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Continuing the subcultural investigation of zinemaking where Zines! Vol. One leaves off, Zines Vol. 2 features interviews with some of the most notable and dedicated people in the self-publishing scene, including Dishwasher Pete; Keffo of Temp Slave; Revolutionary Knitting Circle; Murder Can Be Fun; Tiki News, Mc ob and more.

Otto von Stroheim, publisher of Tiki News, a journal of all things tiki, explains his entrance into the world of zines as a sort of epiphany: After putting a lot of time into researching tiki culture, he thought "Why don't I try to package all this knowledge I've gained into something I can share with other people? That way I can create more of a community." Such is the motivation of most of the thousands of zine enthusiasts, whether they are publishers, writers, collectors, or traders. Vale, one-time copublisher of Re/Search publications, conducted interviews with 12 practitioners from von Stroheim to Dishwasher Pete to the editor of Eight-Track Mind and has collected them here along with short, representative excerpts from each zine. The interviews are entertaining and capture the spirit of the culture for those new to zines, and they offer zinesters a rare chance to hear some of these legendary writers/editors/publishers out of character. Friedman, editor of Factsheet Five, a sort of yellow pages of zine publishing, has produced the perfect complement to Vale's work. Friedman collects one or two short excerpts from each of nearly 80 different zines. Whether it is the "Guide to Kids' Birthday Parties" from Hip-Hop Housewife or the workers' rights manifesto from Temp Slave, there is something for everyone here. Both books include addresses for dozens of zines. Since collecting, cataloging, and circulating zines is a librarian's nightmare, the publication of this pair of titles is an excellent opportunity for public libraries to acquire an easy-to-deal-with package of one corner of American pop culture. Eric Bryant, "Lirbary Journal" Copyright 1998 Library Journal Reviews