The emergence of the internet largely usurped the role of zines as a primary conduit for conveying outsider writing. Many zines migrated to the internet becoming mostly small-readership personal blogs, though a few such as BoingBoing grew dramatically through online readership. Of those zines that didn't migrate to the internet, a few expanded beyond their zine roots into large-circulation glossy magazines (e.g., Giant Robot and Bust) or shifted to graphic novel or book format, but many more simply ceased publication.

Though I was aware that zines limped on into the 21st century, I was surprised how vibrant the scene appears in A Hundred Dollars and a T-Shirt: A Documentary About Zines in the Northwest US. Directed by Joe Biel, Rev. Phil Saho, and Nickey Robare, this 51-minute documentary, now on its third iteration since 2004 (though this review is of version 2.0 completed in 2005), includes interviews with over sixty writers, most of whom live and publish in Portland, Oregon. By intercutting the numerous interviews, the documentary covers the basics of the origin and definition of a zine, and then moves into more extended discussions on zine production and distribution and author motivation. Following this, the documentary wraps up with a discussion of Portland's zine culture which is nurtured by the Independent Publishing Resource Center, small shops catering to zine buyers, and the annual Portland Zine Symposium.

Getting past the decidedly low-budget DIY aesthetics, what is most striking about A Hundred Dollars and a T-Shirt are the omissions. Other than a couple of disparaging remarks about desktop publishing and blogs, surprisingly little is said about the effect of changing technology on zine culture. Nor do the filmmakers interview many former zine writers, thus while there is some discussion of why some zines stop publishing, very little of it comes directly from former writers. Further, there's very little attention given to the motive of readers. One might well assume that the only audience for zines are zine writers. Finally, the documentary lacks drama, development, and depth. A Hundred Dollars and a T-Shirt tediously plods through its points with minimal charm or insight.

The DVD

The Video:
A Hundred Dollars and a T-Shirt was shot on low-grade video with a native aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The image looks poor, but in keeping with the overall low-budget quality of the documentary as a whole.

The Audio:
There is a 2.0 audio track with no noticeable separation between channels. There is noticeable audio noise, but not so much that it obscures the dialogue.

The Extras:
The extras include a trailer for the film, 10 additional scenes, and two commentary tracks. The additional scenes lack consistent audio levels and must be individually selected as there is no play all option. The first commentary track features director Joe Biel and zinester Alex Wrekk. Biel and Wrekk offer little of value and too often resort to comments on statements within the interview that will only make sense if one goes back and replays the interview with the commentary off. The second commentary track allegedly features filmmaker Rev. Phil Saho and zinesters Dave Roche and Jack Saturn, but this cannot be confirmed because the commentary is unintelligible due to poor audio mixing which has the documentary and an echo both at full volume accompanied by whisper-quiet mumblings which may or may not be from Saho, et al.

Final Thoughts:
No doubt A Hundred Dollars and a T-Shirt: A Documentary About Zines in the Northwest US does well among its target audience of Portland zinesters, but it lacks the level of scope, drama, or insight needed to appeal to a wider audience. It's encouraging to learn that zines are still going strong in Portland, but there's no cause to see A Hundred Dollars and a T-Shirt unless you're in it.