I recently had the opportunity to contribute some writing to a couple of local zines, both of which were published in September. My submissions were not too substantial, just some reviews, but I thought I'd put in a mention here to draw some attention to the zines in question, Knee Deep In Squaresville, and The Eclectic Screening Room. Both are Toronto-based zines, one devoted to music, the other to film, each independently produced and distributed by a dedicated individual with a passion for their subject matter. Publishing a printed zine in the digital age is an increasingly hard sell, with the proliferation of websites, e-zines, blogs, online groups, fan sites, and the like. The options available in the digital realm seem to have diminished the importance of the printed zine. While there was a significant boom in zine culture in the '90s, the turn of the century saw a steady decline in the number of titles being produced. Still, the zine persists, and it is encouraging to see new issues and new titles in print. There's something about a printed publication that just doesn't translate to the web, the tangible quality of a printed piece offering something personal and of value to the reader beyond the words on the page. This is part of the reason that zines, magazines, and printed matter in general have endured, and the whole concept of "the death of print" has proven to be greatly exaggerated. Of course, the great surge of new writing is largely on-line, but there is something to be said for the continued existence of DIY print publications such as these. I've personally been contributing to and reading zines and independent magazines off and on since the '80s (I even briefly co-published my own zine, Machine Power, in the early '90s), so I've got an obvious affinity and affection for this realm of publishing. Both Knee Deep In Squaresville and The Eclectic Screening Room are unique zines in the Toronto scene, and are right at home in The Mysterious Vault!
Knee Deep In Squaresville is a zine focusing on music (rockabilly, psychobilly, '50s rock and roll, surf/instrumental, and related sounds), and vintage culture and lifestyles in general. The zine is put together by Toronto DJ Rock 'n' Roll Jenny, and is affiliated with John and Jenny's Rock 'n Roll Party, who promote live rockabilly events in the area. Knee Deep In Squaresville doesn't take itself too seriously, and includes a broad mix of music writing, interviews, movie reviews, restaurant reviews and recipes, makeovers, rants, and much more, often with an irreverent tone. The zine comes out four times a year, which is pretty ambitious for an old-school DIY cut and paste effort, but so far it is up to issue number 7, and issue 8 should be out before the end of 2008. Issue 7 was printed to coincide with John and Jenny's annual Rock 'N It Up Toronto Rockabilly Weekender, which was held September 12th and 13th at The Cadillac Lounge (I participated in this year's event as a DJ). Featured articles in issue 7 include an interview with rockabilly/roots musician Ronnie Hayward, a U.S. tour diary by Buzz Deluxe, and a writeup on the most recent Red Hot and Blue Rockabilly Weekender in Montreal. This was the first issue to which I contributed, and my reviews include Eddie Angel's Link Wray tribute album, as well as the first Wes Dakus and the Rebels reissue (see my July 2nd posting for more on this great CD). Knee Deep In Squaresville can be found at John and Jenny's events, or in Toronto at Good Catch (1556 Queen St. W.) or Hits and Misses (860 Bloor St. W.).
The Eclectic Screening Room explores the vast world of film, and is particularly interested in the unusual, the lesser-known, the independent, and the cult celluloid that often falls below the mainstream radar. Published by Toronto film enthusiast (dare I say obsessive?) Greg Woods, The Eclectic Screening Room (or ESR, as it is also known) is a lively read. ESR offers an entertaining mix of film analysis, criticism, and reviews, along with writing of a more personalized nature, reflecting on different aspects of film in everyday life, and waxing nostalgic on subjects such as late night television and the "death" of VHS. Greg launched ESR back in the spring of 2001, and the zine is now up to its 22nd issue (including special one-off editions such as the extensive Roger Corman Scrapbook). This is an impressive achievement, particularly in the zine world, where the average lifespan of a title is generally less than ten issues. True to its moniker, ESR has covered a diverse range of cinematic topics, with past issues delving into film noir, rock and roll movies, educational films, drive-in movies, '70s westerns, bizarre Christmas movies, and much more (visit ESR's website for a detailed run-down of each issue). The current ESR is devoted to the late night television experience, and looks back on a time when after hours programming consisted of more than infomercials and sleazy chat-line adverts. This issue captures some of the hazy, nocturnal bliss of off-the-wall late night fare, and descends into the dead of night to deliver memoires on such topics as paranormal films (on UFOs, bigfoot, and other bizarre phenomenon), Night Walk/Night Ride/Night Moves, Chuck the Security Guard, City TV late night, forgotten '70s made-for-TV movies, and Buffalo's long-running film showcase, Off Beat Cinema. I had hoped to contribute a piece on The World's Worst Film Festival, a late night series which I had enjoyed in my early teens on CBC television in Ottawa back in the '80s, but I wasn't able to get it together in time for the deadline. I did, however, review the The Best of Off Beat Cinema DVD for this issue, so I didn't miss out completely. I've been writing for ESR for half a decade now, since 2004's Noir issue, and have enjoyed the opportunity to explore different aspects of film history though its pages. In addition to the printed zine, ESR also presents film screenings on a regular basis at Trash Palace in Toronto, and has begun broadcasting online, with ESR Late Nite. Greg's zine is available at his ESR screenings, at various local small press/zine fairs (such as Canzine and Word on the Street), and through the ESR website.
Finally, on a related tangent, I recently heard about the Toronto Zine Library. As the name indicates, this is a local zine collection and resource, housed at the Tranzac Club. While I've never been, this struck me as a great idea, and I encourage interested readers to have a look. Support independent press!
