Issue #9 of My Aim Is True, a 1/8-sized zine that is lovingly and craftily printed and bound by Carrie Colpitts, states on its first page it’s going to be about scary things, since it was published just before Halloween. Rather than ghosts and goblins, though, the zine instead explores a series of very real personal fears the author struggles with.

These fears range from broader anxieties about her future, like “What if I never fall in love and I get old and die alone?”, to more daily worries like “What if I get hit by a car when I’m riding my bike?” A few of these are longer, taking up whole pages on which Carrie expresses fears about relationships, sex, or mortality (her own, her mom’s, her pets’). These small, honest confessions open up a window between the zinester and her readers, leading us to think about our own fears. Seeing such large fears rendered on these attractive little pages takes some of their power away and allows us to see them as manageable.

The zine is visually quite charming. It’s top-bound, and is held shut by a string and button. The pages are printed in color, and the text is attractively rendered. This is the second issue of Carrie’s My Aim Is True zine I’ve read, and I look forward to picking up a few more when I have a chance.