Title: Chainbreaker
Issue: 1
Publisher: Microcosm Publishing
Writer: Shelley Lynn Jackson, Merry Death, John Gerken
Artist: Shelley Lynn Jackson, Merry Death
Not a comic. This is a zine, and in some sense a love-letter to the bicycle, covering bicycle history, culture, and repair. The author works at a bicycle repair shop in New Orleans, and volunteers at the Plan B, the New Orleans Community Bike Project.
The zine starts out with the historical impact of the bicycle, including short biographies of bike pioneers Marshall "Major" Taylor and Gyda Stephenson. The impact of the bicycle on womens fashion and feminism are discussed.
Other features in the zine include essays on bike maintenance and ideas about self-reliance and repair, plus a well-written guide to changing a flat tire.
A guest essay by John Gerken goes into more detail on the Plan B community project in New Orleans.
As someone who's spent a lot of time riding bikes, including commuting to work by bike, this was a great way of taking a further step into bicycle culture while also providing some great ideas and background.
The real highlight of this zine, though, is the shear joy and enthusiasm for the bicycle that shines through on every page.
Rating: 8.5/10
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