Since the 1930s, zines — pronounced like the second half of "magazine" — have been a way people share information, culture and organize for activism. The pamphlets or booklets, often of mixed sizes and mediums, will be celebrated at this weekend’s fourth annual Zine Fest and Teen Zine Exhibition in Buffalo.
The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, is free and wheelchair accessible. The event is hosted by and located at the WNY Book Arts Center at 468 Washington Street in Buffalo.
Michael Bosworth, the executive director of the WNY Book Arts Center, said zines are a unique way to remember culture at a given moment in time.
"The physical nature of the zine means all these kind of elements have to come together and create this object that you can hold in your hand and doesn't really change," Bosworth said. "So, each year, if you collect zines from a zine fest, it's like you're taking a sampling of what culture is at that moment."
Activists and artists have used zines as a way to share information and their work without publishing barriers. In that same spirit, in addition to viewing or buying zines, attendees can create their own, or even leave one for the Buffalo and Erie County Library to preserve.
Zine Fest will also include a teen exhibition. Robin Lee Jordan, one of the organizers of Zine Fest, has worked with teens to create their own zines throughout the years. She said some of her favorite zines have been the ones from teens.
"Some of my favorite zines are the ones I had them make me. Like, one's just called 'Skulls and Eyelashes,' and it's just different drawings of skulls with eyelashes," Jordan said. "Or my other student made one about how to politely exit a conversation, full of very impractical advice that I love very much."
Bosworth said they originally hoped for around 50 vendors, but the festival has drawn so much attention now they have over 100 artists sharing tables, plus a wait list.
"We still have people on the waiting list that we haven't been able to accommodate," Bosworth said. "So, there will be a huge selection of zines represented from, largely regional, but we have zine makers from Cleveland, Rochester, [Niagara] Falls, even somebody coming in from California."
For those who can’t make it Saturday, the Book Arts Center is also running a Zine Factory, where you can make your own zines, on Friday until 8 p.m.
