For the love of zines
(I have a picture, but my internet is playing up. Hrmph. It’s just not the same without the picture.)
Today I have been addressing envelopes and then filling them with zine-y goodness. It’s slightly slow work because I’m a little paranoid about writing down addresses wrong or missing mailing something to someone. I’ve made my list, though, and checked it thrice. Haha.
I’m so excited for these to reach their destinations! There’s even one going to Barbados this round. Very cool.
With ink in my printer and all the supplies I need (thanks to a run to the shops for embroidery thread), I am definitely in my zine-making happy place. Maybe it sounds corny, but I keep looking at all the supplies and thinking about how it’s all thanks to generosity from other people.
(Side note: How did ‘corny’ become that work? Why not ‘appley’ or ‘asparagusy’?)
I’m even more happy to be able to hang out in my happy place, as the doc called yesterday regarding my Friday activities, and I head out in a few hours to hear what’s what.
I won’t get rich making zines, but I’m so happy to be in a position where I am able to make them as well as talk about the ones I’m reading. I might not ‘get’ poetry most of the time and know little to nothing about the music scene, but I still feel welcome and happy.
I hope you do, too. š
If you have a call for submissions, a zine fest, a zine project, a zine that needs crowdfunding, or something else zine-related and would like to get the word out – look no further!
Well, actually, look further. Definitely look further, because that’s how you get the word out about stuff.
Definitely pause here for a moment, though, because I can help! Send me your call out graphic and any additional information, and I can post it here. Saturdays and Sundays are all about the calls for submissions here on Sea Green Zines, and I’m always happy to post more.
Leave a comment here or email me at theauthor(at)inkyblots.com
Call for Submissions for Hairy Femme Mother #2: Send your stories of being a hairy queer femme ā Iām taking stories, poems, essays, artwork, photos, collages, whatever you come up with. The only thing Iām asking is that you identify as a hairy queer femme and your submission reflects that. Priority will be given to hairy femmes of color and hairy trans, genderfluid, or gender non-conforming femmes of color ā this includes black femmes.
More info: http://skinnedknees.net/hairyfemmemother
I really, really didn’t want to miss any zine reviews. At all. It was my goal to make every single Thursday and Friday no matter what.
But if there is one thing I won’t do, it’s rush a review. I want to give every zine its time. So I’ll have to ‘call in sick’ today.
Really, though, if you can’t excuse yourself from something because you’ve had a transabdominal ultrasound AND an unexpected transvaginal ultrasound all in one afternoon, then you can’t excuse yourself from anything. My bladder and my ovaries hurt, and I don’t care if that’s an overshare.
(Actually, I do. Sorry if that info made you feel squidgy.)
I will be back tomorrow when I’m feeling less poked and prodded.
Beer and Longing
Meg O’Shea
Pleaseusethisbag.tumblr.com
This is another lovely zine from Festival of the Photocopier. (I’ve mixed up my zines so much that I am actually happy when I remember where I got something.) This is another one of those zines that I bought because the front looked awesome. Nearly bought for only that reason, I mean. I did have a look inside to find that the quality of the outside was carried into the inside – but I’ll get to all that in a moment.
Beer and Longing is a comic about homesickness. Simply put, anyway. More than that, it’s about being a dual citizen, growing up in dramatically different places, being pulled in different directions and not being sure if either one is the right one for you.
Of course, a little of that might be my bias speaking, having grown up in one country in one hemisphere and then moving to the other side of the world.
The story is as simple or as complex as you want it to be, and the art reflects that in a way. Meg has an art style I enjoy that is detailed but not to the point of taking away or distracting from what is happening in the story. I was pleasantly surprised at the writing in this. There is a lyrical quality to it that leaves me hoping that Meg writes more stories.
The materials used and the way this zine was put together is gorgeous. I don’t see a lot of zines where the creators choose to sew the binding like I do. But Meg took this to a whole new level. No simple saddle stitch for Meg! Meg went with a Japanese four-hole binding that I have only ever seen in person a few times – and I’ve never seen it done on a zine. The beautiful thing is that it’s so appropriate to the zine itself. The Japanese stitching, the circle print on the cover which is reminiscent of the Japanese flag, the tiny Japanese type within that circle… Of course, all relating to the setting of the comic.
I absolutely adore it when creators carry themes like that in such subtle ways.
And I can’t go past mentioning that the cover and interior paper is quite nice, too.
This is a lovely zine, through and through. The whole thing just makes me want to be careful with it and treat it well so I can enjoy it for years to come.
When a bride-to-be doesn’t want to go try on dresses alone, and she summons you to go with and take pictures… Well, you go with and take pictures.
As much as I was ‘of course I will’ was involved with yesterday, it did involve dropping my plans and all sorts of uncomfortable things. Being the fat friend to the fitter bride, being one. Snooty tiny shopkeepers making snide side comments being another. But it’s all done now, and the bride is happy.
I must admit that adventures out and about make me all the more grateful for my cave where I can create and write, for people who truly understand me, and for being able to have such wonderful things in my life.
The wonderful news is that the Kickstarter payment date approaches! I am fairly sure that I have done absolute everything possible that I can without the other supplies I need coming in. So hit the ground running I shall.
I always feel a little strange when it comes to ANZAC Day. Not about the day itself but about my standing within the context of the day. I feel like, for me, it’s a ‘stand back and keep your mouth shut’ kind of day. I may be Australian now, but I didn’t grow up here, etc, etc. Americans aren’t exactly known for knowing their own history (outside of the Civil War, that is) let alone anyone else’s.
It’s one of those situations where I feel like it’s not my place to feel the feels about this. Americans have Memorial Day, after all. But I do feel it, if only in a way that someone who wasn’t born Australian can feel it.
Even so, I chose not to stand back and pretend that it’s not happening. I may feel how I feel about war, but that doesn’t mean I don’t also feel for the people who fought in these wars. For me, it’s about the individuals and what they went through. And regardless of how I feel about the bigger picture of these things, the individuals deserve at least a moment of silence.
ATTEMPTINGN0RMAL
CANNAZINE 2016
ATTEMPTINGN0RMAL presents CANNAZINE 2016 : a project dedicated to creating a guide to cannabis with a collection of various art works, articles, polls & stonerisms.
All deadlines are currently ongoing – although experiences, stories, facts, news, etc from ANY YEAR are accepted !!!
Continue checking out THIS page or www.attemptingn0rmal.tumblr.com/cannazine for updates, calls for submissions and release dates.
I NEED YOUR HELP !!! CREATIVES AND CANNIBUS USERS WANTED !!!!
ļ§ TAKE MY STONER SURVEY , ONLY TAKES 2 MINUTS, PURELY ANONYMOUS (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M3VGJH7)
i am looking for all sorts of material from artwork, poetry, prose, facts, experiences, reviews, photographs, articles and more !!!!
submit anything you think will be relevant to attemptingn0rmal.art@gmail.com
ļ§
all induced, influenced, inspired art, poetry, prose, etc is accepted. B&W ONLY (sorry guys colour co$t$) jpeg / psd / pdf / doc files accepted, must fit onto one letter sized sheet of paper (shrunken is OK)
ļ§ all photography accepted amateur to professional
ļ§ send me your knowledge and experiences !!! Write to me in the body of the email or via a word.doc
If you have any questions / comments / concerns you can email me š
PLEASE SUBMIT EVERYTHING TO : attemptingn0rmal.art@gmail.com
SUBJECT LINE : CANNAZINE – C4S
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION!!!
LOOKING FORWARDS TO THE SUBMISSIONS GOOD VIBES AND HAPPY TOKING!
