STRATU'S DIARY COMIX

review from Anne: STRATU'S DIARY COMIX

8 pages,  11 inches x 8 inches, 3 US /3 Can/ 3 Mex / 3 World. Trades for comix
color cover, B&W inside with some color pages
Stuart Stratu
PO BOX 35 Marrickville NSW 2204 AUSTRALIA
sstratu@gmail.com

Pretty straightforward title: this is a diary comic made up of three panels a day. "My comix pal David Puckeridge and I tried this back in 2013 but quit after six months. This time we're going for a whole year -- Jan 1 to Dec 31 2015! (And beyond? Maybe ... if it doesn't kill us...). This issue covers April -- all of April -- which involves crossword puzzles, a dashboard camera and a betting brother, driving around, zines and getting the mail, a sakura flavored Kit-Kat from Japan (!!!), among other things. It's really cute, and different from many of the other diary comics I've read. It's day to day stuff, which I like. It's fun, and I enjoyed reading it. I haven't checked, though, to see if Stratu kept going with the diary comics -- the original plan was to go for a year, so we'll see if there are other issues out there...!

King-Cat Comics #75

KING-CAT COMICS #75

48 pages, digest pages (5.5 x 8.5 inches) , $5 ppd in USA
John Porcellino
PO Box 142
South Beloit, IL 61080
trades? better write and ask first

This issue of King-Cat is all about Maisie, first met by Porcellino way back in March 1992. Porcellino moved in with friends in Denver and knew right from the start that this "tiny little black cat" was trouble (she kept biting his dad's feet while he crashed in the living room after the move) in the best kind of way. The issue is charming, and especially so if you've ever had a kitty in your life, retelling Maisie's original story (Maisie wasn't her first name), her taste for sabotage on Christmas tree decorations, her disagreements with dogs (short lived!), her last name (it's explained, a little, in the issue), wearing a harness and riding in the car to make it through a move, more dogs (not good), going for walks, and a romp in the rain!

There's more of course but I don't want to ruin the sweet story -- it's a lovely tribute to a best friend in kitty form. As some of you know, I have a wee boy here, a diabetic Siamese, so I dig what Porcellino is saying here. The issue's got a drawing of Maisie on the front and I sat down and read it with my kitty; it was well-paced and the layout is clean and crisp. If for some reason you've missed King-Cat until now, it's well worth your time to start reading. This issue's quite good, with a compelling and sustained narrative throughout. I loved it. And I won't tell you what happens -- you'll have to get the issue to find out for yourself about Maisie -- but needless to say, it's a great read & most highly recommended.

review from Anne: BROOKLYN: Special Issue: Abandonment IV (#89)

BROOKLYN --Special Issue: Abandonment IV (#89)

24 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 $10 for a 4 issue subscription
(PAYMENT IN CASH! Fred adds: US currency please!)
Fred Argoff
Penthouse L
1170 Ocean Parkway
Brooklyn NY 11230

You know it, you love it: “The name of this zine is BROOKLYN and that's also what the zine is about, Fred's beloved borough of Brooklyn."

If you're new to all this, you should know that BROOKLYN is a long-standing awesome series that's a fun read even if you're never been to Brooklyn and maybe never will. It's all about Brooklyn (no surprise there), but it's always a combination of history, photography, and other Brooklyn related things, including Brooklyn-related zazzle.com stamps. This time, it's Zippy the Pinhead who apparently announced in an issue that he was born in ... you guessed it ... Brooklyn! (I wouldn't have gotten the reference without Fred's note cluing me into the fact!). I've been reading for a while now and I really enjoy it; I'd recommend a subscription to get the full effect & a full dose of BROOKLYN.

This issue is mostly photography based, as are many of the special issues. There's a lot of Brooklyn history here, along with some pictures of artist Miru Kim -- I'll let you get the issue to get the reference, though! If you like history, architecture, Brooklyn, urban spaces, etc. you'll want to check out this issue, even though the lexicon, one of my favorite things about this series (i.e. You haven't subscribed yet? Wat the hell? You crazy, or wat?), isn't included in this special issue. 

Always, always a fun read worth your time. So, whaddya waitin' for? Read some Brooklyn already!