Zinester Interview 08
Morgenmuffel is produced by Isy Morgenmuffel, Brighton, UK
How would you describe your comic?
It's an autobiographical comic zine, ie. stories from my life about travelling, cooking with the Anarchist Teapot, working on volunteer projects, direct action, punkrock, enjoying nature and the like. The most recent issues is no.18 printed TODAY (24th August 2010).
What can your comic zine do that a mainstream publication can't?
I can do whatever I like with it. It's all in my own hands, from content and look to cost and print run. I don't even take advertising so I don't need to kowtow. I also can just get on and make it all myself in my own time, without deadlines, and without needing to work with anyone else on it which is nice as I am otherwise involved in a lot of groups and community projects.
Does the look of a comic zine matter?
I think aesthetics are important, yes, also for example the paper and printing quality - it all adds to the overall impression. That's not to say shoddily photocopied things don't have their own charm.
Please recommend a comic or zine for us and tell us why.
My favourite illustrated zine is Rum Lad drawn by my friend the talented Steve Larder. Peach Melba is also awesome, it's a little free zine by a 13 year old girl in Brighton, who mainly compiles lists, e.g. of 'Birds with Strange Names of Things I Wished I liked Eating'.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Zinester Interview 07
Zinester Interview 07Fallopian Falafel is produced by Hadass S. Ben-Ari, Jerusalem, Israel
How would you describe your zine?
Fallopian Falafel - Eshet Chayil Zine is a free zone for expression by women. Although it's based in Israel and most submissions are by Israeli Jewish women, it's intended for audiences all over the world. Because I don't like to censor anyone, and I don't have a set agenda, I would describe my zine as being colorful (both in the appearance and the written content and style), and includes articles and pieces about various topics from different view-points and opinions, with rich variety and nuance.
What can your zine do that a mainstream publication can't? In Israel, mainstream media have rigid agendas - they are either extremely right or extremely left. My zine is both and neither due to the variety of the articles, as I mentioned above. Also most mainstream publications are in Hebrew. My zine may include some Hebrew articles, but most of the content is English, and as such, it is accessible to world-wide audiences. I also place an emphasis on riot grrrl culture which is something that I never see or read about in mainstream publications. I also like to give women an opportunity to express themselves about topics that interest them or an important to them, something that they would not have a chance to do in other media.
Does the look of a zine matter? Maybe initially, it does. But if the content is good, it really does not matter. I think what's important is that it's legible and well-bound. If it's a handwritten zine, and the writing is atrocious, I can't possibly enjoy it if I have to decipher my way through it. I also can't enjoy it if it falls apart in my hands every time I turn a page, so it has to be bound properly. The overall look of a zine is just icing on the cake, so the main thing is that the cake itself be yummy.
Please recommend a zine for us and tell us why.
I strongly recommend Amber's zines Culture Slut and Fight Boredom! Amber is an extremely creative riot grrrl from Canada. Her zines are quarter size, laid out in the traditional cut and past method, mostly written with a typewriter. Both zines were my inspiration to start creating more material in the spirit of DIY, such as my perzine The Purple Myrtle Squeegy (hadassegol.blogspot.com) and randomly produce flyers, art and other miscellaneous items. Amber's zines are full of ideas and activities, activism, DIY past-times, recipes and all the good stuff (hello-amber.blogspot.com).
Friday, 13 August 2010
Zinester Interview 02
Zinester Interview 02The La La Theory is produced by Katherine Haegele, USA
Katherine Haegele responds:How would you describe your zine?
I've made a number of different zines over the years, most of them featuring first-person writing or small collections of poetry. The La-La Theory is my serial zine, now in its 7th issue, and it's little essays and tidbits, games and poems, all having to do with language. I call this one my flagship publication. (I call it that in the same spirit that I call this whole enterprise the Zine Factory). The La-La Theory comes from a nineteenth century idea about the origin of language. Apparently this was a popular thing for philosophers to speculate on at this time, and some of the theories were pretty fanciful - the la-la one suggested that language was borne of the human need to express poetry and love. Both Darwin and a Danish linguist named Otto Jesperson liked this idea. Jesperson wrote "[Love] inspired many of the first songs, and through them was instrumental in bringing about human language." Nice, right?
What can your zine do that a mainstream publication can't?
Well, I can say whatever I want, and I can make my own audience too. I've worked professionally as a writer in one way or another since I graduated from college, and these days I mostly write book reviews, and arts features for newspapers and a few magazines. I actually enjoy doing this very much, but on its own it wouldn't provide enough of a creative outlet, and though it varies from person to person, writing for an editor is necessarily pretty limiting. There is nothing to compare with physically designing a book yourself and writing whatever you please. I find that having this freedom affects the process of writing from the beginning. It opens up my mind, relaxes me in such a way that I think of some eccentric ideas and execute them, just to please myself. Like, once I filled in the pages of a blank geography workbook I found at a yard sale, which created a kind of loony poetry. To make it I simply wrote in the book and reproduced it on a photocopier, so I couldn't have shared this as a piece of writing in any other way but as a zine. It's not just the writing but the construction of zines that gives me a thrill, knowing that something I've made with my hands is now in someone else's hands, a stranger's - that an object I created in my home now lives in other homes. It fulfills the desire for connection that drives my basic interest in writing in a very complete and satisfying way.
Does the look of a zine matter?
Yes, I think it does! I get a real kick out of thinking of inexpensive ways to make my zines graphically interesting and attractive. I use the cut-and-paste method for my lay-out out of both necessity and choice. I don't know how to use most design software, and I can't afford it, and I prefer the on-the-cheap aesthetic anyway. I find that other zinesters feel the same way. It's fun to solve the problem of making something look the way you want it to within whatever confines your circumstances create. I can't draw so I've asked artist friends (all of whom I've met through doing zines) to collaborate with me, and I'll use illustrations from old books and advertisements. I sometimes use recycled materials that are easy to come by and have an interesting look, like brown paper grocery bags for covers. (I've done this with a couple of my zines, though I didn't think of the idea myself.) I sell and trade my zines at fairs and I find it fun to make a pretty table arrangement, with a tablecloth and handmade signs, and cigar boxes and easels to display my work. Learning to think of a book as an object, a made thing, has enhanced my relationship with writing and reading, and it's made me a bit of a huckster too. When you're the one selling your own work the challenge of getting people to stop and look and consider buying it is a fun little problem to solve.
Please recommend a zine for us and tell us why.
Vanessa Berry, an Australian zinester, is as good a writer as you'll find published anywhere. She's produced more than 100 zines of her quiet, intelligent memoir-style writing.
Zinester Interview 03
Zinester Interview 03
Future Fantasteek! is produced by Jackie Batey,UK
Jackie Batey responds:
How would you describe your zine? I would call Future Fantasteek! A satirical look at what's wrong with modern living. It includes the frustrations of working with other humans, popular anxieties and why computer’s don’t like us. The zine is full of drawings and collages, sometimes presented as fake advertisements or bogus advice, topics skip around but it is rooted firmly in the ‘now’.
What can your zine do that a mainstream publication can't?
A mainstream publication needs to be aware of audience and needs to have marketing potential, i.e. they need to shift a certain number of copies in order to make money. With self-publishing I am free to say what I want to whoever is prepared to listen, this comes with risks such as self-indulgence or finding your voice is a lone one. Bypassing traditional publishing means issues can be produced cheaply and very quickly so current events can be reflected a few days later. After years working as a commercial illustrator, It’s also a joy to have no client breathing down your neck suggesting 'minor' changes and no one saying you can't say "fuck" - even though most of us do say it, at some point. I also think having no boss is liberating artistically and the magic of the internet means you can track down your own audience eventually. It's a liberating and empowering experience creating and distributing your own zine, you feel you have your voice back.
Does the look of a zine matter?
It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things but I come from an art & design background, so it matters a great deal to me. I am much happier expressing myself using visual communication, I find I can draw what I mean much more effectively than I can write it. Basically, I want everyone to be able to express themselves clearly using the most appropriate tool they can, whether this is writing, singing or drawing. I enjoy the tactility of paper and sketchbooks which is why I use stickers, stamps and collages within my zines, although I do compile everything and edit it all on a computer at the end. I also run the Zineopolis Collection at the University of Portsmouth for the Illustration course, so naturally we focus our collection on zines that are very full of drawings and artwork.
Please recommend a zine for us and tell us why.
I really enjoy the work of the collective Girls Who Draw, in Birmingham, they are coordinated by Karoline Rerrie. The work is often screen printed and humorous, the subjects vary but there is a joyful touch to the work that will always make me smile. http://girlswhodraw.wordpress.com/ I also love Le Dernier Cri, the French collective in Marsaile, who tend to make rather disturbing serigraphs and zines often screen printed and very visual, with a very low print run. The work they produce is very different to what I do, so reading them is like ‘going on holiday’ from yourself. http://www.lederniercri.org/
Zinester Interview 04
Zinester Interview 04 BodyTalk is produced by:
Editor: Joseph Beeman
Art Director: Sarah Handelman,USA
Sarah Handelman talks about BodyTalk:
How would you describe your zine?
BodyTalk is a zine that speaks frankly about sexuality, bodies and reproductive health. It is rooted in the belief that cooperative, judgment-free discussion of our own experiences is the key to achieving equality and freedom. It hopes to unveil, challenge and redefine issues that are not talked about enough and seeks to engage young people in the movement to fight for the protection and legitimization of individuals from all sexual narratives.
What can your zine do that a mainstream publication can't?
Unlike many publications that survive on advertising revenue,BodyTalk thrives on the contributions from people of many backgrounds and experiences. We print pieces that would normally be seen as a risk in mainstream publications. Instead, the varied writing and art are, simply, avenues to challenge ideas and further conversations about sexuality. Submissions are not selected to 'fit in' with a particular voice; rather, each publication aims to recognize that every experience is unique and valid.
Does the look of a zine matter?
I think the look of a zine matters initially. If you want it to be noticed among the others, it should do something visually to compel the reader to pick it up. However, to go back to the second question, zines don't have to surrender to the idea of putting a celebrity on the cover with horrifically large type. Among other things, folding, size and color can enhance the content of whatever the zine is about. For me, no matter the subject, all interesting zines are about process. What was the process of making it? What sort of a journey will people go on when they open the zine? More important than having a look, even the most basic xeroxed zine must have an attitude that avoids succumbing to trends (specifically visual ones) and constantly challenges our perception of how zines — or any publication — are supposed to look.
Please recommend a zine for us and tell us why.
Mel Kadel is an artist who makes limited runs of screen-printed and hand-stained zines. Each one has a strong visual narrative, but all of her illustrations also stand well on their own. For me, Mel's zines feel and act how zines should — every part is an extension of the artist, writer or contributors. Down to the paper, Mel's zines are completely unique.
Zinester Interview 05
Zinester Interview 05
MixTape is produced by Justine Telfer and Nichola Prested
Design: Simon Telfer @ Motor, Australia
Justine Telfer responds:
How would you describe your zine? Justine Telfer responds:
MixTape is a craft maga(ZINE) about making time for the small things! MixTape is a collision of craft, eco-cool and pop culture kitsch.
What can your zine do that a mainstream publication can't?
I can publish anything I want - I am not dictated to by hierarchy
Does the look of a zine matter?
Yes, I think it does! Mind you I live with a graphic designer (my husband). It's got to look good but also have great content.
Please recommend a zine for us and tell us why.
I love pretty much everything by Gracia & Louise:www.gracialouise.com/zines.html
Lovely chicks who produce awesome zines.
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Zinester Interview 06
Zinester Interview 01 Manzine is produced by Kevin Braddock, Peter Lyle, Mark Hooper and Woz www.themanzine.com
Kevin Braddock responds:
Manzine is a men's magazine in a fanzine format; it's also a Dada folk magazine for men; A Publication About The Male Phenomenon; and several other things.
What can your zine do that a mainstream publication can't?
Manzine talks about the modern masculine experience as it actually is, rather than how it is supposed to be.
Does the look of a zine matter?
Of course. Manzine is a non-aspirational publication that engages with the reader in a non-hierarchical way, and it is vital that that idea is embodied in the design and format as well as the content, which is friendly, amateur and rootsy.
Please recommend a zine for us and tell us why.
Smoke: A London Peculiar is a fantastic fanzine about London. Manzine has also been a fan The Shoreditch Twat, 032c, The Rig Out and Bugs & Drugs.
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