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