Wow, this one is somethin’ special! The full-size Notes for Building a Hearty Inner-City Community High Tunnel gives the goods on building an unheated greenhouse called a “high tunnel.” (Says Bill in the zine’s intro, “This is a small community project for experienced food growers who want an affordable way to extend warm seasons.”) In easy, illustrated (comic book style) steps Bill and Max Konrardy lay out the tools and supplies you’re going to need; the design principles; a guide on making a correct angle; visualization of your project; team and material gathering; layout and leveling, and much more. All of this is done in a friendly, accessible way (i.e. you don’t have to be a master builder to do this.) The Konrardies’ plans will have you up and running and to the final, finished stages for less than $1,000 (these things are generally staggeringly expensive.) This zine is incredibly inspiring, well-illustrated, and really fun to thumb through. Much recommended!

Order Notes for Building a Hearty Inner-City Community High Tunnel here.

It’s issue eight of one of thee hottest bike mags on the planet! (We say “mag” but it looks and feels like a book. Really solid, really well put together.) Between its beautiful must-be-seen-to-be-believed covers, the UK-based Boneshaker folks give us 56 pages of full, vivid color (and we mean jaw-dropping, eye-popping, brilliant color. It’s pretty outstanding). Issue eight’s topics include a history piece on Gino Bartali (winner of the 1948 Tour de France), bike chain sculpture, an on-the-road piece about two good dudes riding recycled bikes across the states, comics, a photo essay on abandoned bikes, and so much more. This full-course meal of photos, stellar design, and writing is one of the best things going these days in indie publishing; a total wow-your-socks-off combo-punch for cyclists and non-cyclists alike.

Order Boneshaker #8 here. And see below for an inside look (taken from http://www.boneshakermag.com/)

Robyn Jasko and Jennifer Biggs’ Homesweet Homegrown is self-described as “a simple DIY guide to growing, storing, and making your own food, no matter where you live.” An ideal companion to Raleigh Briggs’ DIY guide Make Your Place, Jasko and Biggs’ debut book will turn you into a healthy, happy farmer even if you live in a big city sky-rise. Based around eight comprehensive sections (Know, Start, Grow, Plant, Plan, Make, Eat, and Store), this wonderful 128-page guide takes you through all the steps of crop nurturing, and gives the goods for everyone from the base beginner to the well-seasoned farmhand. (The recipe section alone is enough to keep you comin’ back to this gem for years to come!) Narrated in a friendly, helpful tone by Jasko and held aloft by Biggs’ great illustrations, this book is the definition of awesomely useful. Super, super, SUPER inspiring. Grow your own!

Order Homesweet Homegrown here.

We are in love with this one. Julia Eff’s 68 page Every Thug is a Lady begins with a co-opting of a Jay-Z quote: “I’ve got 99 problems but a gender ain’t one.” Julia’s zine deals with the concept of “neutrois,” in which an individual has no gender and does not identify as either male or female. Says Julia, “Many have gender dysphoria very much like that of trans people. It is often denoted with the ‘null’ symbol meaning ’empty set.'” This look into the realm of non-gender is heavy illustrated, good-hearted, and dashed with a strong, youthful sense of humor. It’s also a per-zine–in the best possible sense. This is Julia’s look at life as one free of gender (though still coming to terms with it; Julia’s in the trenches, knockin’ around while the bullets fly). Julia writes, “I see my gender in the way people say things–it’s not a tangible object or even a thing that can be described with a giant dictionary.” This spirited, adventurous, gothy little zine is something special. Don’t miss out. 

Order Every Thug is a Lady here.

In the name of fiscal transparency, here we have our 2011 financial report! The good news is we nearly broke even this year. We were still at a loss on January 1 but we got close. (Someday. One can dream, right?) Big thanks and hugs to everybody who stuck with us this year. It started out pretty gloomy and we all took pretty massive paycuts and had to lose our healthcare (both of which, sadly, are still in effect) but we survived to publish again! A toast to big things to come for everyone in 2012. Stay alive, stay well.

-Jessie Duke, Joe Biel, Rio Safari, Matt “The Option” Gauck, Nate Beaty, Danielle Duquette, and Adam Gnade

2011 Income $309,874.64 (19.1% decrease)

Expenses

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Total staff wages $25,286.26 (a 46.5% decrease, 8.1% of budget)

Printing Bills $59,595 (3.5% increase, 19.2% of budget)

Shipping $41,586.17 (40.1% decrease, 13.4% of budget)

Publishers and distributors $91,798.47 (30% decrease, 29.6% of budget)

Zines bought from makers $19,231.50 (21% decrease, 6.2% of budget) 

Rent $12,600 (13% decrease, 4% of budget)

Utilities, insurance, phone, office supplies, etc $39,748.78 (83.2% increase, 12.8% of budget)

Royalties to authors $13,637.02 (32.7% decrease, 4.4% of budget))

Travel $731 (85.4% decrease, .2% of budget)

Catalog Printing $2,886 (21.1% decrease, .9% of budget)

Donations $3,175 (36.2% decrease)

Staff Healthcare $0 (100% decrease, 0% of budget)

Advertising $3,013.88 (31.7% decrease, 1% of budget)

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Total Expenses $310,114.08

Total $-239.44 (loss)

In the new edition of J. Gerlach’s Simple History series Crusades zine we look at the period between 1095 and 1229, a time of widespread cruelty, political expansion, and religious hypocrisy. As Gerlach says in the zine’s intro, “It is said that religious differences have caused most wars. Certainly this reasoning could be applied to the Crusades—a battle of Christians against Muslims for control of the ‘Holy Land.’ But as in other ‘religious wars,’ religion was not the main reason to fight.” What comes next is an intelligent, fast-faced look at the hows and whys of this dark (and oft romanticized) spot in our history. Gerlach’s illustrated, 48-page take on the Crusades is an accessible but richly detailed piece of cultural documentation. In this day of terrorists and nationalism, oil-wars and martyrs, this text will ring true to modern readers. The big, hot button themes—jihad, imperialism, propaganda, religious fervor—are all the same and the result can be chilling. As says Gerlach, “It goes back and forth, with no end in sight.” Scary and synchronistic, this is the most relevant Simple History zine yet.

Order Crusades here.