BLOG ZINE! It's a Signal! Buy a Zine Grab Bag!

by Kari Tervo

Okay, you guys. For a brief moment, I want to address those among us who are curious about zines, but aren't really feeling them yet (or might appreciate the FAQ).

"Kari," you say. "I know that there's an independent spirit in zines, and that there are no limits except your imagination and the laws of physics, and that there are a lot of really creative people making great zines. But. . .what about the cost?"

I totally feel that. I'm budget-concious, too. I mean, I'm collecting grocery store stamps for the Rachael Ray place-setting promotion at Albertson's. I feel like a 1950s housewife, but I'm now the proud owner of some colorful salad plates, gratis!

I know everyone likes a bargain. So before this week's review, let me tell you about zine grab bags. Zine grab bags are pretty much what every grab-bag is: a mish-mash of this and that and whatnot. But the beauty of a zine grab bag is that its personality will vary based on who is sending it to you: A general zine distributor? Anything from politics to music to travel to gardening to. . .everything. A feminist zine distributor? Expect a lot of frank discussion about sexuality and womanhood, with some punk reviews and band stickers thrown in! An Etsy seller? You may get an amazing selection of the best in zines, but you might also get a mediocre distribution of things the seller wants to get rid of. This one time? My zine grab bag from an Etsy seller was full of zines that the seller had cut things out of and put into her own zine! But most of the time, you'll get a good to great sampling of independent creations.

"Okay, Kari," you sigh, quickly losing your patience. "I said, what about the cost?"

Oh yeah. I'm sorry. I tend to pre-amble. Let's get to the point:

CLICK RAWR TO SEPARATE THE 'SIGNAL' FROM MY NOISE!

RAWR(for more)

Blog among Blogs

I wanted to take a moment and point everyone in the direction of what is probably one of the best blogs on the Internet. It is heartfelt, emotional, shocking, endearing, terrifying, funny, inspiring, and a host of other adjectives I could spend all day listing out.

It is called Post Secret. It is a collection of postcards sent in anonymously by readers with deep dark secrets. The page updates every Sunday and never fails to stir some kind of emotion. Some postcards were featured in the "Dirty Little Secret" video by All American Rejects and there have been several books published. The blog is just shy of 90,000,000 hits.



Frank Warren continues to bring us these wonderful postcards. Some will brighten your day, others may bring you to tears but I guarantee when you visit this site you will be touched in some way. Give it a look see here. Maybe you'll be moved to send in a secret of your own.

RAWR(for more)