Snakepit Comics have quickly become a phenomenon within the world of punk.  Beyond doing his regular zine-format comics, Ben Snakepit also contributes columns to other zines and peddles his writings while on tour with the numerous bands he finds himself joining.  Needless to say, Mr. Snakepit keeps pretty busy.  This collection documents his life in a diary-like flow from 2004-2006, providing a short snippet glance into his life each day (including a listing of the soundtrack song).  Reading through this feels a bit intrusive like browsing someone’s private journal, yet you get the sense this serves as his therapeutic outlet.  The rudimentary drawings with small details added here and there grow on you too.  I can’t imagine many people reading this cover to cover, but it’s a great book to keep handy for those times when you have a few minutes to kill.
Microcosm Publishing

Baltimore’s Mike Riley keeps himself busy.  Between singing for two bands (including the world touring Pulling Teeth), running two labels (Firestarter and Toxic Pop), and working a “regular” job, how he had time to make a zine is beyond me… but he did, thank goodness.  This inaugural issue of Firestarter Fanzine features well-written interviews with Bane, Ruiner, Sick Fix, and Sleepwell… and these are interviews I actually cared to read!  In addition, Riley also packs in a solid write-up about the Crossed Eyes 7″ and a handful of top ten lists from various band/label folks.  A solid zine that I hope lasts more than one issue.
Firestarter Records

Anti-Matter is among a very distinct group of DIY publications to rise from the hardcore/punk scene and stand the test of time, both in quality and impact. Not only did Norman Brannon’s zine serve as a documentation of the diverse state of affairs during the 1990s, it also captured his inquisitive and passionate love for some of the best bands of the era. Through this collection of interviews he conducted with the likes of Shelter, Sunny Day Real Estate, Quicksand, Snapcase, Elliott Smith, Down By Law, and many more, Brannon provides a great examination of what these musicians were about. Some of the most intriguing interviews (especially those with Into Another and Rage Against The Machine) capture the emotions tied to success and moving beyond the musical confines of hardcore. Any fan of the era will find this to be a plethora of interesting facts and insightful questions… an altogether wonderfully compiled anthology of one of the best zines to ever exist.
Revelation Records

This zine falls in the same category as cult phenomenon Found Magazine, compiling a collection of Ph.D. applicants’ submission photographs. While this alone might be enticing to some, the inclusion of quotes from those evaluating these people makes Applicant even more interesting. In fact, the quotes seem to tell an entirely broader story, offering insight into some of the less-than-pleasant criticisms that can be given without one’s knowledge. Although you could flip through this in a matter of minutes, deep examination numerous times still delivers each subsequent reading, making this well worth checking out.
Microcosm Publishing

Sometimes, when you hear about a new political movement or struggle for independence from an oppressor somewhere in the world, it can be shocking. I knew that Puerto Ricans were divided on the notion of being a U.S. territory, but I never knew the degree to which people are fighting to gain independence. This zine, the fourth installment but the first I’ve read, documents the ao-called political assassination of Filiberto Ojeda Rios, a leader of one of the major independence groups on the island. Most shocking to me was that this assassination didn’t take place back in the ’60s during COINTELPRO’s reign, but recently in 2005 and was undertaken by the FBI during a raid on the fugitive leader’s home. While the writing and structure of this zine lacks the typical academic style one might expect with such a topic, the information still rings through well.
Microcosm Publishing

Remember those fun books you read in elementary school that told a ghost story safe enough to read at that age, yet still interesting enough to keep your attention? Well, Richard Sala offers up a graphic novel cut from the same cloth of storytelling with “Peculia and the Groon Grove Vampires.” As Sala weaves a story based on a ring of babysitters who naïvely accept a job watching a family of vampires, one can’t help but recall similar stories from youthful readings. The only non-juvenile aspect of this book seems to be a ever so slight sexuality lingering in some of the illustrations, but overall this is a fun, fairly tame vampire tale.
Fantagraphics Books