Zine Fair Haul

So this morning I crawled out of my room in search of sanctuary. I had begun one of those horrible cleaning spirals when you decide that in order to simplify cleaning you need to remove lots of things from your room. Then half an hour later you look around and the mess you started out to clean has developed into some horrendous monster that covers the entire floor (and partially the walls and ceiling). It is no longer your room. It is the messes room. You are merely visiting.

I woke up to this misguided attempt at cleanliness from the night before and recoiled in utter horror. I needed immediate escape and so stumbled downstairs in my underwear (Getting clothes impossible. Wardrobe obscured behind mountain of paper and plastic). It lit up my little face to see a letter addressed to ME! This never ever happens. Ever. Unless it's the library telling me I'm scum for not returning things. 

Note: adorable illustration

It was from Phil of Black Shapes fame. 

At the fair I'd asked him to hang onto a copy of his new zine for me and between my asking and taking my leisurely time to stroll over to him he sold out! 

So he said he would post it to me the very next day.

Fucking sound out! Thanks a million...

Note: Matching peach coloured stationary and zine (gawgeous)

I was so excited about getting post, that I knew I'd have to put it on the blog under the guise of it being somewhat related to zines. So in order to make this post seem less creepy, here's the rest of my haul from the zine fair on Sunday.

Artfully laid out on my desk we have a veritable ORGY of diy wholesome goodness! 

It was a remarkably good haul...

 So to start we have the scarily professional looking Punt.

(It took me three goes to even SPELL professional. That is not good.)

Issue 1 Vol 1 €2

That's right. TWO EURO. How is this two euro?

I joked with the editor (Emma Somers) that to get such cheap printing she must be sleeping with the printer.

And now that I've had an oppertunity to examine it further at home, it is not longer a joke.

This is just too high quality to be sold at €2. I'm in complete awe.

 Issue 2 Vol 1

I took pictures of some stuff I liked inside too.

  "my friend & I are far too close,

& are wondering if you might consider

coming between us, & inciting a 

sort of horrible, irrational jealousy..."

The inside is filled with gorgeous graphic design and layout.

I very nearly licked the page at one point. It's just delicious.

I mean it's full of interesting articles on the Irish health system and independent book sellers and things, 

but I was too busy wanking over the design to appreciate such things.

It's not vulgar!It's a beautiful thing...

I mean COME ON!

Just look at it.

 Issue 3 Vol 1

I'm almost licking the screen just looking at it...

Ok that's more than enough about licking. In all seriousness I really am impressed by this publication and it has definitely raised the bar in my mind. My black and white papery creations look positively pointless next to these glossy beacons. I'll have to make sure to store my zines away from the Punt magazines to avoid jealous rages and possible fires.

So onwards! Though from this point on, I have not read all the zines as I only got them two days ago and I'm trying to learn to have that self control thing. I tried to watch all 63 hours of 'The Wire' in 24 hours. Since then I have been trying to learn how to pace myself.

So here we have some zines by Patrick Lynch. 

I've read the one on the left and a smidge of the middle one and I'm fucking loving it.

The drawing is deadly, but more than that the stories are fantastic. 

 So here we have Philip Barrett's zines which are easily my favourite.

I read the one on the right the second I got it, sitting in my kitchen still holding the envelope.

And I read the middle one about forty seconds after I got it at the fair. 

I'll be sad when I've read them all so I'm stalling on the left one.

I haven't read this yet,

but it's apparently put together by something called 'Downright Bockedy'.

I have read 'the monkey-head complaint' (which you can have a sample read of here and here) by these guys and now have very high expectations for Inside Outsiders.

This is another one from Downright Bockedy. 

Not only have I not read this one, I hadn't even OPENED it when I took this picture.

Which is why this is accidentally the back cover... 

 Yet another Downright Bockedy one. 

All writing this time.

Another downr... no not really.

I bought this one expecting it to be some sort of manifesto for the Tinderbox Network.

Pleasantly surprised would be a massive understatement. 

It's full of gorgeous drawings (this one by Claire Gallagher)

 and writing all based around the theme

'In These Shoes' 

I mean come on! Dawwww... (by Bianca Fons, entitled Toni)

Another Patrick Lynch one. 

I must make sure that this blog doesn't become some sort of shrine to 

Cardboard Press and Downright Bockedy... 

Then on to the lovely 'Loserdom'... 

I'll just open a page at random.

 WHY, what's that in the bottom left corner there???

Could it be an absolutely lovely review of my very own little rag?

It reads: It's rare these days to get a zine from Kilcoole, a few years ago every second Irish zine was from there; but alas all those up-and-coming punks and zinesters have moved on or grown up from the simple pleasures of creating folded, photocopied treatises! Anyway seven issues in seven months of Pepper Morrison is pretty good going - they're all of a good consistent quality too! There's personal, anecdotal writing on various subjects from school, college, being sick with glandular fever, waiting out all night for the first bus, friends being bursting to piss on bus journeys and having to hold it in, haircuts and more. With some really cool simple black-white contrasty artwork and clean layouts - it's a nice package. I hope Pepper can keep making zines for the long haul and not burn out with the one a month buzz as I'd like to see how this progresses.


My face nearly fell off I was so happy when I read this. In fact this whole entry was just an excuse to  say that I got some post and a good review. Sadly the very thing Anto was excited about in the review I haven't managed to keep up. Mother took me longer then a month to put together because I wanted it to be really nice for my Gran and Mum, so I'm WAY behind in terms of a zine a month. But in terms of blogging I'm miles ahead... So overall I'm almost 100% non constructive. That's quite impressive in my mind!