OCADU Ghost Stories Zine & Pumpkinpalooza

Seen ghosts at OCAD? Have a feeling we're not alone in this school? Put your experiences to paper by contributing to the first initiative for this iteration of the OCADU Zine Collective!

The collective reconvened for the 2014-2015 school year at the beginning of October and, for our first project, we decided to get spooky. Many of us have heard ghost stories from staff who have been at OCAD for years, or students who have felt a creepy presence when working late. So we're putting together a collection of ghost stories about OCAD.

Everyone is welcome to contribute. Submissions can include:

• Personal stories/comics/illustrations of encounters with ghosts at OCAD
• Fictional ghost stories relating to OCAD
• Drawings/photographs/collages of ghostly things

If you need help with ideas, supplies to put together your submission, or just want company while you're working on your contribution, join us on Tuesday, October 21 (at 1pm) for a zine making day in the Learning Zone (main floor, 113 McCaul).

Send your spooky submissions to ocadzinelibrary (at) gmail (dot) com by October 27th.

The zine will be released on October 30th at a launch party/pumpkin carving contest in the Student Gallery (52 McCaul). The event (n partnership with the Writing and Learning Centre) will featuring zine readings and a parade of jack-o-lanterns. Costumes are encouraged.

You can also take part the pumpkin carving contest by stopping by the Learning Zone from October 28th-30th to get your hands dirty. The winner of the pumpkin carving contest gets an Above Ground gift certificate.

Happy Halloween!

International Zine Month calendar

Each July Alex Wrekk creates a calendar of suggested events and activities for zinesters. This years list is available here. Inspired by Wrekk's calendar, OCAD Zine Library made its own calendar, geared more toward people who may never have made or read a zine before. Our calendar is up next to the zine collection throughout July.

The calendar includes activities such as visiting websites for the POC Zine Project, QZAP and Zine Wiki to learn more about a diverse collection of zine makers; starting a zine event with friends; visiting zine stores and libraries online and across Toronto; and reading zines from the OCAD Zine Library's collection.

Check out the OCAD Zine Library's Facebook page for daily Int'l Zine Month calendar updates.

Celebrate International Zine Month With Us July 16th

In 2009, July was declared International Zine Month by frequent zine maker and author Alex Wrekk. In honour of International Zine Month 2014, the OCAD Zine Library is also partnering with the Toronto Zine Library and Broken Pencil magazine to host an event where attendees can immerse themselves in zines on many levels.

Starting at 5pm on Wednesday, July 16th, attendees can come to OCAD University's Learning Zone to hang out, read zines, make zines, collage, make buttons, write letters and listen to readings by zine makers.

There will be a comfortable zine reading area where visitors can look at the over 2,000 zines in OCAD Zine Library's collection. A large maker station will be set up with zine making, collaging and letter writing supplies where attendees are welcome to create whatever they want. Visitors are also invited to either bring images or use the available materials to make their own buttons with a button maker we'll have on site. Buttons are 4 for $1, but you can have your first button for free! Zine readers will be announced shortly, so check back here, or at our Facebook event, for more information.

Finding the Learning Zone: We're located at 113 McCaul, though you can also access the building (a bit closer to the entrance to the Learning Zone) at 122 St. Patrick Street. We are the large glassed in room on the main floor near the Grange Food Court. There is a passkey lock on the door to the Learning Zone, so please knock to gain access.

The 6th Annual OCAD U Zine Fair is coming back to inspire and entertain again! The lobby of 100 McCaul will be packed with vendors selling zines and self-published materials on March 13th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
Join the event!