Quiz question of the day: What do you get when you give a small, Japanese child a bunch of acid and some paints? Answer: Ginette Lapalme’s magical mystery works. She creates paintings and drawings that feel like if you knifed your dreams in the gut and tried to mop up all the blood with gumdrops. Yeah, that’s a pretty good description. Let’s go with that. I could see myself laying shirtless on a shag rug reading one of her zines and drinking Grape Drink from a goblet. Zappa will be covering Barry White on the Hi-Fi. And just like that I’ve got my weekend planned out.

Ginette Lapalme

I don’t speak Portuguese, so I know nothing about Marta Monteiro, other than that she does speak Portuguese. But, as has been shown many times, knowing nothing about an artist has never stopped me from talking about them. In fact, the less I know the better I can usually sling some clever bullshit. I’m not really gonna lay it on that thick this time. I just like Monteiro’s work because its got that comic-y/zine style that I have always loved. Not to mention it is pretty clever stuff. It makes me think that she’s the kind of person who has interesting socks. And probably a stuffed animal that she made. I really can never tell if this is going to make sense to anyone but me.

Marta Monteiro

I’m picky as hell when it comes to zines. There are a lot of motherfuckers out there just rambling away on the printed page (I am certainly one of them), and I don’t like to crowd up my collection with bullshit. I’m in it for innovation, style, and blindingly badass artwork. I am reluctant to tell you that I have found the most amazing zine mine eyes have seen in the last couple of years. Andrew Neyer has released a limited edition of 150 of his new zine Space Junk 2. It’s 64 pages of hand silk-screened artwork and mayhem and a nice vinyl sticker. But, and here’s the kicker, it comes packaged in a handmade cereal box. What the fuck do you think of that? There’s cereal in there too! All that for $30. I literally can’t believe that he’s not selling these beauties for at least $80. I mean damn, dude, you’re giving that shit away. If you assholes go buy them all before I can scrounge the loot to get one for myself, there’s gonna be hell to pay. I’ll go easy on you if you let me borrow your copy for like an hour. I’m not unmerciful.

Andrew Neyer: Space Junk 2

I haven’t been keeping you up to date on the various issues of Ruby Mag that’ve been hitting the intertubes, and for that I’m sorry. But don’t think that I’m just gonna bow down and kiss your feet in supplication or anything. That shit is gross, and I’ve seen you walk through some nasty environs. I’ll just tell you that issue 27 is online, and we can let bygones be bygones, right? It won’t be pretty if I have to ask again. Yeah, you better nod.

Ruby Mag

The new issue of WATIM is up on their site, and ready for your perusal. This issue features an all female cast of artists in preparation for their upcoming all-woman group show, Grrrls at aMBUSH gallery in Sydney in February. The issue has interviews with Akina, Andrea Innocent, Kareena Zerefos, Mel Stringer, and Smitten by Stephanie, plus a gallery of work from several others. Not bad, for a girl.

weAREtehIMAGEmakers

For those of you out there that read or publish zines, be they fanzines or artzines or any other style zine you choose, you should know about Islands Fold. Angela Conley and Luke Ramsey are the proud founders of this publisher and artist residency on Pender Island B.C. in Canadia. It’s a nice project where artists get to live there and work there at no charge, and all the costs are footed by sales of books and zines published by Islands Fold as well as donations. Even if you don’t want to donate you can still check out their assortment of goods to purchase and contribute that way. Zines make great stocking stuffers. Hint.

Out now is a gigantic zine featuring 66 artists working together to make ink look good on paper called MeBeMeWeBe. It’s $40, which is the most expensive zine I’ve ever witnessed, but it’s sort of worth it. Check it out anyway, for inspiration if for nothing else. And pick up some other zines from Islands Fold for those you don’t hate this holiday season.

Islands Fold

There’s a new issue of Ruby Mag out to satisfy your online zine hunger. You fucking animals.

Ruby Mag

For those of you that live in the Athens area, and there are a fair few of you if my sitemeter is telling me the truth, this Saturday is the annual Fluke Comic and Zine Extravaganza. If you like homemade literature, illustrated or otherwise, you should check it out. I’ve gotten some good, cheap art there, too. Might as well do something outside since all that’s on TV is Nascar and Golf.

Fluke

Irana Douer is an artist from Buenos Aires who has become famous in the art world for finding art, not making it; although she’s well known for creation, too. Most people immediately associate her name with Ruby Mag, an online artist display that never fails to impress. Past the jumping off phase, the magazine has proven itself to be one of excellent taste and little talk, letting the art speak for itself. I’ll let Ruby so the same.

The current issue, Issue 14, features works by:
thobias fäldt, matt cipov, attila nagy, miguel cococrash, mona moe holhjem, heiko, veljko onjin, jen garrido, luke ramsey + alex purdy, klaus haapaniemi and camilla engman.

You can also become myspace friends.

And if you like what you see in the magazine, consider buying the Ruby Book.