A Search for Unique How-To Zines

[Krissy PonyBoy Press]

Hi Everyone,

Maybe it is the influence of the Self-Help Seventies and the search for pop-psychology enlightenment that my mother reared me on, but I find that I often really want to read something that is going to better me.

I know (and have) many diy cooking, sewing, herbal, building and other zines. Many of them you probably have too. But, I'm more interested in something inner. I really don't have time or space to brew my own root beer (although it would be delicious) or build my own compost tiller or make my own bulk cleaning supplies. Yet, the desire for self improvement remains.

I'm not against crafts of handiwork, but it would need to be really simple and not take a lot of time or room. But, I am also interested in other how-to's. For example, How to Get Over your Past, How to Think Positive, How to be more Organized....I don't know just brainstorming here.

So, if you know of any unique How To zines, please let me know.  Thanks!

Krissy

[Teknad]

Hello Krissy PonyBoy Press,

I think that it's not exactly what you're looking for, but I publish a little one-sheet how-to zine called Manual. The thing is this zine is in Spanish; so if you don't read Spanish this zine will be of little to none utility to you. I must have some copies left from number 8 (gay safe sex tips) and number 9 (easy south-american recipes), so if you want I can trade them with you. All issues come with various easy-to-do tricks (leveling a table, knowing when the sea shore is clean, keeping you awake without caffeine...). I've never really written about self-help and the like.

You can a cover from a back issue here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fanzinepaper/3931372312/

Or maybe I can just send you the pdf files so you can print them at home (it's very easy: just print and fold)

[Grace]

I dont know if it would be at all of an interest to you, but my first zine ever, Pretty Pussy! is a how-to guide on hair removal and avoiding razor rash.

[Grace]

Oh, and I forgot to mention; I just finished reading a zine that I found here on this website, though I cant remember who posted it, called "Body Concious Birth Control - An Introduction to the Fertility Awareness Method" which I must say was an incredibly fascinating read, I really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it.

[Hannah / Frothy Press]

There's an amazing zine called PANIC, about dealing with anxiety attacks, available from [e-mail]. I don't suffer from frequent anxiety attacks, but there was some coping advice in there that I found really helpful just for daily life.

[Myles Leon]

Hey,
Whatcha Mean Whats a Zine? - the art of zines and mini-comics.
by: Mark Todd & Esther Pearl Watson
This one is a DIY for zines themselves. It was were I was first introduced to zines a few years back. Pretty interresting page layouts, very helpful, and it has pages contributed by 20-some creators of zines.
maybe not exacally what your looking for...

[James N. Dawson]

It seems like the kind of material you're looking for might be in mystery or mental illness zines. They're usually not strict "how-to's", but some sort of recovery path or coping strategies seem to find their way in.

A remoter possibility might be "downbeat perzines" (there's a group on WMZ). You seem to be looking for something a bit more positive, but maybe some aren't "all pessimism all the time". (Actually, I like downbeat perzines, or at least some bitter with my sweet.)

[Isabel Xochitl]

once i read a zine about dealing with depression. i forgot the title, which was long and specific, and i think it was by the person who makes doris. or maybe the person is named doris?

[tukru perkele]

 

Isabel Xochitl said:

once i read a zine about dealing with depression. i forgot the title, which was long and specific, and i think it was by the person who makes doris.
or maybe the person is named doris?

i think you might be talking about doris #15 -the antidepression guide.

other similar 'how to' zines i can think off of the top of my head would be SICK, a compilation zine about physical pain and THE WORST, a compilation zine about grief and loss. i haven't actually read either zine yet, but i'm planning to at some point.