Zine thing.

OURS FOR THE TAKING, #2

Straight outta North Carolina, this one is part-nostalgia, part-get-up-and-go. There are older photos in there and tributes to the fallen but also some newer stuff--an article on road trips, an interview with Brian Brannon of JFA, and some record reviews. The layout is clean, the 'zine has a great aesthetic, and number three promises much more content-wise, including an interview with Rob Mertz and a Jeff Phillips retrospective. Only a buck for this one through the mail: 682 Tom Mann Rd, Newport, NC 28570

CHINMUSIC, #6

Punk and ... baseball? It's funny, there seems to have always been a segment of the punk population that has remained enamored of baseball, and this is a great manifestation of the duo. If you are a baseball fan and a punk this is definitely for you, but I think that it would have broader appeal as well. The writing is great and they obviously care about the game and music; there's a lot of reverence for the game coupled with irreverence for some of its institutions. This has great articles, an article on the baseball movies, and one on why Kevin "Field of Dreams" Costner must die (by Ben Weasel, no less), an article on the designated hitter, an interview with Rolling Stone photographer and now photographer for the Oakland A's Michael Zagaris, staff on baseball-themed art, record reviews, and more. Send $4 to: PO Box 225029, San Francisco, CA, 94122 or check www.chinmusic.net

BOGGIN', #4

Hell yeah, another killer mag from overseas (Ireland) with the right motivation (yes, apparently there is hope). I'm assuming that boggin' is derived from the term "bog," which, over there, means toilet ("bog roll" = TP), and this one will definitely kill some time on the shitter. A trip to Marseilles, skateboarding = fighting, an article on the Rampworx Halloween, an interview with (Northern) Irish Jeff Pang, random thoughts, spots and poetry (careful ...), photos, and mini interviews with some locals. Full pipes in Ireland? You bet. This one is well-written and documented (photo reproduction could be better). Write to: [e-mail] for info.

COLIN KINNIBURGH IS THE 13-YEAR-OLD producer of 2nd Avenue 'zine out of New York City. His first issue got a review that was mostly positive with some criticism. When he sent the second issue I was struck by how well he took the criticism and by the leaps in improvements his 'zine has made. Colin seems like he's got his head screwed on pretty well, and has ability well beyond his years. His 'zine's always a great read and the latest issue has some great features: an interview with Jason Dill, "The Worst Skatepark Ever," what was hot and not in 2003, reviews, and a great "European Vacation" article. Send $2 to: 26 Joey Ramone Place, New York, New York, 10003-8906.--Wez Lundry

Name, age, hometown, and years skating?

My name's Colin Kinniburgh, my hometown is NYC (but I lived in Geneva from age 0-3). I've been skating four years.

How cool is it to live on Joey Ramone Place?

It's super cool. I went to the inauguration ceremony and stood out in the cold for like an hour and a half. On the good side I got to see Marky Ramone, as well as Joey's mother.

What made you decide to do a 'zine in the first place?

A couple years ago (Christmas '01) I got the Thrasher Insane Terrain book and I got the idea of making a book of skate photos. I thought of doing a 'zine. I shot some terrible photos, wrote some pretty bad articles, and added in some pretty stupid drawings--the result was Switch #1. I did four issues of Switch, then changed the name 'cause I found out there was another 'zine of the same title. So now its 2nd Avenue

What's the best and worst thing about doing a 'zine?

My favorite part is shooting photos, writing about stuff that I want to write about, and I really like it when I'm interviewing someone and they answer the questions with interesting details. Getting to be in Thrasher is great too. The worst part of doing a 'zine is calling people up to either do an interview or go shoot a photo--I'm kind of shy, I guess--and I always have a hard time keeping up with my "deadlines;" my 'zine always comes out at least a month later than I plan. Photocopying is kind of expensive too; I usually lose money when I make my 'zine

Are you interested in writing and/or photography outside of your 'zine?

I would try to keep shooting photos even if I stopped doing my 'zine. The feeling of getting back your photos from the lab and finding out that there's actually a couple good ones in there is similar, for me, to landing a good trick. For writing, English has always been one of my favorite subjects, and writing about skating is 10 times better than English class. So I would probably do some writing whether or not I did my 'zine.

What are some of the best 'zine you've seen, and why?

I haven't really seen too many good 'zines actually. I always plan on sending in money for 'zines I read about in Thrasher, example Cold Ones, but I never get around to it. There aren't too many good 'zines in the NYC area.

What's the best thing about skating in NYC?

Pushing around is a lot of fun. I had an amazing time skating around SoHo the other day. I just skated around and it was amazing. The Autumn bowl in Brooklyn is also fun.