Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Tulsa Zines: The Long And Short Of It


Whenever I visit another city, I seek out local publications that cover the entertainment and restaurant scene. Here are two examples of what I discovered while my wife Pam and were on vacation in Tulsa last week.

THIS LAND  is a 13” by 21” publication that’s available at hip stores and restaurants around the city. It most likely draws its name from Woody Guthrie’s landmark protest song, “This Land Is My Land.” Guthrie was raised in Oklahoma and there’s a museum in Tulsa dedicated to his legacy. The visually appealing THIS LAND mixes black and white photography with colorful graphics, and it’s printed on classy looking paper.

The 20-page Vol. 4 Number 12 issue includes The Best Things To Do In Oklahoma column; a profile of New Yorker writer Burkhard Bilger; a brief look at We Steal Secrets, Alex Gibney’s documentary about WikiLeaks; and a story on the long-standing Mexican restaurant, El Rancho Grande. THIS LAND is led by Publisher Vincent LoVoi and Editor/Founder Michael Mason; Natasha Ball serves as Managing Editor.

The 3” by 5” Recycled Futures Zine  is a decidedly DIY booklet created by a pair of guys named Matt M. and Matt C., and can be found in bars and coffee houses. Vol.2, titled Thinkers and Drinkers, is a fun project that imagines what might have happened if some of the most famous minds in history had marketed their own micro-brewed alcohol. The artfully rendered black and white drawings depict bottles with labels bearing the likeness of a famous philosopher, writer, psychologist, or entertainer, along with some clever, pun-riddled slogans.

One of my favorites is Bob Dylan’s Tangled Up In Brew; and there’s also a Galileo’s Heavenly Bodies Hard Cider. C.S. Lewis has The Chronicles Of Dry Stout (Bottled in Narnia), and Rene Descartes’ White Blanc Beer uses the slogan, I Drink, Therefore I Am. Karl Marx offers a Malt Manifesto (One Brew For All) and Ayn Rand checks in with Atlas Chugged Beer.

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