Spokane Zine Fest is a one-day event celebrating zines, small press and self-published books, comics, drawings, prints, cards, and other limited-edition works. This year, Spokane Zine Fest will occur on Saturday, May 30th, from 11am to 4pm, and, as always, is free and open to the public—of course, bring money to buy zines and art from the dozens of makers tabling. It really is a genuine and affordable art explosion.
Zines—short for “fanzines,” or fan magazines—are short-run, small-circulation, do-it-yourself booklets. They are typically low-cost to create and are either given away, traded, or sold at low prices. They vary widely in scope and style, can be swiftly hand-drawn and photo-copied, or created with expert technicality using risograph printing or other means.
The accessibility and creativity of zines have made them a counter-cultural tool for decades, employed widely by the science fiction community starting in the 1930s, by organizations such as La Raza and The Black Panthers into the 1970s, and by underground punk and the feminist Riot Grrrl movements into the 1980s and 1990s, respectively.
Excitingly this year, Spokane Zine Fest is paired with a visually stunning “History of Zines” exhibit on the 3rd Floor of the Central Library, created in partnership with the very knowledgeable Nicki at the The Bird’s Nest Zine Library, Instructor Simeon (Sam) Mills and the students of the Eastern Washington University Design Program, and Pollyanne Faith Birge, who has served on boards and committees here and in Portland for various zine, comics, and art festivals such as Terrain. The collaboration shows the impact of zines throughout history, including their connection to Spokane’s punk scene, and their continuing impact and presence in our region as engaging vehicles of art and information.
The exhibit will run through the month of May, culminating in the Spokane Zine Fest event.
Spokane Zine Fest was founded in 2016 by local writers and artists Ian Amberson and Chelsea Martin, and this year is run entirely by Spokane Public Library.
There will also be three Spokane Zine Fest workshops happening this year. The workshops are:
- “Draw and Be Drawn” with Heads Up Portrait Club: 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, Conference Room B
- “Comic Gamez” with Spokane Sequential, 1-2 PM, Conference Room B
- “Self-Portrait Zines” with Splat, 2:30-3:30 PM, Conference Room B
And there will also be an all-ages maker studio run by the Eastern Washington University Design Department from 12:30-3 PM on the 3rd floor stage. This activity can be fun for all ages, with kids and adults alike able to create buttons and their own zines.
Come explore the “History of Zines” exhibit this month at the Central Library and enjoy the wares of the various makers at Spokane Zine Fest on May 30th. It may inspire you to create a zine of your own.
