Oslo: Three Books
There's something about Oslo - something very, very strange. These three little books, collections of work printed on subtly varying paper stocks, are like peering through a semi-transparent shower screen into his unique mind.
Someone said that the root of all comedy lies in a kind of superfluous rigidity, in the comedic subject not realising or not acknowledging that a given situation has changed, and so acting in a way that, while only a moment ago was appropriate, is now inappropriate.
Short
Along with sucking on Lego and counting down the Rocket Clock, defacing a humble colouring book was once a 4-year-old rite passage. A rite that seems to have diminished in place of ‘interactive learning' and defacing a screen with a mouse-controlled paintbrush.
This hit VA Editions Editor Ed Davis, when he was looking for a gift for his two little girls.
Sneaker Freaker
Yeah, we can't help ourselves but butt-plug our latest issue - and it's a wholesomely rotund number 10, if you don't mind! Loaded with exclusive stories, riddled with inaccuracies and jam packed with enough protein to keep even Bobby Sands alive, our tenth issue is a modern classic showcasing an epic Airwalk feature, a special guide to cleaning your sneakers and 1001 other bits and pieces of unuseless minutiae about everyone's favourite youth-marketing hype-driven fadfest.
Jiffy
Many zines throughout history have been lowbrow. That was their whole shtick really. But sometimes haphazard photocopying and an overload of cut and paste can be enough to cause a Xerox-type headache. Jiffy, however, represents a new era of beautifully-crafted zines. Edited by Simon Blight and Rowan Tedge, this work of art (in a limited-to-100 run) features not only some very fine Australian illustrators and photographers but also a selection of talented artists emerging from woodwork all over the world.
Philosophy 'Zine
In his short story, The Destructors, Graham Greene writes that "After all, destruction is a form of creation", only that it happens in reverse. Philosophy 'Zine from Japan, with its theme 'Built To Destroy', plays out a similar thought process through its interviews, articles and imagery, while also functioning as a prelude to the deliberate destruction of the zine taking place after the next issue.
Winter Magazine
No one likes a show-off, but sometimes it is nice to celebrate something that you are proud of. Recently, Right Angle Publishing, which produces ThreeThousand, created a guide to the winter months for the City of Melbourne. Featuring many of Melbourne’s personalities such as photographer Lyndal Walker, fashion designers Hem & Haw, The Trust‘s executive chef Spencer Patrick, interior designers the Splinter Society and of course our bro John So, the magazine is as much about the people of Melbourne as it is about the places and events that fill our cultural calendars.
Hijacked Zine
In an age of terrorism it is good to see the word hijacked in a positive context. Similarly, in a world of two-a-penny self-indulgent rambling zines, it is refreshing to have this publishing medium shown in a good light as well.
Hijacked is a small limited edition production. Xerox quality, black and white and as lo-fi as it is loveable.
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