MORE ON ZINES
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Here's a brief run down of all the zines I've put out, with general reader comments and so forth.
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Issue One
This was pretty much the first zine I ever put out, released sometime around September 2001, it is now officially out of print. You can still get copies through Moon Rocket distro though I think. This zine appeared in the Chimp Frenzy zines lift out in Melbourne's Beat Magazine. Kristy from Smitten Kitten Zine Distro summed it up thusly:
"It's like looking into a photo album and comparing images from then and now... You'll be smitten by this as much as I am."
This issue was available through Smitten Kitten, Livinghood, Moonrocket, Pinstripe, Puffyeye and Echo zine distros, as well as Red Eye records, a stall at the Glebe Street Markets, some record store in Perth and Sticky in Melbourne.
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Issue One A: Return to A Town
I put this out in October 2001. It was themed entirely around issues relating to my hometown of Adelaide. I stuck things I found around the city onto the front cover, thus making myself famous for having the most gimmicky zine cover in town. This zine was put out for free. There is a reason for this. The zine was Adelaide themed, which meant the only people who'd have any chance of getting the jokes would be people that live here. Unfortunately no one in Adelaide actually buys zines. There are zines in Big Star records, the primary zine selling store, that have been in there for over a year. I figured if I wanted people to read this zine it would have to come out for free. I had access to certain photocopiers which made such a feat possible at no financial loss to myself.
This zine was distro'd primarily through Big Star records, although additional copies were made available through Veranda and Empire records. A small number of copies were also available through Sticky in Melbourne. It remains intermittently available through myself through trades, money amounting to about $2 plus postage etc and general flattery.
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issue two
Released towards the end of 2001, this zine was written entirely whilst I was bored at work. It's now out of print, although Moon Rocket distro still has copies. Other people have commented on it thusly:
"Office stationary-core in presentation"
-Moira from Moonrocket Distro
" This is the zine that everyone is raving about, and it isn't hard to see why... written in Ianto's laconic, but hilarious style, full of wit and charm"
-Kristy from Smitten Kitten Distro
"Ianto continues to shower us with dark humour, consciously revealing the entertaining myths of working as a clerical assistant in an aged care centre."
-Bonnie from Livinghood Distro
"Lots of people have been talking about this zine lately...it captures the strange meanderings your mind can get up to when your stuck in a cubicle or small room doing a clerical position."
-Anna Poletti from Trade Entrance issue two, and Vibewire.
"There is something intriguing about this zine... there is no other zine I have found quite like it... Ianto is a great storyteller and manages to convey a lot of emotion through his thoughts and examinations."
- Nick, from Vox Populis distro, which made this issue their feature zine for a while.
This issue was available from Smitten Kitten, Livinghood, Moonrocket and Vox Populis zine distros. It was also available at the Glebe St Markets, Redeye records and a couple of other places.
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Issue Three: The Self Absorbed Issue
I wrote this issue in around February/March 2002. I was starting my PhD at this time, and was going a little nuts. I started out trying to write a mini zine about stuff I did when I was growing up, and ended up with a 21,000 word overtly personal self absorbed ramble. I quote Homi Bhabha and Spivak extensively towards the ending. This zine is available through Smitten Kitten, Moonrocket and Livinghood distro . Copies may or may not also be available from me, depending on how nicely you ask. Price is $3 plus postage or trades.
What the critics said:
"Is Ianto the new King of Everything? Just jokin'. But really, this is such a great zine. ... Delicious stuff. Theory intersecting with lived experience!"
-Katy Stevens (visit her website by clicking here)
"One or two passages get a bit wordy and are probably easier to understand if you're familiar with theory, but mostly Ianto's really good at breaking down theory to talk about personal situations and ideas without getting caught up in jargon."
-from the Moonrocket Distro write up.
"I really loved Westside Angst #3. It's my favourite issue so far. All very interesting and well put together. And the covers are gorgeous. You rock!"
-Kristy from Smitten Kitten distro.
Oh. And apparently my grandmother read it and said it changed the way she looked at the world. Alright!
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Westside Angst Issue 4
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I wrote issue four shortly after I got back from the Newcastle This Is Not Art festival. It's an impromptu 48 hour zine. Additionally it comes complete with a Iänto Ware paper cut out doll. I've still got a couple of copies left, but its not really very good. Probably the zine I was the least happy with.
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Westside Angst Issue 4A: Return To A-Town
The general reaction to this zine was overwhelmingly positive. I gave a bunch of them to a more socially adept friend of mine at a show recently, and he proceeded to hand them out. This resulted in my very own market research forum. I got to watch, undetected, as some girl read through it, chuckling frequently, for about ten minutes or so. The best part was when she raised her eyebrows in an expression of shocked amazement at something I'd written. Alright, as Chris Bailey would say.
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Westside Angst Issue 4B
I got bored at work, and wasted time by making a zine. It's my shortest and most haphazard effort so far. It's available by sending me nice mail, or trades or something. Or most likely just coming up and talking to me.
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The South Australian Institute for the Photocopied Arts newsletter
I got bored at work and set up my own art institute, based around misusing the photocopier and the "I don't know art, but I know what I hate" mentality. It had examples of a collection I did inspired by Motorhead. Fuck I love that band. I got a good reaction from it. Friend's of my mother's read it and sent back a lot of positive feedback. I kind of like getting good word from people so far outside of my usually assumed target audience.
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The Sinking Ship State
A comic I put out for free, with Adelaide as it's primary theme. It was the first zine I put out with contributions from other people, including Rowan Tedge (Kankles comic), Zeldz Magnoonis (Peppe's Quest), Nigel Koop (perhaps better known as Home for the Def), Joel Catchlove (Wild Oat zine), and Robin Tatlow-Lord and Zac Holly, who were a couple of nice kids I haven't heard from since.
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Westside Angst issue 5
This issue pertains to an eventful day I recently spent at the zoo. I wrote it in a night, and had the initial copies made up within a couple of days, thus making it one of the faster zine efforts I've put out. It's pretty easy reading. Probably good reading if you're on the bog, or waiting for a bus I guess. Price is $2 or trade, but if you order stuff from me and write me a nice letter I'll probably send you a copy anyway.
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Westside Angst issue 6
This is one of the more wordy zines I've put out, and certainly the most angsty. Most of it was written whilst I was doing the first year of my PhD and driving myself fucking nuts. I was given medical advice to stop studying so much, and to spend more time doing basic things like eating and talking to people. So it's mostly about that, and about the stuff I was studying. If you're into angst and queer theory you might like it. I have received some good food back I guess. But if you're looking for a relaxing read, go for issue five.
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The Office of the Damned
A short comic I put out for free. It's about a bunch of undead clerical workers talking about how insanely bored they are. People seem to like it.
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