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Interview with a Zinester: From the Root Zine!

This interview is with the wonderful editors of From the Root, “a Canadian zine dedicated to showcasing writing and art work by women of colour and Indigenous women.” Read on for words from Whitney French, Josiane Anthony H., and Medgine Mathurin!

FromtheRooteditors_whitney — Editor Whitney holding up an issue of From the Root.

Kindly give us a short description of yourself and the work you do.

We are From the Root Zine, a Canadian zine dedicated to showcasing writing and art work by women of colour and Indigenous women navigating through this land called Canada in the skin they are in. From the Root Zine seeks to counteract the lack of publications from authors and visual artists of colour in literary magazines and gallery spaces. Although taking the form of a zine, From the Root attempts to stand out beyond the cut and paste tradition of DIY zines and bridge the gap between a punk zine aesthetic and the so-called prestigious literary journal.

How did you get introduced to zines? Were you influenced by anyone?

Good question. We are new zinesters, so we came to understand zines semi-recently. It’s hard to pin-point the first zine moment, but zines made their way on our radar through a natural hunger for reading. From the Root Zine is heavily inspired by the classic Evolution of a Race Riot by Mimi Thi Nyguen, a monster of a compilation by WOC who dissect the riot grrrl scenes in the US. We wanted something that reflected the unique experiences for WOC in Canada.

FromtheRooteditors_josiane — Editor Josiane holding up an issue of From the Root.

What does it mean to do “feminist zine-making”? Does feminism appear in your work (explicitly or implicitly)?

“Feminist Zine Making” means putting female voices at the forefront. From the Root is intentionally here for women of colour, period. Many times people’s definitions of feminism excludes such perspectives. To us, its impossible to address feminism without talking about the intersectionality of race, ethnicity, (dis)ability, status, sexuality, it just doesn’t work. Marginalization is marginalization no matter how radical people think they are. So feminist zine making mean inclusivity at all costs, without tokenism or water-downed representation.

What is your favorite zine or piece of mail art? Do you like any specific style/part of a zine?

Favourite zine is a tough one! Obviously we are big fans of Evolution of a Race Riot, but we also love big boots, truly our first experience with Canadian zines for and by (trans)women of colour, Sea Witch by Clemetine Morrigan, Existenz by Hoda, another classic FIRE!! Devoted Younger Negro Artists, featuring Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, which is truly at the root of our literary-meets-zine manifesto. Umm there’s also Margins Zine, Impossibles on Blackness, and I know I’m missing someone. OMG of course MIXD: A Mixed Race Compilation Zine edited by Cinder. There are others, but its a start.

FromTheRooteditor_medgine — Editor Medgine holding up an issue of From the Root.

If you could sum up your zinester life in a kitchen appliance, what appliance would it be?

We are an oven. We take the raw materials, heat things up, HOT, HOT, HOT! then with time and patience (sometimes more time than we anticipate) we bake the goods. We are an oven for sure.

Finally, who are some of the other zinesters you’re excited to see at this year’s feminist zine fest?

Taken Spaces: Black Lesbians Against White Aesthetics is kinda like our US sheros. We’ve been admiring their work from a far and we hope to meet the people behind the work. We’re also huge fans of Bluestockings, the first bookstore to hold our zine (big up!), they do incredible work. Tenacious Zine looks beyond radical and we’re about empowering women writers in prison so they’d be great folks to meet.

Interview with a Zinester: Katherine Arnoldi!

Katherine Arnoldi was kind enough to provide us with the material for this next interview – check out their rad artwork and answers below!

Drawing of a long-haired parent holding a baby in swaddling.

Kindly give us a short description of yourself and the work you do.

I created a cartoon zine of the story of my struggle to go to college as a teenage mother and copied and compiled it for many years, handing it, along with FAFSA forms and college applications, out at the Charas Community Center on the Lower East Side, where I had a “Single Mom College Program” in the early 90’s. I had a library of college guides, SAT Prep books and many other resources at Charas. We, Chino and the late Armando and others from Charas, often went to neighborhood street fairs where I also passed out the zine and materials. I also took the zine, FAFSA forms and applications to GED programs, neighborhood centers and homeless shelters. The Amazing True Story of a Teenage Single Mom was picked up and published by Hyperion in 1998 as a graphic novel. It will soon be re-printed by Greymalkin Press. I also make other zines, Thanks, Mom and one about globalization issues, Clara Comes Down to Earth. I am always drawing.

How did you get introduced to zines? Were you influenced by anyone?

When I started making my zine, I did not know of other work, though I was later inspired by the cartoonists on the Lower East Side where I lived, such as David Sandlin, Seth Tobacman, James Romberger, Margaurite Van Cook, Sabrina Jones (WW3 and Girl Talk) and many others. I was happy to be included in many WW3 issues. Later I learned of China Marten’s The Future Generation, Trina Robbins (Mama Dramas) and Joyce Farmer’s (Tits and Clits) work in California. Trina Robbins included my work in a show and book, Women Cartoonists of the U.S., which traveled throughout Europe and I met other great cartoonists such as Posy Simmonds from London. I also knew of Art Spiegelman’s Maus, though I did not read it until many years after my graphic novel was published.

What does it mean to do “feminist zine-making”? Does feminism appear in your work (explicitly or implicitly)?

The Amazing True Story of a Teenage Single Mom just simply tells one story but it certainly shows that young mothers often have difficulty finding and maintaining equal access to education. For example, in New York City, there are 11,000 new teenage mothers every year, but the LYFE program for child care at New York City high schools cannot serve anywhere close to all who need it.

Finally, who are some of the other zinesters you’re excited to see at this year’s feminist zine fest?

I am hoping to see China Martens with a new issue of Future Generation and Victoria Law with Tenacious: Art and Writing from Women in Prison at the Feminist Zinefest this year.

Check out our exciting new poster!

Ooh, the talented Slim Lopez made this cool poster for the Feminist Zinefest…

Feel free to share/post far & wide! 🙂

Interview with a Zinester: Cam!

Montreal-based Cam gives us our next interview with a zinester (and textile artist)!

CamPhoto — Photo of a person’s torso and legs wearing leopard print shoes on icy ground holds a bucket with a leopard print strip of tape and a pink-bristled broom.

Kindly give us a short description of yourself and the work you do.

I am a textile artist and I live in Montreal (unceded Kanien’kehà:ka & Algonquin territories), Canada. My work is focused on feminist street art, indigenous resistance and decolonization. I am part of the mother daughter duo called Angora (angoramontreal.weebly.com). We realize textiles projects and installations (knitting and sewing). Recycled materials and environmental issues are very important for us, is a form of social and politic engagement. I’m also one of the organizer of Decolonizing Street Art : Anticolonial Street Artists Convergence (decolonizingstreetart.com). This project fosters the idea of bringing together street artists of indigenous and settler origins and build an artistic community of shared anticolonial values. Finally, I study art history and women’s studies.

How did you get introduced to zines? Were you influenced by anyone?

I was introduced to zines by collecting comics. After that, I became interested illustrators, small press and I started going to zines fairs. We have an important small press fair in Montreal called Expozine with a lot of nice zinesters but my favorite zine fair is the Montreal Anarchist bookfair.

What does it mean to do “feminist zine-making”? Does feminism appear in your work (explicitly or implicitly)?

I think the feminist zines give a voice to the marginalized and racialized people and also to focus on political issues that are invisibilized. For example, I participated in the OFF MuralEs zine (offmurales.tumblr.com) which allowed the feminist street artists to express themselves, including on sexism in street art scene in Montreal. I think feminism appear explicitly and implicitly in my work! I reappropriate a medium (sewing) that was associated with the private sphere to affirm my feminist and political messages in the street.

What is your favorite zine or piece of mail art? Do you like any specific style/part of a zine?

The first zines that I’ve read are those of the artist Julie Doucet. Recently I fell in love with Dumb, Georgia Webber’s zines series. I love zines about anxiety, friendship, graffiti / street art, decolonizing relationships, social class issues and Indigenous struggles. I also like to collect mini zines!

If you could sum up your zinester life in a kitchen appliance, what appliance would it be?

My smoothie mixer that I use every morning. Fresh and powerful!

Finally, who are some of the other zinesters you’re excited to see at this year’s feminist zine fest?

Honestly, I’m so excited to see all the zinesters because it’s my first time at the feminist zine fest!

Interview with a Zinester: Rachel Davies!

Our next interview is with founding editor of Pop Culture Puke, Rachel Davies! Check out their website here.

Rachel Davies, blond and with square black-framed glasses, looks away from the camera. — Rachel Davies, a brunette with large-framed glasses, looks away from the camera at an eatery.

Kindly give us a short description of yourself and the work you do.

My name is Rachel Davies and I edit Pop Culture Puke, a zine and website. When I founded Pop Culture Puke I envisioned it as a space for young women to discuss pop culture in a way that doesn’t trivialize it. Although certain articles still involve this original conception, PCP has evolved as we now have a broad range of work including poetry, personal essays, photography, etc.

How did you get introduced to zines? Were you influenced by anyone?

I was introduced to zines my then favourite comic book artist posted links to his zines to Tumblr. I began buying zines on Etsy, but didn’t really think about making my own until reading a Rookie article about it. I began making my own lil’ zines of screenshots from Hey Arnold and quotes from my favourite books after that, but Pop Culture Puke is the first zine that I’ve made with a purpose.

What does it mean to do “feminist zine-making”? Does feminism appear in your work (explicitly or implicitly)?

In my opinion, feminist zine-making is about empowering other women through supporting their art and creativity. Feminism appears implicitly in Pop Culture Puke.

What is your favorite zine or piece of mail art? Do you like any specific style/part of a zine?

It’s really difficult to pick a favourite zine! I just read the fifth issue of Filmme Fatales and I’d have to say that that’s my favourite zine right now. I’ve only had it for a week but I’ve reread it a couple times already. There is an even balance of writing and illustration in the zine, which is what I try to focus on when editing Pop Culture Puke.

If you could sum up your zinester life in a kitchen appliance, what appliance would it be?

The appliance would have to be a blender! I think that collaborating on a project, mixing different perspectives together, is a lot more gratifying than doing a project on my own. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve worked on zines on my own but I’ve never felt nearly as proud of those zines as I do of Pop Culture Puke.

Finally, who are some of the other zinesters you’re excited to see at this year’s feminist zine fest?

I don’t know many of the zinesters at this year’s feminist zine fest so I am excited to see everyone, but particularly Suburban Blight, Sy Abudu of Slash Zine, and Caroline Tompkins.

Interview with a Zinester: Nyxia Grey!

Next up to bat for our rad zinester interviews is Nyxia Grey! After you’ve read Nyxia’s responses, you can check out their zines over at their Etsy shop or get in touch at everythingisfinezine@gmail.com.

Nyxia holding up a black and white cat as another black furry creature walks out of frame.

Kindly give us a short description of yourself and the work you do.

I am a research librarian and the zine librarian at a small liberal arts college for women. I write a perzine called “Everything.is.Fine.” which addresses feminism, body politics, eating disorders and recovery, taking up space, sexual consent, grief, and other ramblings from my life. I also create collages, write poetry and short stories, make magickal candles, and construct jewelry made from Salem, MA beach glass. I am active in the Violence Prevention and Educational Outreach community at the college, work closely with Sociology and Women and Gender Studies students, lead a zine group called “To the Front” that focuses on craftivism and zines, and do workshops around campus on the power of zines.

How did you get introduced to zines? Were you influenced by anyone?

I was first introduced to zines around 1993 with the zine “The I hate Brenda Newsletter” by Deborah Romeo. It totally blew my mind that someone (a girl!) could write what they felt and disseminate it. I started my own zine called “Smashed Louie” junior year of high school and was promptly suspended from school senior year for disseminating it. All this experience really did was prove to me that not only were zines powerful, but that a girl’s voice could institute change. I have been creating zines on and off since that time.

What does it mean to do “feminist zine-making”? Does feminism appear in your work (explicitly or implicitly)?

Feminism is in everything I do and create. ‘Feminist zine-making’ for me is the creation of space where feminists (all genders) can feel safe and inspired to discuss and explore the world around them, to produce work that reflects all forms of protest against the patriarchy and –isms, and also to provide an avenue for gender equality to flourish. It might start simply in print but my dream is that one day soon that ink will bleed over into the physical world around us.

What is your favorite zine or piece of mail art? Do you like any specific style/part of a zine?

Pinning down a favorite zine is like asking me what my favorite song is! It cannot be done. My current ‘favorite’ totally depends on where my headspace is at. Some zines that have really impacted my life in a positive way are “ANAlog: dispatches of d.i.y. anorexia recovery” by Ponyboy Violet, “Brainscan 21: irreconcilable differences” by Alex Wrekk, “Piece #6: on commuting” by Nichole, and “All I Want is Everything” by Caitlin.

The zines I most enjoy reading are perzines simply because I like the intimate connection that is formed between creator and reader. It is such a unique experience that is only really found in this medium. I know firsthand that you can literally read your way to healing by stepping into these intimate written spaces.

If you could sum up your zinester life in a kitchen appliance, what appliance would it be?

The first thing that came to mind was my Soda Stream. I like taking something and infusing it with my own creativity to make it something different. Not necessarily better but enhanced, hyped up, jazzed. I approach my writing and collage work in this way. How can I take an idea, a thought, a feeling, and amp it up so that it has more power, more of an impact. How can I turn this into frizzante that compliments all that I represent.

Finally, who are some of the other zinesters you’re excited to see at this year’s feminist zine fest?

Jenna Freedman, Kate Larson, Emma Karin, and Joyce Hatton. The zines produced by their zinesters have been used in a few of the classes I do workshops for in Sociology and Women and Gender Studies. It will be rad to finally meet them.

Interview with a Zinester: Kate Angell!

Interview with a Zinester: Kate Angell!
We’re resurrecting our Interview with a Zinester series to get you pumped up for this year’s Fest! Check out this interview with the lovely, Kate Angell.

KateAngellPhoto — A lovely red-headed Kate Angell hugs a white labrador in front of trucks.

Kindly give us a short description of yourself and the work you do.

I’m an academic research librarian and split my writing time between journal articles about library instruction and zines mostly about artists whose work has transformed my life. Zines play a pretty big role in both my personal and professional lives. I have experience starting zine collections at academic libraries and am currently making a zine about college level research for students that I teach. My most recent zine is a psychobiography of the musician Nico, a complex and complicated person whose voice, words, and harmonium jolt and lull me. I also consider this zine the product of some of my finest research and writing. My next zine will probably be a split zine about Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie, because they’re my sisters of the moon and I want to be with them everywhere.

How did you get introduced to zines? Were you influenced by anyone?

In college I dated someone who made zines and had also amassed an impressive collection of zines. I remember looking through a huge pile of her zines and feeling really enthralled, especially by the zines with Riot Grrrl inspired themes. I was hooked from this moment on, although it would be several years before I created my own zine. The biggest influence on my zinemaking has come from Riot Grrrl fandom and culture. In 2009 I had the privilege of helping to process Kathleen Hanna’s zine archive, an experience which greatly inspired me artistically and in general. I’m also very inspired by NYCFZF organizer Elvis Bakaitis- this talented zinester/comic artist’s series “Homos in Herstory” is brilliant! Elvis created the covers and additional art for almost all of my zines.

What does it mean to do “feminist zine-making”? Does feminism appear in your work (explicitly or implicitly)?

I refrained from making zines for quite some time because I didn’t consider myself talented enough to produce these artifacts. Writing has always been one of my strengths, but I was pretty intimidated by making such a creative object, particularly the layout and illustrations. For me the moment I engaged in feminist zinemaking was when I stopped being afraid of these thoughts and shelved my self doubts in favor for artistic freedom and expression. My own experience as a feminist zinester is harnessing the courage and empowerment to translate my thoughts into action, with the hope that my zine(s) will bring a spark of magic or empathy to another person’s day.

What is your favorite zine or piece of mail art? Do you like any specific style/part of a zine?

My all time favorite zine is Bikini Kill #2, my copy is pretty tattered from years of consultation! Also, everything I’ve ever read by Cindy Crabb has been beautiful and I wish every teenager was automatically given a copy of at least one of her zines.

If you could sum up your zinester life in a kitchen appliance, what appliance would it be?

Does a spork count as a kitchen appliance? I enjoy how they’re both creative and wildly practical at the same time, two traits which I wish to see my zines embody. Plus, I bring a spork to work every single day for my lunch so this item is generally present when I’m working on zine related projects in my office.

Finally, who are some of the other zinesters you’re excited to see at this year’s feminist zine fest?

You know, I haven’t been to many zine fests in the past couple years, so a lot of the names on your blog are new to me, which is exciting! Stephanie Basile is a longtime friend and we actually met eight years ago through her zine Suburban Blight, so I’m delighted to read its new issue! I work at a university with strong health sciences programs, so I’m really looking forward to checking out Anna Melton’s zine about becoming a nursing assistant- and I’m intrigued by the title of Sarah McCarry’s zine Glossolalia.

Stay tuned for more!

Meet your (Feminist Zine Fest) Makers!

February 28th at 7pm EST

Bluestockings Bookstore: 172 Allen St, New York NY 10002

Are you as excited about NYC Feminist Zinefest as we are? Can’t wait to get to hang out and read zines about things like punk music, body positivity, the intersection of gender, sexuality, and race, literature with trans women characters, and cats – all from a feminist perspective? Then come get a special preview with a zine reading at one of our favorite DIY feminist community spaces, Bluestockings! This reading will feature the works of the organizers of NYC Feminist Zinefest, who have been trying our best to make this year’s Fest a fun space that is as safe as possible for the marginalized people so frequently excluded by misogyny, racism, and transmisogyny even in many zine-making communities.

You’ll be hearing readings by:
-Jordan Alam
-Emma Caterine
-Jenna Freedman
-Elvis B.
-Rachel Casiano Hernandez

ABOUT BLUESTOCKINGS: Bluestockings is a volunteer-run feminist DIY bookstore and coffee shop located on the Lower East Side. Donations are what make the space possible, so make sure to give if you can! All events are donation-only and one happens almost every day of the year. The cafe has vegan treats and serves Zapatista Coffee, made by cooperatives in Chiapas under the Zapatismo ideology.

SPACE ACCESSIBILITY: Most of the space is accessible with the unfortunate exception of the bathroom (not wheelchair accessible).

We’d love to see you there!