the madison zine fest this year was a blast. i was surprised at how many people were there - the room was full of zinester tables, and people were milling around all day. i wandered around some to meet people and look at their zines, and everytime i walked around the room i saw a table (or 2) i'd missed earlier. in fact, it was a bit overwhelming - i could stop at at even one table and not see everything, and of course not have time to read any zines. but i think i've picked up some pretty good ones, and i'm all set for reading material for a good long time.
i also got some good ideas for future zines - i'm thinking of the ones that really catch my eye and keep me engrossed, especially when they have a good mixture of text and images. in fact, i'm much more of a visual person so i'm more drawn to the art and comic zines than poetry and writings. i'm also struck by how important a good cover is - just to get someone to pick it up when they're staring at a table covered with zines, in a room full of zines. but then i feel like i have real treasure when i pick up an unassuming zine and discover how wonderful it is inside.
these are some news ones i had to share:
hisWorld/herWorld, a free zine that i make with my boyfriend scott
Art School Chronicles: Year 2, a comic about my 2nd year in art school
and Choose Your Own Moral Code!, a coloring book that lets you decide who's good and who's evil
if you didn't get one and want one now, send well concealed cash to PO Box 10022, Iowa City, IA 52245. They're all $2 except for the free one, which is... free.
here are more photos at the
zine machine website.
the madison zine fest this year was a blast. i was surprised at how many people were there - the room was full of zinester tables, and people were milling around all day. i wandered around some to meet people and look at their zines, and everytime i walked around the room i saw a table (or 2) i'd missed earlier. in fact, it was a bit overwhelming - i could stop at at even one table and not see everything, and of course not have time to read any zines. but i think i've picked up some pretty good ones, and i'm all set for reading material for a good long time.
i also got some good ideas for future zines - i'm thinking of the ones that really catch my eye and keep me engrossed, especially when they have a good mixture of text and images. in fact, i'm much more of a visual person so i'm more drawn to the art and comic zines than poetry and writings. i'm also struck by how important a good cover is - just to get someone to pick it up when they're staring at a table covered with zines, in a room full of zines. but then i feel like i have real treasure when i pick up an unassuming zine and discover how wonderful it is inside.
hisWorld/herWorld, a free zine that i make with my boyfriend scott
Art School Chronicles: Year 2, a comic about my 2nd year in art school
A big thanks to everyone who came out to the "Common Ground" grand opening and made it a grand success. I enjoyed hearing all the stories about first black squirrel experiences, tentacle theories, and turtle memories. I feel like we really accomplished what we set out to do: create a space where people cross paths, share stories, and create a souvenir book to remember it by. For my presentation in class the other day, I talked about: inviting viewers to participate as collaborators, the intimacy of physically touching the artwork, temporality of moving through a space, de-commodification of art, and the creation of a personal object/personal event. I'm glad I had a chance to share this experience with Cody and all of my fellow travelers.
For anyone who hasn't had a chance to see this show yet, we will be open one last time this Sunday, Oct. 29th, from 1-5pm. 
