SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020
10:00AM-3:00PM
What Is the ZineFest?
Zine Fair
Zine Making Workshop
Win Prizes
Safer Spaces Policy
Contact Us
NEWARK ZINE FEST
Newark Zine Fest is a virtual event for local writers and artists of all ages and backgrounds to buy, sell, trade, create, and learn about zines. The Newark Zine Fest will consist of local zinesters and distros selling their work, a live conversation with zinesters on Zoom, and zine-making workshops for all ages.
Where Is It?’
Due to the pandemic, Newark Zine Fest will be held virtually right here on this website.
Click the “Zine Fair” tab to meet our featured zinesters, browse their art, buy zines, and join conversati.
Register for the zine making workshop right here, or go to the “Zine Workshop” tab for more information.
When Is It?
Newark Zine Fest will be from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, July 25, 2020. July is National Zine Month!
What is a Zine?
Zines are small self-made booklets, usually containing original and/or remixed writing and art. Zines are typically made in a DIY (“Do It Yourself”) manner, by either hand writing text and drawing art, cutting and pasting appropriated text and art with scissors and glue, or by creating the booklet using a typewriter or computer. They are often bound with staples, glue, or thread. These are cheaply reproduced and distributed on a small scale primarily within local community networks or through independent zine distributors (called “distros”). People who make zines are called “zinesters.”
Zines are self-published and intentionally limited in distribution, rather than being mass produced. The care in making something by hand and the small circulation among members of a local region or particular community group leads the experience of reading zines to be something more intimate.
Zinesters typically view the reader as community rather than as consumers. Although readers do typically pay for zines–to cover the cost of production and the labor involved in creating the piece–most zines are made with the intention of self-expression and conversation rather than profit. In fact, zinesters often invoke Creative Commons (others can use your work but must give you authorial credit) or CopyLeft (others can use, modify, or distribute your work completely freely) rather than traditional copyright.
Academic Theories Related to Zines
In Critical Race Theory, Delgado and Stefancic write that counter-stories aim “to cast doubt on the validity of accepted premises or myths, especially ones held by the majority.”Similarly, in “Critical Race Methodology” Solórzano and Yosso define counter-storytelling as “a method of telling the stories of those whose experiences are not often told,” including people of color, LGBTQ people, and impoverished people. In enabling people to publish writing who are often prevented from doing so because of systemic forces, zines create space for narratives that are otherwise marginalized, or in some cases completely neglected, in mainstream publishing. Zines offer the chance to depart from the dominant culture’s gaze and instead invites those of a particular subculture to engage in personal discussion with each other.
Zine creation not only centers marginalized identities, perspectives, and subcultures, but also highlights their relative absence from mainstream discourse. In this way, zines are an excellent example of counter-storytelling. These texts question the possibility of objectivity within a deeply oppressive world and elevate personal narrative as a valid means of truth-telling and meaning-making.
Guzzetti and Gamboa suggest a political purpose for zines, writing that zines themselves have been “referred to as an act of civil disobedience; a tool for inspiring other forms of activism.” Indeed, for decades activists have used zine and pamphlet distribution to start conversations on social justice issues and to communicate local need within their cities and towns.
Within this context, zine creation can be a tool for community-building and social change, as well as being an outlet for personal expression and interpersonal compassion.
Bibliography
1. Delgado, Richard and Jean Stefancic. Critical Race Theory: An Introduction. New York: New York University Press, 2001.
2. Solórzano, Daniel G., and Tara J. Yosso. “Critical Race Methodology: Counter-Storytelling as an Analytical Framework for Education Research.” Qualitative Inquiry 8, no. 1 (February 2002): 23-44. doi:10.1177/107780040200800103.
3. Jacobi, Tobi. “The Zine Project: Innovation or Oxymoron?” The English Journal, vol. 96, no. 4, 2007, pp. 43-49., www.jstor.org/stable/30047164
NEWARK ZINE FEST: ZINE FAIR
Welcome to the Newark Zine Festival’s Virtual Zine Fair!
Click here on July 25th to join the webinar.
Join a relaxing and fun conversation with 13 local zine creators (called zinesters) as they talk about their work! Drop in and out as you please, ask questions, and learn about this vibrant community. You do not need to register to attend. Simply follow the directions above to join the room.
In addition to joining the conversation and meeting with the zinesters, please also check out their virtual tables and consider supporting their creative work by purchasing zines that catch your eye. Scroll down this page to browse all of our vendors’ “tables” to see descriptions, sample artwork, and links to where you can buy zines directly from zinesters.
What is a Zine Fair?
In physical zine fairs, participants would enter a room where vendors would be seated at tables. Each table would represent a different zinester (someone who makes zines) or zine distro (a distribution center for zinesters to sell their work) and would have zines and other merch like buttons, stickers, or patches to look through. Participants could walk around the room, browse the art, ask the zinesters questions, and buy the zines directly from the vendors.
In our virtual zine fair, we aim to recreate this experience as much as possible with a casual livestream.
How will the event be moderated?
Newark Zine Fest Organizers will be present in the Zoom room for the duration of the virtual fair to answer questions, maintain our Safer Spaces Policy, troubleshoot technical problems, and join the conversation.
MEET OUR VENDORS
A.D. Puchalski
A.D. Puchalski is a cartoonist and illustrator. A.D. Puchalski’s zines are primarily graphic storytelling format small press books in both color and black and white. A.D. Puchalski is also the co-publisher of Shock Cinema, a film magazine about rare and lost movies that has been in print for nearly 30 years.
Buy Zines Here:
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Before I Forget
Jenna Freedman, formerly Lower East Side Librarian, now Before I Forget, makes personal/political zines about day-to-day life as a librarian, perimenopausal menstruator, reader, cat lover, and person who struggles with anxiety and self-loathing.
Buy Zines Here:
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CloudCurrent
Heavily influenced by Japanese animation and video games, she specializes in doodle art in her illustrations to create diverse stories using key elements such as dark bold lines and radiant colors for contrast. Originally a sociology major, she now uses elements from sociology in art to visualize social behaviors such as how we think and human reactions.
Buy Zines Here:
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Corey Bechelli
Corey Bechelli is an artist living in Philadelphia that creates preposterous psychedelic comics in an attempt to combat a growing neo-fascist malaise.
Buy Zines Here:
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Dretime
Dre is a Philadelphia based visual artist who works in painting, cartooning, illustration and digital art. She’s been making zines for over 10 years, and loves the community and freedom of self publishing. Dre has attended and helped produce many zine related events in her area and will continue to do so.
Buy Zines Here:
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In Full Color
In Full Color is an award-winning organization that empowers women of color through education and the arts. We create opportunities for women of color in theater, visual art, comedy, music, dance and other media. We also work with artists of color to create coloring books, books, enamel pins, shirts, stickers and other fun items! For more information, visit http://www.InFullColor.org
Buy Zines Here:
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Ivy’s Art World
Ivy is an artist born and raised in Newark, she uses raw human emotions in her artwork showcasing heartbreak, sadness, happiness, and love. Her artwork is used to inspire others to do what they love and love whoever they want. Life is too short to not be true to who you are.
Buy Zines Here:
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Jaime Mosquera
Jaime Mosquera (they/he) works to combine their experience as a nonbinary lesbian with the genres of horror and fantasy. Their webcomic “Ophanim” is a Colombian horror/fantasy about fear, love, and loss, and Jaime has made multiple mini horror comics about ghosts, parasites, and even birthdays.
Find Art Here:
Buy Zines Here:
- https://www.etsy.com/shop/ElSombreronArt
- https://www.patreon.com/elsombreronart
- https://gumroad.com/elsombreronart
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Jen Thompson Art
Jen is a visual artist that wants people to see the beauty in the ordinary/our surroundings. There is so much to see and admire. We just have to slow down and enjoy what we have.
Find Art Here:
Buy Zines Here:
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Laura Salgarolo
Laura Salgarolo is a Hudson Valley-based illustrator, bookmaker, printmaker, and storyteller. Much of her work draws from fairytales, mythology, and fantasy, and the transformations of those stories across time and culture. She collects elements of familiar tales to rework and retell through a balance of words and images.
Find Art Here:
Buy Zines Here:
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Riot Grrrl NJ
Riot Grrrl NJ is a New Jersey based artist, illustrator, punk, and feminist. Riot Grrrl NJ prints her original artwork onto shirts, stickers, pins and even makes zines from her prints.
Find Art Here:
Buy Zines Here:
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Sacred Something
Kara DJ is a collage artist and fanzine maker hailing from Readington, New Jersey. In her fanzine “Into A Larger World”, she celebrates all things from the Star Wars fandom, especially fellow female fans. Each issue dives into a different character or concept in the fandom, and features contributions by other fans from all over the world. When she’s not making fanzines, Kara also makes zines featuring her collage art, using recycled books and magazines to create new and interesting images.
Buy Zines Here:
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The Word Distro
Making zines and tabling at events is good, clean fun. The Word Distro has traveled to DC, Scranton, Richmond, Brooklyn and more to table at events and meet new zinesters. Zine fests are great and one of the few places where the only thing that’s not tolerated is intolerance. The Word Distro likes to keep things light–cats, food, sports, thrifting, funny zines, music.
Buy Zines Here:
ZINE-MAKING WORKSHOP WITH JENNA FREEDMAN
This workshop includes an introduction to zines and instruction on making your own. Participants will be given the opportunity to read a number of zines and discuss them in terms of their content, imagery, and form. After this introduction, participants will be led in making an 8-page, quarter size zine. This workshop is open to all ages.
Click here to register for the zine-making workshop.
Click here to view the lesson plan.
You Will Need: Blank paper (standard 8.5×11’’), scissors, and a writing utensil.
Other Materials (Optional): Any art supplies you have on-hand (markers, stickers, glue, magazines, colorful tape, etc.); word processor programs (e.g. Word, Pages, InDesign, or open source corollaries).
About the Instructor: Jenna Freedman is a zinester and a Zine Librarian at Barnard College. Barnard Zine Library collects zines on feminism by people of all genders, with emphasis on acquiring zines created by womxn, non-binary people, women of color, and trans women. The zines are personal and political publications on activism, anarchism, body image, gender, parenting, queer community, riot grrrl, sexual assault, trans feminisms, and other topics. Learn more at https://zines.barnard.edu
NEWARK ZINE FEST : RAFFLE
Prizes are donated by FAKE Publications, a local zine distro which primarily writes and collects satirical zines.
FAKE Publications
SAFER SPACES POLICY
We (the Newark Zine Fest organizers) want to work with you (exhibitors and attendees) to maintain a safer and more inclusive space. To achieve this, we ask that all organizers, exhibitors, and attendees follow these guidelines:
- Respect peoples’ different states of being, differing points of view, and differing means of communication.
- Be responsible for your actions, and aware that they may have an effect on others regardless of original intent.
- Respect peoples’ physical and emotional boundaries and always ask for explicit consent before doing something which may violate someone’s boundaries (e.g. taking anyone’s picture, taking recordings, sharing potentially sensitive or identifying information of someone else who has not disclosed this information in a particular space)
- De-escalate when conflicts arise, and invite assistance from organizers when needed
- Notify organizers if you are the target of harassment or witness anyone else experiencing harassment.
Newark Zine Fest organizers are committed to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, with special attention to the rights of people who are systemically oppressed, culturally marginalized, or targeted by supremacists. We will not tolerate harassment at Newark Zine Fest in any form.
Harassment includes:
- Repeated, continuous, or aggressive/hostile misgendering (including use of dead names) of an organizer, exhibitor or attendee
- Deliberate “outing” of any aspect of a person’s identity without their consent, except as necessary to protect other Zine Fest participants or other vulnerable people from intentional abuse
- Threats of violence
- Incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to commit suicide or to engage in self-harm
- Deliberate intimidation, including repeated offensive verbal comments, use of (non-reclaimed) slurs, rape or abuse threats; use of established white supremacist, antisemitic, islamophobic, anti-trans, or otherwise bigoted “dogwhistles;” or the display of supremacist symbols or slogans
- Stalking, doxxing, or refusing to cease communication with someone who is visibly uncomfortable or who is voicing discomfort
- Photographing, screenshotting, or recording someone without consent
- Sustained disruption of workshops or virtual conversations
- Unwelcome sexual attention, including invasive questions about someone’s body, sexual experience, or dating history
Should an issue arise with an exhibitor or attendee before the fest, the NZF organizers will be available to hear these concerns, attempt to mediate, and find a solution that is in the best interests of the community and the event being a safer space. If an issue with an exhibitor or attendee arises during the event, NZF organizers and a licensed social worker will be available to address these concerns and attempt to find a solution that is in the best interests of promoting a safer space.
The organizers are not able to preview all zines available at the Newark Zine Festival, and thus cannot guarantee the content therein. If participants find materials that are in violation of our Safer Spaces Policy, we ask that they notify one of the organizers present so that we can find a solution that respects everyone’s safety and autonomy.
The NZF organizers maintain the right to request any participants violating the Safer Spaces Policy to address and change their unsafe behavior. If behavior is not changed, said participants violating policy will be asked to leave the event.
Email / Correo Electrónico: zinefestnewark@gmail.com
Instagram: newarkzinefest
Phone Number / Número de Teléfono: 973-733-7779