Hi-Fi Anxiety Zine

Hi-Fi Anxiety is a zine I created with some help from some friends. It focus on music and collecting. It is a flip style zine; meaning you open it, read to the center, close it and flip it over, open it and read to the center again. Each issue has a Side A, Side B and mixtape/playlist in the center.

Issue #1 is mostly about music. It features a Deep Dive with Lemuria and a piece about my trip to Third Man Records.

Issue #2 is our video game issue. It features a Deep Dive on The Fake Boys and an interview with Heavy Kevy Stout of Insanity Alert and The Apers.

Issue #3 is our movie issue. It features a Deep Dive on The Horror Section, an interview with Mitch Ryan of the Nerd Emporium, and a bunch of full color movie posters. This whole issue is in full color that's why it costs a little more.

Issue #3.5 is the companion piece to issue 3. It has write ups on each of the movies I made posters for and more Top 5s.

Issue #4 has a Deep Dive on The Queers who are celebrating 40 years of being a band. It also has two Record Store showcases and more.

Issue #5 is our found object issue. It was pieced together using photos that I had and other random things. It has a Deep Dive on Rancid, a piece on Music Shack (Albany/Troy NY), and artwork by Girlspit.

Issue #6/9 is a surprise and I don't want to ruin it. It is a good one though.

Issue #7 is the zine issue. Yes a zine about zines. It features a history of zines and a Deep Dive on Aaron Cometbus bands. It also comes with a mixtape and a mini zine template.

Issue #10 is a look back on the previous issues. There is a lot of behind the scenes stuff and rough sketches for the interactive elements. There is also a Deep Dive on X.

Issue #11 picks up where #10 left off. There was so much to cover we couldn't fit it all in one issue. More behind the scenes stuff and a Deep Dive on The Manges.

Issue #12 focuses on mixtapes mostly. Each A Side cover is hand die cut to reveal a cassette tape inside the walkman. The cassette is actually printed on a postcard that can be removed from the issue. The idea is to write a playlist on the postcard and mail it to someone. This issue also contains a Deep Dive on Daniel Johnston and mix CD artwork.

Issue #13 focuses on my artwork. There are four different variants for the cover of Side A. There are Deep Dives on The Descendents and ALL. We also see the return of Recent Acquisitions and a collage of all the flyers I did for the Nerdy Flea Market.

Issue #14 is dedicated to collecting Pez dispensers. It features a pop up Pez dispenser, a Deep Dive on Less Than Jake, and mini zine with pictures of some of the dispensers in my collection.

Issue #15 is all about the band Black Flag. The Deep Dive is obviously on Black Flag. I was really lacking Black Flag records in my collection so I tried to get as many as I could and I documented the whole thing. There are other surprises in this issue as well.

Issue #16 is an AMA (Ask Me Anything) issue where I try to answer the questions I
get ask quite a bit. The side B cover is a working Magic 8 Ball. Issue 16 also contains part 1 of the saga about the record label I used to run. Part 2 will be in issue 17.

Issue #17 includes the second part to the tale of Cheapskate Records, a piece on the band Downfall and a Deep Dive on The Leftovers. Each one also comes with a mix CD. Each mix CD is different.

Issue #18 concludes the tale of Cheapskate Records. I also compiled all the Deep Dives about Cheapskate Records bands. Each one comes with a Mcrackins 7", a button pack, sticker and guitar pick. This one is slightly smaller than the rest.

Issue #19 is a behind the scenes look at most of the Fun Size issues I have done. If you are looking for a place to start this is a good starting point.

Issue #20 is a behind the scenes look at issues #10-18. It also covers the few Fun Size issues I couldn't fit in #19. It also has some other goodies. Each one comes with some mini records that you can put on the turntable featured on the cover of #10. Much like issue 19, this is a good place to start if you are new to Hi-Fi Anxiety.

Issue #21 is sort of a political issue. I talk about the mass shooting problem the U.S. has. I talk about seeing Hot Water Music play their album No Division live, there is a piece on the band Mass Arrest and piece on Flexi discs.

Issue #22 - You actually get two issues for the price of one. The first contains pictures of the some of the VHS tapes in Mitch's (Nerd Emporium) collection. The second one has write ups on some of those movies. Both zines come packaged in a sleeve made to look like a VHS box.

Issue #23 - This one is just about the zine. I tend to use this one as a sample of what
you can expect from Hi-Fi Anxiety. I thought I might as well make it available on here.

Issue #24 - This one is all about my collection of socks and some of the stories behind them. This is a massive one - 64 pages.

Issue #25 - Issue 25 covers Record Store Day. I made it specifically for this years RSD but I do talk about past RSD experiences and show some of the records I've
gotten in past years.

Issue #26 - This issue is all about the band The Prozacs. A band I have been friends with for almost 25 years. Besides being friends, I put out several of their records. When I was working on the issues about my record label, Cheapskate Records, I felt The Prozacs deserved their own issue.

Issue #27 - This issue is all about Screeching Weasel and Weasel-related bands. It contains 5 Deep Dives! Deep Dives on Screeching Weasel (duh), Riverdales, Even In Blackouts, Mopes, and Sludgeworth.

Fun Size #1 is a special mini zine (4.25"x5.5") that I made for New Years Eve at the Nerd Emporium. We were showing Dead Alive and Rocky Horror Picture Show, so side A is Dead Alive and side B is Rocky Horror Picture Show. I had some left over so I put them up for sale.

Fun Size #2 is another special mini zine (4.25"x5.5") made for National Sticker Day (Jan 13th). It's got some sticker related stories and the meaning behind some of the stickers I've made. It also has a sticker pack inside.

Fun Size #3 - Rex Manning Day issue! I made this one just for Rex Manning a/k/a April 8th. It's got stuff all about the movie Empire Records, a Deep Dive with Gwar and of course a mixtape.

Fun Size #4 - Our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue. Originally this was intended to be released with Hi-Fi Anxiety #8 (our comic issue) but it is too good to wait on. Lots of fun stories about TMNT.

Fun Size #5 - A Fun Size issue dedicated to Return Of The Living Dead. There's a Deep Dive on The Cramps, a Trash paper doll and lots of activities.

Fun Size #6 - An issue dedicated to the found footage film Hell House LLC. It has a working Ouija Board inside of it and again, lots of activities.

Fun Size #7 - This issue is dedicated to the movie Killer Klowns From Outer Space. It has a Deep Dive on The Dickies, fun facts about the movie, a cotton candy cocoon shell game, and other activities. There are a few Circus Edition (purple and pink cover) left.

Fun Size #8 - This one is about Dracula and vampire movies/TV shows and the effect they have had on our culture. Both of the covers are die cut and one of them has Nic Cage on it.

Fun Size #9 - This one is all about Mystery Science Theater 3000. I talk about tape trading and how I first saw the show, seeing it live with my son, some of my favorite episodes and a Deep Dive on the band The Riverdales. There is also a Dave Ryder Space Mutiny name generator and other activities.

Fun Size #10 - This one is all about buttons. Inside there are pictures of my guitar strap which is covered in buttons and the stories that go along with. Each one also comes with 5 buttons so you can start your own collection.

Fun Size #11 - This zine was made for the New Years Eve showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show and Battle Royale. Unfortunately it was cancelled this year due to an illness but I guess that means I have more to put up on here. The Battle Royale side comes with a golf pencil so you can cross off the students (and teacher) as they get killed. The Rocky Horror side has a paper piece of toast and a bag of rice.

Fun Size #12 - This is the sticker zine I did for National Sticker Day 2024. Each one comes with a sticker pack and a Hi-Fi Anxiety sticker. Inside I talk about the stickers on my stereo cabinet - where they came from and the stories behind them. They are printed on a variety of different colored paper - sort of random which color you will get. I'm only printing a certain number of these so get one while you can.

Fun Size #13 - 2024 Rex Manning Day zine. This one features Deb on the covers and comes with a series of Rex Manning Day buttons. I'm running low on the buttons so you better grab one while you can.

Fun Size #14 - This one is about the movie The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari which is credited as the first horror movie. The zine is oddly shaped to feel like the sets in the movie. Contains facts about the movie as well as a Deep Dive on the band Alkaline Trio.

Fun Size #15 - This is the most recent Fun Size issue - dedicated to the cult classic Halloween 3. Contains lots of facts about the movie and comes in three variant covers.

Archie Fun Size Zine - I made this zine to go along with issue 8 and it talks about me struggling to complete my Archie style comic for the issue and basement shows. There is a bonus mini zine inside which talks more about Archie comics and a Deep Dive on the band Cub.