Nerve #1 / Free / 28L / :45 / Nerve House, P.O. Box 12255, Milwaukee, WI 53212 /
I was really looking forward to Nerve when I looked at the first page of the zine. In it, it says “There’s no poetry in itâ€. I assumed that there was no poetry in the entire issue, but I guess the author just meant that there is no poetry in the word “noâ€. Oh well. This issue has a lot of poetry in it. Nerve is a magazine that looks to make a world fair to all individuals, and tries to break down sexist, homophobic, ageist, and other walls while doing that. The most interesting thing that I found in the zine has to be their little tidbits concerning individuals that struggled against the system. Oftentimes only a sentence or two in length, these tidbits make individuals want to know more  about specifically happened in these events. This is the first issue of the zine, so it feels as if Nerve has not found their place in the zine scene as of this moment. The text is clear, the contrast between the text and pictures nice, but there just needs to be more in the way of substantive discussion and less in the intangibles (poetry, mainly). This seems to be a content-driven magazine, so I am sure the large context of the zine will change given different material. Write them and see if they are still doing the magazine, and if they are, send along some pieces in a subsequent letter. If they are not sexist, homophobic, or the like, chances are good that you will get into print.
Rating: 5.8/10
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
Contact: editor@neufutur.com