On May 18-19, Chicago Zine Fest will present its 9th annual celebration of independent publishers in the Chicago area. Highlights of the two-day festival include a panel discussion and readings on Friday, May 18 and an exhibition day featuring more than 250 exhibitors and interactive workshops on Saturday, May 19. New for this year, CZF will debut a youth area geared toward the next generation of zinemakers.
All events during CZF weekend are always FREE, wheelchair accessible, and open to the public! CZF 2018 will take place over two days: Friday, May 18th for a panel discussion & exhibitor reading, and Saturday, May 19th for our main exhibition. There’s also a ticketed pre-event (a zine library collection tour at DePaul) and an exhibition day after party!
Thursday, May 17th, 2018: DePaul Zine Collection Tour 6:30-8:00 p.m. The John T. Richardson Library @ DePaul University 2350 N. Kenmore Avenue, Rm. 417 (4th floor) Note: this is a free event, however space is limited and all our our spots on EventBrite ticketing have been spoken for. We are hoping to do another tour with DePaul and would love to hear from you if you’re interested! We’re kicking off #CZF2018 with a special pre-fest event! Take a tour of the extensive zine collection that is part of DePaul University Special Collections and Archives. We’ll have the opportunity to peruse a selection of zines from this academic collection and talk with librarians who work with the archive.
Friday, May 18th, 2018: Panel discussion & exhibitor reading 6:30-9:30 p.m at the Institute of Cultural Affairs, 4750 N. Sheridan Road On Speaking Terms: Zines, Librarians and Communities, sponsored by the University of Chicago Library. This panel discussion features local zinester and Chicago Public Library employee Oscar Arriola, Doro of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s zine collection, and Milo from Queer Zine Archive Project (QZAP), and will be moderated by the University of Chicago’s zine archivist, Sarah G. Wenzel. The panelists will discuss how librarians and archivists acquire zines and why, how they shape their collections, the decisions they make every day, and ways that they share zines on ordinary days and through special events. A Q&A will follow. 8:00-9:30pm Exhibitor Readings Zine creators exhibiting at this year’s festival will share stories and comics as entertaining as they are moving. Our readers for this year are Zach Auburn, Shira Mario, Megan M. Metzger, Ariel Chan, Marian Runk, Katie Armentrout, and Cathy Hannah.
Workshop Schedule 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. — CZF Youth Reading: The Next Generation of Zinesters Join the youngest members of the zine community while they show us all up with their zine skills. The reading will be divided into two sections, the first half focused on students currently enrolled in elementary school, followed by readings from teens in junior high and high school. Emceed by educators from our friends at 826CHI!
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. — Chicago Alternative Comics Expo presents ‘Making Comics with The Human Camera’ Learn terms and strategies for framing moments in your comics in a collaborative, interactive workshop led by CAKE organizer and illustrator Jackie Roche! Participants will discuss different ways to frame moments in comics, and look at examples to see how different framing choices change the mood, meaning, and clarity of an image in this all-ages workshop!
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. — Banner-Making with the School of the Art Institute Fabric banners are a durable, transportable way to spread a message, and can be used in protest, as decoration, or as patches to sew onto other pieces. In this hands-on workshop led by students at SAIC, participants will learn about the relevance, importance, and the how-to’s of creating their own personalized fabric banners! 3:00 p.m. –
4:00 p.m. — Everyone is a Support Liaison How can music fans fight sexual violence at concerts and in their own communities? Gain the tools to de-escalate conflict and be more accountable in your everyday life while learning about two Chicago-based organizations — the F12 Network and OurMusicMyBody — who are fighting for safe spaces. Balcony Programming Zine Making // 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Ag47 Collective will be leading zine making around the theme of ‘Notes to Selves’ through collage, illustration, and poetry to craft messages to our past selves. Make Your Own Buttons // 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Join Busy Beaver Button Co. at the activity table to make your own custom buttons.
A Look at the Book Bookbinding for Comics & Zines // 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Learn alternative bookbinding formats such as the butterfly stitch and the accordion fold perfect for comics and zines using tools available at Spudnik Press.
Sticker Making // 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to join staff from The WasteShed, Chicago’s Creative Reuse Resource, for sticker making.
Other Fun Stuff at the Fest Haircuts for Change // all day: Come and get a haircut by fellow zinester Rachael Zalutsky! She’ll have a set of defined hairstyles to pick from. No charge for a haircut; donations are very welcome and will go to Center on Halsted and Girls Rock Chicago.
Reading Room/Introverts’ Zine Swap Take a break from the fest to read some zines, check out our poster wall showcasing art from other zine fests, and relax in the zine lounge. If you’d like to participate in our Introverts’ Zine Swap, leave a copy of your zine in the lounge, and feel free to take a zine left by someone else. Sponsored by University of Chicago Library. Youth Area Tables featuring youth organizations and performers from our youth readings. Youth organizations include: 826CHI, Chicago Public Library / YOUmedia, Lane Tech Zine Club, Ag47 Collective, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Pathways in Education – Ashburn, and The Students of Gallery 37. Located on the first floor directly outside of the workshop room And More!
There will be a photo booth by Glitter Guts, coffee by Colectivo Coffee, a hair styling station by Haircuts for Change, food trucks, a bake sale, and more! Also onsite will be the Read/Write Library’s BiblioTreka mobile bike library and Chicago Books to Women in Prison. Saturday, May 19th 2018:
