ZINESTER Interview with GENA & MAURO

Oh, here we go. Merma & Roberta are HERE. Their hair is here, also. Such fun! 

Please tell us about the zines you’ll be tabling at ABQZF.
Together, we will have the following zines:
1. Alpaca Buttah: Volume 1 (all about buttah) This is a zine by our alter egos / rockers, Merma and Roberta. It is about alpaca buttah (our favorite thing in the world). It is a satirical zine.

2. Mauro is introducing her first solo zine, “Will You Sign My Bible?” This zine is about things that make Mauro laugh or weird thoughts that she can't shake and needs to get out in cartoon form. This is a zine where meta and pop-culture life collide.

3. Gena is releasing two solo zines. The first is called “ANNA MALL”. It is reflective of Gena’s solo musical persona and features lyrics and images associated with her act.

4. The second zine by Gena is called “REPTILE ALIENS?! OH MY!” It covers her long-time obsession with the reptilian agenda. Somewhat satirical and it is full of fun conspiracy theories!

When did you make your first zine, and what was it about?

Our first zine, was Alpaca Buttah: Volume 1. This was a group effort where we each wrote as our personas, Merma and Roberta. It gives recipes on making and using alpaca buttah, ads for buttah, a downloadable playlist about buttah (melting to be exact) and even horoscopes and an advice column (with real questions from people on the internet sent directly to us). It is hopefully the first of many, Alpaca Buttah zines.

Name three influences in your life that have affected your work, or even how you work. This varies for each of us, so we will answer individually:
Gena:
1. Marya Errin Jones – yes I know she is the curator of ABQZF, however, I would not be even attempting to create zines if it weren’t for her pushing me to do so and encouraging this art form. I look at her many amazing zines and get inspired to create my own.
2. Leon Higdon – this was a professor I had at UNM about 12 years ago. He completely changed how I think of stories, both reading them and telling them. He gave me the insight to think, “what is a title really saying” and more. I wish I was a lifelong student of his.
3. Yet to be discovered.

Mauro:
Marya Errin Jones. Yes I am parroting Gena but that is seriously the first person that came to mind. Every time I read her zines, my mind is blown and it makes me want to create and make something cool. She makes it look easy—and I know it’s not! She’s inspired me to get off my cute little rump and to tell the tales I want to tell.
Love and Rockets comix. Los Bros Hernandez. They write about love, sex, music, culture, and superheroes. I’ve loved these ever since I was a kid and they only get better and better and better with time.
RE:search Press. My Dad used to collect these when I was a kid (and maybe we should not have seen some of these volumes as kids—very risqué) but they are rad. Some are about records. Some are about tribal tattoos and taboo piercings. Some are about strange music. They are so great. The dark side of pop culture. I love ‘em!

What do you say when someone asks you,  "What are zines?"
They are paper versions of stories, comics, poetry, art work and more. They are DIY and each one is unique in its own way. Zines are mini-books.

Do you have a zine crush? If so, are you willing to reveal the object of your zine affection? Yes… not ready to divulge.
We have crushes but they have yet to be discovered!

What's the most challenging thing about zine making? What do you enjoy most about the process?
The most challenging thing for us is cutting down size. Haha. We find ourselves on the verge of novellas often and have to cut out excess material. Editing is crucial with our sometimes silly topics. The thing we most enjoy is having the opportunity to put our thoughts and ideas onto paper to share with others. That we can focus on a singular topic until it has reached its limit in some of the most creative ways imaginable – collage, drawing, poetry, graphics, folding sizes and so much more!

Why are zines important?
Zines are important because they are portable portals to someone's soul. They are places where people create art and can trade insight about the world or worlds. Zines provide an account of cultures, ideas, movements and more for posterity that was once thought as a dying art (paperback books, etc.) but is now being proven to have more value and easier readability than your typical electronic or e-book/zine.