t h e o c a d z i n e l i b r a r y

Check out this awesome piece written about Canzine and more, by OCAD Zine Library Correspondent Shannon Kirwin. Also, be sure to come out to the OCAD Zine Fair on Feb. 18th to thumb through her zines and many more!

FRANK

Written by, Shannon Kirwan

Do you remember the time your mother dragged you to that hair show in Ottawa? All the shallow venders were so crammed into that makeshift seminar room at the horse track; it looked more like a can of smashed assholes. (Give or take a few balloon knots.)

Well, Canzine (Hosted by Broken Pencil) 2009 was not like that.

For beginners, it was held last year on Sunday, November 1, 2009 1pm - 7pm at the Gladstone Hotel (I know this article comes a little late) and instead of awkwardly walking into gum-snapping coiffurettes and goggling over an innovative all in one hairspray brush, you would have been granted the experience not unlike the dream you had in eleventh grade while napping in physics class. (You know, the one were you were floating upwards and into fluorescent clouds that smelled like Limoncello while pleasantly conversing with shiny marionettes that cut their strings long ago.)

Let me be frank.

Canzine 09 was the first zine fair I have ever attended and I was a little nervous. Although I’ve been writing ‘fabrications’ and ‘honesty’ since I was in grade school - I kept 99.999% of it to myself. It’s where my innards were safe from comments and ridicule. Have I been living a little white lie?

“Those who think it is permissible to tell white lies soon grow color-blind.” ~Austin O'Malley.

In the spirit of not going colour blind I attended the church of truth (Canzine). The truth is, people feel and experience life differently-we are diverse and for the most part as curious as we are tolerant. I wonder, how can we evolve as a society if we just accept the turtle as a shell? Are you really that entertained by the turtles shell or are you dying to see that little wrinkly fucker pulled out and laid on the table? (Excuse my language but I’m making a point here about editing…or there lack of…heh-hemn.)

In my opinion, ‘ZINSTERS’ can be seen as a literary/book art group of people who fight the ‘mediocracy’ movement in our country one pencil at a time.

I mean, where else are you going to learn about straight/gay/lesbian relationships, high school hang ups, poetry and paper crafts all under the same roof? Where else will you find free screen printing workshops that boost your D.I.Y. confidence and a chance to pitch your book in front of credible publishers who guide and help the writer towards prosperous pursuits? (F.Y.I. There was a lot of building up; No body was torn down so to speak. There were just a few facial twitches as far as I could tell – comparable to someone burned by a hot glue gun.)

At Canzine guests had access ($5 admission comes with a free copy of the Fall issue of Broken Pencil Magazine - issue 45 - "Olympics") into people’s minds/guts from all across the country. There was no editing, emotions were raw and all borders were open and lines crossed.

Okay, so the Gladstone was packed. But this time, I had way more in common with the gropers and table humpers. And, instead of breaking my ankle bracelet while tripping in my mother’s purple suede and leather snake skin shoes, I sashayed ‘bay watch style’ (it was really packed) through the crowd in patent pleather ballet flats. And instead of buying a banana clip I bought an ‘OCAD Zine Library’ button; which I’ll be wearing during this year’s OCAD Zine Fair [Thursday February 18th, 12-6 @ OCAD lobby!].

Listen to this and get motivated to become involved in zine culture.

A Silver Mt. Zion

The Triumph Of Our Tired Eyes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JRvTDAZ5Go

Freedownload-http://www.mediafire.com/?ijxgfjg1txo

*Oh ya, and while your at the fair look out for ‘allisplural’ a zine I will be publishing and creating with other ocad students.