate Product canon, and it seemed like an appropriate choice since I was ignoring my duties in the sphere of domesticity on this particular Saturday. These pieces all address that cleanliness (or lack thereof) is an essential part of the human experience. I must have found this inspiring, because the next day I deep-cleaned my stove and felt GREAT.