You can see Jon Nalley's full coverage of the Brooklyn Zine Fest at his Social + Diarist Facebook page. 30 of his photos can also be found in the Brooklyn Zine Fest public Flickr pool -- add your photos to the group today!
Here are just a few of Jon's photos from the event:
^ Bar room, by Eric Epstein.
^ Garage space, by Eric Epstein.
^ Cubana room, by Anna White.
Many more photos in our public Flickr pool. Add yours today!
Aijung Kim lives in Richmond, Virginia where she teaches art workshops and makes art, illustrations, and zines. She is inspired by the minutiae of everyday life, nature, her garden, toys, children's books, and comics. Aijung self-publishes lovingly illustrated zines of poetry and personal ramblings through Firefly Blind Press, and she will tell your fortune with a handmade deck of symbolic cards.
Do you have a ritual for when you're getting ready to work? What keeps you focused and happy while you're drawing or making prints?
I made a decision to become a morning person this year, which I've never been before. Getting up earlier helps me get more out of the day. Having a clean desk really helps. I'm working on organization a LOT this year, even reading books about it.Just recently I've been listening to a lot of podcasts about indie comics. Indie Spinner Rack is my favorite, though most of their audio archive is inaccessible now. I just discovered Comix Claptrap which is good, too. It has been very inspiring. I feel very nerdy and specialized when I listen to comix podcasts. I'm also now on the lookout for podcasts about illustrators and children's books, like Escape from Illustration Island.
I was surprised at how different it is to teach children. They are fresh and surprising, but can only focus for short periods of time. I am still figuring out how to make appealing lesson plans for children, but it's fun to show them something new and observe how they think and create. I just love the way children draw. Their lines are so unique. Somehow, most adults lose that when they get older and draw so rigidly.
I enjoy working with adults because most of them are people who are creative but have strayed away due to jobs or time constraints. I think that everyone needs to practice creativity, especially people who are artists at heart but have convinced themselves otherwise. Teaching has really illuminated the way I think of process. There are so many steps involved in creating something that I just don't think about anymore because I've done it for so long, but teaching makes me very conscious about it all. It has also inspired me because I have to make examples of whatever I'm teaching, so I remember how enjoyable it is to make and gives me inspiration for other ideas.
You've lived in New York, Portland, and now Richmond, VA. What can you tell us about your experience living in each of those places from the perspective of a zine-maker and artist?
I purchased my first zines at the MoCCA Fest in NYC from Mark Todd. I don't think I quite understood exactly what zines were (comics? writing? total randomness?), though I loved them. But I wasn't really interested in making my own zines until I moved back to Rochester, NY after college. I formed a Comix Club and one of the members let me borrow Invincible Summer by Nicole Georges (published by Brooklyn Zine Fest exhibitors Tugboat Press). It was interesting to see something that could be sloppy and polished in the same volume.In Portland, Oregon, I was inspired to start a perzine called Minutiae. I was new to the city and I though it'd be cool to write/illustrate all the things I noticed. In Portland I was a bit depressed because of being poor all the time, and I hardly made art at the time. But the city has the best library system and hundreds of comic book artists. I read a LOT of comics from the library.
Richmond has been the best in terms of living and making art. The community is very supportive and I have opportunities to sell my work at craft shows and on consignment quite frequently. They have a great zine fest here. I have been extremely productive here, though I don't make zines as much as I'd like to because of the other projects I work on. But I think that having so much support and interest from others has immensely raised my confidence to keep creating and sharing.
You're primarily a visual artist, but you released your first chapbook-length collection of poems, Non Sense, last November. What advice would you give to other artists who are contemplating a new form?
I've always written poetry. It's hard for me to tell people I'm a poet or writer, though sometimes I write that in descriptions of myself. I haven't felt validated as a writer yet - I'm much more comfortable with visual art. I had a big break-up last summer, and I had this desire to be totally honest and exposed. I went through a bunch of poems that I'd written in the last couple of years to make this chapbook. My ultimate goal was to share it with friends and family, but I haven't gotten around to sending it to many friends yet. The books take a lot of work to hand-bind.I would encourage others to experiment in a new form because I think it's good for the soul. Even if you don't feel 100% confident, I think it's important to be genuine in your interests and know that not everyone may dig your new work. But being an artist is more than just a career, it's part of your personality/lifestyle. Just jump in and don't be ashamed! Plus, you don't have to share the end-product if you don't want to.
The Brooklyn Zine Fest is coming up in less than a month! While our 60+ exhibitors calmly prepare and/or frantically scramble to get ready for the big day, feel free to look around the site for a ton of information about the event. There's the full list of Exhibitors with links to "Meet Your Zine Maker" Q&A segments, the $1,500 in Raffle prizes from Brooklyn-based businesses, Posters and other images for you to re-blog, and more.
You can also Like us on Facebook or re-tweet us if you like, or better yet, come say hi at the Brooklyn Zine Fest on Sunday, April 15th from 11am to 6pm at Public Assembly in Williamsburg. We'll see you there!
Summary: Online shopping, as the name suggests, is a kind of commerce practice that is undertaken over the Internet. Buyers and sellers indulge in trade through electronic media; exclusively the Internet. Online stores are called e-stores or web-stores, where people can select required products from an array of products available.
Online shopping has developed into an extremely efficient marketing tool. Consumers can search for various products in an amazingly convenient manner. All one needs for this is access to a computer, an internet connection, a little time and some patience.
What makes Online shopping the best way possible?
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In addition, many web stores let you do COMPARISONS, i.e. they provide the option to parallel between similar products and compare everything from their price and features to their brands. Online shopping more than anything else saves you from the CROWD. If you have small children this is the best possible way to shop for you.
Furthermore, it is a DISCREET way to shop. You might wish to buy expensive products like jewellery or gifts privately; online e-stores help you in this. Another huge benefit of such purchases is that you can PAY THE WAY YOU LIKE; credit cards, debit cards, cash on delivery…you want it, they have it!
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Chris Piascik is an independent illustrator that has been posting daily drawings on his website for over 4 years. He's been making zines all along the way. His work covers a diverse range of content heavily relying on hand-lettering. Political issues, music, quotes, complaining, and more!
Overall it was a great experience, it's really a confidence booster to see so many people get behind my project. I've wanted to make a book of my drawing for a long time now and it never seemed feasible—the Kickstarter platform made it a possibility.
"Meet Your Zine Maker:" Q&A with Brooklyn Zine Fest 2012 exhibitors.