Thursday, June 25, 2009

ISSUE ONE

I.
This zine project has been brewing in the back of my mind where all my thoughts percolate down and away from mundane everyday concerns and gather into deep cesspools of ideas. Actually, I wanted to do something in my senior year of college, but never got around to working up the enthusiasm to create anything. In retrospect it would've benefited me immensely to still have that job in the college's copy center on account of my unsupervised late night access to all the paper and photocopies I could want. This eight cents a copy business is for the birds...

Eventually I plan on writing an entire issue dedicated to just why it is that I bother copying and folding and cutting and distributing these little idiosyncratic pamphlets of mine, but leave it to be that in my occupation I find a rather large dearth of creative juices flowing and waves of sameness overtaking the populace. I swear if I hear one more person talk about a television show they watched... Thus, in order to combat my surroundings, I've taken to writing down my musings and doodling away my time. And maybe, just maybe, someone at some point has picked up one of this zines and thought I can do better than this! Perhaps I'll stumble across their little quaint peculiarities one day... and I shall read them and raise my eyebrows in tandem.
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UBBO ZINE issue No. 1 January 2008


Inside cover: The illustration features a zombie clawing its way over a tombstone. I like to think I've gotten better at my doodles.

Letter Page: This was my first attempt at creating a zine, so you'll notice that the letters page is crammed full of a fortune cookie insides, a letter to the reader, and even a bookshelf with book reviews. You may also notice right away, that I never allotted a border on my master copy, so the writing cuts out on some pages where the copier scanned the image and left its 1/4 inch margin.

Fortune: You believe in the goodness of mankind.

Dear Reader, 1/2008
Do you know why you're reading this? Because I
was bored, and more importantly because something
caught your eye or struck a chord with you. Either
way, thanks for reading and keep an eye open for
more "Ubbo". - Z.A.

The Bookshelf - A little literature for the
bibliophile in us all.
The Killer Vol. 1 - Matz
I Am Legend - Matheson
World War Z - Brooks

All top-notch lit. if you're a zombie/ vampire fan or love -
remaining text cut off by copier.

Page Three: I wanted to incorporate music reviews and band interviews in the zine, and I've been able to maintain a featured band in almost every issue. With so many concerts this past summer, three issues of the zine were music exclusive.

"I can't believe you listen to that crap..."

Band: LAST MARTYRS OF A LOST CAUSE
Hailing from Philly,PA Last Martyrs of a Lost Cause rage on the stage with a rampant ska sound that punches contemporary emo bands square in the balls. With songs like "Don't take it Personal" and "Throwing January Away" this band expresses a sound well beyond ordinary "ska". "Go ahead and feel fucked over!" You'll be so glad that you did.


Page Four: Many of the stories featured in the zine come from authors of short fiction. While there is no set style, they tend to be on the more sinister side, often depicting dark science fiction, horror, or seedy crime dramas. This first one is a nod to Logan's Run, with a little 1984 and Brave New World tossed in for kicks. I hope you at least recognize the title reference...

When I'm Sixty-Four

William Williamson was used to the city. He enjoyed being in the city. In fact, anyone who stood up and openly expressed any desire to live outside the city - outside of the boundaries, was immediately escorted to CP, Citizen's Processing, for evaluation. Nevertheless, as William Williamson stood in the lift as it rose eighty-stories to his apartment he could not calm his queasy stomach. Whether it was the rapidly rising express elevator opening a vertigo-inducing view of the city sprawled before him, or the clotted blood and brain matter from John Johnson's retirement party tonight splattered on his shirt causing it, he wasn't sure.


Page Five: In addition to the music and stories, I wanted to add a D.I.Y. touch to the zine.
D.I.Y.
Sticker Art
How - -You can grab these FREE labels (Priority Mail Label #228) in most post offices. Some you have to ask for them because they're "hip to you". Get some, white em' out or rock it old school with the 228 visible!


Page Six: Page six is where I it a wall. I wanted the zine to emphasize artistry and creativity... and yet I had nothing to offer. I settled for some musings and a poem written by a friend. Admittedly, they're pretty awful, but at this point I was just impressed I'd made it to this many pages.

S.O.S

Seek salvation
Outside of
Stone statues

Holy Pong!

Jesus
and Buddha
would kick
the crap
out of
Mohammad
and Moses
in
beer pong.


Page Seven: On the back cover I wanted to put something attention-grabbing in the event that my zines should land face down where I dropped them. Deciding to appeal to the fifteen year old rebel in all of us, I am ashamed to admit that the following is the "inspired" call-to-arms ( or pens?) I wrote down.

DO NOT
allow the
world to define
who or what you are!
YOU
exist, think, destroy, create, dream, etc.
GET UP. CREATE. LIVE!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Well there you have it. One bold attempt at creativity. While I assumed I'd be inspired and creative enough to spit out an issue every thirty days, or monthly, I was sorely mistaken. As it turned out, it would not be until mid March that I returned to Ubbo.

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