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

CALL FOR VENDORS AT ZINE ZONE!

2011-11-11T06:53:00.000-08:00

This friendly message is brought to you by XPACE Cultural Centre:

XPACE is hosting Zone Zone, our second annual holiday zine fair. We are looking for vendors who want to sell their zines, comics, crafts, music, baked goods and any other hand made multiples. This is a great way to sell your stuff, find some inspiring gifts, and meet other artists. Best part of it all is tables are free!

Zine Zone will take place on Saturday December the 17th from 12pm-6pm.

If you'd like to participate, registration is free. It's first come first serve and there is limited space, so reserve your space now!
Email alicia@xpace.info to sign up for a table.

XPACE Cultural Centre
58 Ossington Ave
xpace.info
(416) 849-2864

2011-10-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! It's that time of the year again... Canzine! This year's event is taking place 918 Bathurst Center (near Bloor and Bathurst Station) and as usual it starts at 1p.m and finishes at 7p.m. This year's Canzine might just be the biggest and most exciting yet featuring hundreds of vendors, The Great Hollywood Rip-Off Piracy Zine Challenge and tasty food from The Toronto Underground Market!

The OCAD Zine library will be there too, and we're going to be asking for zine donations for our humble little library. Keep your eyes peeled for a bright coral box going around!

Truth

2011-06-16T11:07:00.001-07:00

Check out this sweet article from the latest issue of Broken Pencil:

"Despite What You've Heard, Zines Aren't Dead" by Liz Worth

If you're reading this blog, you probably know pretty well that zines ain't dead. You should read this article anyway for its discussion of zines vs internet and its brief history of zines in Canada from the 80s to today. Zines forever!!

Collage Party!!

2011-06-01T13:06:00.001-07:00

Hey all!

Things have been pretty quiet on the OCAD Zine front lately. We've gotten a few great zines in the mail. Thanks so much and keep 'em coming!!!!

We do have an event on the horizon which will be a MASSIVE collage party!!

Date: Wednesday June 15th 2011

Place: Learning Zone, 122 St. Patrick Street, 1st floor (Home of the OCAD Zine Library)

Time: 10am to 6pm

All day long we'll be collage-ing it up! Come by and contribute to a massive collaborative collage or just come do your own thing. We may have some movies or music going too.

PRISM index

2011-05-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

The next issue of PRISM index, a handmade, mixed-media art book, through a website called kickstarter is in need of funding!! Nifty rewards are offered to funders, like PRISM index #2, original art from the compilation, metal plates from printing, etc. and if people want to help fund the project they pick a reward, or can opt to pick none. The project features 60 artists including Chris Johanson, Su Friedrich, Jo Jackson, Mel Kadel, Aimee Bender, Matt Furie, Phosphorescent, Guitar Slim, and many more. The first issue features Bill Plympton, Luke Ramsey, Michael Hurley, Lisa Hanawalt, Diane Cluck, Theo Ellsworth, Jeffrey Brown, and many more.

$7,200 is needed by June 10. You can see more information about it here, including a trailer for PRISM index:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1103692945/prism-index-handmade-mixed-media-art-book

The whole book is completed, compiled, edited, and ready for publication. It features 60 artists in film, writing, poetry, music, art, and comics. The compilation includes an 88 page book printed offset, a 95 minute DVD of award-winning short films, an 80 minute CD of unreleased and rare music, and a mini-comic, all in a handmade, silkscreened cover.

SOUNDS AWESOMEEE - - see if you can help this guy out. His name is Jeffrey Bowers.

YEAR END!

2011-05-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU to everyone who helped out this year with the Zine Library. As the year comes to a close, I can only look back with fond memories. Thank you again everybody. We won't be having any zine events over the summer, but keep a look out for upcoming events in the city:
TCAF - - May 7 & 8 at the Toronto Reference Library
Free Comic Book Day - - May 7th 2011 at shops around town
Zine Dream - - August at the Tranzac

Hooray!
http://lizzlizz.blogspot.com/

COLLAGE PARTY

2011-03-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

The last zine event of the semester!

The OCAD Zine Collective is putting together one last hands-on, DIY fun-fest before the spring semester comes to an end. We will be visiting some of Toronto's wonderful thrift stores beforehand to amass a wild amount of colourful ephemera for you to cut up, destroy and re-create into beautiful artwork and zines. We will also be watching the documentary Beautiful Losers, which will lift your spirits and make you feel good about making art. Join us!

2011 OCAD Zine Fair in photos

2011-03-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

Hooray! Zine Fair Participants

lol

Marta Ryczko's sticker 'staches

Sasha Foster

Andrea Manica's goods!

It's Eunice Lu k!

***all photos brought to you by Myra Phan***

Hooray!

2011-03-06T07:24:00.001-08:00

THANK YOU! To everyone who participated in the zine fair, and those who came! It was a lovely, fun and button-making-filled day. More pictures to come shortly.....

Success!! :) :)

ZINE FAIR!!! NEXT WEEK!!

2011-02-25T05:47:00.000-08:00

get ready. :) :) :)
poster by: mary johnsen
www.maryasawolf.blogspot.com

Deadline for Zine Show extended!

2011-02-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

Hey all you zine loving people!

Since everyone is likely busy with reading week and preparing for the most awesome OCAD Zine Fair, we have extended the deadline for submissions to the zine show! You can drop off your work in the Learning Zone by this FRIDAY FEBRUARY 25th. Go Zines!!!

2011-02-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

We are having a zine-related exhibition in the Learning Zone, coming up soon! Want to participate? email ocadzinelibrary@gmail.com, or just drop off some work to Marta in the Learning Zone before February 22 2011! It doesn't have to be all that zine related. Maybe you make zines and also art! Maybe your art has collage or....cutouts or words in it!

anything goes, really :) :) :)!!

zinefair zinefair zinefair

2011-02-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO"S SIGNED UP THUS FAR!

2011 OCAD Zine Fair, presented by the OCAD Zine Library!!

Please join us in selling your zines & other goods (ie comic books, crafts, baked goods, tote bags, etc etc). Email ocadzinelibrary@gmail.com to reserve your spot with your name and what you'd be selling. Tables are absolutely FREE!
The fair is scheduled to take place on Thursday March 3, 2011 from 11am-5pm in the lobby at 100 McCaul Street. As of now we are offering 1/3 of a table for each vendor, but if 1/2 tables can be provided we will certainly fill you in.

We intend to screen a variety of movies throughout the day in the room at the end of the hall - - #187, and if you have any suggestions for material to be viewed, don't hesitate to tell us.

We are also planning a zine-related Art Exhibition in the Learning Zone as a preview and promotion for people involved in the Zine Fair. The display will be held from February 28th to March 11, so if you would like to take part then let us know! You can send us a description or pictures of your work (to ocadzinelibrary@gmail.com) and drop your pieces off at the Learning Zone in Marta's office before February 22nd.

I think that this day & the events leading up to it will be so so fun and inspiring! We just need wonderful people like YOU to help us make the event even MORE successful :) :)

ZINE FAIR!!!

2011-01-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

the fair is scheduled for THURSDAY MARCH 3, 2011 - from 11am to 5pm.
more details to come soon!!
sign up sign up sign up sign up sign up sign up sign up sign up sign up

hi hi hi hi. again!

2011-01-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

WOW!! It has been too long.
H A P P Y N E W Y E A R!! to all at ocad and beyond.
I am hoping to get more people to be interested in writing for the blog. EMAIL ocadzinelibrary@gmail.com if you would like to contribute reviews/ promote events or zines/ post pictures of your ziney work OR just write about things in any way related to zines!!!
BYE for now.....keep an eye out for news regarding....

ZINE FAIR!

W O W !

2010-11-16T08:29:00.000-08:00

I went to EXPOZINE! In Montreal. November 13th & 14th just this past weekend.
It was so lovely and wonderful.
I met a ton of people and got beautiful donations to the zine library. I gave out bookmarks and people liked them.

Look -- it's me! Shopping for zines

My favourite person I met had the most hilarious adorable zines with names such as 'Butts Over Butt' - a zine about food that looks like what else> Butts. And 'Dogs Kissing Things' and...Her name was Christine Hale and this is her website:
http://www.christinehale.blogspot.com

How did I manage to choose a favourite????? So many cool folks
Here are more of them:
I sat beside Sarah from this shop.
seripop (obvs)
Hey, you know....why don't you just look at the complete listing!
haha!

so much more official...........
TALK TO YOU SOON!! :)

woomp woomp!

2010-11-10T09:52:00.001-08:00

come to it.

where is the zine library??

2010-11-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

HERE is a map of where the OCAD Zine Library is, in the Village by the Grange, for those who don't know!

hey hey hey hey hey

2010-11-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

It's been a little while. Things have been a bit busy! THANK YOU to everyone who came out to the firse Zine Seen event 'Show and Tell.' It was a great success - thanks in part to the cupcakes and brownies. haha. We got some very lovely people come out and share their interest in zines and the OZL which was so encouraging :)

Thank you also to those who attended the Student Life Fair on the 29th of October. It was a bit slow, but I guess everyone was too busy preparing their Halloween costumes.

Look what I made which will be available soon! A lovely OCAD Zine Library bookmark.It shows you where the Learning Zone is located. Within the learning Zone is the....

~~~~~Z I N E L I B R A R Y ~~~~~

Check it!

2010-10-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

Look at our beautiful library...I made a new sign for it. Soon to be surrounded by pretty pictures made by Mary Johnsen and Alex K.

These are the donations from Canzine! Come take a look at them there are soo many - like millions.

cute kitty care of Justine Wong.

Wowee!

2010-10-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Canzine was great! So many inspiring zinesters and friends. I will post pictures tomorrow of all the zine donations we got...
I'm excited for the future of OZL! Aren't you? Today Marta and I bought a ton of collage materials from Value Village for our "supply suitcase." Gotta think of a name with more ring to it. We'll be unveiling the goods at our event on Thursday.
Make sure ya come!!

come to canzine!!

2010-10-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

This is tomorrow:

Sunday, October 24, 2010
1pm - 7pm
The Great Hall
1087 Queen Street West
Toronto

I will be there! And so will other zine makers from ocad.
I'll take pictures so you can see the excitement! :)

SEE YOU THERE

come to our first event of the year!!

2010-10-20T11:40:00.001-07:00

new logo!

2010-10-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

we will put them on all our posters :)
you likey??

let's seek inspiration...

2010-10-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

from Floating World Comics in Portland

It was the end of summer and I went to Portland Oregon for the first time. I was overwhelmed and inspired by the amount of people interested in independent publishing and providing the means for others to create with places like the iprc.
After attending the Portland Zine Symposium, we explored the many bookstores -- Reading Frenzy, Pony Club, Tender Loving Empire -- which combined art, literature, zines, crafts and general dazzle into stores that screamed of creativity.
We stopped by Floating World Comics on a Sunday night, and met Jason, the owner of the store, who was all too eager to allow myself and my friend to consign our books. What a lovely atmosphere, and a friendly guy. The store was filled to the brim with comics from around the world as well as local zines and art books. In back, a little gallery space showcased designer toys and contemporary & adorable artworks.
I'd love to create a store so welcoming. Not to mention inspiring and full of life. Events take place weekly and it seems the place is pulling more people in with ease. Once the website fully up-n-running, all will be PERFECT!

http://www.floatingworldcomics.com

2010-10-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

we'd like to have more zines added! We'd love you if you sent yours in!

hello again!

2010-10-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

Hi there! This is Andrea Manica. I'll be the new gal updating the OCAD Zine Library's blog.

There's lots to be excited for! It's a new school year at OCAD and things are getting underway. There have been art openings and book launches, and while it all seems to be a bit overwhelming, there is much inspiration to be had. I'm about to jump in and start collecting new self-published works from Toronto zinesters as well as contacting internet friends from abroad like Sophie from the UK: http://www.ohmyclumsyheart.etsy.com
and Carlos from Brazil: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8224972@N03/

I've been finding wonderful pages of zine libraries from all over north America, like the Anchor Archive Zine Library is Nova Scotia: http://www.robertsstreet.org/n/zine-library how beautiful! Something to strive for.

In the meantime, let's get pumped for the Student Life Fair happening in the main lobby at OCAD on September 29th from 11am to 2pm. I will be there! Many cool folks will be dropping by. We will have super zines and materials to make your own Halloweenie zine...ooo!

More details to come. Can't wait for this year to be awesome!! Contact ocadzinelibrary@gmail.com if you want to get involved! I will be contacting those of you who emailed me over the summer and past little while very very soon. Keep an eye out homies.

2010 OCAD Zine Fair: A Roaring Success!

2010-03-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who made it out to this year’s Zine Fair…this might be a bit of a late review, but better late than never! The fair attracted quite the crowd in the front lobby of OCAD as students came in and out of school, many of them walking away with some great zines! We had a pile of great vendors, who are talented OCAD students or alumni. The Zine Library also ran a popular button-making booth than churned out button after button all day long. The Fair wrapped up earlier than anticipated, but there was a great movie-screening afterwards of the film “D.I.Y. or Die,” complete with yummy popcorn in the Learning Zone. Look for future zine-related events to be held in the Learning Zone in the near future.

Another great thing that happened at the Zine Fair was the formation of the OCAD Zine Collective, a student group for those interested in making zines and distributing their work through this clever and cheap format. If you’re interested in joining, please email us and we’ll let you know when the next meeting is.

I also wanted to take a minute to spotlight a few of the great vendors who were represented at the Zine Fair, and point you in the direction of their websites so that you can see what they're doing, even if you didn't make it to the Fair...

Andrew Remington Bailey: hehasantlers.blogspot.com
Alexandra Mackenzie: newphenomena.blogspot.com
The Allisplural team: allisplural.ca
Jesjit Gill: jesjit.blogspot.com
Eunice Luk: euniceluk.com
Andrea Manica: cerealwithasmile.blogspot.com
Jasmine Allen: jasmineruthallen.wordpress.com
Sarah Friend: annaomega.blogspot.com
Laura McCoy: lauramccoy.blogspot.com

If you were a vendor at the Fair and would like to share your site with our readers, please email me at ocadzinelibrary@gmail.com and I'll get you up here!

Thanks again to all the great vendors who came out to the Fair,

The Zine Team

Zine Workshop this Thursday!

2010-02-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

Members of the Toronto Zine Library are stopping by this coming Thursday February 11th from 4-5pm to lead a workshop on making zines and zine distribution! It'll be fun and zine-y so you should come out if you can make it! It's being held in the Learning Zone in 113 McCaul.

2010-02-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

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.

Submit your zines!

2010-01-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

The OCAD zine Library is always looking for kind, generous zinesters (and zine collectors) to donate their magical zines to our collection. We collect zines of any size, shape or subject.

You can bring donated zines straight to the Learning Zone at 113 McCaul Street or you can mail submissions to:
Dorothy H. Hoover Library Zine Collection
Ontario College of Art & Design
100 McCaul Street
Toronto, ON
M5T 1W1

SAVE THE DATE!

2010-01-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

It's been decided!

The 2010 OCAD Zine Fair will be happening on February 18th 2010 from 11am-6pm in the lobby of 100 McCaul and in the Learning Zone in 113 McCaul.

All we need now to make our day perfect is piles and piles of zinesters and their wares! If you are an OCAD student or alum and make zines and would like to have a table at the Fair, please email us as soon as possible!

Our email is ocadzinelibrary@gmail.com!

See you there....

OTHER ZINE LIBRARIES... Vancouver, BC

2009-12-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

the lowercase reading room in the Regional Assembly of Text

New Home

2009-11-13T09:24:00.000-08:00

Here's some snapshots of the OCAD Zine Library's new spot in the Learning Zone, on the 1st floor of 113 McCaul. Come and check us out!

LOOK TOWARDS THIS

2009-09-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

HELLO EVERYBODY

2009-09-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

ZINE FAIR AT OCAD

2009-02-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

It's been so long since I updated this,
I hope you haven't forgotten
I've been writing blog entries in my mind's eye,

BUT

NEWS
NEW NEWS

Zine Fair at Ocad,
THURSDAY
MARCH
THE
FIFTH

CANZINE!

2008-10-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

OK, so yesterday I went to Canzine, it was incredibly hot and jammed and sweaty and the table we were sitting at kept getting pushed into us but it was still great. People were so incredibly generous and wonderful about donating their zines to the library and GUESS WHAT we've got lots of new zines so go look. Here are some bad photos I took of some nice people.

ye serpents

2008-10-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

are you looking to find a single droplet of water for your thirsty, dry tongue?
have you been stranded in the desert for god knows how long, only to find mirage after shimmering mirage?
can you feel the itch and burn of dirty, hot clothes that have not been washed in weeks, and the unravellings of the fibre of your very soul??
because if you do, I really can't help you, sorry,

HOWEVER
I do have some zines for you to cast your bloodshot gaze upon o weary peasants:

This is Jeff Garcia's untitled zine, the cover is an old book's page with a screenprint on top. INSIDE feast your eyes upon a marvel of collage and drawings and also a little text. There's even a double sided colour photocopy insert full of flesh toned hues (probably a cannibal). This is a really beautiful zine, which is a total treat for they insides of your eyelids as you are probably accustomed to typewriter text and shitty black and white photocopies, right?

Your Wish is my Demand is by Philip Nynkowski, a friend that moved to Warsaw not too long ago. I'm totally going to sound like a fan here, but there are always a million drawings inside and at first look they can look like scribbles but when you look a tiny bit closer you realize they are the best drawings you've seen in a long time, probably. This one is about S&M mainly and also there's an entire page of tits, and I know you want to look upon such sins.

THIS ZINE is a collaborative zine made by Michael Deforge, Jesjit Gill, Jon Mccurly, Stephanie Hardman, Laura Mccoy and Pierre Richardson, called RAW DRAW. BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THEY DID. They had a drawing party and drew all kinds of funny things and then screenprinted it. The cover is by Zeloot a really amazing Netherlands based artist. My favourite part is the speech bubble that says WALKING INTO THE GREAT ABYSS. which is what we do every single day of our lives. life is a joke.

NEXT REVIEW ISSUE:
ZINES THAT SUCK THAT I HATE AND I WISH YOU WOULD STOP MAKING THINGS

hello again

2008-09-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

So awhile back I decided that I did not care for zines anymore.
Because I am a bad person, I also began telling everyone that zines are dead. However, such things cannot be true. I've come to realize I am a liar and a cheater and a thief so you should probably never trust a word that comes out of my mouth. Regardless, zines aren't actually dead but I'm starting to form the opinion that they should follow in the format of these four zines I am talking about today. These are exceptions to any kind of waste-your-time vibe that some zines give off.

This first zine is almost more of a book. It's called Totems of Tato, by Peter Kalyniuk, an artist that lives in Toronto. I ran into Peter in kinkos a little while back and he gave me this (!), he told me he had been working on this book of drawings for about 7 years (it's amazing) I literally have nothing to say because the only things I can say slash come to mind are all really positive adjectives that most likely reached their peak use around 1989 or so. They are basically the best drawings ever.

This book is really precious to me, and because of this I think it will remain in my possession for the time being. But if you want to look at it I will lend it to you- just let me know. or contact peter at pkalyniuk@hotmail.com he is a great human being and it's probably in your best interest to own a copy of this.

This zine BAD FEELINGS is also by an artist that lives in Toronto, Jimmy Limit. I met him at Dream Zine (the zine fair Jesjit Gill and Laura McCoy put on this summer) and I thought his name was a joke. It sounds like a cartoon character's name, right? um, this zine is one of my favourites, it has nihilistic vibes which are are the best, also his text is great, statements like WHY BOTHER, NOTHING, ROTTING PUTRID INSIDE OUT are next to his photographs of barren landscapes, black silhouettes atop snowbanks and piles of rocks and hooded/faceless figures.

Totally Rad is a zine of artists from all over the world (it even has a little map at the back showing where each artist is from geographically) put together by Errol Richardson and Greg Durrell. I really like this zine but I won't lie, I find the cover distasteful. First of all it's too yellow and looks like an advertisement for fast food or something equally stupid and I just sort of wish it looked different. but whatever. There are drawings and text based things and photographs and patterns.

This zine is by Michael Deforge (another Toronto artist) and it's all JOKES and ONELINERS and it's called Gags.
Michael was telling me that he used to listen to Jurassic Park's theme song every morning to get himself pumped up to draw: this is alternately the best thing I've ever heard and also the most retarded. his zine is really funny though, so I guess maybe I know nothing about the importance of movie soundtracks?

okay and in other news I am going to be putting on a zine fair at OCAD, unsure of the date right now but there will be more about that in the somewhat close future. as always the zine library at OCAD is accepting sumbissions so do not hesitate to stop by with your zines. A quick reminder that the zine library is located right next to the circulation desk of OCAD's library on the second floor of the smaller OCAD building (the entrance is the grange food court so beware there is a lot of good food that could potentially distract from ever reaching the library)

2008-04-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

HEY LITTLE BUDDIES
IT'S SUMMERTIME BASICALLY
TODAY WAS A TROPICAL PARADISE
which means get the fuck out of bed and make something!!
and i will review it and post it here!
you can give me your zines in person- which means drop it in my mailbox where i live and don't expect me to answer the door because i will be sleeping (just kidding i'll invite you in probably)
OR email me pictures of it (aside_@hotmail.com)

here is my address (you can also mail me them)
810 bloor street west
apartment 300
toronto ontario
m6g 1l9

my name is also ALICIA so you can write TO ALICIA on the envelope and that way i will understand and i won't throw the envelope with your life's work into the gutter as usual but instead take it in my loving arms

IF YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOOD FOR YOU

2008-03-10T14:38:00.001-07:00

YOU WILL COME

TRYING

2008-03-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

and failing
and looking at things

and looking at the sky

and then looking at the ground

So last week my friend showed me maybe the best zine I have ever seen, after reading it I realized that I agreed with everything written in it and it reminded me that life is actually great and not a desolate black abyss of doom. I mean nothingness is great and I can appreciate it for all its worth and stare at a piece of cobweb moving back and forth on my ceiling for a really long time but every once in a while you need to get yourself together and this a good zine to read to do this. It is called OUR AWESOME UNIVERSE. but it's not in the zine library. If you want to look at it you will have to comment to say you are actually reading this blog and ask to borrow it. instead I am going to show pictures of a zine that is actually in the library that is ALSO really great and by the same girl, Jessalyn Aaland, it is called Forest & Forest Life, (information you need to know about forests and other things) She has really funny drawings and good stories and really important information about forests, like "if i lived in a forest, i would make a bed out of soft quiet moss which would feel like gentle feathers when i went to sleep. my bed would have to be in a thick grove of ferns where sweet squirrels and deer would come kiss my tender cheeks each night" COME ON! could information get any better/cuter??

"FEELINGS" is by Neelam Kler. this zine makes me think about being at your best friend's house and taking a nap because you don't actually have to talk to them all the time when you are hanging out, like you can try on their clothes or watch blind date seriously and eat all their leftovers even though it's not your house. I feel like all the drawings and words are familiar and I can relate or something because I too have feelings. The cover has a breadtie on the front (!!) which is so great because I love breadties but the picture I had of it didn't work out.

in case you cannot read the tiny text it says
Google image searched myself
all these bitches are ugly
get more famous please

A MIRROR INSIDE A HAT by Errol and Nik

Okay so this was given to me by an old friend who I knew in first year but he got wise and dropped out of OCAD because it is a waste of time. just kidding thanks for paying me for this job guys!!! so this is a collaboration between two friends I assume, although maybe they are sworn enemies I guess that also happens, they have the best drawings of people and contraptions and hamburger mouths and tit necks. I know that maybe it seems like the only zines I want to show are ones of really great drawings but aren't those everyone's favourites anyways?? Does anyone care about political zines or zines about teenage heartbreak? SORRY GUYS, BUT GET REAL

EVERYBODY! EVERYWHERE!

2008-02-25T19:46:00.000-08:00

my wondrous friend Jen Pilles who set up the zine library at Sheridan is hosting a zine fair, GETTAZINE, on March 19th, and you should all come BECAUSE it's going to be great

LIVE MUSIC BY: Mariah Burton, Paul Tjepkma, Sarah D., Jordaan Mason, some guy named Greg and Jonathan Culp

Introduction to Zine Culture workshop at noon!
All day zine sales and activities!
Special guests: Broken Pencil Magazine!

I am looking into organizing a bus trip, once I have figured that out I will post more about that and where to sign up for it, but if you want to come email me! Alicia at aside_@hotmail.com

Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Time: 10:00am - 6:00pm
Location: Sheridan College Trafalgar Campus, (outside the Connexion)
Street: 1430 Trafalgar Road
City/Town:
Oakville, ON

CONTACT: sheridanzinelibrary@gmail.com

dear snow, please stop falling down upon my head.

2008-02-13T12:23:00.000-08:00

No more trekking through frigid winds and snow banks collapsing on top of my head whilst my brittle bones crumble. has anyone else had enough? can we make it through this long winter alive even??
This week I reviewed a couple zines based on maybe many things but mainly how their covers looked.

AMSTERDAM '74
by Liam and Scott Crockard
This pocket sized zine is a father-son collaboration. Scott(father) went to Amsterdam in 1974 when he was 21; Liam (son) being the same age now, lives vicariously through his father's experiences with beautiful full colour collages made up of ticket stubs, photographs, hostel pamphlets and even bits of currency from abroad. but really, you should just look at this zine because it's totally wild.

STENO SESSIONS #1
Melissa Haney
The next zine comes all the way from Ohio. So I can say whatever I want and she probably won't find out and get upset. right? it is kind of angsty but it read easily and told a story that everyone can relate to of hunger pains and/or heartbreak. Mentions of menthol cigarettes, meeting Murphy in WalMart, eating disorders, hating winter, dreams and warnings to never date an actor. My favourite is the poem All In The Season, and under the heading Summertime:
"Ronnie took me the first beach trip I ever enjoyed. I wore a green two-piece bathing suit and fell asleep in his arms on the sand. Two summers before that I threw up everything I ate and cut my arms systematically."

ALMOST AINU
There is no author's name on this zine but I know it's done by a student at OCAD named KARLA. I don't know her last name or anything but maybe this adds to the mystery. The cover is gold foil stamped with the words "almost ainu." Ainu are apparently an ethnic group indigenous to Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. (??) I don't know how this relates to the drawings but there is no other text or explanation. The zine is made up of intricately drawn women connected to bikes and gears and hammers and sometimes feathers and patterns. I think it might be my most favourite zine in the library. NO LIES. it can be your favourite too, I don't mind.

PICTURES!

2008-02-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from the zine library launch, long overdue. We looked at zines and talked about how wonderful zines are and ate some delicious treats and then made a giant group zine together (and a giant mess). thank you for coming everybody!

MONDAY AFTERNOON FUN

2008-02-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

hey everybody,
since the opening of the OCAD zine library, (which was GREAT by the way, thanks for everybody that came out!) we've had tons more wonderful submissions. I thought a blog devoted to these creations was in order. I will be selecting zines from our very own library every week to showcase and review. The library is now also in order, organized into some categories to make browsing a little easier. We have categories in art, music, comics, stories, queer culture, information/DIY, politics and the personal. The top shelf is devoted to new submissions so you can check out the latest entires coming in. I also have copies of the group zine made at the opening available to anyone! Just leave me your email address and you can have your very own copy.