AX WOUND #1(3^rd edition), $2, 5 ½” x 8 ½”, photocopied, 32 pgs.
Add Ax Wound zine to the list next to GG Allin, the Queers, and yours truly, of awesomely fucked up stuff to come out of New Hampshire. The zine is about women and horror flicks and some really interesting psychological and sociological aspects of movies in the genre as well. Have you ever thought that the underlying theme of struggling against conformity explains why punks love zombie movies so much? Or why little girls make the creepiest fucking villains ever? As much as I dig this zine, I have to do my job and warn you that it ain’t perfect. It’s a 3^rd edition, but still needs some heavy editing: lots of grammatical errors and sentences with their endings cut off and some pages have large text on plain background. But, I still consider Ax Wound mandatory back-of-toilet reading and I encourage you to order this zine because it’s so interesting and original. –Lauren Trout (axwoundzine@yahoo.com)

HULLABALOO #1
$3 U.S., $3.50 Canada, 5 ½” x 8 ½”, photocopied, 14 pgs.

Hi there, first- time zinester, my name is Lauren, and today, I’ll be offering you some constructive criticism regarding how to make a DIY-themed zine. Sit back, don’t take it too personally, and enjoy the ride.

1. DO: Read Stolen Sharpie Revolution cover to cover.

2. DO: Look up other DIY zines and find out which topics have already been covered to death.

3. DO: Include bylines or at least your name somewhere in the zine.

4. DO NOT: Publish poetry.

5. DO NOT: Bother writing what college degrees someone holds under their names. (College degrees don’t prove shit, and the whole point of DIY is that anyone can teach everyone!)

6. DO NOT: Have a Q & A section where you write both the questions and the answers about why you wanted to make a zine. (If it’s good, those answers will be self evident!)

7. DO NOT: Use large text or leave three-fourths of a page blank. (You could focus on putting all your effort into making a few really good pages!)

8. DO NOT: Leave two pages blank for the reader “practice making their own zine.” (It should be obvious that the reader is capable of folding a sheet of paper in half!)

Well, there you have it. I hope you find my suggestions useful, or at least that they prepared you for the eternal criticism that every writer faces. Please send along the next issue of your zine, so I might see how you have improved with or without following the above advice. If you have any questions, please email me at laurendzs@hotmail.com. Thank you and please step outside the boundaries of what feels safe. –Lauren Trout (1206 Taylor Ave N #103, Seattle, WA98109

INFECTICITIS #6
$2 or stamps or trade, 5 ½” x 8 ½”, photocopied, 44 pgs.

Remember feeling really excited, totally out of place, completely invincible, and absolutely homesick the first time you traveled on your own far away from your hometown? Read about Halley, punk rock adventurer, leaving Massachusetts to attend a semester of art school in California, and it will all come back to you. This zine covers the entire semester, which she spends skating, hanging out with new, diverse friends, and dealing with occasional lovesickness. The writing is good; typos and awkward wording are forgivable because there’s enough voice behind it to come alive. I’m having trouble trying to describe how cool the illustrations are, but like I said, she’s an art major, so just take my word for it. –Lauren Trout (halleyisbatty@gmail.com)

LAST KNOWN ADDRESS, $4 U.S., $5.50 Int’l, 5. ½” x 5 ½”, 48 pgs. + add-ins
Aesthetically, this zine is something to drool over. The detailed cover image is printed with black ink over textured green olive cardstock. The pages between have typewritten text about the importance of correspondence and mail art in the author’s life, and each page is decorated with original stickers and stamps. Last Known Address and its companion mini- zine, New Forwarding Address, come in a clear plastic envelope with some loose stickers and a couple pieces of vintage-y specialty paper. I can not fathom how she can get away with charging a couple bucks for this. Last Known Address is an amazing arts and crafts zine; I wouldn’t think twice about picking it up. –Lauren Trout (niku.etsy.com)

PREVAILING NONSENSE #1
SASE, 7” x 8 ½ “, copied, 20 pgs.
“Expectations are okay in moderation,” the cover warns us wisely. I was looking forward to reading this zine after flipping through it and noticing the excellent illustrations and a couple cute comics and quotes. So I was pretty thrown off when I realized that the first few pages are about “How to cut off your own finger,” and there are instructions on how to use a penis vacuum on another page—eww! You’ll dig Prevailing Nonsense #1 if you’re the kind of gross teenage boy who likes to do coke and make jokes about anal sex. For the rest of you, well, it’s got a couple of endearing moments and it’s free, so it’s your call. –Lauren Trout (5225 St. Hubbert #7, Montreal, QC, H2J 2Y2, Canada)

WILDERNESS SURVIVAL HANDBOOK
1 stamp + a letter, 4” x 5”, photocopied, 16 pgs.
Here we have an instantly lovable zine for anyone who appreciates non-sequitur irony and deadpan humor. The inside cover of the Wilderness Survival Handbook assures you that it won’t improve your chances of survival, but I would find it useful for entertainment while waiting to be rescued. –Lauren Trout (1719 Live Oak #C, Houston, TX77003)