In a world where the chokehold of digital publishing is slowly tightening its grip, holding a real magazine—with its glossy photos, freshly pressed smell and stubborn pages that refuse to become un-stuck—is a refreshing change of pace. With the disappearances of our favorite bookstores (Borders, may you rest in peace), finding a carbon copy of any written document is an arduous task. But the Chicago Zine Festival 2012 will celebrate those media purists who refuse to let the digital age pry their freshly pressed novels from their determined, paper cut-ridden hands.
So, what is a zine? It’s a self-published magazine with diverse content; a zine could contain anything from music news to fashion tips to drawings—the possibilities are limitless. The Zine Fest’s purpose is to celebrate the creativity and ingenuity of these driven, creative publishers. Spanning over two jam-packed days, there is a lot to celebrate.
The 3rd Annual Chicago Zine Fest will bring together independent zine publishers and collectors alike from all over the country together for one weekend devoted to this exciting, proprietary medium. Aside from zine exhibits and lectures, there will be a wide selection of workshops to attend. And for the attendees who are looking for a break from zine reading and publishing talk is a DIY film festival featuring several 30-minute films.
The festival will begin on Friday, March 9th with a discussion on women in self-publishing at Columbia College’s Conaway Center. Later that evening will be multiple zine readings sponsored by non-profit organization 826CHI. The night commencing at the notorious Quimby’s Bookstore, where there will be the “2012 Spring Zine Olympics.”
The second and final day of the festival on March 10th will feature a 7-hour zine exhibition occupying 8 floors of Columbia College’s Conaway Center. The exhibition will showcase over 150 different zines, self-published books, mini-comics and many other interesting mediums. The items will be available for both sale and trade. The day will also offer a DIY film festival, workshops, discussion panels, and many more enticing attractions.
Not only does the Chicago Zine Fest pay due homage to self-made publishers and zine addicts, but it also unifies the Chicago art community. The Chicago Zine Festival celebrates those who choose to take art into their own hands, not wait around for a publisher to knock on their doors. Zines are about putting your art in a public forum when it otherwise would have been collecting dust in your dresser drawer. It’s a physical representation of creativity, passion and devotion, all neatly arranged for all to see within the contents of a tangible magazine.
All events are free and open to the public, more information can be found at chicagozinefest.org