NeuFutur #6 – At one point in this zine the editor mentions that in the past, his writing has been criticized for being too impersonal. And I would agree with him. Even after he throws in some “personal narrative” it just seems very rigid and reserved. The writing covers – a look at the ENDA, vague insturctions for an electric bicycle, zine and music reviews, a warning about crazed Christian Jack Chick, recommendation to watch the movie “Torch Song Trilogy”, info about VOX, a quick recollection of the UPC in Bowling Green and more. (Slug and Lettuce #73)
NeuFutur #6 – This zine is quite standard in a lot of ways: very cut and paste, and at times the quality of the pages are grainy and blurred. A nice little read, with the content focused on being informative, veering away from the personal nonsense so many people try to include in zines but never seem to be able to do effectively. Still very sparce – it feels incomplete. Lots of reviews, music and zine wise, of material which doesn’t seem too particularly interesting to me, but others may discover new things because of them. Also a review of the movie, “Torch Song Trilogy”, and a book (not too well clarified, but it’s something by Lawrence Booth). I liked the articles best. Many will appreciate the small how-to’s on copy machine scamming and making an electric bicycle. Also some small pieces examining the issues of the ENDA, the hypocrisy in Jack Chick’s Bible-beating antics, Vox (a Planned Parenthood youth feminista co-opt), etc. Has room to grow. Hardcore zinesters might not appreciate its thrown together d.i.y.-ness, but those who have patience will appreciate the fuel within the writings and the simplicity of the zine altogether. Email: [email protected] + Address: UB Box 6064/ 408 S. Locust St/ Greencastle IN 46135 + Website: http://www.neufutur.cjb.net | http://missiondestroy.tripod.com/
NeuFutur #7 – A more precise and straight forward issue. Small articles about the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations act, a story about racism and false safety by a contributor, a Hissyfits interview, red boxing instructions (free phone calls – woo hoo!), “Pops that Flopped!†(reminsing experiment colas passed), a small rant about Medicaid and the poor, the GLBT movie plot (‘Hedwig’), and zine and music reviews. A fun issue! Fans of the Hissyfits definitely check out. For ordering info see review for issue 6. Email: [email protected] + Address: UB Box 6064/ 408 S. Locust St/ Greencastle IN 46135 + Website: http://www.neufutur.cjb.net | http://missiondestroy.tripod.com/
NeuFutur #7 – 24 pages, digest size, copied, perzine. With NeuFutur James pulls together an assemblage of topics to comprise a neat little perzine that’s also part info zine. On the personal side James lays out where his zine is going and gives a short rundown on the evolution of the NeuFutur website. James also provides a list of his likes and dislikes, and two top ten lists of songs. Making the transition into info mode, James includes a lot of detailed data on such things as failed softdrinks (or pop, or soda, or whatever you call it in your neck of the woods), he also gives the run down on the Domestic Partnership Bill, provides a brief overview of the movie Hedwig and the Angry Inch, supplies all the info you need to make your own red box so you too can make free phone calls from pay phones, and last James sits down with one of my favorite groups, The Hissyfits! And, just in case that wasn’t enough, James’ kid sister tosses in a pocket size comic about polar bear luv! This zine was fun to read, taught me some stuff I didn’t know, and has that cut-n-paste on a collage look that I personally like in a zine.| http://members.tripod.com/almostnormalcomics/id145.htm
NeuFutur #7 – This is a very intellegent zine. There is a write up on the Domestic Partnership Bill, a review of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, your basic reviews, and an interview with the Hissyfits. There is an article on red boxing and making one of your own so you can scam free calls from payphones, an article on discontinued sodas and something on medicade and the poor. | http://supremenothing.tripod.com/bestzinesever/id4.html
NeuFutur #8 – Perzine with two small isnerts. Pretty good, although he published reviews of his own zine by other people, that was kinda weird. Zygote #2 NeuFutur #8 – A personal zine that brings forth the author’s life in vivid detail, punctuated by the practice of clipping and arranging articles with clippings of photos and drawings. Different fonts in each article, perhaps a bit small on the font size, make reading this a bit hard on the eyes. But it’s got heart. There’s a joyful anarchy to it, solid in it’s individuality, and unique unto itself. -IS | http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/Obscurity/Publisher/Reviews/OU21/OU21Zines.asp/
NeuFutur #8 – James McQuiston seems to have hit a rough spot. Something is happening to him, and it’s more than apparent in his writing. So now we get to know the writer. Or at least bits of him. A window into the confusion of college kid life, questioning identity, speaking in Tyler Durden tones. Honesty without being a cheeseball – I heart writings of such a nature, the kinds that smirk, laugh at itself, and go back to moping. Not too much moping. Sections of the zine still seem to blend together, and sometimes it seems hard to tell where something starts and begins. Use of different fonts and sizes perhaps do some of this job. Some reviews of his own zine, the pledge of allegiance rant, a brief overview of “But I’m a Cheerleader”, frat houses and college stressors, Eminem, dreams, change, profiles of 16 and under zinesters (awww!), college, college. An interesting mix. For ordering info see review for Neufutur #6 | http://missiondestroy.tripod.com/
NeuFutur #8 – 24 pages, digest size, copied, perzine. I like NeuFutur. This is a perzine with a lot of feeling, true emotion. It’s easy to fall into James’s world as you read his words and come to understand exactly where he is in his life. Many perzines have a more frivolous feeling about them. They fail to examine the issues they choose to address. James on the other hand seeks to make sense of his life and the world around him. In this issue James writes about the vanishing history at DePauw University where he attends school. He also provides a short analysis of Eminem and his work. Then James does a little inward looking at who he was a few years ago and whom he is growing into. Aside from the heavy stuff, James also plays the good neighbor and uses some space in his zine to spotlight a few zinesters under the age of 16. And of course no zine is complete without some sort of review, so NeuFuture gives us a look at the movie But I’m A Cheerleader. And, one other thing, included with this issue of NeuFutur is the pocket sized comic “Frat Boy Logic: A Continuation to the End”. This little comic tells the story of a personal awakening that leads to the realization that life is indeed fleeting and what we do with our time now determines where we will be later. This is a cool zine, well worth a buck of your X-mas money!(Almost Comics – December 2002) | http://members.tripod.com/almostnormalcomics/id162.htm
NeuFutur #8 – Yet another solid zine. This one comes with two minizines. One is the Top 50 Zines (As Voted By You), and the other is a little comic about a frat boy that I honestly found pretty depressing. Neufutur itself though, is darn good. There’s some personal writing about bad things in James’ life, reviews that other people have written for past Neufutur issues (some are by me!), Tori Amos lyrics, But I’m a Cheerleader, an argument with his grandmother about the pledge of allegiance, his “god complex”, Eminem, dreams, interviews with zinesters 16 and under, a magical bus ride, and more. | http://www.undoonga.com/~sassafras/zinesnz.html
NeuFutur #8 – A perzine pasted up against a background of photos and illustrations. This issue has a review section for zines from kids 16 and under. If your currentnly in college I think you could related to most of what Jim [editor’s note – James!] writes about. Pick one up. (Out of the Blue #13) | http://www.candidcartoons.bizhosting.com
NeuFutur #8 – This zine has a good mix of material, most of which is personal. The author deals with issues of sexuality, dreams, emotions, and college life, as well as reviewing the movie, “But I’m a Cheerleader,” and showcasing under 16 zinesters. It’s pretty cool and captures that very punk DIY feel that is important to many zines. | http://www.lunar-circuitry.net/bibliotheque/lq.html
NeuFutur #8 – A personal zine. The editor discusses his college and visiting his girlfriend, descriges some dreams and himself, and reprints Tori Amos lyrics. This zine was of no interest to me due to the dull writing and mundane events, and the cornball lyrics crossed the line of ridiculousness. Included are two smaller zines which you can safely pass on. (Maximumrocknroll #238) | http://www.maximumrockandroll.com
NeuFutur #8 -I’ve read a cople of different issues of NeuFutur and so far, I like this one the best. James gets a little more personal in this and although I don’t normally find perzines too engaging, I found this really interesting. The whole thing isn’t written in perzine style, however, there is also a short feature on “Little Zinesters”, which profiles members of the zine communty who are 16 years old or younger, a review of a LGBT movie, “But I’m a Cheerleader”, Tori Amos lyrics, and reprints of reviews of previous NeuFutur issues. I especially liked James’ piece on what the “James of yesteryear” would think of the “James of the current era”,(Almost Comics – December 2002) | http://www.reclusezine.com
NeuFutur #8 -James is highly intelligent and admits he has issues, both of which show throughout the zine. That’s a compliment, I think one needs to have issues in order to be an exceptional writer. Throughout the zine, despite his claims that he doesn’t bare himself to anyone, James gives the reader great insight into his mind and life. The articles aren’t really about anything in particular, but still they are fulfilling. My only complaint- use different font on the red background of the cover pages, it hurt my head. The rest is fine though. James McQuiston UB Box 6064, 408 S. Locust, Greencastle, IN 46135 [email protected] $1 US, $2 worldwide or trade, free to prisoners. | http://www.angelfire.com/pa/dilapidatedzine/zinereviews.html
NeuFutur #8 – This issue is more personal. There is writing on not having common sense and being afraid of dissappointing parents. There is a rant about the pledge of alliegance, a review of “but I’m a Cheerleader”, some writing on greek life, and an article on Eminem as a social satirist and (my favorite) profile of young zinesters! | http://supremenothing.tripod.com/bestzinesever/id4.html
NeuFutur #9Â – Newest issue of James’s zine includes more personal writing than past issues, (pieces on being at home, his zine, “haters”, and more) as well as secret santas, and a piece called “Appalachian Spirit” which I think a relative, maybe his sister(?) [editor’s note – mother actually wrote the poem], wrote. Like #9, this comes with 2 little minizines, one of which is made up of zine/music reviews, and one that’s a comic. | http://www.undoonga.com/~sassafras/zinesnz.html
NeuFutur #9 – 32 pages, digest size, perzine, copied. James is a student at DePauw and NeuFutur is his zine! As this issue begins there seems to be some question at what the future holds. At first James expresses a desire to publish two zines, one a perzine and the other a political zine. Then he contemplates maybe doing a split zine instead. In the end I’m not sure what James is going to do with his zine, but I’m sure whatever he does it’ll be worth reading. Anyway, getting back to NeuFutur #9, it’s mostly filled with personal experiences that James wants to relate to his readers. Experiences such as being harassed throughout middle and high school, being suspended, his life at DePauw, and a dream. James writes that this zine provides him with a means to express what he’s going through, much like talking to a therapist and that’s really how the zine reads. And not only does James serve up a good perzine, but he also includes a zine and music review supplement too. Even that’s not all, there’s also a cool little pocket sized comic that tells the story of two bags swept up in the wind, flying about town! NeuFutur brings you plenty of perzine action and more! (Almost Comics – Febuary 2003)
| http://members.tripod.com/almostnormalcomics/id168.htm
NeuFutur #9 – Another issue of Neufutur and we see a somewhat more intimate feel throughout. James talks a lot about his past endeavors, not just with his first zine, but his life in general. He talks about creating a zine, as well as a hodge-podge of lots of personal issues. For some reason, this issue just feels more comfortable than #8. Good writing and nice use of cut-and-paste imagery. | http://www.lunar-circuitry.net/bibliotheque/lq.html
NeuFutur #9 – I have to say I liked this. Mostly, all this was was a bunch of collected thoughts. However, they are interesting observations more or less, instead of the “woe-is-me” attitude. I lke those sorts of zines as well (hell, I did one like that for the longest!), but after a while, you need something else. James does this, and I can only say I am intersted in more. Cool observations about Bad Religion, an intersting read about an accident, and the little zine and music review supplemental that was included makes it a read worth looking into. | http://www.bulletproofpopemobile.com/bppmframesetup.html
NeuFutur #9 – The art deco-y baby-blue cover and chaotic background gives Neufutur an awesome look in spite of its lo-fi means. Unfortunately, it seems that creator James McQuiston commits the cardinal sin of the perzine: assuming too much prior knowledge. Because a majority of zines are obscure by their very nature, it’s not always safe to assume that your readers are familiar with previous issues. McQuiston’s constant references to past “ruts” make this issue somewhat confusing to read. However, McQuiston is by no means the first to commit this folly, and the air of mystery surrounding some of these references might convince a particularly intrusive reader to seek out his back catalogue. In short, Neufutur portrays McQuiston as something of a contradiction on wheels. On the one hand, he appears to be a self-centred rascal with a decided appetite for unwittingly using fancy words to prove his worth: “I can say I espouse them until my dying day but I may just be deluding myself to the end.” On the other hand, he appears to be a tormented bi-product of his safe American upbringing: “What have I done, who have I wronged to be given this roll of the dice? When will this end?” If this sounds like something that might wet your whistle, by all means give McQuiston a shout. He seems very well-connected with other zinesters, and hearing from you might just give McQuiston a boost to escape his latest “rut”… although I still have no idea what that means. (CG) | http://www.brokenpencil.com/reviews/reviews.php?reviewid=3151
NeuFutur #9 – James is a student at DePauw University, and writes about how his life is affected by those around him. I think he may feel that he is on the outside looking in at all that takes place. The zine is pasted up strips of typed paper on photographic backgrounds. A method used by quite a few zinesters, but James seems to take his writing more serious than many publishes, if it doesn’t mean anything to the reader, that’s okay, I think it means a hell of a lot to James.| http://www.geocities.com/candidcartoons/
NeuFutur #9 This is the most personal of all the issues, and to be honest… I didn’t enjoy it as much. I really like James’s thought process. This issue is about college mostly. He writes about getting into trouble in highschool because of his zine, which is all too familiar to me. He also writes about getting suspended again because of a prank he pulled with some fireworks and flour. He writes about his fears and some of his dreams (not goals.. like actual dreams.) I don’t mean to sound like this zine isn’t good. It is… it’s just not my favorite of the three issues James sent. | http://supremenothing.tripod.com/bestzinesever/id4.html
Texas On My Mind One-shot from James McQuiston of Neufutur. The words are lyrics from a song by Pat Green, with images compiled by James. The combination and imagery and text is interesting and well-assembled, though it didn’t feel like something I could immediately relate to without hearing the song or being aware of the context. Even so, it’s a nifty little one-shot. | http://www.lunar-circuitry.net/bibliotheque/rw.html
InterStitial #1 The focus is music and politics. Sounds good to me. In the past, I’ve reviewed some of James’ other writings and never really took to them. But this one, I like. Inside you’ll find writing about mix tapes (a blanket statement run down of their silent message) interviews with The Red Hot Valentines, show, music and zine reviews, sodomy laws (including the recent Texas court decision) the history of the UPC symbol, along with manipulation tips, a look at good old W, 5 of the top ten movies you’ve never seen (Ha! I’ve seen 4 of the 5, and yes, they rock), a look back at the life of Warren Zevon, experiences at a hip hope freestyle and more. A good strong mix that threw together so many different subjects you’re bound to find something of interest.
Slug and Lettuce, PO Box 26632, Richmond VA 23261-6632, [email protected]
InterStitial #1Another great zine from James, who also does NeuFutur, which I reviewed last month. Fun interview with The Red Hot Valentines, a great write-up about mix tapes from Mike Dikk (who is also writing movie reviews for Bulletproof Popemobile with Jay Pud, starting this month!), a write up on Warren Zevon, damn good zine and music reviews, and other poetry and political commentaries. I have to say that this is a zine that you can pick up at any place, and will find something that will get you interested. That’s what a good zine does. And, this is a good zine. | http://www.bulletproofpopemobile.com/bppmframesetup.html
InterStitial #1 – Apparently, this is a group effort. I think… I haven’t figured out if JMcQ is James or not. I dunno. Anyway, this zine is OK. I didn’t like the mixtape article at all, but Jame’s writing on the Sodomy laws on the following page makes up for it. The UPC generation article is very useful. There is an interview with the band “the Red Hot Valentines” and reviews of music, zines and the rest. This zine comes with a mini-zine called “Texas on My Mind” which is just the lyrics to the song by Pat Green and pictures by JMcQ to go along. Looking forward to future issues of this one. | http://supremenothing.tripod.com/bestzinesever/id3.html
InterStitial #1 – Moderately entertaining zine, with a few good pieces, especially the mix-tape article (I’m very guilty of making a mixtape for a girl I want to bang), the zine reviews and the awesome article about Warren Zevon. It actually made me go out and buy Excitable Boy. But for every great article, there are two crap ones. Anytime the zine goes into horrible poetry (note to all publishers: EVERYONE HATES POETRY!), or even worse, when it devolves into half-baked, uninformed, bumper-sticker politics, it becomes the same-old thing everyone seems to be making these days. Yeah, yeah, Bush sucks, blah blah. Find a new platform because it’s getting old. And also, why all the press for the Red Hot Valentines? Who are they? Are they your friends or something? | http://poopsheet.blogspot.com
RE//HASH. (NeuFutur#9.5//InterStitial#1.5), 22p, quarter-size, $0.50 James McQuiston is nothing if not prolific. Most people make compilation zines using other writers, but McQuiston is responsible for all of the essays and reviews collected here. Made up of his submissions to other zines, and gathered from these multiple sources, .RE//HASH. suffers from its heavy-handedness. McQ writes well enough, but he also writes as if his reader were clueless about issues that seem to get covered over and over in zines. Sex, gender assignment, music and religion all fall under his scrutinous eye. Unfortunately, McQuiston only seems able to string together didactic rants on any of these topics. It is when he relates these issues to his own life, thereby giving his reader something they can relate to, that much of his writing gains any character. Overly simplistic and aptly named, .RE//HASH., sadly offers nothing new. | http://www.lunar-circuitry.net/bibliotheque/
NeuFutur #5 – A sometimes hard-to-follow cut-and-paste layout with music, zine, and movie reviews, and a recurring Rocky Horror theme. Contains a short story glorifying rape [editor’s note – um, no.] and an interview with a white suprematist. (Zine World #18) | http://www.undergroundpress.org