Zine Reviews: Wowee Zonk 2 + Ethan Rilly's Pope Hats

Wowee Zonk 2 is a nicely printed, full size zine with comics by Chris Kuzma, Michael DeForge, Ginette LaPalme, Andrei Geirgescu, Chris Simonen, Patrick Kyle, and Ken Craine. Each of these collaborators work with similar mindsets/humor, but the illustration style differences are huge from page to page. Patrick Kyle is still holding it down as having the most free-flowing comics style i've ever seen, but really, everybody in this bookzine is just so good that to call one dude out is so harsh. Great job everybody instead! You can find this pretty much anywhere in Toronto, but go to F13 in Kensington to get yours! You can probably get one from their place on the interspace.





Pope Hats #1, aptly subtitled 'Wherein Frances Scarland Quietly Battles Demons,' is a lovely frolick through Toronto life, filled with KFC on Bloor, Sneaky Dee's, dead cats, and ghost stories. I imagine these stories are pulled from life, which makes it even more of a complelling read, but all in all this is a great zine about LIVING in Toronto and puking in alleys. Pick this up at F13 too, jerkweeds!

blood of the blog sundays: seripop, julia dickens, will boone, and the berrics.

http://seripop.livejournal.com
Everybody knows about Aids Wolf duo's Seripop screen printing consortium, yes. Do a lot of people read their blog? I don't know. That's why you should probably give it a glance, it's pretty stimulation to the senses. Oh ho, ho ho ho.


http://juliadickens.blogspot.com/
I recently met this girl and she said she was into illustration and I was like 'whatever.' Turns out she's mad decent. A baby blog, yes, but definately worth aggregating in your rss reader!


http://williamboone.blogspot.com/

This guy is insane. I've heard him touted as the 'new' Ray Pettibon, which is pretty big shoes to fill but I suppose he definately has the talent to back it up. Gory work, super sick.


http://theberrics.com/
The Berrics is hosting their second game of skate right now. This is going to be so great. I know, you hate skateboarding. I don't give a fuck, guy.

Alexander Martinez Double Feature Part II

Here's some more Alexander Martinez zine action, Part II of our Alex Martinez Double Feature. This time its his self-published photozine called Kids Stay Free.



Kids Stay Free is a black and white zine, cardstock cover, printed on heavyweight paper, 32 pages if I counted correctly. Its got a nice heavy, tangible feel to it that I find is lacking with a lot of zines I get. The only bad thing I can really say is that I don't like the white bars at the top and bottom of the pages, but whatever, no biggie, thats zines for you.











Go to Alex's website and email him for a copy at STOPINTERNETROMANCE.COM, or just go read his blog instead: SAD AS I WANNA BE.
Thanks for the zines Mr. Martinez! Keep 'em coming.

If you've got a zine/book/print set/anything you want us to check out, send us an email or just send it out to the mailing address on the main page.

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Alexander Martinez Double Feature Part I

Alexander Martinez was nice enough to mail me a few copies of his zines months ago. I actually feel pretty bad about having taken this long to get the reviews up, but it was the kind of situation where I was too busy looking at the zines to be able to take the time to take pictures of them. I really like Alex's work and so here is the Alexander Martinez Double Feature Part I



We've Got Tonight was published by Kaugummi Books who are a pretty rad zine and artist book publisher based in France.
first edition : april 2009 /100 copies
20 pages, black and white printed - 14 x 21 cm
printed on 115gr cyclus




My favourite spread hands down. Just too good.







Alexander also has one of the best website URL's I've encountered in a while. STOPINTERNETROMANCE.COM

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free Calvin Sawer zines!

Calvin Sawer (see our feature here) just sent me over a note. He's got about 15 copies of his zine titled Rainstorms after all are only local affairs that he needs out of his hands by Friday. Not too sure why that is, but if it means free zines I'm all for it.



-44 8.5x11 pages Black and While xerox /60.
-Message Calvin on flickr or email him at humanlungs@gmail.com if you want one!
-Free, but help with shipping is appreciated.
-Up the punx

flickr friends: Tamara Lichtenstein

Tamara Lichtenstein is from Houston, Texas.











more at flickr.com/photos/tamgutlich

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Jennilee Marigomen at 01 Studio

Unfortunately since I don't live in Vancouver anymore I wasn't able to go check out Jennilee's show, Looking In, over the weekend. She was, however, kind enough to send me over some pictures of the set up. Enjoy!















more photos and other goodness over at walkingdistance.ca

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Seth Fluker at 107 Shaw

You may remember we posted the flyer for Seth Fluker's show, Everyone Needs Standards, a while back. Well, the opening was last Thursday and I thought I'd share a few photos.



First of all, I feel I should explain that since Dimitri and I only had a quick couple of minutes to spare, and since my digital camera and I don't necessarily get along these pictures aren't really any good. Most of them didn't turn out at all. You should just go see the show yourself, it is up until July 9/09.



What's up, vinyl? 107 Shaw Gallery is a pretty cool little living room gallery in Toronto. Very home-y vibe, I am into it.



This is some dude I don't know and a bad image of a few of Seth's pieces. The work in this show was pretty unbelievably painterly looking. Took me a little while to figure out what was going on in some of the photos, which is a good thing for sure.



What's up girl with nice tattoos and dude I don't know taking my photo?



Yep, I told you I didn't have many photos. Later for you 107! Good one Seth!

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jennilee marigomen in vancouver

I just got a note from boty pal Jennilee Marigomen. She is having her first solo show over in Vancouver this weekend, it is called Looking In. Check the details! We'll have some photos from the opening up in the next little while.



01 magazine presents:

looking in
photographs by jennilee marigomen

saturday, june 20th
01 studio
478 union + jackson, vancouver
reception | 8pm
afterparty/dance party downstairs | 11pm - late
back entrance for the party | dj's tba

original artwork and 3 sets of signed + numbered limited edition prints will be for sale at this exhibit.



more at jennileemarigomen.com

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blood of the blog sunday monday

I think it is becoming more and more obvious through this feature that neither Dimitri or I ever have any concept of what day of the week it is. Regardless, you should go check out the blog of fellow Torontonians Hannah M and Steven Beckly. You may have heard of it before, it is called HOPE AND ANCHOR.



Tons of photo goodness going on over there. Hannah and Steven also do some pretty great work respectively, so check them out too. Blowing up!

Also, if you have nothing else to do after that you should go listen to one of my favourite bands. They are called DDMMYYYY and they have a new record out called Black Square and it is great. One time my old band played with them in a highschool gym in a small town. Everyone left.

Seth Fluker at 107 Shaw

One of our favorites, Seth Fluker is having a show at one of our favorite spaces in Toronto, 107 Shaw. This is what Facebook has to say about this event:

"Since 2007, Seth Fluker has lived in three different countries and for the last eight months a neighborhood in East London called Stoke Newington has been his home base. While exploring his surroundings with various 35mm film cameras, the exhibited photographs at 107Shaw date back to a warm autumn day in Vancouver, a cold damp New York night and a handful of unfathomable London moments. The overall body of work selected for Everyone Needs Standards exposes a hidden world that is often taken for granted."

Hit up this opening on Thursday, June 18th! Get to going, kids.

zine reviews: phosphoros and crazy basement

Alexander Binder


Matthew Lock and Cederteg.

I know, I know. We rant and rave about Alexander Binder being the best thing to happen to photography since Anne Leibozowbzizwietz went bankrupt, but this book is so fucking amazing, so fucking another level that you really need to see a copy. Buy one and show it to your friends, whatever, they'll be so hyped that they buy one too and the cycle will continue indefinately. This perfect bound, glossy creation is filled with nightmares, dreams, and the most perfect surreal images i've ever seen in my life. It's just... just buy this book and support this guy. He's going to be big.






Matt Lock's illustrations of black metal fantasies and drug-huffing blobs always appeal to me. I don't know why, it just feels so so good. This particular zine is really nice, laser printed in an edition of 100. I usually don't like glossy, perfect zines but I think it lets the subtle nuances in the full-color drawings to stand out. WORD! We have one copy of this and it is $15.





email: coveredinfrogs@hotmail.com to send us zines or hate mail!


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blood of the blog sundays tuesdays?

this guy is in a band and that band is gay beast. they are playing in toronto on thursday at buy the pound at 1234 bloor. this is also a release party for the incredible toronto publication, free drawing. it is five dollars so you should go probably. here is that guy's blog.


there is this guy too who just happens to do great drawings. this is his blog