A message from Cristina Vidal:

Atlanta’s New Alternative Library at Wonderroot Community Art Center!

Books, now more than ever, play an important role in our society to serve as the fundamental capsule for knowledge. Many artists have been creating zines, books, and other types of publications to inform each other of alternative ideas apart from mainstream media. I think an Alternative Library is important for our city so that we can collect these honest publications and have a source of knowledge outside of the evening news. In the next few weeks, I hope to collect donated materials for our reading room. I want the visitors to Wonderroot to feel inspired by our reliquary and have somewhere to look for source material. I hope that after seeing all of the hand-made, hand-published, and revolutionary things we can offer, people get inspired to make their own!

After weeks of collection and organization I hope we can have a huge get together to start this thing off right! All donations can be mailed to me or if you are local we can arrange pick up/drop off. Please contact Cristina at: cristina-vidal@hotmail.com.

Thank you! Vive ex libirs!

Cristina Vidal

Aliya and Danny of Ox Family are extending the deadline for submissions for the second issue of their zine.  The new deadline is December 17th.  Please check out their website for more information on submitting content.

A message from Alex Wrekk, publisher of Stolen Sharpie Revolution:

Stolen Sharpie Revolution is a book I put together as a DIY giude for zines. There have been 3 printings since 2002 and I’m working on the 4th right now. I’m actually calling it Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2 because a lot has changed over the years and I had added a lot of new stuff. The printing has been delayed forever due to a large variety of things… usually money related. But I have the funds together now so here’s where I need your help.

In the back of each edition of Stolen Sharpie Revolution I have listings of distros, stores that sell zines, zine libraries, zine events and more. I need you help because I can’t really travel all over the world in search of illusive zine events (but that would be awesome!) I need your eyes and ears in the corners of the world to help SSR2 be the best print resource for zines.

I have pretty extensive listings as it is but the more the merrier. I would love it if you would mention shops or distros or whatever in this discussion thread and I’ll let you know if they are included. Also, if you have a new distro let me know and I’ll let you know the info I need to get it included in SSR2. Email alex@smallworldbuttons.com.

(We hope you’ll send us your listings, too! Email wordofmouth@undergroundpress.org.)

Gianni Simone shares this:
Hello guys and girls, I think not all of you know Randy, but he is a veteran zinester who got back into zines after a long hiatus and started a number of projects, most notably Narcolepsy, a very good zine review zine plus perzine. Randy has been hospitalized at USC Hospital and is currently waiting for a new heart. He said he should be out in time for Thanksgiving, but right now he is bored and needs support. He hasn’t asked for any, actually, but I’m sure he would be very happy to hear from like-minded people. SO to make a long story short, if you have some time to spare in your busy lives, you may want to send him letters, postcards, zines, art, etc. His address is:
Randy Robbins
PO Box 17131
Anaheim CA 92817-7131
USA
His wife always checks the mail for him.

The newest issue of Xerography Debt has brought a big change: It no longer contains reviews. The print zine continues to be a zine about zine, with commentary, discussion, columns, and more, but XD’s reviews have migrated to its blog.

In her introduction to the issue, Davida explains that her decision to change the zine’s format is a result of “the lag time between when zines are published and when reviews appear,” the decrease in zines received for review, increasing costs of printing and mailing, and decreasing numbers of supporters and subscribers. Those are issues we can certainly relate to here at ZW hq.

Prior to completing this issue, Davida sent out an announcement asking for comments on print zines versus online presence and how the Internet has changed zines. (XD #24 includes responses from some of her readers.) Read on to see Jerianne’s comments on the topic, including her predictions for the future of review zines.

I’d like to hear your response to this topic. Please let us know — either by adding a comment, or sending me an email — if you think I’m on track or way off base. Read more

We’ve seen this in a dozen places — so we’re guessing you probably have, too — but just in case you missed it: Earlier this week Bitch magazine announced it needed to raise $40,000 in order to print its next issue in October. Over the past couple of years, several indie magazines have folded — many of them directly as a result of the closure of the Independent Press Association. (See Zine World #24 & #25 for more about this.) So the call went out for donations… and it was answered. In just 3 days, the magazine raised more than the $40,000 it needed to publish the next issue. Wow. Amazing.

If you love the independent press, $$ is a great way to show your support. From time to time, we’re all in danger of sinking because we’re short on cash. If you can, take a few minutes to order or renew a subscription and/or make a donation to the indie magazine or zine you love the best, be it Bitch, Zine World, or something other publication. Even $5 or $10 can make a big difference.

We’ve also seen lots of calls for submissions lately, including:

• Grrrl Zines A-Go-Go is looking for a few good zines! Our upcoming (Jan. 09) Gallery Exhibit needs zines in these categories: Spanish language, politics & social change, queer, Chicana & border issues, youth, feminism, Hurricane Katrina. Zines will be archived in our public colleciton after the show. Questions/info: info@gzagg.org. Post by Nov. 1, 2008 to: 605 Normandy Rd., Encinitas CA 92024.
• Any zine librarians or librarian zinesters out there?
  I am collecting submissions for a team zine on Ranganathan’s five laws:
  1. Books are for use!
  2. Every reader his book!
  3. Every book its reader!
  4. Save the time of the user!
  5. The library is a growing organism!
  The goal is to explore the lasting or changing relevance each of these statements (Same goes for zines, yeah?), as well as the effect of all five together. I’d love to have writings or arts from any of you. Please, email me your fine things: kellymceATgmailDOTcom.
• I’m looking for art, photographs, creative writing, interviews and other material related to the theme of “hometown guilt.” Send submissions to
  AnomaLily
  c/o IPRC
  917 SW Oak St, Ste 218
  Portland, OR 97205
  More info here.
• I am currently seeking submissions for a zine/pamphlet on physical illness. This project aims to give voice to the experiences of people living with illness, serve as a resource for those who are diagnosed with illness, and further the dialogue around issues related to support and illness. While I am principally seeking submissions from those who have experienced or are currently living with a serious physical health problem, I am also very interested in submissions from those who have indirectly experienced illness: caregivers, community members, partners, family members, etc. The deadline for submissions is December 30, 2008. Please be in touch with questions and submission ideas: illnesszine atgmail.com.
  More info here.
• we’re golden: a zine about loss, grief, families, and survival
  on november 15, 2007, my father committed suicide. … we’re golden is a documentation of my first year of grief. …  pain, along with grief, is extremely individual. and for that purpose, i’m requesting submissions for we’re golden from those who would like to share their own insights or stories on matters pertaining, but not limited to: suicide, death, families, bereavement, illness, financial burdens, friendship, therapy, education, the idea of “home”, … i haven’t decided on a deadline, but i’d say december 1st is a safe date. you can email me at gmereg at gmail. real mail is great too! you can send me stuff at
  43 hathaway road
  bronxville, ny 10708
  More info here. 

Live in/near Portland? Do us a favor and go to the Multnomah County Library 4th Annual Zinesters Talking series! Each Tuesday in September will feature local zinesters reading from their work at one of the MCL branches. Featured readers incldue: Kate Lopresti (Constant Rider), Katin Imes and Diane Gilleland (Citizeen), and Kelly Froh (titles). Zines by the presenters will be available for purchase. Find out more at the MCL website. (Sorry for the late announcement of this event; things have been hectic at ZW HQ.) Find pictures of MCL zine events at the mclzines flckr page.

Fais-Le Toi-Meme (translation: Do It Yourself) Symposium will be held Sept. 27-28 at L’Hybride, 18 rue Gosselet, in Lille, France (between Paris and Brussels). The event will include zine and small press publishers, distros, silkscreen artists, crafts, t-shirts, toys, self-produced CDs, concerts, movies, and more. Admission is free. Find out more at www.fais-le-toi-meme.com/ or www.myspace.com/salonfaisletoimeme.

Fred Wright (zine publisher and, dare I say, zine scholar) has a new novel: Blog Love Omega Glee, now being serialized on wredfright.blogspot.com. He tells us: “It’s set in 2012, and about two bloggers who fall in love while the world falls apart.  One blogs on professional wrestling and the other on conspiracy theories and politics, but the plot’s mainly the skeleton to hang the silliness upon.  Originally the characters were going to be zine publishers, so I think zinesters will relate to a number of things as the novel still documents the pitfalls and pleasures of self-publishing.”

Received this announcement from France: “DIYzines is a community website about drawing zines (graphzines, artbooks, self produced edition, underground press…) and limited edition (1 to 500 copies). DIYzines is a way to share information and to follow the current events of european graphziners. For us, zine editors, distribution is the main problem ; it is difficult to make ourselves known. Together, we are stronger. Yo! More than a online bookstore, DIYzines is a free community website. Each artist or publisher is the author of  his or her article: new books, exhibitions, call for submission, link to his or her website… You are in control of the information and you can update your own page at any time. You can also sell your books by paypal or otherwise. DIYzines is a totally free website and no commission is taken on your sales, it’s your business! www.DIYzines.com

GZAGG wants your zines:

Grrrl Zines A-Go-Go is looking for zines for our upcoming (January 2009) gallery show. We need zines in these categories:

Spanish Language
Politics and Social Change
Queer
Chican@ and Border Issues
Youth
Feminism
Hurricane Katrina

Zines will be archived in our public collection after the show.

Questions should be emailed to info@gzagg.org.

Zines should be sent by November 1, 2008 to: 605 Normandy Road, Encinitas CA 92024, USA.

Thanks in advance – we will be posting more information about the show as it approaches, and of course photos when it’s done.

Margarat, Grrrl Zines A-Go-Go
http://gzagg.org

(Picked this up from zinegeeks@yahoogroups.com.)

Hi Everyone,

The next issue of Xerography Debt marks a bit of a transition where we try and straddle the fence between pixel and paper. One thing the paper version will try and do is discuss zine issues, plus columns and other matters that aren’t necessarily time sensitive like reviews can be. The reviews have been migrating to the XD blog (http://xerographydebt.blogspot.com/), and we’ve been posting there for a few months.

Since I am working on the next paper version, I’d like to post part of the last issue’s introduction (see below). If you’d like to send in a response for print, please direct it to leekinginc[at]hotmail.com.

Thanks,
Davida

*****************************************

Change, as always, is still brewing in the zine world. The paper vs. web debate rages on, as does perzines vs. blogs. In many ways these venues can and do co-exist, but at the same time I see the number of zines I receive dwindling. The general demographics of zinemakers and their overall productivity seem to be changing too. Most of the youngsters, the would-have-been next generation, have moved to the web. Many of the zines that I have loved for years have editors undergoing changes in their personal responsibilities (i.e. kids, older parents, jobs) and are publishing less frequently. I know that personally I haven’t published an issue of Leeking Ink in two years, the longest gap since I started the zine in 1995. (I do have plans to get the new issue done in the coming months.) The main people I see publishing semi-consistently are the people who have been at this for at least 15-20 years, are past the major life changes, and don’t view the web as a spot for natural migration. However, as long as postage and printing costs continue to rise, the future of paper as the dominant zine media remains uncertain. Regardless, it is the reading that matters, not how or where it is done.

To XD’s readers – how do you feel about the paper vs. digital changes? Are you online or have moved to online only? Why? Do you have more readers or more reader feedback? Back in the day, zines were only part of the obsession; letters from total strangers were the other part. Has e-mail wiped that component out? If you are a paper devotee, why?

Recent articles about zines:
Wanted: Pen, plain old paper, imagination, Christian Science Monitor

You Could Learn A Lot from a Punker

The Rozz Tox Effect on Comics, Zines, and Libraries

Collecting the Wretched Refuse: Lifting a lamp to zines, military newspapers, and Wisconsinalia, Library Trends, by Chris Dodge (zinester, librarian, and former Zine World reviewer)

Other stuff:
Check out Barnard College Library’s online zine exhibit: Elections and Protest: Zines from the Barnard Library Collection. It includes scans of selected pages and lesson plans for three different age groups on using zines in the classroom.

Here’s a few links to booklet templates and online tools that could be useful in making a zine (as seen in LiveJournal’s zinescene community) :

• MS Word booklet templates
• BookletCreator (create a small booklet from a full-size PDF)
• PagePacker (freeware for MacOS, to make a mini-booklet from 1 sheet of paper)

Also, we’ve made a big update to our upcoming events page, adding lots of cool events that will be happening this fall.

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