Calling All Chicago Zinesters: A Fest Just For You

By Betsy Mikel in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 11, 2010 4:40PM

If you don't really get what zines are all about, we shall enlighten you: Zines are short for fanzine or magazine. They are little stories, often with pictures, about bearded ladies, or junk drawers, or deer wolf bear sharks, or whatever. Zines are self-published. They're cheap. And anyone can make them. Says Neil Brideau, one of the organizers of this weekend's inaugural Chicago Zine Fest, "it's open to essentially anyone who has a pen and paper and some coins for photocopying."

Not all of the Chicagoist staff has been ambitious enough get into making zines, but we like their anyone-can-do-it quality. Brideau says zines help break down the author-audience barrier. Most zines include contact information, so it's easy to get in touch with the author to say "Hey there. I like what you do. Let's be friends." And, since zinesters aren't really in it for the money and don't have overbearing editors, they don't necessarily have to write about marketable topics. Hence, bearded ladies, junk drawers, and deer wolf bear sharks.

There are lots of zinesters in Chicago, but there are only a few localized places in the city where people can go and check out their work. The Chicago Zine Fest will change all that, at least for one weekend. The festival will bring together small presses and independent publishers from Chicago and beyond to interact, workshop, swap, and sell all things zine. Tomorrow night, authors will be reading their work at Quimby's Bookstore, and Johalla Projects will be open for a zine art show and film screening. Chicagoist's very own Aaron Cynic will be reading at the after party on March 13 at Ball Hall, 1621 N. Kedzie Ave., #3.

The event is for non-zine people, too. If you've ever wanted to learn a thing or two about underground presses or independent publishing, stop by Columbia College's Conaway Student Center on Saturday. Starting at 10 a.m., 95 exhibitors will be selling their zines and will be available to chat about their work. If you need a zine warmup before this weekend's events, see the "How to Make a Zine" video after the jump

Chicago Zine Fest, March 12 and 13 at various locations, free

DIY - How to Make a Zine; Paper, Scissors, Pen - Rockin! from Sam Proof