The Zines of Summer

John Johnston

Zine librarians Jamez Terry and Kelly Costello

Our summer reading series continues with Jamez Terry and Kelly Costello. Last December, they founded the Denver Zine Library, a collection of almost 5,000 independently produced mini-magazines, or "zines." Zine creators sometimes sign their work with a one-name handle (like a first name or nickname) or a pseudonym.

Some of Terry and Costello's favorite zines:

'Clutch'

Greig, a zine librarian based in Portland, Ore., uses a comic-book format to tell stories about the momentous and mundane events in his life.

Contact information: Greig -- P.O. Box 12409, Portland, OR 97212. Other zines by Greig: The Adventures of Nicole G.; What happened to the library?; Zine Librarian Zine; Homemade Polaroids

'Morgan Anne & Peter Pan' and 'Morgan Anne & the Pirates'

These two zines offer a new take on the children's classic, Peter Pan. The series introduce Morgan Anne, a character that ruled Never-Land before Peter arrived to reign over the island. When Morgan returns to Never-Land, she and Peter occasionally butt heads in their battles with Captain Hook and his pirate crew.

Contact: Jen -- 11 Ascot Court, Welland ON, L3C6K7 CANADA. Other zines by Jen: Tiki: Girl Without A Cause; Petra; Escaping Suburbia; I don't like it anymore; Visual Thought; How To Start A Revolution

'Portrait of a School Teacher'

The poems that comprise this zine describe Joe Verilli's experiences as a volunteer at a Connecticut public school.

Contact: Joseph Verrilli -- P.O. Box 1158, Bridgeport, CT 06601-1158. Other zines by Joe Verrilli: Shoes; Audio SHOES; Limited O.K.; Poems for an Old Friend; the History of Candles; This Groovy Movie

'Proof I Exist'

Produced by a college student named Billy, Proof I Exist is a personal zine, or per-zine, that features musings and descriptions of Billy's antics.

Contact: Billy -- 1357 W. Augusta #1, Chicago, IL 60622

Billy also runs Loop Distro, a publication distribution service (See Web Resources below).

Terry and Costello also have some novels on their reading lists. Terry is reading The Suburbs of Heaven by Merle Drown, a story about an unlucky, desperately poor family of five in New Hampshire. Costello is re-reading Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins, which takes place concurrently in Paris, Seattle and New Orleans and features a subplot about a character who's trying to cheat death.