This Registry contains short descriptions of zines and contact information. At the moment it is rather sketchy, but additional information would be very helpful. Contact Jim Burgess with updates and changes to this list. If you are interested in trying any of these zines, please contact the publisher and ask to see a sample issue.
Western Front
Contact: Brad Martin,
"The Multi-Player Play-by-Mail Magazine," offering Diplomacy and a wide variety of other games, including Empires of the Middle Ages, Britannia, Pax Britannica, Civilisation, 1830 and History of the World. In addition, Brad includes article s on historical subjects and Southeast Asian politics.
The Canadian Diplomacy Organization The CANADIAN DIPLOMACY ORGANIZATION (CDO) is a volunteer group which co-ordinates the activities of postal Diplomacy Gamesmasters in Canada. Membership in CDO is automatic upon subscription to any Canadian Diplomacy newsletter. No fees are charged for CDO services.
Making Love in a Canoe
Brent McKee, 901 Av T North, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan CANADA S7L 3B9
“Ordinarily, I’d say something about Making Love In A Canoe being one of the last — if not the last — zine that is mainly about one person publishing for the joy of publishing, exchanging ideas with old friends in their publication for the sake of exchanging ideas etc. The term once used is a “reading zine”, with in Brent’s case the focus being on Canadian politics and Canadian naval history. These are not ordinary times, however. There simply has been rather less of MALOC to read lately. Like most such zines, Brent’s publication never has been a turnaround king, but it did have a certain schedule to it. Until recently. With only two issue out in the past eight months, MALOC has slowed noticeably. While part of this is because of real life issues, part is, as Brent describes it as being “ just (being) physically tired” and the appeal of other free time activities (computer games, the internet etc.). This is not, to my mind, a good sign at all. It is, I fear, the first signs of burnout. As someone who published a very similar 20 page digest for several years, I can certainly relate to the demands of the task. Right sizing a zine to your time and energy level is something that is critical to the long term survival of any even medium-sized publication and is something Brent should consider.” MPL
Northern Flame
Rob Lesco, 49 Parkside Dr, Brampton, Ontario, CANADA L6Y 2H1.
Cost: $1/issue N.America. An eight weekly, 20 digest page zine first published in September 1994 with a circulation of 53. Price: $1/issue Games running: Diplomacy, Gunboat Game openings: Diplomacy, Gunboat, Winter 1900, 1499 (vt)
“It’s not particularly pretty but I try to make it easy to play in by including maps and player addresses in every issue. In defiance of all predictions, NF V2 has been growing in size, circulation and number of games running — even after accounting for the orphaned games I’ve picked up.” RL
“Robert puts out a nice, bimonthly, digest zine. Though hardly handsome (Robert does not like computers — I believe one bit him as a child) NF V2 is still a very worthwhile publication, with the standard Dip zine features including Diplomacy and Gunboat games, and a letter column. More unusual features for a Dip zine include a column on classical music and discussions of wargaming magazines. Definitely a throwback, though a good one.” MPL
The Tactful Assassin
Eric Young, 4784 Stepney Rd, RR#2, C2, Armstrong, BC CANADA V0E 1B0
Cost: $10 (CDN or US)/year
The Tactful Assassin
Eric Young 4784 Stepney Road RR #2 C2, Armstrong BC V0E 1B0 CANADA (H): (250) 546-6943. [email protected]
A five weekly, eight to ten open page zine first published in 1990 with a circulation of 35. Price: $1/issue (more in the U.S.) Games running: Diplomacy, Gunboat, Mitotic Diplomacy Game openings: Diplomacy, Gunboat, Mitotic Diplomacy
“TTA is the best Canadian zine to play in. It’s the most regular, with the best GM’ing, the players are all there to play, so the NMR’s are very low. The deadlines are very closely followed, but not with ‘strictness’. The editorials are left leaning, social-democratic, environmentally friendly. The letter column has had some good disagreements about economics in the past, but there is no ‘trashing’ allowed in the zine. The author is crazy about riding motorcycles and enjoys telling about his journeys.” EY
“I think I have been subscribing to TTA ever since it started —what, about 10 years ago? It hasn’t changed much since then. Eric usually runs a handful of games with clear, third-page maps. Sometimes he runs uncommon variants like Mitotic Diplomacy. TTA players tend to be veteran hobby types, and many of them —more so than in any other zine, I would bet — are Canadian. Eric revels in his zine’s Canadian flavor, though he doesn’t hide his passion for the American NFL! Other features include brain teasers and the occasional letter column. This zine may not be fancy, but it’s dependable.” PR
“By the time this is published, this zine will be on hiatus until late August. While I can’t predict if Eric will decide he can live without publishing, my bet would be that he returns to business as usual. It’s been said many times that TTA is the best zine to play in published in Canada. His deadlines are his bond and he successfully forecasts them well in advance. He encourages press and his players respond enthusiastically.” RL
Back To The Dark Ages
Ryk Downes, Chapel House, Manor Gardens, Pool-in-Wharfedale, West Yorkshire, LS21 1NB. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ryk
What a cracking set of games! The incomparable Maneater, in which swimmers lose limbs to a marauding shark. Where Am I?, the game Oliver Reed plays every morning. Civilization, which probably takes longer than the scenario it is meant to be simulating, but it's good to see this classic game being offered by post as few have the time to play it face to face any more. The zine now contains John Colledge's all-conquering Blue Nose Special and if Ryk keeps up a regular schedule of publication this year I can envisage him having to make an embarrassing announcement at this year's Zine Poll ceremony. (John Harrington)
Has definitely benefited from the addition of John Colledge's Blue Nose Special sub-zine, which does seem to have had a fair few homes in its time - hmm, all the previous hosts have fallen by the wayside, drained, wrinkled entities - are we witnessing some sort of hobby vampirism? Anyway, what has particularly helped my enjoyment is the faster turnarounds, there is nothing worse than huge unsightly gaps between issues. Ryk wades in with some zine reviews in issue 125, very dodgy, thin end of the wedge I say. How long before he starts feuding with some narrow-minded editor who takes exception to his pet being bad-mouthed? But on the down side, all the cartoons seem to have vanished. (Neil Duncan)
Bloodstock
Mick Haytack, 43 Swanmore Road, Littleover, Derby, DE23 7SD.
A5 booklet, 6 weekly, 24 - 40 pages, 60p including postage
Perennial unsung hero of the hobby; Mick runs lots of board games by post to a high standard and demonstrates his aggressive intelligence with some quizzes which take no prisoners. The recent acquisition of a desktop PC has improved presentation no end, too. (Chris Dickson)
Borealis
Ian Harris, 36 Brecon Place, Perkinsville, Chester-le-Street, Co. Durham, DH2 1HY.
A5, bi-monthly, 12 - 24 pages, 2p per page plus postage
Low-key, slow-key bread-and-butter 'zine running some Dip and a lot of original games, many of which have come from the "Toolbox" game design and discussion chat section. Ian is possibly the kindest, most pleasant editor in the hobby and the chat is invariably friendly and enthusiastic. A 'zine with a lot more heart than most. Hurrah! (Chris Dickson)
Box Frenzy
Paul Clayson, 26 St. Hugh's Rise, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 9UZ
A5 booklet, five weekly, 20 pages, 70p including postage
Box Frenzy has made a very welcome return after a long absence. Paul doe admit that more delays are likely in the near future, but he does promise not to fold. The zine is mainly a diplomacy and variant zine and is the only place I have played pbm dip. It does run a few other games (I have really enjoyed the Blood Royale which is about to finish), although nothing like as many as I'd like. What there is though is very well presented - in fact I would say I've not seen clearer diplomacy maps in any zine. Overall - I would recommend this to dip players if Paul overcomes his recent production problems. (Philip Honeybone)
(The) Cunning Plan
Neil Duncan, 25 Sarum Hill, Basingstoke, Hants., RG21 8SS
A4, 5 weekly, 16 pages excluding games supplements, 80p including postage
By his own admission, Neil informs in the editorial that this issue is slimmed down and late, and them proceeds to blame his retiring subzine editor for messing around with content. He also blames his subbers for not providing a decent enough sized letter-column, mind you it is bigger than most I have ever managed in any of my zines. There is also a promise of a reinstatement of zine reviews as of next issue. From memory TCP was one of the best places for zine reviews. About the only person to review my zine anyway. (Ryk Downes)
Cut & Thrust
Derek Wilson, 6 Caldbeck Drive, Woodley, Reading, RG5 4LA
Issue 175, A5 booklet, litho, 5 weekly, 24 pages, 65p plus postage
Derek enlists the help of numerous GMs to run the games in C&T , namely Jeremy Tullett, David Watts, Dane Maslen, Richard Ashley, Kevin Lee and Jeanette Hawley as well as running a few games of Man-Eater himself. The appearance of C&T has hardly changed over the years. There is still the yellow front cover, these days Derek does the editorials, although this issues on working hours did not particular interest me, but I'm sure made interesting reading for some. There is a letter column followed by a game review of 1849 by Steve Thomas. That has always been a good feature of C&T - The game review. C&T is a very reliable zine and well worth getting for the excellent variety of games on offer. (Ryk Downes)
Gentle Art of Making Enemies aka GAME
Nic Chilton, 21 Nowell Street, Harehills, Leeds, LS9 6HS. www.cryogen.com/GAME/Game.html
In the very latest issue of GAME, Nic Chilton is pushing his Electronic Football League — an interesting variant on the standard United rules I believe. Also beginning this issue, is something called Blackadderlon 59, a cross between Deep Space Nine, Babylon 5, and of course Blackadder itself. Personally it wasn’t exactly my kind of thing, but then it’s been said that a sense of humour transplant may lead to happier days, so we’ll wait around for that. Nic Chilton also makes an effort to set himself up as some kind of successor to Stephen Agar as ‘the next big target’ in the hobby. Found this very petty and totally pointless myself, and it does leave a sour taste in the mouth. (Alex Bardy)
Greatest Hits
Pete Birks, Top Flat, 4 Lewisham Hill, London, SE13 7EJ.
A4 10 pt font, mostly monthly, 18 - 36 pages, 80p including postage
Pete lives in a different world to most of the rest of us, but one that is compelling to explore through his masterfully and professionally written articles. One of the best sources for hobby history and much closer to the world of big business and the corridors of power, money and influence than you'll get elsewhere, so there are worthwhile insights aplenty plus a goodly number of cartoons (formerly Dilbert, now the much closer-to-the-edge Red Meat). Only has one game, a Fantasy Football League run in a subzine by your MFG editor - and there's nothing wrong with that, either. (Chris Dickson)
Alex Richardson, 30a Queen Street, Hitchen, Herts., SG4 9TP
A5 centre-stapled, 6-8 weekly, 16 pages, 50p (including postage)
Issue 93 was little more than a flyer really, with my game included. If any other editor did this i would mark him down for an imminent fold but Alex has hovered at this rather relaxed level for a number of years now and it would be unthinkable for him not to hit the hundred. At least he has the good sense and good manners to keep his games ticking over even when he is not able to deliver a load of chat. (Neil Duncan)
Ode
John Marsden, 33 Weston Road, Strood, Kent, ME2 3HA.
A5 booklet, 5 weekly, 32 pages, 70p to 75p (depending on size) including postage
Edited by John Marsden, Ode has got to be the most reliable zine, over 200 issues on and issue 203 is the first one I can ever recall being late, which requires a superhuman effort. Ode is known for its Diplomacy and Railway Rivals, as well as regular articles that John has delved into his archives from 100 issues or so for. Ode is also noted for its large number of external GM's (7) many of them long running GMs comprising Steve Jones, David Watts (inventor of Railway Rivals and many other games), Dave Erridge, Steve Thomas, Geoff Hardingham, Mike Pollard and Kim Head. Ode is always a good source of hobby news. (Ryk Downes)
No hobby zine reaches 200+ issues without having something going for it, and although I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve only seen the last eight issues or so, I’ve been mightily impressed with this. As solid and reliable as the atomic clock I’ve got on the mantel-piece, this runs a variety of games including a number of hobby favourites. Perhaps this is the key to it’s longevity? In which case, I say where’s Sopwith? I always refer to John as an old hobby stalwart, and he hasn’t yet got pissed off enough to say something about it, but in this context the term is used with the greatest respect. The man’s a marvel of modern postal gaming, and is not averse to voicing an opinion if he feels strongly enough about something. Also nestling herein, is Kim Head’s sub-zine, Life’s Still Rich Pageant, and she’s another one who is not averse to shouting! Good on ‘em both! (Alex Bardy)
(The) Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword
Tony Reeves, Maes y Dderwen, 15 Oakfield Park, Cradoc, Brecon, Powys, LD3 9QA
A4 corner-stapled, 9 times a year, 16 - 24 pages, 60p inc. postage
Amateur game inventors with overflowing ideas and enthusiasm make this a perpetually fresh 'zine and one well worth following. Tony is a physics teacher but his games are put together with a keen eye for design and I'm sure it won't be many years' time before we see Kniziaesque classics springing from the Reeves stables; his Sumo design is the first to have caught on around the hobby. Nine issues so far have seen more original ideas from the editorial board than some 'zines can put out in nineteen. A charming 'zine. (Chris Dickson)
PIMS continues to experiment with new (and untried) games. This is very good to see and I am sure I'll pick up some ideas at some point. I really appreciated the Rulebook which fills me in on some of the rules published in earlier issues. At present I haven't joined any games - mainly because the typical length is 4-6 turns (I prefer something a little longer and more detailed), but that may change ("Missionary" looks an interesting game). One thing that takes my interest is Tony's aim of collating postal rules for all games. (Philip Honeybone)
Pick of the Bunch
Mark Boyle, 15 Linn Park Gardens, Johnstone, Renfrewshire, PA5 8LH (Tel: 01505 324745)
A5 booklet, photocopied (glossy colour cover and splash colour inside), 6 weekly, at least 32 pages, £1 including post
I can’t get anyone else to review this zine and given Mark’s forthright comments about other editors scattered throughout this and previous issues of Mission From God this is not, perhaps, surprising. Where are those professional blunt northerners when you need someone to dish it back out to someone who pulls no punches? If being blunt is a northern phenomenon then presumably the further north you go, the more blunt you get. Mark is Scottish, which is even further north than Yorkshire, the world capital of blunt speakers, so that gives you some idea of what a reticent wall flower he is. It’s easy for me to describe his zine as entertaining because he has not, as yet, winched his cannon round in my direction (notwithstanding a couple of sighting shots over a perceived schoolgirl fetish on my part). I guess I like it because it is as much a music zine as a games zine, and the music influence stretches to lay-out as well as content. By which I mean the lay-out is more like a music fanzine, with intelligent use of cut & paste graphics. Theoretically there’s enough fonts being used in one publication to give the style gurus heart failure but in practice it works because Mark uses the font he wants not just because he fancies being flash. The content constantly reminds me that not everyone views London as the centre of the universe. Quite why the goings on at Laurel Park school should be so fascinating to someone living hundreds of miles away I don’t know, but stuck up school kids are the same the world over. If I had to criticise it I’d say it is a bit on the slow side and Mark’s shoot from the hip style might not suit all tastes. Oh and it sometimes carries poetry, for which there is no excuse. Maybe it is a celtic thing? (John Harrington)
Pigbutton
Clive Palmer, 36 Ravensfield, Barstable East, Basildon, Essex, SS14 1UG
A5 booklet, 5 - 6 weekly, 24 pages, 75p including postage
This is generally my favourite zine at the moment because of the range of games run both by Clive himself and by the 4 subzine editors. Clive runs several games himself, although he since reaching issue 100 he has restricted himself to GM non-intensive games. Amongst them is Mississippi Queen (which is fun). The subzines, however, do run more intensive games, including 18xx, Civilisation and a Cthulu-based En-Garde. In gaming terms, something for everyone. Unfortunately, a couple of the subzines have been erratic recently, but none the less this still picked my No. 1 vote in the recent zine poll. (Philip Honeybone)
This latest issue of Pigbutton is a particularly slim affair, with only two of the three in-house subzines appearing this time round and absolutely nothing from the editor himself. I’d be very hard-pushed to recommend this on the substance of this issue alone, but Clive’s zine is recognised as an excellent and reliable place to play all manner and variety of postal games which are somewhat different to de rigueur. Issue #116 is definitely not worth the asking price, however, and recent issues have also been pretty lacklustre, so here’s looking to better days ahead... If you’re writing off for a sample issue, ask for a copy of #113, ’cos that was the last decent issue I can recall. (Alex Bardy)
Serendipity
Subs to: Geoff Challinger, 42 Mulberry Close, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 7SS although the editor is John Webley, Töpferreihe 4, 38259 Salzgitter Germany
A4 corner stapled with spot colour, 10 pages, 5 -6 weekly, Geoff's an accountant so he's not very good at keeping track of money, which probably means this zine is free at the moment (tax deductible I expect)
Somewhat of a rest home for
grand old men of the hobby, with John Webley (former winner of the SubZine
Poll), Geoff Challinger (former winner of the Zine Poll) and Brian Creese
(co-editor of the best zine never to have won the Zine Poll) on the team.
With an heavyweight line-up like that it is hard to fathom why this zine
is so overlooked; perhaps the import of young blood in the form of Nick Parish
will raise its profile, although the last 2 zines which had Nick as a subzine
editor both went belly-up this year! There's usually a couple of
pages of chat each issue from John Webley, normally restricted to his personal
interests (bird-watching, holidays and board games) whilst Messrs. Challinger
and Creese have a wider remit, pontificating on anything from contraception to
the immaculate conception. There's
even the first rumblings of a letter column which should liven up the zine too.
Serendipity is one of the few zines to feature colour.
It's used selectively, mainly on maps, where its use is very effective,
particularly for 1830 and Circus
Maximus. The days of this zine winning
the Zine Poll are apparently gone but the skills that made this team so
successful have not deserted them - the only thing that has changed has been the
commitment to a rigorous production schedule, which has dropped from well above
average to about average for the hobby (i.e. reliable with occasional delays of
one or two weeks).
(The) Sprouts of Wrath
Mark
Wightman, 52 Park Road West, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK41 7SL.
http://www.btinternet.com/~mr.sprout
A5 booklet, 52 pages, 6 weekly, £1 including postage - add 30p for overseas (50p for unwaged)
To paraphrase Marvin the Paranoid Android, "Mark Wightman; loathe him or ignore him, you can't like him." Luckily for Mark he is a Robert Rankin fan not a Douglas Adams man so he'll pay no attention to that miserable old android. Mark's shoot from the hip style of writing has made him a few enemies in the hobby but it does make his zine horrifically readable. Add to that an excellent games package, Mark's striking artwork and you have a zine that fair makes the old train journey whiz by. Recommended unless you are thin-skinned or offended by rude words and blunt Northerners. (John Harrington)
Probably the coolest 'zine around at the moment; the first twenty issues of its life were as a subzine, so Mark is approaching the task with enthusiasm by the bucketful at the moment. Lots of Diplomacy, as you might expect from one of the bigger wheels on the tournament circuit, but Mark has introduced lots of fresh and original ideas to the 'zine as well. Enthusiastic, witty and opinionated writing; appropriate art; jolly subzines. About as different from For Whom The Die Rolls as you can get in terms of character and game offerings, but similarly excellent in its own way. (Chris Dickson)
Strangitude
Paul Sands, Flat 2, 432 Birmingham Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B72 1YL
Since I last reviewed Strangitude,
Paul has demonstrated his ability to produce his zine on a regular basis The
main part is run efficiently and well, with Paul running a good variety of games
(Railway Rivals, By Popular Demand, Bus Boss, Breaking Away, Sopwith, Scrabble
& Diplomacy + Variants). Quartz (the subzine) runs the same range of games,
but Geoff's other commitments mean this is often incomplete. Overall
a competent zine with a fair amount of additional reading material (which I tend
to skip over). (Philip
Honeybone)
One of the few zines in the hobby having much success getting Diplomacy variants up and running - the other being Backstabbers United Monthly. Talking of BUM, this zine reminds me of it a bit and it's not just because of the similar preoccupation with unusual deaths; it's also the broad variety of games on offer. Of course the presentation is not as good as Backstabbers United Monthly, but few zines can match BUM in this regard, and Strangitude's look is none too shabby even if it does have the dreaded double staple down the side of the page rather than the more convenient corner staple. The zine's appearance might be improved if one of the sub-zine editors invested in a new typewriter ribbon but perhaps I just caught him on a bad issue. Recommended if you want a wide variety of games with a bit of humour thrown in and you don't mind the relaxed frequency. (John Harrington)
Underneath The Mango Tree
Alex Bardy, c/o 13 Stanley Road, Bulphan, Essex RM14 3RX
A4-folded-into-three booklet, colour inkjet printed, 3-4 weekly, 6-18 pages, SAE only
Very fannish 'zine which has got off to rather a hot start, plunging right into the middle of the state-of-the-hobby debate; an ideal place for Alex's talented writing skills and neat presentation. Large and introspective letter-column and extremely fluffy game offerings. Big things expected from what may become an excellent small 'zine. (Chris Dickson)
Very prettily printed through a colour inkjet, & someone else with an enthusiasm for ‘saving the hobby’. Unfortunately, he’s another one with an Agar-esque romantic attachment to the concept of ‘hobby feuds’, so if Alex’s wondering why I never replied to his freebie, now he knows. (Mark Boyle)
Mango
comes in an unusual format - A4 folded in three to give the DL size and even
colour printed throughout. It is basically a chat zine (main subject being
"The future of the hobby…", whatever that may mean.) It does,
however, have a few short games - Sumo, Middleman, Tribute and Triple Threat and
it does have a Breaking away waiting list - but not enough to grab my playing
interest. (Philip
Honeybone)
Variable Pig
Jim Reader, Wethouder Gerssenlaan 27, 3454BA De Meern, The Netherlands
A5, occasional (about 10 weekly), 40 pages, 0p plus postage
Put under UK as it is edited by an ex-pat Brit and published in English. This is one of my favourite zines because of the variety of games on offer, helped by no less than 6 subzines! The main games run are a well established En Garde (at turn 63) which always welcomes new players to the world of the 3 musketeers, and Railway Rivals (I am about to see my first finish as a player for about three years). Perhaps the best thing though is Jim's willingness to adapt other games for postal play. Basically a great zine if you want to play a wide variety of games. (Philip Honeybone)
(The) White Cat
John Wilman, 26 Powrie Place, Hilltown, Dundee, DD1 2PQ.
bi-monthly, A5 booklet, 16 - 28 pages, £1 including postage
One-of-a-kind chat-heavy 'zine, originally with Diplomacy intentions but only really finding success with its featherweight all-reader games, of all the things. However, the editorial is what you pay for and John explores much more high-brow matter than most 'zines would ever dream of printing with style and aplomb; every issue contains a great deal well worthy of your attention and very carefully and fascinatingly crafted too. It would be unfair to pigeonhole this as just a philosophy 'zine when it covers a much greater scope, but you'll need to be a fan of John's intellect to appreciate this to the full. (Chris Dickson)
A strange and curious affair this, and running a selection of all-reader games while waiting for the Diplomacy lists to fill. This latest issue contains the rules for 1885 III, a Diplomacy variant, but, unusually, there doesn’t appear to be a list open for players to join? Anyways, usually contains plenty of chat and discussion about life’n’stuff, and John seems something of a recluse. To all intents and purposes, this makes his articles and point of view quite fascinating, and instantly appealing. Strange? Moi? (Alex Bardy)
The Abyssinian Prince
Jim Burgess 664 Smith Street, Providence RI 02908-4327 H: (401) 351-0287. [email protected]
A three weekly, 24 - 30 open page zine first published in March 1984 with a postal circulation of 90. Price: $1.50/issue, $3 overseas; free by e-mail Games running: Diplomacy, Modern Diplomacy, Nuclear Yuppie Evil Empire Diplomacy Game openings: Diplomacy, Breaking Away. Back issues are available at http://www.diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/Zines/TAP.
You play in one of Jim's games,. you better come prepared to write some Press! You know when you walk into a pub at about half past ten and everyone is talking nineteen to the dozen? That's what this zine is like - the atmosphere crackles and at first it seems like everyone is talking bollocks (look, Tony Dickinson seems one of the more coherent correspondents) but then you realise they are talking about one of those unfathomable American sports, like invading foreign countries, and you begin to get a handle on it all. Catholic, eclectic and iconoclastic - just three words you rarely get to use in Scrabble! (John Harrington)
I have received TAP off and on for several years. Jim is one of the best GMs I have played for. His errors in adjudication, if any, are few and far between — a rare thing these days. Jim runs his games on a schedule unlike that of any other GM: He always separates seasons for retreats and adjustments, even when there are no retreats or adjustments to be made. Although this is how Diplomacy games are played face-to-face, and it requires no predictions on players’ parts, the downside is that games in TAP take one-and-a-half to two times longer to play than in traditional monthly zines. But this isn’t so bad if you are planning on being in the hobby for a few years! Half-page maps are good. Lively press, with frequent interjections from Jim, are even better. Many hobby veterans, who you won’t find anywhere else, play here. Besides the occasional political chat, TAP is best known for its sprawling forum on music, ranging from rock to classical. Much of this goes over my head, since I’m still wedded to ’70s rock, but I glean some useful information from the banter every now and then. This zine also features “Tinamou”, a promising subzine by the Snowball Fighting - and variant-loving David Partridge. Michael Lowrey's Houdini Blues also features Diplomacy and Outpost openings. TAP is a great source for hobby news. I consider it to be the flagship zine of our hobby.” PR
“A big one for sure, TAP is one the most interesting reads and best overall zines I see. While the layout is rather basic, the content is what drives TAP: a large letter column centered on the Diplomacy hobby (Jim sponsors contests to find long lost PBM Dippers…) and music of all sorts. (Unlike Phil, most of it doesn’t go over my head, but then I’m also a volunteer DJ at a public radio station that plays a little bit of everything.) The letter column typically runs several pages, though as with Maniac’s Paradise in its time, attempts are not really made to minimize the total size, taking the content as a given, of the zine. In addition to the zine proper, there are no lack of subzines, with notable efforts coming from David Partridge, Michael Lowrey, and Don Williams. The games, meanwhile, are well run and between Jim and his subzine editors, there is a wide selection on offer. Recommended and a bargain at only $1.50 an issue.” MPL
Boris The Spider
Paul Bolduc 203 Devon Court, Ft. Walton Beach FL 32547-3110 H: (850) 863-9081. [email protected]
A monthly, 20 digest page zine first published in March 1985 with a
circulation of 35. Price: $10.50/year Games running: Diplomacy, 1830, Silverton,
Advanced Civilization, Stellar Conquest, History of the World, Magic Realm,
Circus Maximus, Balkan Wars VI, Settlers of Catan, Age of Renaissance Game
openings: Too numerous to list.
“’The play’s the thing,’ to quote I.A. Horowitz, who was misapplying
Hamlet to chess. I don’t bore you with my political or moral philosophy and I
don’t have the time to retype yours or the space to print it. The emphasis,
properly, is on playing the games. I do my best to get it right (but Errari
humano est) and back to you promptly. If you’re looking for a punctual zine
with an eclectic mix of games, Boris may be what you’re looking for. PB:ed
• Paul’s description is dead on. This is a games-only publication
providing a good game-service (one week turnarounds are the rule) with a very
wide variety of games offered. If you have diverse gaming interests, this (along
with S.O.B.) is a zine you should be getting.” MPL
Cheesecake
Andy Lischett 2402 Ridgeland Avenue, Berwyn IL 60402
A six weekly, six open page zine first published in March 1979 with a circulation of 44. Price: Free to players and standbys Games running: Diplomacy Game openings: None
“First of all I’d like to congratulate Andy on publishing 200 plus issues of this fine little warehouse. It is truly an impressive accomplishment. That said, don’t think a zine starting on its three century of issues isn’t vibrant. Andy’s warehouse remains one of the best — if not the best — place to actually play a game of Diplomacy. Of course, there’s only one problem for all those hoping to play here to prove their worth: Andy started five games (!) back in 1997 and doesn’t have any current openings. I wouldn’t count on any of the current games ending before the fall either, but maybe then…” MPL
Costaguana
Conrad von Metzke 4374 Donald Avenue, San Diego CA 92117 (H): (619) 270-8313. [email protected]
A six weekly, 16 open page zine first published in April 1965 with a
circulation of 52. Price: $.55/issue
“Another of the long-running zines. Conrad runs a few games, but it’s his
writing that marks the zine as special.” PB
“Is this a games zine? Very few games running here but a great read
nonetheless. Conrad is the great-granddaddy of Dip zines and ruminates about a
lot of things. He’s crazy, by gum! I mean, how often can you change emails in
a single issue? Well, despite this, Conrad’s pages overflow with interesting
tidbits to read. His By Popular Demand is always fun he just needs to get more
games in here. But that might push some of his ruminating aside! Hmmm... this is
a dilemma!” WN
“Boardman and von Metzke — they are the only ones way out ahead of me in currently active pubbers in the States. I have lots of peers on the other side of the pond, but not here. Conrad never fails to surprise me with some obscure musical point or a funny story from the news that I missed. The only negative is that Conrad has a tendency to sit at his keyboard and spin out depressive tomes on the state of the hobby and other such matters from one who really has lived through all of the hobby’s diverse stages. I’m actually kinda excited about the hobby at the moment, so Conrad’s “end of an era” comments hit me sideways, but if you can get past that, he still runs great games! He’s almost too careful as a GM to try to deal with all protests as fairly as humanly possible. As in his recent game “The Fist”, this went on a bit too far and though (in my humble opinion) he made the correct remedy, perhaps he could have made it quicker. I find that profuse apologies and quick corrections usually are best. This is the only place you will find such all round great guy dippers as Bart Denny, he has funny and unique puzzles, and hey, just relaxing on the couch with Conrad is about as good as it gets among Dip szines. Conrad really is the epitome of the gentle giant. But, hey, keeping track of those E-Mail address changes? A challenge for all of us! Check out one of the hobby institutions if you’ve never seen it before.” JB
Diplodocus
Stephen Koehler 2906 Saintfield Place, Matthews NC 28105 H: (704) 372-4800. [email protected]
A seven weekly, 40 page digest first published in March 1992 with a circulation of 45. Price: $1.50/issue Games running: Diplomacy, Colonial Diplomacy, Gunboat, Migrane Dip (vt), African Dip (vt), Necromancer, Mind Trap
“If you like a thick zine crammed with games this is the place to be. Always gamestarts available and nicely printed maps. There isn’t much press in the games but a plethora of additional reading materials. Steve usually has plenty of jokes, quizzes and sports talk to fill out the zine. He has been a bit slow on turning the zine around lately but he is still reliable and worth the wait.” WN
“The zine with the dinosaur theme does resemble the fabled terrible lizards in a lot of other ways too. Like a T Rex, Diplodocus moves at a plodding pace, appearing perhaps once every two months. When it does show up, like a big reptile, you will know it. Diplodocus is a large zine, measuring some 40 digest-sized pages, and offers a lot of reading and gaming opportunities. A house favorite is Migrane Dip, an eight-player symmetrical variant that Steve himself designed. Good Stuff, especially for variant fans.” MPL
Graustark
John Boardman 234 E. 19th Street, Brooklyn NY 11226-5302 H: (718) 693-1579 »A four weekly, 12 open page zine first published in May 1963. Price: $15/10 issues or free with game Games running: Diplomacy Game openings: Diplomacy ($35 includes sub for life of game)
“If I could find last year’s review, I’d just copy it and change the latest issue number. This is the Granddaddy of Dip zines, being in continuous operation since the early ’60s. Game fees are high, but there’s a 35-year track record of reliability.” PB
“There are some people who simply enjoy publishing and sharing their opinion with other people. John is one of those people. The result is a large, well written publication on whatever John finds important at the moment (anti-war commentary and parody, bashing those trying to ban RPGs, reviews of historical crime novels etc.). And oh, yes, Dip is played here. And has been for some time — something like 36 years I do believe. Get it if John’s subject matter interests you.” MPL
ishkibibble
Phil Reynolds 2896 Oak Street, Sarasota FL 34237-7344 [email protected]
A monthly, 12 open-page zine first published in August 1997 with a circulation of 25. Price: $1/issue Games running: Gunboat Power Dip, Balkan Wars, Mitotic Dip, Snowball Fighting, Simple Fantasy Football Game openings: Colonial Dip, Machiavelli, Kremlin, Northern Ireland Diplomacy, Fog of War Dip, Age of Renaissance, Raj, Fictionary Dictionary
“I would prefer to focus on Diplomacy variants, but they are tough to fill these days, so I offer a number of non-Diplomacy games. I encourage black press among players and between players and myself as GM. Other regular features are my musings on the NFL and sports, movie reviews, Diplomacy strategy and tactics articles, game reviews, hobby news reports, political diatribes, and sick humor. I hope readers will submit responses to these, and I print them when they do. But make no mistake: the priority is the games. Of my 15 issues, only one was published more than five weeks after the prior one.” PR
“Phil’s got a fun zine here. Full of movie reviews, great sports chat (though how he picked the Giants to go 10-6 is beyond me), sharp political commentary (he leans way to the left, but nobody’s perfect), and games with great press (I’m jealous). With eight game openings, it’s worth checking out just to see if something tickles your fancy.” KM
“ishkibibble. Gee, is that how it’s spelled? I think so. Probably the most misspelled szine name, even more than my The Abyssinian Prince! Phil has three great things going for his szine: (1) Some diverse and unique game openings, including Raj, Northern Ireland Dip (a personal favorite), and Kremlin. Kremlin is a lot of fun postally and probably should be offered more often. I played in a game years ago that MadLad Puppy Frueh ran… gee, seeing Puppy again at Brad Wilson’s place last September, he and James Wall hadn’t changed a single bit! I, of course, looked much older; (2) A great mix of hobby old farts like Barno, up and coming pure postal players like Rick Copeland, and a heavy representation of the brand new players who don’t seem to be playing elsewhere; and (3) a very sensitive letter column that mixes the personal with the hobby in just the right mixture. Phil has his detractors because illness and other real life matters have forced him to be less than regular with his szine products, but he seems to be going full steam right now! Like many reformed delay plagued pubbers, he’s even a bit of a turbophreak now, meant in the good way! Check out this little szine that seems to be growing into a hobby stalwart in an age where it feels real lonely out here!” JB
“While Jim is obviously very optimistic about ishkibibble, I am only willing to go along with about three quarters as far. There is no doubt that Phil puts out a nice publication that has, despite some real life problems, become one of the better publications out there. Yet ishkibibble is really still a semi-warehouse, with probably 80 percent of the space in zine going to the games with a few movie reviews, some hobby news (which often features my name, so he’s obviously doing something right), and a little bit of hobby chat thrown in. Phil is one of the better writers in the hobby; seeing more of these talents on display and the emergence of a real letter column would eliminate (along with access to a better printer) some of that warehouse feel and promote Phil’s publication from the mere very good to the top echelon of Dip publications.” MPL
off-the-shelf
Tom Howell 365 Storm King Road, Port Angeles, WA 98363 [email protected]
A six weekly, 24 digest page zine first published in October 1992 with a circulation of 50. Price: $1/issue, $1.50 overseas Games running: Diplomacy, Downfall, Fog-of-War Diplomacy, Golden Strider, RoboRally Sea of Despair Game openings: Diplomacy, RoboRally, Banquette of Borgia
“Let’s see... off-the-shelf, what can I say? We try to maintain a friendly little zine whilst ignoring the occasional black-press-inspired abuse. This is a quiet little neighborhood, currently; none of the games feature poetry, despite the presence of all the usual suspects. Game maps are in color, as is the occasional cover. Beyond that, this despondent saith not; judge the zine by what the reader-reviewers write...” TH
“One of the sturdy zines of yore. Tom has a lively letter column, good writing on whatever is going on in his life at the time, and a good cross-section of games. He always has an all player game which gets some of the less active players to contribute. This zine is probably my most read zine as I bring it to work with me to peruse in my spare time. Press in games is very strong as well. There are some NMR problems (myself included!) but not terribly bad. Tom adjudicates games well and even reminds players through email when the deadline is nearing. This is the place to be if you want a sense of community.” WN
““It’s not just a bunch of tree-hugging hippy crap”. This caffeine-free zine comes from the wilds of Washington state, but has managed to go into color recently, and runs a mix of Dip, Downfall, Sea of Despair and a previously-orphaned RoboRally game. There is a map quiz, and a commentary on Tom’s recent expeditions into the Olympic Ranges, his dance classes, or building his new house in what must be close to paradise... A fine zine, small but chummy, and great to curl up with in front of the tent, under a starry sky, and to digest along with the lentils. It’s back to earth Dip. Get it now, before the rain forests disappear.” BW
“Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy did have taste in his Dip zines though, which is why Fuzzy Wuzzy subbed to ots. That, and Fuzzy Wuzzy needed a map to get home, and Tom’s zine is a great source for such maps.” MPL
Vertigo / Meet George Jetson
Brad Wilson 3rd Floor, 123 N. 3rd Street, Easton PA 18042-1803 H: (610) 923-6610. [email protected]
An irregular, 16ish open page zine first published in August 1982 with a circulation of 50. Price: $.55/issue Games running: Diplomacy, Gunboat, Philadelphia Dip Games openings: Diplomacy, Gunboat, Philadelphia Dip, Balkan Wars VI, Fictionary Dictionary
“Tottering into the new millennium, Vertigo continues to provide a place to play casual Diplomacy and variants, discuss music, gaming, and politics, and feature my oddball play lists, feature articles and Ted “Swizzle” Stick on drinking. Plenty of decrepit dinosaurs of the hobby still graze here but new blood is welcome and I need new players. All welcome. Even Stan Johnson!” BW
“Declared dead in these pages several times over the last few years, Vertigo and it’s less talky alter ego MGJ still live! True, the deadlines tend to be 1/4 to 1/3 of the turn around time, but think of it as possibly the best deal in Dipdom — a ten issue subscription could last two or three years! The caliber of play is still quite high, so having the sitzfleish and skill to win a game is an accomplishment.” PB
“When it is published, Vertigo is one of my favorite zines, and it always has been so. Brad has the best letter column in the hobby regarding politics and current events. Vertigo is a great source for hobby news and opinions — Brad’s and others’ — on hobby matters. There’s also a good dose of sports chat (not surprising given Brad is a sports journalist!). In the meantime, those of us playing in Brad’s games get Meet George Jetson, his warehouse effort for Diplomacy, variants and games like Fictionary Dictionary. Many hobby old-timers play here. The press is great, and Brad doesn’t hesitate to chip in his own chiding press. It’s great being one of the gang here.” PR
“There are a few things that have been a constant in this hobby for the ten plus years that I’ve been in it. Vertigo/Meet George Jetson is one of them. Never really on time, Brad manages to put out an interesting product which is heavy on the chat, hobby news, and sports and music. And, as Paul and Phil have said, it is a major bargain and, in general, a kind of cool place to hang out. Get this because you want to play games at a somewhat erratic pace in a zine with this certain feel to it and find what Brad has to say interesting. If, however, speed of turnaround, top rate GMing, and overall look are your key factors in selecting a zine, you should look elsewhere.” MPL
Yellow Pajamas
Paul Milewski 7 Mallard Drive, Amelia OH 45102-2148 H: (513) 752-2411. [email protected]
A six weekly, ten open page zine first published in April 1995 with a circulation of 42. Price: $.50/issue Games running: Diplomacy, Gunboat Game openings: Diplomacy, Gunboat (no game fees)
“Yellow Pajamas is basically a warehouse zine. It is for people who like to play.” PM
“Whilst this is a warehouse zine, that doesn’t mean we never get reading material. Sometimes the reading material is strictly limited to the press in the games. Other times we are treated to several pages of Paul on diverse subjects. YP features a detailed analysis of each turn for every game. Just the thing for our novice players, and I also recommend them to the experienced player. For those who care, it looks pretty, too.” TH
“This strikes me as probably the ideal place for a newcomer’s first game. With each adjudication Paul includes an explanation about why certain moves failed, etc. Old pros will skip this but it will be valuable to a novice.” RL
“The one thing that sets Yellow Pajamas apart from other zines is Paul’s commentaries on each game’s adjudication. I don’t think I have ever seen this done before. This should be very helpful for new players or those who otherwise might not understand why what just happened, happened. His players tend to be hobby institutions who have been around forever. This makes for highly competitive play and entertaining press. Paul also gives his thoughts on hobby events, like GMs orphaning games without any consideration for the players involved. And he usually provides a dose of news from the home or work fronts for a personal touch. Yellow Pajamas has shown itself to be a dependable, albeit modest, zine for playing Diplomacy.” PR
“Yellow Pajamas is basically just a Diplomacy warehouse zine with a bit house rules/play-of-the-game discussion thrown in. It’s another of those dependable games zines — publications that aim to be little more than a good place to play a game — that forms the backbone of this hobby.” MPL
If you run (or know of) a postal zine that you would like to have listed, just send us the title, summary and contact information (postal or electronic).
Much of the information in this section was supplied by John Harrington of...
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