PhosBut, before we go, we want to mention a few great resources for the small zine publisher. If you publish your own little zine/paper/booklet, (like that FBUTA Gazette, for example) I recommend that you get in touch with these people. If you don't publish one, what is wrong with you? Don't you have a cross to bear? Is your life so perfect that you have nothing to complain about? Get off your butt and start writing. Unleash your most poignant thoughts on the unsuspecting masses. Embarrass your parents! Shock your co-workers! Warp young minds! Amuse your friends and other weirdos. Keep in mind however, that you will probably get the same vomit in return, and there will always be people who are weirder, cooler, and funnier than you are.
Nonetheless, it is an experience that every person with access to a Xerox and a few magic markers should take part in. Artistic talent is optional.
The first resource for aspiring publishers and kook-seekers is the recently reincarnated Factsheet Five. These guys have scads of listings of sometimes awesome, sometimes awful zines and other printed matter. Well reviewed and neatly catagorized (punk, queer, sex, music, political, etc), this is the ``quick-reference'' to get you started.
Factsheet Five PO Box 170099 San Francisco, CA 94117-0099The second is ``cheap... fun and... easy (no it's not your sister), it's the Zine Exchange Network'' (his words). Gary collects zines from all over the world and runs an industrial strength trading clearing house. Send a bunch of copies of your publication and a huge SASE (preferably one of priority mail bags with $2.90 of postage on it) and get swamped. ``Two thumbs up!''
Gary Pattillo 5920 Victor Street Dallas, TX 75214The last is a temporary situation created when Jerod Pore took over as reviewer and editor of Factsheet Five and inherited almost half a ton of old zines from the previous victim. He is currently begging for people to take it off his hands, two pounds at a time, by sending him a big \$2.90 SASE. He promises to stuff it with a wide assortment of zines and send it right back to you.
Jerod Pore 1800 Market Street San Francisco, CA 94102Jerod also runs Factsheet Five / Electronic, a cyberspace version of the granddaddy of all review mags. Check out alt.zines for current info, ftp to ftp.msen.com and look around in /pub/newsletters/factsheet-five (although these files are old, and there is a new site that will be replacing it as the home for F5E). To subscribe to the mailing list, send mail to jerod23@well.sf.ca.us.
And if you can't find anything interesting from any of these sources, then you might as well give it up. Get yourself a subscription to Reader's Digest or some other nice mainstream bathroom rag, a house in the suburbs, a sensible car, and 1.5 kids. The world of zines just ain't for you, buddy. So there.
Phos