Posted on: July 25, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Sideshow #2 / $1 / :10 / 32S / http://www.drunkingham.com / 5460 Entrance Dr, Soquel, CA 95073 / 

Sideshow is a zine that does not worry about the conventions f PC culture, and this freedom really opens up the things that editor Steve can conceivably write about in eir zine. Memorable pieces include a cut-out from a random newspaper that extols the virtues of the 32 oz Miller High Life, as well as the very visual nature of the magazine. Steve is an artist, so it really is no big surprise that ey can come up with a compelling visual dialogue with eir reader. The “pretentious assholes” section of Sideshow is a nice connector in a zine of fairly distinct pieces, but this societal commentary first about art collectors and then about bicycle collectors shows a disdain for the status quo that is linked throughout by the presence of modified popular art. This is present from the beginning of this issue, which has a modification of the popular virgin mary with jesus icon along with a prayer modified to represent Steve’s praise-worthy deity, KISS. The information given about the “sticky shower” is really a DIY that I was unaware of; sure, everyone knows how to do the “upper decker”, but which inspired soul was intelligent enough to shove a roll of lifesavers in a shower pipe? Steve’s own discussion about putting bullion cubes into a vegan’s shower is no less than inspired. Some of the random things that Steve raps about provide the same off-kilter feel to Sideshow that the Miller High Life or Party Pranks pieces imbued the zine with, especially present in the old man “washing his hands under a stream of his own urine”.

Rating: 8.3/10

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