PANISCUS REVUE Updates
Reading List + New Print Reviews, Page I
HOME | READING LIST + ALL ABOUT MAKING LOVE to DEHONDENKOEKJESFABRIEK | FREE PRESS DEATH SHIP #3 to RABBITHEAD | RABIES #1 to ZONE 5300 #1

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Suggested Reading List (Partial)

The (largely) independent publications reviewed on this and the following pages may not always be available, but you’re bound to find some of the titles listed below at a used bookstore some time, and they’re well worth the half-price cost. An * indicates a high recommendation.

 

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSELLERS

 

Abbey, Edward

- Beyond the Wall

- Monkey Wrench Gang, The

 

Ballard, J.G.                            

- Cocaine Nights

- Crash

 

Barker, Clive                           

- Books of Blood Vol. I-III

 

Bataille, Georges                     

- Blue of Noon

- Story of the Eye *

 

Behan, Brendan                       

- Borstal Boy

- Hostage, The

- Quare Fellow, The

 

Bell, Madison Smartt               

- All Souls Rising

- Waiting for the End of the World *

 

Biondi, Lt. Ray & Hecox, Walt

- Dracula Killer, The

 

Bockris, Victor

 - With William Burroughs: A Report from the Bunker

 

Boll, Heinrich  

- And Never Said a Word                         

- Clown, The

 

Boulle, Pierre                           

- Planet of the Apes

 

Bowles, Paul                           

- Delicate Prey, The

- Hundred Camels in the Courtyard, A

- Midnight Mass *

 

Bukowski, Charles                  

- Absence of the Hero

- Factotum *

- Hot Water Music

- Most Beautiful Woman in Town, The

- South of No North

- Women

 

Burgess, Anthony                    

- Clockwork Orange, A *

 

Burroughs, William S.  

- Adding Machine, The

- Cities of the Red Night

- Place of Dead Roads, The

- Western Lands, The

 

Bushnell, O.A.

- Return of Lono, The

 

Camus, Albert                         

- Stranger, The

 

Celine, Louis-Ferdinand           

- Journey to the End of the Night *

 

Chandler, Raymond                 

- Simple Art of Murder, The

 

Condon, Richard

- Manchurian Candidate, The

 

Crews, Harry                          

- Feast of Snakes, A *

- Gypsy’s Curse, The

 

Davis, Wade                           

- Serpent and the Rainbow, The

 

de Bernieres, Louis                  

- Corelli’s Mandolin

 

De Quincey, Thomas               

- Confessions of an English Opium Eater and Other Writings

 

Defoe, Daniel                          

- Journal of the Plague Year, A

 

Dibdin, Michael

- Back to Bologna

- Dirty Tricks

 

Dinesen, Isak                           

- Seven Gothic Tales

 

Donleavy, J.P.                         

- Fairytale of New York, A

- Ginger Man, The *

 

Dunn, Katherine

- Geek Love

 

Ellroy, James                           

- Black Dahlia, The *

 

Fante, John

- Wine of Youth, The: Selected Stories

 

Fleming, Ian

- Live and Let Die

 

Friedrich, Ernst            

- WAR against WAR!

 

Gaskins, Donald "Pee Wee" with Earle, Wilton

- Final Truth

 

Gilmore, John                          

- Garbage People, The

- Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder *

 

Grant, Richard

- God's Middle Finger *

 

Greene, Graham

- Heart of the Matter, The

 

Gysin, Brion                            

- Here to Go: Planet R-101

- Process, The

 

Hammett, Dashiell                    

- Maltese Falcon, The

- Red Harvest

 

Harris, Thomas            

- Hannibal

- Red Dragon

- Silence of the Lambs, The

 

Harrison, Harry

- Make Room! Make Room!

 

Hearn, Lafcadio                       

- Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things

 

Hiaasen, Carl

- Double Whammy

- Lucky You

- Native Tongue

- Skin Tight

- Strip Tease

- Tourist Season

 

Highsmith, Patricia                   

- Eleven *

- Talented Mr. Ripley, The

 

Humes, Edward

- Buried Secrets

 

Irving, John                              

- Son of the Circus, A

 

Jeter, K.W.                             

- Dr. Adder *

 

Kesey, Ken                             

- Demon Box

- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest *

 

King, Brian (editor)                  

- Lustmord: The Writings and Artifacts of Murderers *

 

King, Stephen                          

- Night Shift

- Skeleton Crew

 

Lansdale, Joe R.                      

- Bad Chili

- Rumble Tumble

- Two-Bear Mambo, The

 

Larsson, Stieg

- Girl who Played with Fire, The

- Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The

 

Lem, Stanislaw            

- Solaris

 

Liddy, G. Gordon                    

- Will

 

Llosa, Mario Vargas                

- Feast of the Goat, The

 

Lovecraft, H.P.            

- At the Mountains of Madness *

- Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos *

 

Lowry, Malcolm

- Under the Volcano

 

Lumley, Brian                          

- Beneath the Moors *

- Burrowers Beneath, The

- Fruiting Bodies and Other Fungi *

 

MacDonnell, Allan

- Prisoner of X

 

Mailer, Norman

- Naked and the Dead, The

 

Mannix, Daniel P.                    

- Hellfire Club, The

- History of Torture, The

- Those About to Die *

 

Marlowe, Dan J.                      

- Never Live Twice

 

Marquez, Gabriel Garcia          

- Strange Pilgrims

 

Masterton, Graham                  

- House that Jack Built, The

- Prey

- Walkers

 

Matheson, Richard                  

- I am Legend

 

McCarthy, Cormac                 

- Blood Meridian *

 

McManis, J. Allen                   

- Flesh of My Brother

 

Michelet, Jules             

- Satanism and Witchcraft *

 

Miller, Henry                           

- Tropic of Cancer

- Tropic of Capricorn

 

Mirbeau, Octave                     

- Torture Garden, The

 

Mishima, Yukio                       

- Death in Midsummer

- Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, The

- Thirst for Love

 

Montagu, Ashley                    

- Elephant Man, The

 

Mrabet, Mohammed

- M'Hashish

 

Murakami, Haruki                   

- Wild Sheep Chase

  

O’Brien, John                          

- Leaving Las Vegas

 

O’Connor, Flannery                

- Everything that Rises Must Converge *

- Violent Bear it Away, The

- Wise Blood

 

O’Hanlon, Redmond               

- In Trouble Again

- Into the Heart of Borneo

 

Oe, Kenzaburo            

- Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids

 

Ooka, Shohei                          

- Fires on the Plain

 

Palahniuk, Chuck                     

- Fight Club

- Haunted *

 

Patchen, Kenneth                    

- Journal of Albion Moonlight, The

 

Penrose, Valentine                   

- Bloody Countess, The *

 

Perez-Reverte, Arturo             

- Club Dumas, The *

 

Perry, Charles                         

- Portrait of a Young Man Drowning *

 

Philbrick, Nathaniel

- In the Heart of the Sea *

 

Pileggi, Nicholas

- Wise Guy

 

Salas, Floyd

- Tattoo the Wicked Cross

 

Salinger, J.D.                           

- Nine Stories

 

Schiller, Lawrence                   

- Killing of Sharon Tate, The

 

Schreiber, Flora Rheta 

- Sybil

 

Seabrook, William                   

- Voodoo Island, The (AKA Magic Island, The) *

 

Selby, Jr., Hubert                    

- Last Exit to Brooklyn *

- Requiem for a Dream

 

Selzer, Richard            

- Confessions of a Knife *

- Rituals of Surgery

 

Southern, Terry                       

- Blue Movie

 

Stoker, Bram                           

- Dracula *

 

Stone, Irving                            

- Lust for Life

 

Tallant, Robert

- Voodoo in New Orleans

 

Thompson, Hunter S.               

- Curse of Lono, The

- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas *

- Hell’s Angels

- Rum Diary, The

 

Thompson, Jim            

- Bad Boy

- Cropper’s Cabin

- Getaway, The

- Killer Inside Me, The

- Roughneck

 

Toole, John Kennedy               

- Confederacy of Dunces, A

- Neon Bible, The *

 

Tournier, Michel          

- Ogre, The *

 

Tutuola, Amos                         

- Palm-Wine Drinkard, The

 

Up de Graff, F.W.                   

- Head Hunters of the Amazon

 

Vachss, Andrew                      

- Flood

- Getaway Man, The *

- Strega

 

Vonnegut, Kurt            

- Slaughterhouse-Five

 

Wegmans, Dick

- Cleft, The *

 

Welsh, Irvine                           

- Filth

- Porno

- Trainspotting *

 

West, Nathanael                      

- Day of the Locust, The *

- Miss Lonelyhearts

 

Whitechapel, Simon                 

- Slaughter King, The

 

Willeford, Charles                    

- Cockfighter

- Miami Blues *

 

Williams, Charles                     

- Dead Calm *

- Sailcloth Shroud, The

- Wrong Venus, The

 

Wyndham, John                       

- Day of the Triffids, The

 

Zola, Emile                              

- Germinal *

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PLEASE NOTE:
Because not all reviews are current, and many publications have a limited print run, it is always a good idea to try and contact the publisher to confirm availability before sending money.

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Page I : ALL ABOUT MAKING LOVE to DEHONDENKOEKJESFABRIEK

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ALL ABOUT MAKING LOVE

(All About Fucking #10)

Hell, and just as the series was reaching its peak; a couple of lines at the very end of All About Making Love not only identify it as All About Fucking #10 but also as “The Last Hurrah! The Big To-Do! The Final Fucking Farewell!” (sob!) Well, at least they go out in style, filling 88 pages full of sex-related strangeness. A “Genital Rodeo” starts it out in fumetti style, there are a number of “Little-Known Sexual Practices” illustrated by editor Josh Simmons (“The Ghost,” “Flibbing,” “The Donkey Punch,” “The Ninja,” and “The Houdini”), and on a related note Patrick Godfrey explains “For the Last Time . . .” the difference between a “Cleveland Steamer,” a “Hot Karl,” and a “Filthy Sanchez” (thanks Josh & Pat!); Mike Diana presents a disastrous example of “Mirror Love”; Nick Jeffrey documents an example of squirrel sex (“Ha ha ha . . . you fuckin’ whore!”); there’s some old-timey Tijuana Bible action; Hans Rickheit contributes some of his usual fineness; James Callahan explains “All About Fucking . . . YOURSELF! Fuckface!” (“Eat a bag of dicks.”); Corky & Sweet Tits appear in the spoogy “Manna Tyme”; meister Simmons himself draws up a truly twisted page of carcass sex; and there’s a whole bunch more packed into these pink-wrapped pages. C’mon, sweetheart, after all, it’s All About Making Love. And it just might be the last time . . .

* * * *

Contact: happyjoshsimmons@yahoo.com

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AMERICANJISM Book Three

The final installment of Joe Denny’s 252-page Americanjism comix saga continues the strange, strange story of Pastor Don’s dysfunctional family and their ever-increasing spiral of decline. As always sin is the order of the day, whether it comes in the form of a messiah complex, incest, a dose of Americrack, or some good old-fashioned dirty fucking, Americanjism’s got it in spades. Hamburgers and surrealism, nuclear missiles and a talking penis, dirty diapers, dismemberment and more all combine in a conclusion so fucking strange I can’t tell if there’s a message here or just a load of random weirdness. The story really does defy description, so it’s probably best you pick it up and figure it out for yourself. Available as a set of red, white & blue books in an acetate cover, it’s a better bargain to pick all three up at once rather than collecting them individually.

* * *

$15.00 for Books 1-3, $10.00 individually from Pipe Dream Comics c/o Joe Denny – www.americanjism.com – P.O. Box 432, Sag Harbor, NY  11963

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ATOMISER #1

Hot on the heels of the final Sick Puppy comes the first issue of its successor Atomiser, and Stratu and crew do not disappoint; this is no highbrow softcore attempt at going mainstream, just the taking of a slightly different direction in the underground scheme of things. Each of the planned thirteen issues of Atomiser is to have a singular theme addressed by the artists and writers contained therein, and the theme for this first issue is “Ancient.” History and legend are captured here in a number of ways, from a raunchy comix format (such as the Hustler humor of Doug Iannucci’s “Stan and Edna Nats Meet Archimedes,” Mike Diana’s story of ancient sea life attaining a bloody and cum-spattered revenge in “Return to Water,” and “Degrees of Separation” between Anton Emdin’s cave dwellers), to more prophetic strips like Boz’ “The Pox,” Martin Humphrey’s crude but arousing fatalistic bedtime story “The Ancient Ones,” and Glenno’s timely comparison “Nothing’s Changed.” Josh Simmons and David Aronson also contribute some arresting imagery, while on a bit more serious and contemplative note are Gregory Mackay’s illustrated piece on Marfan’s syndrome and the J Man’s story of low-income miracle working (“The Man of God”). Forget not “Toner Burn,” the column that will introduce you to the latest independent publications by Atomiser’s contributors and others (you’re gonna need The Alchemical Wedding, Pure Evil, Bizarrism, Human Dog Pound, Timeless: On the Prowl, Liquid Lobster Sex, Betty Paginated, Thank God It’s Ugly, All About Fuckin’, and Underground Spandex: Marvel, for starters), and the letters section eulogizing Sick Puppy. Couldn’t find a price on this limited edition (of 200), so check in with publisher Stratu at sstratu@mailcity.com for further info, cost, and availability.

* * * *

Rabid Publishing - www.atomiserzine.com - P.O. Box 93, Paddington, NSW 2021, Australia

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BETTY PAGINATED #30

 

This would be an awesome issue of BP except for one thing: it’s the last. After a decade and a half editor Dann Lennard is hanging up the title, at least for the time being. That doesn’t mean Dann’s candying out with a last gasp however; at 82 pages this issue is as fat and full (and as full of tits) as any of the previous outings. “The Comics Issue,” BP #30 contains an entire section devoted to the medium, including anecdotes and reminiscences along with cover art and panels aplenty. Select characters, artists and storylines are represented (“Archie Meets the Punisher? What the fuck?!” What the fuck, indeed!), comic artists Jerry Smith, Ben Templesmith and Martin Eden are interviewed, and getting into the spirit of the thing a number of artists contribute full-page pin-ups, including Marcel Ruijters and Stu Helm. There’s the usual glorious lot of trash, wrestling and reviews, along with numerous side articles, such as the four-pager on Bettie Page, natch, and the six-page interview with Ric Flair. Due to the size and friendliness of Betty Paginated and its editor, BP became something of a staple in the world of independent publishing; it will be truly missed. (Although Dann’s still contributing reviews to Zine World, so he’ll be neither gone nor forgotten.)

* * * *

$10.00 from Dann Lennard – www.bettypaginated.blogspot.comP.O. Box A1412, Sydney South, NSW, 1235, Australia

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BP #31

 

This issue of BP starts off on a rather down note, with stories of lung collapse and domestic animal deaths leading into a strange detour towards perving on kiddie show hostesses. But shit straightens out and flies right from then on, with “Punter’s Cunts” being a fine change of pace from the spoiled-sports-idol-adulation we’re fed non-stop here in the States as it bashes various members of the Aussie Test cricket team, lining up photos of certain players over the legend, “All of these men are cunts.” Highlights in this issue include a great piece on Mark “Chopper” Read (what? no interview?!), a pair of articles on Mickey Rourke, including a wall-worthy Angel Heart-era photo portrait of the man (say what you will, that and Barfly are two of the greatest movies ever), and for those keen on Ozploitation a rave review of the documentary Not Quite Hollywood that names a host of worthy films and actors to look up, this being aptly followed by an inspiring interview with Mad Max stuntman Grant Page, veteran of numerous other Aussie flicks (and accidents). There’s a bunch of stuff about comic books that moves between touting rare gems and bashing certain plagiarists, an interesting piece on hardcore (literally) wrassler Chris Colt, publisher Dann Lennard engages in a “Great Rasslin’ Babes Butt Debate” with Stately Wayne Manor, and a surprising set of wildly favorable reviews for Lady GaGa. And “Fuck Australia Day.” Oh yeah, you also get “Pot Pourri: Random Shit ‘N’ Stuff.” Another damn fine issue, as always. What the fuck else did you expect?

* * * *

P.O. Box A1412, Sydney South, NSW, 1235, Australia

danhelen@idx.com.au / www.bettypaginated.blogspot.com

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BLACKGUARD #1

The sick creative minds behind Sick Puppy return with a brand new anthology of international underground artwork, Blackguard. Professionally printed with full-color covers (Anton Emdin on front, Mike Diana on back), the first issue is the “Religious Crazies” issue. Ross Radiation brings us “Charlie Christ,” Max Black presents “The Guru’s Origin: Shoko Asahara & Aum Shinrikyo,” Neale Blanden tells the miracle story “He’s Grouse!” while Doug Iannucci goes the other direction with “Devil” (as well as contributing other humorous comix strips such as “Freddy Freehand” [“Oh, shit!”]), special mystery artist “Hugo” tells the terrible tale of “The Cannibal Cult!” as Mannheim Jerkoff and Cristina Fabris team up for the sexual sacrifice of “Submission,” Chris Mikul’s “The Adventures of the Little Pebble” is the cartoon fable of religious delusion and sexual exploitation, and SCAR goes to Hell with “Imp Terror Belle.” Gerard Ashworth, Julie Doye, David Puckeridge, Khe Sanh and Glenn Smith all make appearances as well. The quality of the artwork is generally very good, but it is variable. Some of the strips are clean and quite funny, while others are sketchy and hard to follow. But the majority of the material here is entertaining, and Blackguard definitely fills a much-needed gap in the underground art world. Issue number two is already underway…

* * *

$7.00 (+ postage?) from P.O. Box 93, Paddington NSW 2021, Australia

blackguard23.livejournal.com                                      sstratu@gmail.com

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BLACKGUARD #2

The theme of this perfect-bound 52-page color/B&W international underground comix anthology is “Father,” and something like 20 different artists provide their take on the pater familias. Dexter Cockburn’s “Pop Joins the Adventure Club” is a good old-fashioned cartoon-style strip about camping, full of sex, violence and misunderstanding; D. Rat’s “Chimp Dad” is an icon unto himself (“I am lord GOD all-fuckin’ MIGHTY!”); “Our Father Who Art in Heaven” is an excellent and highly detailed double-pager by Glenn Smith that uses fictional (Papa Smurf, Getafix) and criminal (Jim Jones, Josef Fritzl) examples of father figures to deconstruct the role of fatherhood; Anton Emdin’s “Deadbeat Dad” strips are so sharp they look almost animated; in the same vein SCAR takes a different approach to their work, trading the intricately etched monsters for which they’re most well known for the smooth social commentary of “Mr. Bumthania Loses Face”; you know exactly what to expect from Mike Diana’s “Daddy’s Girl”; Ryan Vella’s “Father’s Footsteps” is a super-detailed jungle nightmare; “Homecoming,” written by Henry L. Racicot and illustrated by Doug Iannucci, is one of the creepiest things I’ve seen in a while; and don’t neglect the back cover advertisement for “Sea-Junkies” (“Own a BOWLFULL OF CRAPPINESS – Instant STRESS!”). But perhaps one of the best features is a seven-page “Comix & Zine Reviews” section: independent publications from all over (but mostly from Down Under) are given thorough reviews, and most of them look to be well worth sending away for. This is a limited printing of 250 copies, and although I’m not sure how much this sick puppy costs it is definitely worth getting in touch with editor Stratu (see email address below) to see how you can get your sticky fingers on one of these fine books. Fucking great, this is.

* * * *

P.O. Box 93, Paddington NSW 2021, Australia

blackguard23.livejournal.com                                      sstratu@gmail.com

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CHARNEL HOUSE Vol. 2 No. 2 - By SCAR

The unstoppable underground publishers SCAR return to the arena with another helping of sci-fi sex & death comix, Charnel House #2. First up is “Imp Terror Belle,” an afterlife apparition who materializes as a sadistic devilish succubus to pay back the ill deeds of a damned man; “Head Job” graphically warns of the dangers of going after a little interplanetary poontang (beware the Octosirens in heat!); “Walking the Dog” is a detailed series of panels depicting vivisection, surgical procedures, and antique medical instruments; and “Whacky Spakki the Space Siren” (“I’m ev’ry space-cowboy’s luscious dreamboat, and don’t you know it!”) stars in “Mandate Rape,” in which the dangerous extraterrestrial slattern goes after her favorite kind of man-meat. Each tale is a gory one, Steve Carter and Antoinette Rydyr leaving no precious bodily fluid unspilled as they craft their fables of lust. SCAR has an immense number of titles to their name, so if you haven’t already get in touch with them for a list of their many releases.

* * *

$5.00 from Steve Carter’s Comic Nasties – P.O. Box 312, Greenacre, NSW 2190, Australia

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CINEMA SEWER #19

 

Nearing the landmark twentieth issue, number 19 is as packed to the tits with rich creamy sleaze as any of its predecessors. Robin crafts a loving retrospective to pornographer Roger Watkins and interviews icon Vanessa Del Rio; D.J. Bryant provides incredibly detailed panels to Bougie’s piece on The Fake Detective, “Bogus Celebrity Nudes Revealed!” while Anton Bogaty provides spot drawings to Robin’s interview with “alt porn” director Eon McKal and Dag Pehoe illustrates XXX-Rated Murder: The Death of Natel King”; and I couldn’t agree more when Robin says, “Yay! It’s time for a filthy comic from Josh Simmons!”: “Celebrities Fucking” (Woo-Hoo!). Juicy! Great fucking cover, too. (By Karl Wills, www.comicbookfactory.net)

* * *

$5.00 + age statement from Robin Bougie – mindseye100@hotmail.com#320-440 East 5th Ave., Vancouver BC, V5T-1N5, Canada

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CINEMA SEWER #24

 

Cinema Sewer continues to set the standard for hard copy sleaze flick journalism. Still crafted almost entirely by hand (with the addition of fitting stills, cover and poster art) by Robin Bougie and a pack of rabidly talented associates, CS is crammed with articles and reviews about rare, underground, pornographic and just plain fucking weird pieces of film, for fun, documentary purposes, or both. Hooker cinema (Streetwalkin’, Hookers on Davie), milestones of depravity (Graphic Sexual Horror, “How Hal Freeman Filmed Some Girls Getting Fucked in the Ass, and Managed to Legalize Pornography While Doing It”), XXX biographies (“Ginger Snatch: A Childhood Spent Smitten with Miss Lynn,” the apparently ill-advised Shauna: Every Man’s Fantasy), Cocksucker Blues, punk rock (The Decline of Western Civilization, Suburbia [“Ho de do! Ho de do!”]), and much more are covered with literacy and discernment. And it’s all chock-full of dirty pictures and drawings produced by and for patrons of fine filth such as yourself. Well put together, too: professionally printed on quality paper with full color covers. Guaranteed to make you spend more time in the bathroom than you need to. (“MOM…!”)

* * * *

$4.00 (+ age statement) from Robin Bougie – www.cinemasewer.com / http://bougieman.livejournal.com

#320-440 East 5th Ave., Vancouver, B.C., V5T-1N5, Canada

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The Cleft

By Dick Wegmans

 

            I didn’t know they even made books like this anymore. But thanks to Wagons of Sin Press, if you’re looking for seriously smutty pulp fetish action The Cleft is the place to be. And it’s all about exactly what the title implies: that plumber’s crack slice of heaven, the shadowy recess of the female ass crack. Author Dick Wegmans, a philosophy professor on the side, delves into this fragrant arena with true authoritarian obsession as he details the single-minded pursuit of this musky pot of gold through the eyes of first-person protagonist Richard Wiggons, who risks everything for his idea of El Dorado.

            Spurned by society and its mores, Wiggons is infallibly unrepentant as he savors the hunt, the sight, and, most importantly, the “huff” of prime cleft. Following an out-of-control orgy of cleftmania at a Gap outlet that ends with panic, arson and flight from authorities, Wiggons hits the rails and meets up with Arcadia Slim, a seasoned huffer himself. No stranger to the shady side of life, Slim takes Wiggons on as an apprentice of sorts, and together the two dicey characters make a run for the bad land of Nuevo Laredo in search of the ideal score. But not without first relieving a certain Porno Pete of a certain laptop that Slim assures Wiggons is a golden ticket to an easy future.

            And from there on things get weird. Think Bukowski writing a more adult episode of Family Guy, sponsored by Larry Flynt with a soundtrack supplied by The Jesus Lizard. Much criminal activity takes place, all of it on the wrong side of wrong (and that ain’t right), leading up to the legendary yet secretive “Noche de la Cientos Asscracks.” But that momentous ass-casion is itself but a stage for the wicked play-out of rip-offs, double-crosses and revenge that follows as heinous plans are laid and led astray for ass and men. It’s a veritable battle for the Huffster empire with the cleft mafia, and nothing about it is pretty.

            Perversion, profanity, sex, violence, drugs (the term ‘crack cocaine’ takes on a whole new meaning here), gunplay, larceny, all fit in around the many “assventures” our anti-heroes partake in, all spun out in a wash of blunt yet vivid detail that showcases the author’s wild imagination throughout this uncivilized set of scenarios. Wegmans truly has a knack for sculpting colorful deformities on the printed page, and his work glows with a certain sweaty sheen ideal for reflecting the neon glow of bad places that hold the incandescent attraction of bug lights shaped like night club marquees. The writing style is hard-boiled, dirty, and most definitely down, like a vintage dimestore novel dragged through the glory hole of a peep show bathroom and into the ugly techno-glare of the 21st century. It’s a page-turner alright, even if it’s not exactly to your, ahem, taste.

            Granted, The Cleft is more than a little relentless in its all-out crack-headed frenzy, but that mania is the entire point. With its redundant obsession regarding the “buttgully,” The Cleft is practically the American Psycho of asscrack. Just replace the designer clothing with a variety of south slides. And leave out the Habitrail. Or not…

            Here’s hoping W.O.S. Press releases enough of these sick pocket-sized puppies to stock on their own rack anyplace that carries beer, nudie mags and pork rinds. (And it is perfectly sized to fit the ass-pocket of your jeans, so you can walk around downtown with the blue title sticking out, making the squares wonder what The Cleft is all about.)

            “So sue me.

            “I like cleft.”

* * * *

$7.00 postage-paid ($8.00 Canada/Mexico, $9.00 elsewhere outside U.S.) from Mulnix - eddiemulnix.blogspot.com / wospress@gmail.com  - P.O. Box 29753, Los Angeles, CA  90027

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CLOVERLEAF - By Jacob Lambert

MAD Magazine writer Jacob Lambert’s “first in a series of self-contained stories,” Cloverleaf puts an interesting spin on the fatal absorption of the American Indian by the white man’s consumer culture. And, admirably, does so without being at all preachy or overly moralistic, instead allowing a pair of successive plot twists to wrap up the piece in a wise and darkly comic way. Lambert’s style is generally clean and tight, and readily identifiable as his own, and while the volume may seem a bit slim at $2.95 for 24 pages, the printing is stout and the covers are in full color. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in future issues (for more info go to www.JacobLambert.com).

* * *

$2.95 from Baboon Books – www.BaboonBooks.com

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THE CONSTANT RIDER #7

The latest hip pocket zine from Oregon’s “Public Transportation Front” does justice to said Front with an opening “Celebrity Sightings” article; the celebrities being TriMet bus drivers, unusual fellow commuters and the like (Hello Kitty). There’s a piece about annoying co-passengers on an airline and a review that, rightfully, rips into stuffy fellow bus-rider/author Irma Kurtz. This issue even boasts a few cartoon/illustrations by Crappy Comics’ Tim Root. All in all a rather friendly little thing. And although in a brief forward Kate mentions selling out, this doesn’t really seem to be the case at all – the zine is as forthright and charming as ever.

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? from Kate Lopresti – www.constantrider.comP.O. Box 6753, Portland, OR, 97228-6753

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A DANGEROUS GAME #I & II

This is quite the package – two issues of A Dangerous Game doubled up into one fat publication. Issue one is “The Music Issue,” and it boasts “000 Record Reviews” in order to fill pages with friendly and colorful interviews with the likes of Wolf Eyes, The Locust, Total Shutdown, The Curtains, Savage Republic (a little too short and self-conscious (on the part of the band)), Magic Band/Beefheart man John French, Andre Connors of Tumult Laboratories and Marco Eneidi, and a stack of four others are compiled into a piece called “Brutal-Prog Revisited.” There are some brief movie reviews too. The flipside, “The Metal Issue,” sports chats with “Bay Area Gore Metal Masters” Impaled, Exhumed, Entombed, Nile and Lamb of God. Also featured are interviews with Isis, Godflesh, Dan Swano, Sigh and Nandor Nevi. Plus, personal ad booby traps. I’m generally not a big fan of band interviews, regardless of whether I’ve heard the band or not, but there was a lot of fun shit in here that covers a truly broad range of musical ground (when was the last time you saw John French and Exhumed in the same pub?). There are a shitload of interesting references worth following up on as well; I’m already looking for Dead Boy and the Elephant Men (Dax Riggs) and Curse of the Golden Vampires (Justin Broadrick). ADG does have a pretty sparse and choppy layout, but the publisher admits as much and there’s nothing at all wrong with substance over style. If you’re into any of the aforementioned shit, meaning if you slide into the musical spectrum anywhere between art-fag and headbanger, check this one out.

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$3.00 (+ postage?) from Will York – wwyork@gmail.com

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DEHONDENKOEKJESFABRIEK

Embudagonn 108 / Truck Van Rental

The latest crazed release from Dehondenkoekjesfabriek consists of a wild square art booklet and CD, both featuring the work of Dutch noise/artist Monobrain (performing as Truck Van Rental (I think)) and Japanese madman Koh Kasahara (performing as Embudagonn108), all packaged in a polished little presentation kit. Between the book’s full-color covers are stoned-looking collaborative jam drawings as well as what appear to be individual pieces, ranging from careless scribbles and scrawls to scary and intricate LSD monsters; sex and violence run together on nearly every page, funny dangerous animals screw and play (keep an eye out for “nazi frog”), defects of sex and birth appear regularly, and there are even a few lines of bad-tripped poetry/prose. Beautifully creepy and intense in points, the entire booklet screams out “DRUGS!!!” The “music” is a spooky experimental mishmash wherein the two sound acts trade off tracks, although each “band” sounds very similar as they produce electronic squeals, burbles, and throbbing headaches that crawl out of the electronic aetheric miasma to provide the perfect soundtrack for running down asylum hallways in the midst of a total freakout. (Fuck me, is that the sound of a retard having sex with a monkey on a vibrating bed?! And then bragging and farting about it to his inbred friends during an accordion-led back porch party?). To quote the mighty Rupture, “I’m havin’ a fuckin’ flashback!”

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Monobrain - P.O. Box 68, 7700AB, Dedemsvaart, Netherlands

Embudagonn 108 – yellow_slug@k8.dion.ne.jp - 203 Takizawa Bld. 1-15-8 Kojima, Taito Tokyo, 111-0056, Japan

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New Audio Reviews

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Crites Gallery

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c/o Tom Crites

P.O. Box 21448, Long Beach, CA, 90801 U.S.A.

tmcrites@earthlink.net