Monday, April 22, 2013

Zine Review: Cometbus 55



I’ve never been sure what all the fuss is about, really, but when Aaron Cometbus publishes a title, it rockets around the zine world like a meteorite over Siberia, all brightness & vapor trails. Cometbus 55: Pen Pals takes a while to get going, but when it does, the narrative reveals itself like a drunkard staggering out to surprise you from a piss scented alley. Perhaps it is the second coming of Charles Bukowski.

Ok, I’ll dispense with the metaphors. If you have ever been touched by someone who simultaneously saw through your bullshit defenses and still connected with you deeply, this zine is a captivating journey. Whether you are from Berkeley or Boston, Cometbus 55 reads like a personal history of a specific time and place, one that we've either have remembered, half dreamt, or glimpsed from a distance. The postcards, letters, and philosophical ramblings are just a bonus. 


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