San Diego Public Library Zine Collection

"Kobra Kai" Issue One: Show No Mercy! by Chris LaBreche

This is an underground music and DIY subculture fanzine created by Northern California musician Chris LaBreche. Alongside local music scene commentary, Issue One features a sort of odd surreal photo-comic narrative tracking a monkey’s descent from love with a kitty into heartbreak and then domestic violence, culminating in the monkey killing the kitty and a doggy and then - hey - teaching a young boy karate. I know it's just a joke, but.. kitties and doggies?

Other than that, it's got a gritty cut-and-paste aesthetic, which I DO like, to blend old-school punk/metal ethos with pitch-black absurdist humor.

"Providence Car Crash Consortium Two" by Providence Community Library, 2013

This is a little reminder about safety on the streets of Providence, RI. brought to you by the people who care for you the most - maybe even more than your loved ones - THE LIBRARY, well, looks like it's the Providence Car Crash Consortium, a few groups that care about your safety including the library, Rhode Island Department of Transportation & AAA But they also collabed with artists and it looks like they had some fun coming up with the ideas for this zine. Shout out to Victor Olugbusi for the visual of "anti carcrash dog" pictured on the front cover. More artistes: Jesse McManus, Laura Knetzger, Nate Doyle, Caitlin Cali, Walker Mettling, and Cathy G. Johnson with some lettering done by Julia Gualtieri

Southern California UFO Field Guide by Grant Knapp & Amanda Lanthorne If you live in Southern California, you are no stranger to UFOs! ESPECIALLY if you've lived here as long as ME.

This handy handbook shows you UFO groups like Heaven's Gate, many Scientology off-shoots and El Cajon's favorites Unarius Academy of Science. They provide a map of "hot spots." They list several Space Programs like Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mojave Air and Space Port and Palomar Observatory. It ends with locations of military sites - well you get the idea.

Garbage Pale Kids

Glossolalia No. Seven by Sarah Contrary, March 2006 at Oregon College of Art and Craft enormajean @ hotmail

Guitars of the World by M.J. Stevens, San Diego, CA, January 2023, Volume 1

Lots of guitars included in here. Some are drawn in cartoonish style by the author, some are historical, a couple of references are to his own circle of life and friends. One picture took me off into the rabbit hole of musical genius (?) Ivor Darreg only to find out that if he were still alive today, he would be my North Park neighbor.

Trees of Downtown San Diego, Volume 1 , by M.J. Stevens, San Diego, CA, January 2023

Go on a walk with M.J. Stevens as he takes you from 1st to 10th Aves in San Diego and tries to find interesting trees along the way. He has photographs and drawings in this zine.

“Feral Focus: Out of the Valley, Into The Light” Volume 1, March 2025 Piassa Climate Media, including Brian Haveneaner, Vishal Bobba, & Kasey Lerng

"Toussaint Herald" a collaboration between San Diego Public Library; and San Diego's Poet Laureate Paola Capó-Garcia.

This was put together for the 2025 San Diego Public Library Juneteenth Jubilee. The title is based on Haiti revolutionary, Toussaint L'Ouverture. The cover logo was designed by Vincent Mansfield-Burgess.

The booklet shares poetry by the greatest of the greats of black poets: Langston, Nikki, Gwendolyn, Lucille, Audre & Wanda are just a few of the names. There are several pieces of art and some writing prompts in the zine, as well.

I'll leave you with the Wanda Coleman poem

In That Other Fantasy Where We Live Forever

Wanda Coleman

1946 –2013

we were never caught

we partied the southwest, smoked it from L.A. to El Dorado worked odd jobs between delusions of escape drunk on the admonitions of parents, parsons & professors driving faster than the road or law allowed. our high-pitched laughter was young, heartless & disrespected authority. we could be heard for miles in the night

the Grand Canyon of a new manhood. womanhood discovered like the first sighting of Mount Wilson

we rebelled against the southwestern wind

we got so naturally ripped, we sprouted wings, crashed parties on the moon, and howled at the earth

we lived off love. It was all we had to eat

when you split you took all the wisdom and left me the worry

"You Can't Hide Your Love Forever" Issue 4, Winter 1990, Michael Segal, John A Huston, Dave Segal, from Birmingham, MI

Ahhh, my youth... 1990, this zine came out when I was celebrating my 2 year anniversary at the library! ha ha . Interviews with Lush! My Bloody Valentine, reviews of 808 State, Galaxie 500, Happy Mondays, The House of Love, Kitchens of Distinction (!), Loop, and Mudhoney omg - there are THREE PAGES of record reviews! Then there's an article on noise rock by Dave Segal mentioning such bands as Birthday Party, Swans, and Half Japanese. But Mr Segal goes into the history of noise back to about 1964. From The Beatles and The Kinks, The Byrds, The Who to a list of about 50 bands you should look into. Remember, this was published before the internet existed. We had to ask friends and share albums or make tapes of stuff to see if we wanted to buy it. Bands like Can and Neu would probably be too expensive for most of us kids back then, unless we caught them at a good used price. BUT yes! Gimme Jesus & Mary Chain, Buzzcocks, Gang of Four, Sonic Youth, Stooges, etc.

Enough about me - the zine also includes an interview with UK Melody Maker's critic Simon Reynolds, An article about the band World Domination Enterprises, review of "Closer" by Dennis Cooper and then a review with the author, himself.

I really enjoyed this one - come on in and look at it! It might be a good time to remind everyone that zines at San Diego Public Library can only be read in the library and can NOT be checked out.

"Don't Say Banned: How the Banned Book Movement Effects The Queer Community" by Alexis Rockwell