ZINESTER Interview with LIZA BLEY

Liza Bley (Pronounced BLY, for goddess's sake!) is a force of nature. ABQZFV was an all-night operation to launch, but it was so much better with her, and near impossible without her. Her's what she said...

Please tell us about the zines you’ll be tabling at ABQZF.
I’ll have my book, Not Your Mother’s Mealtoaf: A sex education comic book, which is a compilation of 6 past zines that include comics on sex and sexual health by over 50 authors. I’m also working on a second edition of my zine “Can you have sex with objects, like couches? and other questions for the sex ed field.”


When did you make your first zine, and what was it about?
I'm not sure what my first zine was. My most successful was Not Your Mother's Meatloaf that I co-edited with Saiya Miller. One of my favorite things to do is make friends little mini zines with fun things to do or instructions on how to take care of my dog, Pegasus, while I'm out of town.


Name three influences in your life that have affected your work, or even how you work.
My mother (so sappy), but she's a fucking power house and raised me to get shit done. The DIY health zine, Hot Pants, which focuses around issues those of us with uteri  and vaginas might face, made a lasting impression of how important zines can be for the health of our communities. The patriarchy, so I remember there is still something worth fighting against.

What do you say when someone asks you,  "What are zines?"
Like independent magaZINES. Typically folded 8 1/2" x 11" paper. They can be about ANYTHING.

Do you have a zine crush? If so, are you willing to reveal the object of your zine affection?
"Love is another word for impunity" - a button


What's the most challenging thing about zine making? What do you enjoy most about the process?
Oh, starting, is probably the biggest hurtle, but I spend the most time on trouble shooting the layout as I contemplate pouring nacho cheese all over the copy machine.

Why are zines important?
Because books are too heavy.

Ridiculous. But, true.
THANKS, Liza!

ZINESTER Interview with BILLY McCALL

It's ABQ Zine Fest DAY! We made it! We still have several interviews for you to peruse over coffee, before you head to to Barelas! Here's one! 

Please tell us about the zines you’ll be tabling at ABQZF.


I write a lot of different zines, and am always coming up with new ones.  Here are a few of the ones I will have at ABQ ZineFest.

Proof I Exist - This is a personal, prose-heavy zine all about me and my life, so that might mean anything.  Stories about places I've been, people I love, bands I'm in, etc.  Some photos and drawings, but mostly writing.

Last Night at the Casino - A work-zine all about my job as a casino dealer.  All the strange people, crazy nights, and random oddities of casino culture, from an inside perspective.

The Difference Between - An educational zine explaining the difference between various similar topics.  For example, the difference between baking soda and baking powder, or the difference between Wild Bill and Buffalo Bill.

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

The first time I made a zine was around 1997, when I was a kid in high school.  It was a mix of stories, poetry, photos, and everything else, with contributions from my friends.
Name three influences in your life that have affected your work, or even how you work.
Everything I read influences me one way or another.  All of Al Burian's work (Burn Collector, Natural Disasters) has influenced my writing.  Idy (Something for Nothing) and Alex (Brainscan) have the best layouts of any zines, so that's a big influence.  And then Lisa Barrow (Oh Dear No) has really influenced my editing, not so much for her zine work, but just because she's helped me edit novels and stories and newspaper articles, and I've learned that editing is just as important for zines.


What do you say when someone asks you,  "What are zines?"
Zines are self-published magazines, usually photo-copied and hand-made.

Do you have a zine crush? If so, are you willing to reveal the object of your zine affection?
I have a few zine crushes.  Some of them are because the zinester is so awesome, and some are just because their zine is so great.  For example, I've never met Nichole, from Pieces zine, but her zine totally gets me crushed on her.

What's the most challenging thing about zine making? What do you enjoy most about the process?
The most challenging thing part of zine-making for me is finding the time to put out as many zines as I want to.  There are always more ideas to work on, and I've always got new issues in the works.  I've put out 4 issues of PIE this year, and have the writing done for 2 other issues just sitting on my computer.  As for what I enjoy the most...  I love the writing the most, but also enjoy doing the layouts, and even the copying.  I could make copies for 3 hours straight and still be ready for more.

Why are zines important?
Zines are a way to be educate and communicate in a creative way.  Zines give people the chance to say anything they want, but they also give people the chance to learn about someone else's life.  Zines are a way for weird, unique humans to learn about each other.


Thanks, Billy!

ZINESTER Interview with the makers of TRINITY

Hello again! And again! Here's another zinester interview! This is pretty exciting. Meet the makers of the visal art and aesthetics zine, Trinity.

Please tell us about the zines you’ll be tabling at ABQZF.

Our zine titled "Trinity" is focused on visual art and aesthetics. Our theme is based off of three main concepts: spirituality, nature, and the human body.

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

About three years ago we participated in a zine titled "porqueria" with a group of people from both Las Cruces and El Paso. It was about POC feminist and queer issues/ being the thing ur grandma shakes her head at.

Name three influences in your life that have affected your work, or even how you work.

1. We kind of influence each other. We had some art classes together in college and wanted to continue working together.

2. Generally our group is interested in exploring spirituality outside of organized religion, so it makes sense that it became part of our theme.

3. Love and Rockets

What do you say when someone asks you,  "What are zines?"

A self published, DIY book about anything and everything!

What's the most challenging thing about zine making? What do you enjoy most about the process?

One of the most challenging things about making a zine is being brave enough to put your work out there. Also putting it together can be a hassle. From gathering everyone's work to actually printing- it can be a bit stressful. We really enjoy getting to collaborate and seeing the finished product tho. It's also really rewarding when people are interested and able to relate to content in the zine.

Why are zines important?

Zines are important because they give people the chance to see things that normally wouldn't be published.



Thanks!

ZINESTER Interview with RHEA TEPP of LA Zine Fest

This Rhea Tepp. Her name matches her might. Zinester, zine fest organizer, musician and artist. In fact Rhea will be performing with her band, Coastal Doom, tomorrow night at the ABQ Zine Fest After-Happening  Let's meet Rhea.

Please tell us about the zines you’ll be tabling at ABQZF.

I am bringing a selection of primarily Los Angeles based zines that are available at the local bookstore I work at. Most of the zines I will be tabling were created by artists and writers who have participated in previous L.A. Zine Fest events. I'll also have a couple of my own zines to share and my band will be playing the after party at the Tannex!

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

My first zine was an advice column told through a mini comic, called Quick Fix. I created it as a way to write about issues that are emotionally difficult through humor and simple illustrations. I think it helped me more than anyone else!


Name three influences in your life that have affected your work, or even how you work.


The necessity to disappoint and be disappointed, Letters to a Young Poet, my best friend. 



What do you say when someone asks you,  "What are zines?"

Little pieces of power.

Do you have a zine crush? If so, are you willing to reveal the object of your zine affection?

Tiny Splendor's work is so beautifully detailed, clever, timeless and amazing! They always put so much work into what they do but make it appear effortless. My dream would be to collaborate with them some day. 

What's the most challenging thing about zine making? What do you enjoy most about the process?

The most challenging is working through the fears that would prevent me from finishing a zine and getting to that place where I'm putting something out that I feel good about, but am not super attached to, because sometimes, by the time something is released, you've move past that point creatively. I enjoy that moment right after you've been writing and writing for the sake of getting started and you finally get into that rhythm of momentum when you trust an idea and are moving forward. It's the best feeling! 

Why are zines important?

Zines are little pieces of power. Zines are not just the object. Zines are your communicated imagination. Zines are little magic worlds within a big beast of the one we were born into. Zines are community. Zines are lifelong friendships. Zines are reminders that everything is temporary. Zines are reminders that no idea is useless. 


Thank you, Rhea! 

ZINESTER Interview with Russell Ouellett

Getting ever closer to the big day. We still have a few interviews to share with you. Say hello to Russell Ouellett!


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

It's embarrassing but I my first zine was a mammoth full letter-sized 50 plus page ode to marijuana appropriately titled, "From Weed to Weed."  I made it some time in the mid-nineties and still have the original somewhere... maybe I'll print a fresh run for all the cannabis aficionados in ABQ.

Please tell us about the zines you’ll be tabling at ABQZF.

For ABQZF I found a love pink suitcase that I've been slowing filling with whatever zine-ish stuff I can find in my studio.  I'll have a bunch of poetry zines and some little zine journals. 

What do you say when someone asks you,  "What are zines?"

Zines are DIY or even better DIT (Do It Together) self-published magazines printed on computer/copier paper that usually present some useful yet banal information, challenge the status quo, self-promote, or are simply l'art pout l'art.


Name three influences in your life that have affected your work, or even how you work.

That's a tough question for me.  I'm mostly inspired all the time in a vicious cycle of desperation and re-inspiration, especially by the anonymous anarchist artists taking REAL Bullets and Machetes fighting the white power hegemony, while I sit cozily in my tower of privilege... But If I have to name names I'm going to say, "today I'm super inspired by LA funk musician and Stones Throw recording artist DAM-FUNK, Swedish collective Teenage Engineering, and the Navajo Nihígaal bee Iiná."


Do you have a zine crush? If so, are you willing to reveal the object of your zine affection?

My zine crush is on a bunch of zines I just picked up from the Taala Hoogan peeps at a local fundraiser for those affected by the Gold King Mine tragedy/spill.

What's the most challenging thing about zine making? What do you enjoy most about the process?

Getting the pages lined up in order... it makes my brain seize up and sometimes leak out my ears...


Why are zines important?

Making zines is a relatively cheap, self-reflexive practice that is usually a healing way to go about your daily life.

Thanks, Russell! 

ZINESTER Interview with: DIAHNDRA of JUSTWRITE

Hello zine friends! We're a mere FIVE DAYS from ABQZFV. Gulp. No, no-- everything's fine (revived by smelling salts). We're excited to bring you more interviews this week. We hope you've enjoyed catching up some of the zinesters you'll meet next Saturday. 

Today, we'd like to introduce you to Diahndra of JustWrite-- an organization that uses zines to champion social justice.


Please tell us about the zines you’ll be tabling at ABQZF.    

The zines JustWrite will be tabling at ABQZF are literary and visual art zines, including art work and poetry by our gente in prison and those who are returning citizens.  These zines tell our stories, reflecting on where we've been, where we are, and where we're going.


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

The first JustWrite zine was created in the Albuquerque Metropolitan Detention Center in 2012.  The zine holds our stories - our experiences, where we come from (place, family, culture) our struggles, our inspirations and achievements and covers themes of incarceration, addiction, state and domestic violence.          

                       
Name three influences in your life that have affected your work, or even how you work.  

Our influences are each other, ourselves and the community surrounding us.


What do you say when someone asks you,  "What are zines?" 

 An underground magazine, for us, by us.  A medium in which we can speak to the world and share with the world with no censorship.  A place where we can tell our own stories and deconstruct the way media portrays us, as well as deconstruct issues of race, gender, class, etc.


Do you have a zine crush? If so, are you willing to reveal the object of your zine affection?

We still have so much to learn about zines, but we love local zinesters because they encourage the publication and sharing of zines and accessibility to arts and culture in our community.  We love Marya and all she's done for the growth of the zine culture in Nuevo.  We love zines that have revolutionized the way we view ourselves and the world around us.  The zines that speak the truth, bring awareness and cover real issues affecting us and the world around us.


What's the most challenging thing about zine making? What do you enjoy most about the process?

 For us, the most challenging thing about making a zine is fitting everything we want to say at the time we're creating a zine into one publication.  Our zines we make collectively are typically bigger and contain more content than your average zine.  This increases the cost of reproducing the zines, however, we don't want to leave anything or anyone's voice out.   The thing we most enjoy is there is no limitation in making a zine; we can express anything we want to express and it's coming from a real place inside ourselves and how we view the world and experience the world.

Workshop participant showing his zine pride.

Why are zines important?  

Zines are important to us because they are a vehicle for change and also a reflection of ourselves and the revolution that is happening inside of us.  Zines allow us to be journalists and share our lived experiences and learn about the lived experiences of others.  For us, zines are a journey in which we come together and tell our stories.  When we're creating a zine, we're opening ourselves up to the world through creative expression and this creates awareness around our situation and it's also an avenue to get our stories out there.

Thanks, JustWrite! 

ZINESTER Interview with: SHELBY CRISWELL

We're back ! Just over about a week to go, folx!  Next in our zinester interview series we'll hear from Shelby Criswell!

Please tell us about the zines you’ll be tabling at ABQZF.

 A lot of my work revolves around trans issues and just being a human in general. I will have a table full of comix ranging from cute to funny and serious to "Oh shit, I need to shut up and listen to what this person has to say."

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


I made my first zine when I was six years old. My dad was a graphic designer so he helped me format the book and print them. They were just a bunch of drawings of my family and bands that I enjoyed like (don't laugh) Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach.



Do you have a zine crush? If so, are you willing to reveal the object of your zine affection?

 Rebecca Artesmisa's super rad fold out zines are sooooo pretty! I wish I had the ability and patience to sit down and make all of those. The fortune teller fold out zine is definitely my fav!



What's the most challenging thing about zine making? What do you enjoy most about the process?

 I think the most challenging is formatting the book to print right and folding them just perfect, which is also the most tedious part of the whole process. It makes me want to throw up and poop my pants at the same time. But after making them for so long, it kind of comes naturally and folding 200 zines in one sitting becomes a breeze. I enjoy thinking of a concept for a book. I probably have a notebook with thousands of zine/comic ideas that I have never even got close to making and most likely never will.


Name three influences in your life that have affected your work, or even how you work.

My grandfather is for sure the first influence I had, just on my artwork in general because he was an illustrator for Hallmark and I always aspired to be a great cartoonist like him. I can also attribute the other two influences on my zine/comic work to Daniel Clowes whose strange comics made me want to illustrate my own stories and the wonderful people over at Bitch Media because they informed me on a lot of issues and inspired me to talk about them.



What do you say when someone asks you,  "What are zines?"

 Arts and farts, man.

Why are zines important?

 Publicity. Art for art's sake. Activism. Farts. Poetry. Cuteness/Kawainess. Showing the world you're a groupie. Fame. For being awesome. Communication. Having Senpai notice you.




Thank you, Shelby! 

ZINESTER Interview with: SAMANTHA ANDREWS

Hello, Zine Friends!
Meet Samantha Andrews-- first-time zinester with a BRILLIANT zine we're all going to NEED...

Please tell us about the zines you’ll be tabling at ABQZF.

I will have copies of my very first zine: The Zinesters Guide to Albuquerque, Issue 1. This issue will focus on East Downtown and Downtown Albuquerque. It will have lots of fun, low-budget places and events to check out in Downtown Abq. The zine will feature vegetarian and vegan friendly restaurants, parks, and free things to do. This zine is a perfect gift for someone who is coming to visit Albuquerque for the first time! Or for any Albuquerque enthusiast.



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

This is my very first zine! Except for maybe zines I made as a kid, but I'd have to ask my mom about what those were like...

Name three influences in your life that have affected your work, or even how you work.
My dad has always been an inspiration to me because he just works really hard at everything he does. He has a great work ethic. He always told me that it was ok if I didn't understand something at first, but with time and patience I would get better. I try to emulate that work ethic in many parts of my life. Bikini Kill. Litter Brain. I feel really lucky to be part of this band with a group of awesome girls. They've helped me in so many ways. I love them.

Litter Brain

What do you say when someone asks you,  "What are zines?"

Handmade mini magazine.

Do you have a zine crush?

If so, are you willing to reveal the object of your zine affection? I love [Tahnee Udero's] High Mija and her Desperate Youth Zine.


What's the most challenging thing about zine making? What do you enjoy most about the process?

Getting started is always the hardest for me. I tend to have a lot of project ideas floating around in my head and it's hard for me to pin one down and focus on it from start to finish. My favorite part of the process has been putting it all together. Once the writing and drawings are finished I love cutting things up and seeing how everything comes together into a complete piece.

Why are zines important?

I think it's important for people to have an outlet for their creativity and zines are a perfect medium for some people. I used to think that creative people are always just creating perfect, beautiful pieces and that's what they have always done. I know now that's not true, but at one point it was a hindrance to me creating anything at all. Zines are a way for me to create imperfect things but still feel really proud of them. It's more about a process for me, like I'm not trying to make a gorgeous, polished publication; It's just fun, silly, and lets me explore new ideas.

Thanks for all your hard work guys!



Thanks, Sam! 

ZINESTER Interview with: NOT LIKE YOU FANZINE

Hey! 

Wow, it's the last day in September. Things are getting REAL. Legit. Check out zinester interview number three with Not Like You Fanzine.

Please tell us about the zines you’ll be tabling at ABQZF.

I will have issues of my zine Not Like You. It covers punk,hardcore, skateboarding and pretty much anything else I find interesting. I will have issues 2,3,4 and the photo special available. Each issue consists of interviews, record reviews, scene news, photos etc etc  Issue 2 even comes with a 7" compilation record. The interviews include Backtrack, Praise, SNFU, The Faction, Ian Mackaye, BL'AST, Final Conflict and a host of others.




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

I started Not Like You in early 2014. I needed a creative outlet and had done zines on and off since the Mid 80s. The first issue came out in March of 2014 and featured interviews with 2 members of OCHC band Done Dying, NJHC band Huge, Fred Hammer (a staple of the Southern California Hardcore scene) and Tony Rettman (author of Why Be Something That You're Not and NYHC Books.) It also included record reviews, news, some photos and more

Name three influences in your life that have affected your work, or even how you work.

My zine work has been influences by classic zines such as Schism, Run It, Boiling Point, No Answers, Hardware, Guillotine, and a host of others, Photographer Glen E. Friedman and his now classic My Rules fanzine, and long time zinester and author Aaron Cometbus.

What do you say when someone asks you,  "What are zines?"

Zines are similar to magazines only they have more heart and substance and usually cover way cooler subject matter.

Do you have a zine crush? If so, are you willing to reveal the object of your zine affection?

My lips are sealed.

What's the most challenging thing about zine making? What do you enjoy most about the process?

The most challenging thing for me is getting bands to return the interviews they commit to. I have 3 I'm still waiting to get back, one of which was sent in April of 2014. Punk rock is a lot of things, but timely apparently isn't one of them.

I enjoy everything about it. From doing the interviews, to writing record reviews to laying it all out and putting it together. It's creative from start to finish and is almost therapeutic for me to work on.

Why are zines important? 

Zines are just as important as small press books and comics, as it gives a voice to those who otherwise may not be able to publish if not for the platform we print in. They are windows to subject matter many may not be exposed to otherwise and personal zines are often outlets for the creators, that wind up touching the readers in different ways. Plus it so much cooler to sit down to read a zine than just click on a blog online.

So true.
Thanks, NOT LIKE YOU FANZINE

ABQZFV earwig for your eyes!

Video collagist Brian Fejer created this meditation on ABQZFV for us! It’s so much fun. Please watch this visual earwig, and have a great time at zine fest, coming up SO SOON.

The Countdown to ABQZFV!

ABQZFV is nearly here! Thanks for coming out to our pre-zine fest events! It's been great to see you all, and totally fun to get excited about our big day on October 10th. But first-- we have a few more events before we gather our forces and MAKE IT HAPPEN.

1.) On THURSDAY, September 24th at 8pm don't miss GET LOST: a Benefit for ABQZF at Sister, downtown. Three dollars gets you in. We'll raffle off prizes, we'll have ABQZF merch and THREE punks bands on board. Constant Harmony, punk tricksters Rudest Priest, and new darlings, Time Wound. DJ Mello will spin tunes in between! This is your BIG CHANCE to support ABQZF before the fest! 

2.) The FINAL event before the fest!! On OCTOBER 8th at 7pm Join ABQZFV organizers Marya and Liza for a night of last-minute zine-making, cruise the zine library, and help prepare for the big day! We'll be making zines, hanging decorations and more. And then two days later, ABQ Zine Fest!! Yah! We'll have tables and chairs set up so you can work on your final layouts, and a few typewriters to add a little verve to your paste-ups. This event is free-- but if you want to put some dollars bills in the jar, we won't say no! 

3.) Look for Zinester Interviews coming your way, start on OCTOBER 1st! Every day until zine fest we'll post an interview on the exhibitors coming to ABQZFV. The first interview: Sara Century! 

See you at ABQZFV!

Bike to ABQ Zine Fest

Hello cyclists! For the last four years we've produced a cycling event called Seek & Zine. Thanks so much for participating in that super fun event. We're giving the scavenger hunt a little rest this year, but we're still gonna ride!

Our zine fest friend, Lee Ann is leading a ride from the UNM Duck Pond that will end at ABQ Zine Fest! Show up at the Duck Pond at 11AM and take a little ride!

Thanks for leading the charge, Lee Ann!


See you all at ABQ Zine Fest on OCTOBER 10th!

Queen of the Road: Zinester, Mother, Publisher, Sage Adderley

Posted on October 4, 2013

Right now, zinesters are motoring across the deserts of ‘MERICA, soon to arrive in Albuquerque for ABQZF (It’ll be a speedy journey, as nearly all of the Nation’s national parks are CLOSED, but all the better for US. Get here already)!

One such zinester is Sage Adderley, cruising in from Olympia, Washington. Sage is the proud owner of Sweet Candy Distro, one of the most orderly and and diverse distros in all the land.  Sweet Candy works with writers from all over the US and around the globe. Topics featured in SCD include mental health, feminism, body image, gender, parenting, food, travel, art, survival, fiction stories, and so much more. Check it out! The amazing Sage also runs Sage’s Blog Tours-- an online service that secures “book tours” for authors via the pages of popular literary blog sites. WHAT?! Like we said, BRILLIANT.

If that weren’t enough, Sage, mother of three, also just added a book publishing arm to Sweet Candy. She just released Heavy Hangs the Head, by zinester Taryn Hipp (Lady Teeth), and is currently collaborating with zinester Jonas Cannon (Cheer the F Up) to publish his book, The Greatest Most Traveling Circus. In fact, they just launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise the necessary funds to get the book to press. Click the photo below to screen their campaign video!

Photo by Courtney Dowdall

A zinester in her own right, Sage will be tabling her long-running zines, Marked for Life and the comp zine about loving your body,  FAT-TASTIC. She’s also writing and editing her first novel. (Jeez! Did we mention she has THREE KIDS? How do you do it, Sage?!) You can take a look at Sage’s zines right here.But why not save you dollars and purchase zines from Sage in person, on Saturday at ABQZF?!

Photos courtesy of Sage Adderley and Courtney Dowdall.

Zinester Interview with Pam Dailey: TheZINEasaurus

Posted on September 30, 2013

ABQ Zine Fest is MERE DAYS AWAY! From now until the fest, we’ll be highlighting some of the zinesters exhibiting at The Tannex, The Tan, and Small Engine Gallery on Saturday, October 5th. NEXT: Pam Dailey

Please tell us about the zines you’ll be tabling at ABQZF!

TheZINEsaurus is a personal zine. I share stories about my life and observations about the universe. It’s a sporadically produced zine; no regular schedule. I merge and express my love of words, writing, drawing, photography, story-telling, nature, science, animals, tape, glitter, glue, and paper.  With synonyms.  And sometimes antonyms. This is how I rejuvenate my soul. This year, I have three new full-size zines: Zine of the Apocalypse, Depression, and Road Trip. And I have three mini zines: Spring-Sprang-Sprung, Hygienic Ornamental Patterns, and Haiskoo. I’ll also have copies of my zines from the two previous years.

What do you say when someone asks you,  “What are zines?”

Zine is like ‘magazine’. They are little self-published collections of stories, images, photos, whatever. Zines started in the 70′s and 80′s as FanZines, publicity for people’s favorite bands. Now, they’ve evolved into being anything we want them to be. If you can think of it, somebody is writing a zine about it, somewhere. There are fiction zines, poetry zines, per-zines (like mine) where people share their personal lives and commentaries, stuff like that.

What’s the most challenging thing about zine making?

I find it hard to capture my ideas as they are floating by. I have tons of ideas, and I don’t always remember to write them down! I consciously make time for zine’ing every week. It soothes my soul.

How long have you been writing zines, and how did you get started?

I’ve been producing what could be called zines since the fall of 2011, when I did my first zine as part of the first ABQ Zine Fest weekend challenge. My background is in art, and I’ve been combining my sketches, photos, and other images with my words and thoughts since art school in college in the early 90′s.

What do you enjoy most about making zines?

I love it when my vision of what I want to create comes out as good as the image in my head. And I love it when the words in the thesaurus I use teach me something more about life.

Roughly how many zines do you archive in your personal collection? 

Ummm…. three. four. something like that.

Do you have a zine crush? If so, are you willing to reveal the object of your zine affection?

Yes.

No.

So much of the written word we now experience via digital media. Why are zines important?

It’s so important to have the physicality of the zine in your hands. And for us creators to actually create, put pen to paper, so to speak. The visceral act of art and writing changes when it’s solely digital.

Thanks, Pam!

Zinester Interview: Jessica Mills, Radical Mom

Mother, teacher, writer, musician, artist and activist Jessica Mills is doing us all a favor– she’s helping to make the job of parent easier and more radical. In 2007, the former columnist forRazorcake penned the punk-parenting bible called,  My Mother Wears Combat Boots: A Guide to Parenting for the Rest of Us, to offer alternative strategy to parenting for those who want to be nurturing to their children without completely abandoning their own art. My Mother Wears Combat Boots joins Tomas Moniz’s Rad Dad, and Ariel Gore’s Hip Mama as guides to non-traditional, radical childrearing. Aside from raising a handful of daughters with her partner, Jessica helps run a distro– well, a different type of distro– she is a key volunteer forErda Gardens, an all-local CSA located in the South Valley of Albuquerque. 

Please tell us about the zines you’ll be tabling at ABQZF!

This is the 3rd year I’ll be putting out a special ABQ zine fest issue of Yard Wide Yarns.  And since I’m a haiku junky, I’ll have a Summer 2013 haiku zine.  I handmade a bunch of spiral notebooks because I’m a scavenger reuser, so I’m bringing those too.  I actually ripped off my daughters’ idea there except theirs have collage covers and mine are cut from food packaging.

How long have you been writing zines, and how did you get started?

I had been writing for others’ zines, but put out my first issue of Yard Wide Yarns in 1993.  I was surrounded by punk rockers doing things themselves and wanted to be a participant instead of just a consumer.  I was also motivated by feeling that my female voice had something to add to the male dominated scene.  I stopped doing YWY in 1999 when I was pregnant with my first daughter and started writing a monthly column for Maximum Rock and Roll, “My Mother Wears Combat Boots,” until 2009.  I picked up YWY again in 2011 for my first ABQ zine fest.

What do you say when someone asks you,  “What are zines?”

Zines are independently produced publications.  They can be whatever you want them to be and have more sass than regular “maga”zines.

Do you have a zine crush? If so, are you willing to reveal the object of your zine affection?

Yes, and it’s a bad couple of ‘em!  No way.

What’s the most challenging thing about zine making?

Not being able to prioritize enough large chunks of uninterrupted time that putting together a zine requires.

What do you enjoy most about making zines?

That amazing rush of feeling vulnerability and accomplishment at the same time whenever I finish writing, laying out, xeroxing, folding, stapling and putting out a new issue. That and the connecting with others doing zines through mail and in person, too.  

Roughly how many zines do you archive in your personal collection?

Oh geez.  I probably qualify for hoarder status here.  Thanks to moving from Florida to Seattle to Albuquerque though, I did unload a few boxes at the Civic Media Center Zine Library in Gainesville, FL and few scattered others.  I think I’m ready to unload some more at the Albuquerque Zine Library (at the Tannex)!

So much of the written word we now experience via digital media. Why are zines important?

Zines are important like any other sliver of any other culture is important. They are media, art, literature, and passion.  They’re unhackable, secure documents that you don’t need to be electronically connected to to enjoy.

Thanks, Jessica!

Jessica on saxophone.

Photos courtesy of Jessica Mills.