Cometbus

Cometbus is a punk zine started in Berkeley, California in 1981 by Aaron Elliott. Writing under the pen name Aaron Cometbus, Elliott has self-published his usually handwritten zine ever since, despite a few breaks. The name "Cometbus" was coined by Gregg Turkington during the early days of the magazine when the name changed from issue to issue. Cometbus consisted of band interviews, personal diaries, artwork, and observations on the punk subculture in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

Check out the latest issue of Cometbus here.

Back issues are available from Microcosm, the nonprofit, collectively-run publisher and distributor of cool zines!

Needles & Pens

Needles and Pens is an emporium of zines, d.i.y. goods, and an art gallery. Located in San Francisco's Mission district, the space aims to provide an affordable place where like minded people from the community can display and sell their own home-made goods, home-published zines, and art work. The items we stock are predominately recycled, silk screened, cut-up, re-sewn, photocopied, hand-made, and hand-published.





Needles and Pens was a wouldn't it be great if... idea. The type of dreamy fantasy scenario that two friends discuss over coffee or beers in the park - the type that rarely goes further than conversation. However, Needles & Pens was one rare pipe dream that actually came to fruition. It all began in October of 2002, shortly after completing a year of coordinating Maximum RocknRoll, fanzine enthusiast Andrew Scott (editor of sobstory? zine) joined forces with thrift store junky, seamstress, and Strandid Clothing designer Breezy Culbertson to form a new type of retail space. Their idea was to create a space that embodied both the ethos of the punk do it yourself spirit and the creative aesthetic of SF's art scene.