Symposium, riot fest, ssr, stuff

Things have been busy! The Portland Zine Symposium is this weekend and I feel like I have had a meeting every other day! I missed the 24 hour Zine Challenge last weekend. I hear they had live streaming video and chatted with folks from ZAPP who were also having a zine challenge i nSeattle. That’s pretty rad! I thought that if  Iwent my body wouldn’t be able to recover for this weekend. Last year I was super sick at the symposium so I’m not letting that happen again!

I was interviewed by someone from Reading Local about the Symposium and Stolen Sharpie Revolution here. It was a pretty good interview with some questions I have never been asked before, which is refreshing!

My sister asked me to go to Riot Fest in Chicago with her in October. I bought tickets for Paul and I to go. I figure I’ll jsut stop off there on my way to Halifax for my zine residency at the Anchor Archive. My sister and I are most excited to see The Dead Milkmen! I never got to see them. I was 12 or 13 the last time they played in Utah and my mom wouldn’t let me go to shows then. It will be so awesome to go with my sister and it will be cool to see Screeching Weasel, another band I have never been able to see live. Looking at the line up though it seems like such a dude fest. What really can you expect from that genre of music. I guess it just shows me how far away I have gotten from it but that it still holds a special place in my heart.

Anyway, Today I have to put together the program for the symposium, finish a rush button order and go grocery shopping with Paul. Paul has a house show tonight with his new band the Tagalongs withour housemate Marc. I have been hearing them practice in the basement and I really like them! I just hope that I can get all my work done so that I can go!

Hey, wanna do me a favor? Go to the Amazon page for Stolen Sharpie Revolution and write a nice review of my book, I mean, if you happen to like it. Or walk into any book store and order it with this ISBN 978-0981794105. With and ISBN you can order any book in the world. It is sort of magical, especially because it doesn’t have to be a barcode!

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The Zine Symposium starts in 1 week!

The Portland Zine Symposium starts one week from today! We pretty much have our workshop matrix sorted an dare working on tabling placement next week after we know who has dropped out and who is staying and whatnot.

I spenta  few hours yesterday driving around in rush hour traffic doing pick ups and shipping for items the symposium needs with fellow organizer Katie. I think we have most of what we need for symposiumn and for the 24 hour zine challege that is happening at Cosmic Money Comics this Saturday. We also have received several awesome donations.

On top of all that it seems that everyone wants buttons and they want them right now. I made 1,000 buttons on Tuesday and 900 buttons yesterday. people seem pleased with how quickly I have been getting them out but I don’t want to leave anything to chance when I know how much of a time suck the symposium is going to be next week.

I have been asked to take part in the IPRC‘s writing and comics certificate program. There is more information about it here and the Mercury even wrote a bit about it here. It is basically a year long course in publishing writing and comics. I’m going to be turning Stolen Sharpie Revolution into a lesson plan with the help of my mom. I’m hoping I can pull a lesson plan together with the spirit of SSR that there is no wrong way to make a zine and that my instruction is just a jumping off point. I think it should work out awesomely! Get in touch with the IPRC if you are interested in the courses.

Ok, back to button making!

Oakland, Santa Rosa, SSR stickering and Mini-stonehenge.

Greetings from Santa Rosa, California!

Yesterday Paul and I flew down to Oakland, got a car and drove to 1984 Printing and spent about 3.5 hours hand stickering 2,000 copies of Stolen Sharpie Revolution with ISBN barcodes then carted them over to AK Press. Then we loaded the remaining 1,000 copies in the rental car, picked up a sewing machine at Jess’s parents’ house in Freement and headed north…. where we proceeded to get lost looking for Russian River Brewing.

Now I’m sitting outside a coffee shop while Paul has gone on a bit of a walk while we wait for thew brewery that everyone told us to check out opens so we can fill our growlers (fancy word for beer jug) and get on the road north. We hope to hit up Anderson Valley Brewery and North Coast before we hit Arcata tonight.

I guess this trip was business now turned pleasure! It’s a good thing too because out of the first shipment of SSRs that I got 2 months ago there are less than 50 left!

On the solstice my sister and I went to fake stonehenge. It is really a small scale stonehenge on the Columbia River in washington. We drove out there with her dog Coda and marveled at the silliness… we also realized that we were at the real Stonehenge 14  years earlier with our family. I thought Avesbury was cooler, but no body is going to build a fake Avesbury.

Here are some photos. This is Webly, Coda and I:

Webtar, Coda and I

Mini Stonehenge, or Minihenge as my siser and took to calling it.

A Spaceman who was also visiting Menge. Webly and I hid behind stones to take photos of him.

Moar.

Because the world needs more photos of me with windswept hair...

We stopped at the Maryhill Museum first and let Coda start at Peacocks. They let me get really close and take pictures. i even saw one fly!

More photos of our Fake-Henge adventure can be found here if you are interested.

It is getting closer to the time for us to check out Russian River. Too bad I can’t drink because I have to drive! At least we can fill up growlers and take them with us.

Quick response zine unit, upcoming travel and my birthday!

You would think that I would learn that I can’t do every idea that comes to my head that involves zines, apparently not. Yesterday ath the Square Foot Zine Fest I met a lot of awesome IPRC members that I didn’t know. We played boggle and talked about zines and zine culture and had a nice casual hang out day at the IPRC eating cupcakes and Voodoo doughnuts.

Anyway, a few of us came up with this neat idea to assemble some or or guerrilla stlye quick response zine unit that could be made up of independent publishers in Portland that would gather at things like First Thurdsday or Last Thursday with light weight maybe cardboard structures to sell and trade zines from. I figure there are enough of these people in Portland that even if we only have 5 show up that’s a nice representation of zines and comics. I’m not exactly sure where it is going yet but I think it will be fun. Let me know if you might be interested in being part of it. Even if you don’t make a zine yourself you can still be supportive. more details to come!

I’m also in the early planning stages of a possible zine tour with some folks from the UK who are going to come over here and rock out zine world! More info on that later.

In other news, Paul and I are headed down to Oakland next Monday. We are going to pick up my books at 1984 printing and take 2,000 to AK Press and sticker them with ISBN stickers. Then we are going to put the remaining 1,000 copies of Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2 in a car and drive them back to Portland. Just in time too because I think I’m down to less than 200!

From there the plan is to drive up the coast and stop at the breweries we love, try samples and fill or beer growlers so we can drink when we get to our destination each night.  I’m really excited because we have sort of been planning this trip for a few years. Breweries of Northern California that we are excited to see: Lagunitas, Russian River, Anderson Valley, Northt Coast, Lost Coast,  etc. Then we want to camp in the Redwoods and then head over to Crater Lake. Neither of us have been to the Redwoods or Crater lake so I’m stoked!

When Paul and I first did the math it was cheaper to buy plane tickets, rent a car and pay for gas than paying to have the books stickered… but we didn’t expect the one way driving fees and the plane tickets were already bought. Now we are just lookinmg at it as a trip that will be awesome! It is a few days after my birthday so we’ll just call it my birthday trip!

My 32nd birthday is next Friday! Paul wants to buy me a new knife set so we are going to go knife shopping this week. You know you are an adult when you are stoked about the gift of kitchen knives!

Today I am teaching a workshop about Etsy at the library in St. John’s and then headed to an IPRC shift at 5. It will be a busy day.

Stolen Sharpie Revolution Release party, Square foot zine fest, portland zine symposium and more!

I’m back in the country and gearing up for Portland’s Summer zine events! Maybe you are interested in checking them out:

Friday June 12, 2009-7pm-10pm Stolen Sharpie Revolution official release party and open mic!

Since 2002 Stolen Sharpie Revolution has been the go to book about zines. Well, now it is back and better than ever! Bring your zine to read and join me at the Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC) for an evening of zine readings and special Stolen Sharpie Revolution release party book pricing. Plus cake!

Otherwise you can still get copies of SSR here: http://www.smallworldbuttons.com and here: http://brainscan.etsy.com

Saturday June 13, 2009- 10am-7pm Square Foot Zine Fest!

I’m hosting this mini zine fest at the IPRC. The idea is that the table space is open to IPRC members for $5 but that catch is that each person only gets 1 foot of table space so that everyone is equal! Admission to the Square Foot Zine Fest is free. Sign up now! Table space is going quickly! Http://www.iprc.org

July 7, 2009-July 24, 2009 IPRC’s Teen Zine Camp!

Every year the IPRC hosts this summer camp for youth about zines where zines are made and explored and the Portland Zine Symposium is attended. Camp meets 2 times a week for 4 weeks. For more information check out: http://www.iprc.org

July 24,25,26 2009 9^th annual Portland Zine Symposium!

Our yearly tradition! The Portland Zine Symposium is a 3 day zine fest and zine social full of workshops, tabling and socializing! Admission is free to everyone. Table space is available for donation and this year is separated into specific days with limited full tables available. In fact, I think all the full tables are gone for Saturday already! So, head on over the http://www.pdxzines.com to register.

Also, we are accepting workshop idea submissions so if you have a great idea for a workshop let us know!

That’s about it for now. Let me know if any of you are headed to the symposium this year. I hope to see you this summer!

In the final days

I made it back to London safely and currently I’m at Edd and natalie’s house. Robb and I had an event at the Pogo cafe last night. We were supposed to have one at Freedom Books tonight but Robb wasn’t able to change his plant ticket so he is headed back to the US.

Last night had a lot of heavy stuff about the Angola 3, the Black Panthers and political prisoners. I wasn’t really in the mood to read my silly stories so I talked about the creation of Stolen Sharpie Revoution, read the intro and tried to the tie the DIY spirit and the versatility of zines as a vehicle for any sort of movement or expression. I think it went over well. Then I answered some questions. I also had a vegan cheese and vegan bacon muffin.

So, since the conductors seems to always forget to mark my britrail pass I have 3 days left of travel in England. I’m headed down to Brighton today to hang out with Isy. I just haven’t gotten enough of her I guess. Also, she is the only one with a flexible enough schedule and I wanna try some of her fantastic food. Then i’ll head back to London tomorrow for a reading at 56a and then to the Defiance, Ohio show up by Natalie and Edd’s house.

Thursday morning I get up early and catch a plane home. I’m getting excited about home. Paul has been sending me crappy cell phone photos of my yard and it is making me antsy when I see all the weeds and ow the little seeds have grown and my irises have been blooming a rainbow of color to ring around the house. soon enough…

Stolen Sharpie Revolution makes kids grow strongs and also, the Multnomah County Library is the best library ever!

Tonight we had my last Portland zine symposium meeting before I leave for my trip. I wanted to make sure that as much as I could have done was done and that everyone was on the right page. Things seem to be going well. We had to figure out who gets a full table since there is a limited amount available and we are almost full. A lot of people who want full table seem to be people that are just friends who want to sit together. It is sort of hard to explain that the way our system works it is easier for us if they just register half tables and then tell us who they want to sit with. We are limiting tables to distros, bookstores and people who have a lot of things,.

This brings me to the second thing we had to discuss, food and other things that at not zines. Since the beginning we have stated that at least 51% of you space had to be zines. Each year the seems to be more crafts, jewelery, and food. Which are all awesome things… but this is a zine symposium. It makes me sad to see people spending money on cupcakes, cooking, and earrings when they could be buying awesome zines. ya know? Well, this year we are really inforcing the zine content and also in order to not get in trouble with PSU there will be no food for sale. I’m sure this will upset some people but whatever… It’s a zine fair!

Abeni, a former zine symposium organizer showed up with her son. I gave her a copy of Stolen Sharpie Revolution… with her son proceeded to put in his mouth. I mean it is printed with vegetable based inks, but seriously kid! You are what you eat? is this the best way to make zinesters in training?

nom

yum

Also two of our organizers work at the Multnomah County Library… possibly the coolest library system in the US. Well, they had messenger bags made. What library system has messenger bags made? Portland! I have been looking for a bag that folded up less bulky than my Timbuk2 messenger bag. It’s a terrible to fit in my travel pack. I haven’t seen anything else that would fit my laptop and my stuff though… until tonight! So, I bought the bag of my librarian friend so she could replace hers and I wouldn’t have to run downtown before I leave to pick one up!

Look how awesome this is:

so cool!

look! It has a Library Card on it!

I don't think I'll be signing this card!

My librarian friend was stoked that I was taking it on my trip and wants me to take pictures of my library card in neat places! I think I’ll do that.

Paul has the next three days off. I think his boss gave it to him so that he has time to spend with me before I leave. I wish I didn’t have so much to do or I would go to the riverhouse before I leave but I have a lot to do. grr.

UK tour dates that are confirmed

it’s been busy around here! I had another “take your boyfriend to work day” with Paul today. He packed some orders, we had breakfast at Beaterville, my favorite breakfast spot ever! Apparently they are opening a pub next door! I always thought that the only way to make Beaterville better was to be able to have grapefruit Mimosas or a Bloody Mary with their breakfast!

then Paul and I came home and he made some buttons while I answered some long over due e-mails, ordered more toner for my printer, roasted coffee, and got a few more confirmations for zine and book readings in the UK. So far these are the confirmed ones:

3 May-London Zine Symposium (a reading and some workshops)

7 May- Nottingham University (deatails soon!)

18- May London @ the Pogo Cafe

I may also have dates in Brighton and Leeds. i’ll put details up when I get them sorted!

Out of the first 1,000 books I’m down to about 350.  I hope they will last until I get back! I’m sending out stacks of orders like this everyday and I still don’t have many of them for libraries out yet:

orders!

I worked in my yard the other day. It was almsot like a treat to get away from my office. I took some photos. i’ll post them later.

We are still looking for a new housemate. i’m not sure if we will find one before I leave. I would rather have the perfect person than rush it, ya know.

Ok, back to work.

I wore a Brainscan Zine shirt during my IPRC shift on Sunday. I do feel weird when I wear them, but I do like the design. I need to make some more of them.

Stolen Sharpie Revolution package pictures.

So, UPS dropped off 1/4 of my 4,000 print run in 4 huge boxes. . The rest are still at the printer. They are printed but will be bound and trimmed when they get back from vacation. I’m leavning in 2 weeks anyway so I’ll wait until I get back to deal with them.

I got 1,000 copies and over 500 of them have been packed up and shipped out today, or they will be shipped out soon enough. I spent yesterday on the porch packing envelopes and then inside metering them and then Paul helped me with more this morning.

Here’s yesterday:

boxes!

pretties!

more!

envelope stuffing party of one!

outgoing mail waiting for the postal pick up.

yup, a little under 100 packages!

Now that I have spent close to $400 in postage in the past two days Paul and I are going to ride downtown and drop off books at Powell’s and Reading Frenzy. I’m thinking of headed to Stumptown Comics fest to see if I can sell some books out of my bag this weekend. Every penny helps since I’m leaving in less than two weeks. ugh.

SO, buy my book won’t you? Here or here. If you order from my Small world buttons site and put “zines” as the promo code you will get 10% off!

Paul  I spent only one night up at the Riverhouse and it wasn’t enough. I needed to get home and stress out about orders and long lists of question type interview things I have been sent in e-mails and make sure everything is good to go when the books shows up…

Well, UPS estimated that my books would get here today… they didn’t now they say tomorrow. It’s ok, I have work to keep me busy.

Paul and I got back last night and dropped off the Zipcar. It was over on Greely and we were going to catch a bus but ended up walked a good portion of the way. My sister had gotten us gift certificates to Portland Center Stage. I think it was because it was a LEED platinum building, and not so much for the art that happens inside. It’s ok, she’s an architect. Paul and I had tickets to see Crazy Enough. A one woman play/musical autobiographical thing. It was really enjoyable and the music was great.  I think I made the comment to Paul that it is zines but with music. I love people telling their own stories in the best way they know how.

We cam back from the Theatre tired last night and I saw something moving in our backyard. It looked bigger than the cats and when I looked harder I realized that it was a raccoon. It was digging in my garden! i yelled at it but didn’t want to get to close because raccoons and mean and smart, a bad/good combination. I have lived in this house since 2001 and I have never seen one in my yard!

I got inside and knocked on the window and yelled at it but it jsut started at me all cute and vicious. Paul went out there weilding a microphone stand and yelling at it and chased it up a tree. I later took these photos of the tree strnaged cutie.

HALP!

MOAR

I took some more photos of the Riverhouse that I plan on putting up too.