When a popular zine goes out of print, the demand for back issues often increases.  The only logical thing to do next is to collect the zines in a book.  While there are many great zine anthologies, these are the seven that I think are the most essential to own.

7. Constant Rider- Any fan of public transportation should read this collection.  Kate Lopresti’s writes great tales of the Portland Tri-Met system and it’s many interesting riders.

6. Schism Fanzine- This book was a great surprise to many hardcore/punk fans when Bridge 9 printed it.  Schism was a short lived zine in the late 80′s that was most famous for including a 7″ by Project X in the 2nd issue.  This book collects all three issues as well as some new photos from bands such as Gorilla Biscuits, Agnostic Front, Slapshot and many more.

5. Temp Slave- While zines about jobs are very common, there are a few that are very exceptional and stand above the rest.  As one could probably guess from the title, Temp Slave is a collection of stories by various people about the ups and downs of temporary jobs.  If you have ever held a temp job, you will definitely enjoy this zine collection.

4. Dishwasher- One day, Pete Jordan had the idea that he wanted to wash dishes in all 50 states in the USA.  Instead of dreaming about this like most would, he went out and tried to accomplish this.  To chronicle this journey, he wrote a series of zines about it.  All of the original issues are long out of print, but this book collects lots of the stories that were in the zine.  Dishwasher Pete (his pen name) has appeared on This American Life many times talking about the dish washing adventures he has been on in the past.

3. On Subbing- Yet another great job related zine, On Subbing is Dave Roche’s popular zine about his experiences as a substitute teacher for kids with disabilities (mental and physical).  His writing style is really unique and will keep you reading until you want more.

2. Cometbus- Aaron Cometbus might arguably one of the most well known zinesters.  The Cometbus anthology Despite Everything collects some of the best parts of the first 48 issues of the much loved zine.  It’s hard to describe what Cometbus is about because stories of everything from dumpster diving, punk shows,  and travelling have graced the pages of Cometbus.

1. Doris- It’s rare to come across a zine that is loved by most people who read it.  Doris is definitely one of those zines.  While some might pigeonhole Doris as a feminist zine because she writes about abortion, sexual harassment, and rape, it is so much more than that.  Cindy Crabb‘s writing style is accessible, intelligent and thought provoking.  She is also known for her simple, yet unique drawing style.  The Doris Anthology collects the first 10 years of the ongoing zine.

What zine anthologies do you think deserve to be on this list?

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