Words, Words, Words
a.k.a.,
the stuff inside
The mighty, mighty Monstress
Nirvana and noodles in aisle nine
Scary but true tales from the toilet
Would the real Erica please stand up?
Diary of a slave to New Jersey Transit
The best import since the Camry
Solitaire only looks sweet and innocent
Seen and heard: Nifty stuff in the news
Stuff that rocks just like Lenny Kravits
Welcome to Monstress. If you have plunked down a dollar to get this fine publication in your hot little hands, it is my goal to make it worth ever penny. You didn't, of course, since you are reading it on a Web site and no one ever pays for anything on a Web site. Since you got this thing for free, thanks for just opening it up.
You may be asking yourself, "What exactly is a Monstress?" I have been asking myself that very same question for the last 15 years. When I was just a wee lass in Dayton, Ohio, my parents often played penny poker with the Scribners, Bill and Marilyn. Bill was the one to christen me, "Monstress."
"Hi, Monstress."
"How are you doing, Monstress."
"Have some candy, Monstress."
Bill was a big, quiet and just a bit scary, from my 7-year-old viewpoint. But he was a character. Bill was habitually on time, so much so that if he arrived at our driveway three minutes early, he would drive around the neighborhood until it was time to ring the doorbell.
Sometime in my pre-teens, Bill passed away. There was no wake, no funeral. Bill's ashes were scattered over the Caribbean. There was no more Monstress.
In tribute to the venerable Bill Scribner, I dedicate this zine to him, a Monstress in his own right.
But enough about the origin of the word. What exactly is it all about? I honestly don't know. Kind of like mold, it will just grow on it's own. My goal for publishing this zine is to give creative individuals an outlet for their work, whatever it may be. I often have ideas that I know would never make it into a mass-market magazines. But that doesn't mean it isn't good idea. I just means that some editorial assistant in a cubicle in mid-town doesn't have the time to read more than two lines of a query letter. Wait, I shouldn't say such things, that's what I do for a living.
My only criteria for Monstress is that the work is uplifting. There are too many zines, independent movies, CDs, books, etc. out there that are filled with rants from some white boy in the suburbs about how he is being repressed because Mommy took away his SUV. I am not trying to solve the problems of the world with Monstress, just to entertain the reader for maybe an half an hour. And I like to get mail.
This is where I am supposed to thank my Mom and Dad for helping me make this all possible, but I'm not sure I want them to read this darn thing. But I should acknowledge my friends Aminda and Linda, who didn't think this thing was a dumb idea. And my ex who wouldn't do any illustrations for me until after I kicked him out. And most importantly, I'd like to thank the copier in my office because with out that wonderful piece of machinery, this zine would have never been possible.
Write to me. Tell me I suck. Tell me I rule. Write an essay, draw a picture, make some noise, then send it to me.
I'll be waiting with baited breath.
Monstress/Erica Vonderheid
P.O. Box 576
Union City NJ 07087-0576
email: erica@monstress.org