on subbing - the first four years, by dave roche. released july 2004. 5" x 7", 128 pages, perfect bound book.
dave is a substitute education assitant for special education classes in portland's public schools, and this book is a compilation of his zines on that subject. he plays lunchroom monitor, breaks up fights, gives kids the individual attention they need, and everything in between. dave says in the intro "really, though, i feel like my biggest job is to teach kids it's okay to be weird, and that when you grow up you don't have to become boring or a jerk." this book is amusing, enthralling, sad, and inspiring all at once. dave gets sneezed on, kicked in the balls, called "urkel," and even introduces some kids to punk rock. dave is a really nice guy and this book is an incredibly endearing, enjoyable read.

please let me help, by zack sternwalker. released november 2004. (?) 5.25" by 7", 70 pages, perfect bound book.
i got this from ericka before pander closed down (r.i.p., pander), and i've probably read it about twenty times and it still makes me laugh. while the premise (writing funny letters to famous people/corporations) has been done before, zack's letters are so hilarious that you will forget about any other zine that has attempted this. zack has found himself recently divorced, unemployed, and living at his mom's, and because of this situation has time to write to justin timberlake, paul mccartney, canada, the coca-cola company, tom cruise, and taco bell, among others, pitching a new mascot to the latter: the taco clown. "i have many wonderful commercial ideas up my sleeve... the camera opens on a restaurant scene at one of the many low-quality fast-food hamburger establishments. people are eating quietly, occasionally sipping a beverage. all of a sudden the taco clown jumps through the window of the restaurant, sending shattered glass everywhere. he then takes out a semi-automatic weapon and fires a few warning shots into the ceiling. after getting everyone's attention, the taco clown announces that he has compiled detailed personal information on each person in the restaurant. he then issues an ultimatum, that if they don't pledge to only eat at taco bell for the rest of their lives, he'll hunt down and kill every one of them." he also includes a hand-drawn "complimentary vampire" at the end of each letter. buy this now.