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!

Not Your Mother's Meatloaf! Interview with Liza Bley

Zinester Interview: Liza Bley– Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf

Posted on September 7, 2013

ABQ Zine Fest is FOUR WEEKS 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. First up: Liza Bley.

Liza Bley

We first met Liza Bley, co-editor (with Saiya Miller) of Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf: A Sex Education Comic Book, a few years ago at a zine reading at the much-loved and dearly missed, Cellar Door Gifts and Gallery. She has tabled at ABQ Zine Fest two years running, and is currently winding her way back to New Mexico to join us again. ABQ Zine Fest is a stop on a 24-city tour to of Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf, the book– published by Soft Skull Press.

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

I will be tabling the recently released Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf: A sex education comic book published by Soft Skull Press. Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf is a compilation of sexual health comics written by various authors. Saiya Miller and I compiled comics over the past five years and published them as six separate zines. The book is a culmination of those zines in addition to new material.

I will also be tabling a new zine, Not Your Mother’s Sex Education. It is a six-part comprehensive sexuality education curriculum that uses Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf as a teaching tool.

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

I’ve been tiptoeing around zines for over ten years, since high school. We started Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf in 2008.

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

Self published magazines.

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

Nope.

What do you enjoy most about making zines?

Our zine is a compilation of others’ stories. My favorite part of the project is the honesty and passion that is in each of the comic submissions we receive. It is always amazing how overwhelmingly generous our contributors are.

What’s the most challenging thing about zine making?

Copy machine orientation always messes me up.

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

The ones that are still readable? Probably 40 or 50.

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

Zines are important so we can continue to share our ideas freely. Digital media is important for the same reason. It is good to have multiple types of media for more accessibility.

Check out the Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf tour schedule! And, please visit Liza at ABQ Zine Fest on Saturday, October 5 at The Tannex, The Tan and Small Engine Gallery.

Photo of Liza by Marya Errin Jones. Book cover image borrowed from the Bitch Magazine article. Wanna read it? CLICK HERE.