Sugar Needle #35

By Phlox Icona and Corina Fastwolf
P.O. Box 66835
Portland, OR
97290, USA
$2 and a stamp, or send some awesome candy.

Candy! Sugar Needle is a pretty rad zine featuring reviews of lots of different candy! This issue features some UK candy that I sent to Corina, though it seems as though I sent her some that wasn't too exciting (maybe the packaging just doesn't photocopy well). I do love that Corina reads all the ingrediants of the candy she reviews, and that she was greatly amused by some of the things used to colour the candy I sent her.

This issue also features musing on imaginary types of candy that the writers would love to eat, an article/interview with a surf rock band (which, of course, asks them about their favourite candy), and reviews of lots of different candies from around the world.

I love the tall + skinny format that Sugar Needle uses, and the hand coloured images on the cover and througout the interior are really "sweet" to use a terrible pun. If you're into candy (or chocolate) this zine is definitely worth checking out, and if you send the creators some candy you'll probably get mentioned in the next issue. Hurray!

Sugar Needle #34

Sugar Needle #34: The (Almost) Vegan Issue
By Phlox Icona and Corina Fastwolf
P.O. Box 66835
Portland, OR
97290, USA
$2 and a stamp, tall half sized.

Sugar Needle is a zine that reviews candy. That idea alone makes it pretty rad, but when combined with the format (I love that tall size), hand colouring, imaginary candies that the writers wished existed, and candy sent in from all over the world you have an awesome package.

This issue focuses mostly on vegan candies, which I was excited about. As a vegetarian I am frequently frustrated when I discover candy (or anything) has gelatin or some other animal product in it. Why are you putting that in candy? I do not understand!

There’s loads of reviews of different candies and chocolates in here that will probably make you hungry (I want to try the grapefruit parrots), plus images of the packaging so you know what to look for, and an interview with a vegan chocolate truffle maker in Portland. What more could you want? Well, other than answers to who comes up with these candy flavours (Elvis peanut butter and banana crème Reese’s), and why chocolate covered bacon seemed to be everywhere last year. Ew.