SF Zine Fest

Women In Publishing

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:18:00 +0000

There's a great panel coming up this Wednesday at Intersection for the Arts that should be quite interesting to zine lovers. Several publishers and editors including Lex McQuilkin, co-founder ArtXX Magazine; Lisa Jervis, co-founder and former editor, Bitch Magazine; and Daisy Hernandez, editor Colorlines Magazine will be discussing the history and current state of feminist publishing as well as the current landscape for women in publishing. Good stuff!

Wednesday, 3/10 7:00 PM • $5-$15 Sliding Scale • Intersection for the Arts • 446 Valencia St. San Francisco, CA 94103

"Out of Place" Art Show @ SPACE Gallery - 3/12

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:45:00 +0000

There's a great art show opening up at SPACE Gallery on Saturday 3/12. In addition to a group show featuring nine artists (including several Zine Fest alumni), "Out of Place" will have a collaborative art battle, live painting, art raffle, zines, comics, and prints from the artists, baked goods from Black Orchid Bakery, tunes by DJ Zaion, and swag bags for the first 25 guests! The art riot starts at 8pm (if you show up earlier you get in free, after 8pm its $3, not bad!) and runs deep into the night... a great chance to have a fun evening out and meet some great local talent. Artists include:

Alexander Shen
Alyss Estay
Eve Skylar
François Vigneault
Haruka Seki
Jonas Madden-Connor
Lavit Sea
Rick Kitagawa
Xiau-Fong Wee

Friday, 3/12 7pm onwards • SPACE Gallery, 1141 Polk Street, SF • $3 after 8pm

Monster Drawing Rally @ Southern Exposure - 3/5

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:49:00 +0000

Beloved (and recently re-opened) art behemoth Southern Exposure is putting on their 10th annual Monster Drawing Rally this Friday, 3/5! Over 130 artists will be drawing live at the show, with art being available for purchase (at the excellent rate of $60 each!) within minutes of a piece's completion... This is one of the most fun, most energetic art events of the year, and the proceeds benefit SOEX's year-round work in promoting Bay Area art and artists. Beer, curbside tacos for sale, and valet bike parking, too!

Friday, 3/5, 6-11pm • Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa St. • Donation $10

Anarchist Book Fair - 3/13 + 3/14

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:57:00 +0000

The Anarchist Book Fair turns 15 this year! One of the best showcases of alternative and political thought in the country, the Book Fair features tons of amazing speakers and programs (from a tribute to the late Howard Zinn to a parenting panel from the folks at My Baby Rides The Shortbus and much more), an exhibit hall full of booksellers and publishers, and a one-night Anarchist Café the Friday before the Book Fair. Admission to everything is FREE! This is definitely a great show for everyone, from self-proclaimed radicals to those who are just interested in exploring political, creative, and cultural energy on display. Look for the SFZF crew there too!

Anarchist Book Fair • SF County Fair BLDG, 9th Ave + Lincoln Way, SF • 3/13 11-6 + 3/14 11-5

Giant Robot Fundraiser

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:42:00 +0000

Giant Robot magazine is facing some rough times right now, and they have put out a call for fiscal support.

One of the greatest zine "success stories", Giant Robot magazine has grown over the course of 15 years from a DIY photo-copied zine to a major indy publication (along with some great stores and galleries). The owner, Eric Nakamura, has been very supportive of the artists he has featured over the years in the mag and the galleries, including tons of zinesters, mini-comic creators, and other DIY visionaries. They've also helped out the SF Zine Fest in the past with monetary and in-kind donations over the years.

Now that they are in need, we thought that we would put the word out there. If you have read and loved the mag in the past, please consider making a donation to help keep Giant Robot publishing. More info is available on their donation page.

Good luck GR!

Maximum Rock 'N' Roll Photo Issue Release Party + Show, 2/12

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

The good folks at Maximum Rock 'N' Roll are coming out with a new issue, #321, and it looks like a winner! A special photo issue, it features the work of over 75 contributors, with tons of amazing photos and great interviews with photographers! But wait, there's more! Our friends at Needles & Pens are hosting a blow-out release party and photo show on Friday, 2/12! Lots and lots of photos! Sure to be amazing!!

Needles & Pens • Friday, 2/12/10, 6pm-9pm • 3253 16th Street, San Francisco

Announcing... SFZF 2010! September 4 + 5, SF County Fair BLDG

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:01:00 +0000

Photo by Doc Pop
It is with the greatest pride that we announce the dates of the 9th annual San Francisco Zine Fest! The SFZF wil take place Labor Day Weekend, September 4 + 5, 2010. We will be returning to the bucolic SF County Fair BLDG in Golden Gate Park for two days of creativity and fun, as we gather over 100 creators and thousands of attendees for a FREE event celebrating zines, small-press comics, and DIY art of all sorts!

We've got big plans this year, including more panels and hands-on DIY workshops, a zine reading room, more vintage zines, satellite events, and other stuff too wild to even mention yet! And of course you'll get the chance to meet and support the efforts of creators from across the West Coast and beyond, with zinesters, printmakers, illustrators, poets, cartoonists, and book artists galore. Join us for an amazing and fun time this Labor Day weekend!

Watch our website for more information as we get closer to the show, and sign up for our mailing list to receive monthly updates on what's certain to be the biggest and bestest Fest ever!

Ryan de la Hoz Zine Release Party- Gallery Heist Friday 2/5

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:18:00 +0000

The very excellent artist Ryan de la Hoz will be bringing out his new zine, Residual Energy, at Gallery Heist this Friday. We here at the SFZF would encourage more zinesters to have release parties for their zines, esp. if that includes free Hamm's beer. Like this one does. Also, framed works and a site-specific installation.

Friday, February 5 at 07:00 PM • Gallery Heist • 679 Geary Street San Francisco

Josh Ellingson Art Show @ Mission: Comics & Art - Sat. 2/6

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:07:00 +0000

There's gonna be a great show of Josh Ellingson's illustrations opening this weekend at Mission: Comics & Art, our favorite new comic shop! Josh is the director of The Local 303 and has his tentacles woven throughout the San Francisco art scene via his many reviews and articles for the web juggernaut Laughing Squid. A great show from a local artist!

Saturday, February 6 at 7:00pm • Mission: Comics & Art • 3520 20th St. Suite B, San Francisco

Cometbus Art Show - Friday, 2/5

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:35:00 +0000

Aaron Cometbus, probably the single most prolific, influential, and widely-read zinester to emerge form the modern zine movement, is finally getting the gallery treatment! The folks at 1-2-3-4 Go! Records will be hosting a retrospective of his past work in Cometbus and beyond, along with some possible new surprises as well. Sure to be awesome!

1-2-3-4 Go! Records • Friday, 2/5, 7:00 -10:00pm • 423 40th Street, Oakland

Indy Euphoria in Sacramento - 1/9 + 1/10

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:33:00 +0000

This weekend will feature the inaugural Indy Euphoria show in Sacramento, an interesting mash-up of the indy comix and vinyl toy worlds... they've got some great special guests from these different facets of the indy/DIY art scene, including Jim Woodring, Jeffery Brown, Tom Neely, Attaboy, and many more, along with lots of creators who will be familiar to Zine Fest goers: PS Comics, Damien Jay, Sparkplug Comics, Jesse Reklaw, Family Style, Susie Cagle, Jason Martin, and more! Workshops, too... including a live/undead zombie drawing session with Mike Hampton & Dan Brereton! What!?!

Indy Euphoria • The Scottish Rite Center, 6151 H Street, Sacramento • Saturday, 1/9 + Sunday, 1/10 • $6/one day $10/both days

"You Are her" Panel Discussion - Sat. 12/12

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:03:00 +0000

Above: Skinned Teen in 1994

The "You Are Her" zine showcase at Goteblüd will be getting an extra dose of awesomeness this weekend with a panel discussion this coming Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 7pm.

Featured speakers:

- Iraya Robles ("Marks in Time", Sta-Prest)
- Bianca Ortiz ("Mestiza", "Mamasita")
- Layla Gibbons ("Drop Babies", "Chimps", Skinned Teen, editor of "Maximum RocknRoll")

Each speaker will talk about their experiences making zines, music and art,
followed by a question and answer session.

This event is FREE and open to the general public. The store will be open
late that day from noon to close of event.

Goteblüd • Saturday, 12/12 7;00pm • 766 Valencia, San Francisco, CA 94110

Bazaar Bizarre - 12/12 + 12/13

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:13:00 +0000

One of the biggest and best-est indie craft fairs out there just got bigger and better-er! The Bazaar Bizarre San Francisco is taking over the SF County Fair BLDG (humble abode of our own fine event!) for two days of crafting craziness... Over 120 carefully juried artists and creators will pack the building with tons of fantastic hand-made prints, jewelry, apparel, soaps, toys, and much more! This year they're also boasting a free Magnolia Photo Booth, the world famous Swap-O-Rama-Rama, and awesome workshops with crafty authors such as Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching. This show is always a ton of fun, and 50% of the admission (a mere $2 for adults) goes to charity. It's a win-win!

• Saturday, 12/12th + Sunday, 12/13 12 – 6 PM • San Francisco County Fair BLDG • 9th Ave. at Lincoln Way, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Handmade Ho-Down this Thursday!

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:55:00 +0000

Get a jump start on your hand-crafted holiday shopping this year at the first ever Handmade Ho Down this Thursday, December 3! This is a nice chance to meet over 55 vendors from around the Bay and support local artists... all while drinking! Admission is free, and the first 150 people in the door will get a free swag bag! Also, this is a great opportunity to help out a fantastic arts charity, Drawbridge... just bring your unwanted art supplies to the show and donate them at the door!

NOTE: The Handmade Ho Down folks are looking a few good volunteers, too! Send them an email at info@handmadehodown.com

• Thursday, 12/3, 6:00pm • Ten15 • 1015 Folsom St,
San Francisco

Cartoon Holiday Boutique - CAM 11/29

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:57:00 +0000

This Sunday, Nov. 29, members of the San Francisco Cartoonist Conspiracy will be setting up at the Cartoon Art Museum to create original one-of-a-kind cards, artwork, and comics & zines for your gift-giving pleasure! This is a great chance to meet some very talented cartoonists, find unique gifts, and support both local artists and the Museum.

Cartoon Art Museum • Sunday, 11/27 • 11:30am - 5:00pm

You Are Her - 90s Riot Grrl Zines @ Goteblüd, 11/20

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:31:00 +0000

Our pals over at Goteblüd are putting on "You Are Her", an expansive show celebrating Riot Grrl and the underground female zines of the 1990s for the next month! They will have over 700 (!) groundbreaking zines and other publications from the era available for your reading pleasure, along with a cassette listening station. They even have a photocopier on site!

The show opens Friday, 11/20 from 7-9pm, and continues every weekend from 12 - 5 until mid-January. If you haven't made it over to Goteblüd yet, it's definitely worth it, they have a tremendous collection of vintage small-press publications, from hard-core and punk zines to mini-comics and old-school sci-fi fanzines! Amazing stuff!

Opening Friday, November 20th 2009, from 7-9pm • 766 Valencia between 18th/19th, San Francisco

Zine Mart Opening - Friday the 13th - BAM/PFA

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:03:00 +0000

All of us here at the Zine Fest are truly excited about the upcoming Zine Mart at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA)! Brought to you by the folks at the Rock Paper Scissors collective, this two-week long event features zines and other small-multiple artworks for sale, the RPS Zine Library's collection, and specially commissioned ‘zines and multiples from Bozidar Brazda, Kamao Patton, Marc Arthur, Vanessa Albury, Tammy Rae Carland, Taravat Talepasand, Joseph Akel, Isaac Valdez, and many more!

The opening reception on Friday, November 13th (7:00pm) includes a Q + A with artists Ari Marcopoulos and Paul Schiek.

The Zine Mart runs from November 13 - 22, during normal museum hours. Definitely check it out and support the fantastic creative community of the East Bay!

TONITE! Make a Zine Event @ Booksmith

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:09:00 +0000

We just found out about this delightful event tonight at Booksmith, so if you can make it, go! Looks fun!

When: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6
Time: 6:00-7:30 PM
Where: The Booksmith / 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco

At this event, authors Arne Johnson (documentary film maker of Girls Rock!) and Karen Macklin (author and editorial director of Zest Books) will take attendees through the process of making a real, DIY zine. Participants will actually create their own zine, which will be available for collaborators to retrieve at Booksmith in the coming weeks!

Nikki McClure Art Show @ Needles & Pens

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:52:00 +0000

Nikki McClure's work is somehow both tranquil and invigorating; it serves as call to action to preserve the pleasures of simple living in an often crazy world. If you know Nikki's work but you've never seen it in person, you really ought to drop by her new show at Needles & Pens... her hand-cut works on paper have a wonderful tactile quality which an't be captured on the printed page. She doesn't have many shows, so definitely pop by Needles & Pens sometime this month!

The "Revive" show features work from her new 2010 calendar and her new children's book, "All In A Day". The show runs from 11/6 to 12/8A reception will be held on Firday, 11/6 @ 6:00pm, and Nikki will be in attendance.

Needles & Pens
3253 16th Street, San Francisco

Rad Dad 15 Release Party - 11/6

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:27:00 +0000

One of our favorite and most stalwart Bay Area zinemakers, Tomas Moniz, will be having a release party for the newest issue of his fantastic radical parenting zine, Rad Dad #15! There's going to be music and of course readings by several of the anthology's writers on the joys and frustrations of being a parent... It's a great chance to meet some fantastic folks, raise money for independent publishing, and build community in the Bay Area!

Friday, 11/6 at 7:00pm
Book Zoo
6395 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland

Best of the Fests Panel

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:18:00 +0000

François made it out to Indy Arts' "Best of the Fests" panel discussion last night, hosted by Mission Comics & Art. Although he initially went as an audience member, when one of the panelists couldn't make it because of the cable snapping on the Bay Bridge (!?!), he was asked to pitch in as a panelist! The other participants were Therese Davis, founder of the Songbird Festival, and Christian Cunningham of the Bay Bridged and Rock Make. The event was moderated by Josh Wilson of Indy Arts.

If you'd like to take a listen to our extended discussion, click here or on the player below for audio. It was really fun to chat with other festival organizers, we definitely got some good ideas out of the night!

NY Art Book Fair Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:51:00 +0000

My trip to New York for my friends' nuptials coincided nicely with the annual NY Art Book Fair, so of course I had to make time in my vacation schedule to check it out. The NY Art Book Fair was FREE and open to the public. This was their fourth year overall, but their first in the lovely and expansive galleries of P.S. 1 in Queens.

Despite a torrential downpour (and a remarkably engineered tent which rhythmically launched a waterfall of rain onto the staircase leading into the event, making Fair-goers carefully time their ascents, Super Mario-style), the Art Book Fair was incredibly well-attended, with hundreds of artists, art lovers, collectors, and other folks crowding into P.S. 1's labyrinthine assortment of galleries. The combination of the large crowds and the oppressive humidity made some of the gallaries truly unbearable, I'd be chatting with a zinester about their work and would inevitablly have to excuse myself because I was about to drip sweat all over them. But the press of the crowd made for a truly exciting experience, it felt more like an uber-hip, see-and-be-seen art show than a a run of the mill festival.

There was a remarkable diversity of work on display at the show, from zines to to stalwart art mags (Art Forum, Cabinet) to gorgeous (and presumably rare) art books and prints from the likes of Richard Prince. Given the overwhelming amount of stuff on display and my natural predilictions, I mostly perused the small-press zines and other publications, many of which were located in Friendly Fire, a curated selection of artists who self-publish their works. Even so, I couldn't spend enough time to check out even a portion of what I wanted to.

I loved this "wall o' zines" in (I think) the Friendly Fire gallery: Dozens of publications on pegs, ready to be perused. This is a pretty neat solution to displaying small pamphlets, and maybe we'll use it next year (the SFZF is thinking about having a sort of zine "reading Room" where attendees can read publications at their leisure, then be directed to the creator to purchase the works if they are intrigued).

There were lots and lots of big, beautiful displays of prints and zines crawling up the walls, which made for some nice, punk-rockish aesthetics. Many of the creators were giving some sort of print of broadsheet out for free, so I imagine that lots of kitchenettes in Williamsburg now have big, free art adorning their walls, hopefully reminding the occupants year round of the DIY creators they encountered at the Fair.

I loved this gentleman, who had a full on mini production studio going on at his table!

There were lots of screen-printers and other "fine arts" type folks there, like the kids from the collective Cinders Gallery. I'd love to attract more of this demographic to exhibit at the SFZF in future years. We've been bouncing the idea of having a SFZF juried art show for the past couple of years, and maybe we will get it together this year!

All in all the NY Art Book Fair was really inspiring for me, and made me think even more about ways to evolve and change the festival paradigm in general and the SF Zine Fest in particular. The sky's the limit!

- François Vigneault

24 Hour Comic Book Day 10/3-10/4

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:06:00 +0000

Some of you might have heard about 24 Hour Comics Day, an annual event where comics creators of every ability level are challenged to write and draw a full 24-page comic in 24 hours straight... it's a pretty awesome concept, forcing a creator to work through the sometimes crushing self-doubt and second-guessing that can keep one from putting pen to page and just getting it done. This year, two local comic shops, Mission: Comics and Art and The Comic Outpost, along with the San Francisco Cartoonist Conspiracy, will be hosting all-night events where you can check out cartoonists in the midst of their 24 hour marathon (there might be room for some more participants, too, but contact the venues first). Mission: Comics has a list of their participating cartoonists online, and it is chock full of Zine Fest exhibitors, including Doc Pop (creator of the flyer above), Matt Delight, and Miromi, one of our intrepid Zine Fest organizers! Swing by and give 'em some support!

P.S. Quick editorial: 24 Hour Comics Day might want to reconsider having "Bawls" be their official energy drink sponsor. Just saying.

SFZF @ Expo for Independent Arts 9/26

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:14:00 +0000

photo by Larry Bob

The SFZF will be at the 10th annual Expo for Independent Arts, a fantastic outdoor show & tell for arts organizations of all stripes. We'll have a powerhouse collection from our SFZF zine and mini-comic library to read, recommended reading lists, tips for aspiring zinesters, and more! It's a really fun and eclectic showcase for the vibrant and multi-faceted Bay Area arts scene, from modern dance and chamber music! The Expo also boasts lots and lots of other zine-related exhibitors, such as Rad Dad, Manic D Press, RE/Search, 1984 printing, 16th and Mission Comix, Last Gasp, and more... It's like a little mini-Zine Fest

Saturday, September 26, 2009, 11 a.m.-6 p.m, at the Golden Gate Park Music Concourse, between the DeYoung Museum and the Academy of Science.

The Guttenberg Release Party - 9/19 @ Book Zoo

noreply@blogger.com (François Vigneault) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:28:00 +0000

Our pals from the Gutenberg magazine are having an official release for their new issue, which Zine Fest attendees got a sneak peek of... always good stuf from these kids! It's at the fabulous Book Zoo in Oakland (which we've been meaning to check out anyway), and there's going to be music by Yellow Souls and Der Baum. Saturday, September 19 at 7 pm, Book Zoo 6935 Telegraph Ave.