Stolen Sharpie Revolution: The Great California Round up!

So, Paul and I flew down to Oakland last week to go to 1984 Printing where the rest of the print run of Stolen Sharpie Revolution were be stored by the very gracious Amy.

Me juggling books

We then hand stickered 2,000 copies with ISBN stickers in a little over 3 hours and carted them over to AK press for distribution.

Paul stickering away.

Then we loaded the rest of the print run into a rental car and made our way up to coast stopping at breweries, the redwoods and crater lake on our trip home. Feel free to check out my personal blog Love Letters To Irony for more info if you are interested in stories and pictures.

I’m getting some of the first reviews of Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2. this one is from Maximum RockNRoll:

Stolen Sharpie Revolution #2

“This is the second installation of the how-to guide to making zines. Kind of similar, but totally overhauled, and now Stolen Sharpie Revolution includes stuff about the internets. It’s really useful and pretty open-ended, unlike a lot of how-to guides that get way too this-is-the-only-way and mega complex and stuff. It’s also a good resource for finding distros, review mags, and zine libraries. Totally seems like something to give yr[sic] little sister to impress her towards being cool, but I also felt like I learned some stuff, though I couldn’t say what. Not essential but really super helpful.”

They also gave Brainscan 23 a good review.

I bought a new Color Laser printer and am offering new printer celebration discounts on orders of 100 custom buttons. Check this out for more info.

Tomorrow starts International Zine Month! What are you planning to do? Teach a workshop about zines? Attend a workshop about zine or a zine fest? Leave your zine in random places for otehr to find? Create a zine for the 24 hour zine thing? Let me know what you have planned! If you have an even to post on the International Zine Month site let me know that too!

Quick reminder!

So, if you don’t know there are two zine-y events in Portland this weekend at the Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC) 917 SW Oak #218

Stolen Sharpie Revolution book release party and open mic! Friday June 12 7:00PM

Join me, Alex Wrekk at the IPRC for the release of my book at a special book release price. Also, bring your zines and read something for everyone. I just got back from a Uk and France zine zine tour and I’ll share some stories from that plus I’m brining the UK tradition of cake at zine events. Vegan cupcakes for all!

Square Foot Zine Fest Saturday, June 13 10:00AM-5:00PM

Good things come in small packages! Come to the IPRC and browse tables split into 1 foot square spaces that contain fabulous zines, books and crafts made by our taleneted IPRC members. Word games and zine swapping will abound! The Square foot zine fest is free and open to all to attend. Table space is limited to IPRC members as a way to  showcase the fantastic work that comes out of our resource center.

All events located at the Indepedent Publishing Resource Center in downtown Portland, Oregon 917 SW Oak #218

Stolen Sharpie Revolution release party and more!

I just got back from a month long trip to the UK and France! I attended the London Zine Symposium, went on a mini UK zine tour, hung out with rad folks and then headed to France for the 20^th birthday party of La Fanzinotheque! You can be sure that there will be a zine about my adventures! Check out photos and what not from my trip here: http://alexwrekk.wordpress.com

Now 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!

Alex Wrekk and Stolen Sharpie Revolution UK tour dates May 2009!

Wednesday I am making a trip from Portland, Oregon USA to the UK and France for a month of ziney good-ness. I have also put togetehr a mini zine tour with my friend Robb, a zine librarian from New Oreleans, LA USA. I plan on reading some stories from my zines about various topics from travel to relationships, to zines. Robb has adventurous stories including how he saved a zine library from Hurricane Katrina.

3- May London Zine Symposium

5- May zine reading the Cowley Club in Brighton at 7pm

7- May University of Nottingham- Lizzy has set up something at her Univeristy that is sort of a zine primer and launch of their student zine themed around Women’s Issues

9- May Leeds another zine reading more info TBA

12-15 May I head to Poitiers, France for the 20thbirthday of La Fanziotheque. It is a zine librarian event that I’m representing the Independent Publishing Resource Center the Portland Zine Symposium and I guess Portland Zine culture in general. Looking at the schedule this looks like it is going to be soooo much fun!

18-May London reading at pogo cafe

19-May Lonodn Reading at Freedom Books

20-May London 56a Info Shop

Alex Wrekk and Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2: UK and France zine tour!

So, my itinerary for my UK and France trip is starting to firm up and I’m getting super excited! I think I have most of my stuff in order and all the things I needed shipped have been shipped. I just hope they make it to the UK intact. I haven’t left North American in over 10 years and I have never done it alone but I think I know enough zine friendly people that thing will work out great!

- April Get to London and drag my Jetlagged ass to a zine friendly stranger’s house and try very hard not to fall asleep.

3- May London Zine Symposium
I’m starting to think I overbooked myself.  A one day zine fest where I’m supposed to
a)  have a zine reading
b) teach a workshop about zines and Etsy
c) be on a panel about putting on zine events
when am I ever going to be at my table? I’m going to have to recruit a friendly person to help!

4- May headed to Brighton for crucial hangouts

5- May or 6-May Brighton zine reading maybe (My friend Robb that  I will be traveling with  has been talking to the Cowley Club but nothing is confirmed yet)

7- May University of Nottingham- Lizzy has set up something at her Univeristy that is sort of a zine primer and launch of their student zine themed around Women’s Issues

9- May Leeds a reading is in the works. more info TBA

12-May I head to Poitiers, France for the 20thbirthday of La Fanziotheque. It is a zine librarian event that I’m representing the Independent Publishing Resource Center the Portland Zine Symposium and I guess Portland Zine culture in general. Looking at the schedule this looks like it is going to be soooo much fun!

17-head back to London

18-May London reading at the Pogo cafe

21-Fly out of London

I have a few gaps in there but I think that is a good thing to be able to spend some time actually getting to know people and hang out and have people show me their towns through their eyes. To me, that’s the best part of traveling.

Now I just need to figure out how much UK sweets with real cane sugar and w/o gelitan I can fit in my pack as well as zines and Doctor Who things to bring back for Paul. Hey, I gotta bring him something for doing my work of sending out orders and making buttons!

boxes of books…

the firstr 1/4 of the Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2 print run showed up on my porch on Thursday! I spent Thursday and Friday packing them up, shipping them out and making a few deliveries around town. Go to my blog Love Letters To Irony to see photos of lots of zines and packages and what not.

Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2 release party! and Square Foot Zine Fest

I have too many ideas and not enough people to pawn them off on! Seriously, I don’t have the time or energy to do all the things I think of. But two more of them are working out:

Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2 book release party and open mic!

June 12th 7ish at the IPRC 917 SW Oak Street #218 Portland, Oregon

Since 2002 Stolen Sharpie Revolution has been the ultimate guidebook to all things zine related. Now it is back and better than ever! Join Alex Wrekk at the IPRC to Celebrate the release of Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2 that will be available for a special release party price! Don’t forget to bring your zine and take part in the open mic!

Square Foot Zine Fest!

June 13th at the IPRC 917 SW Oak Street #218 Portland, Oregon

The Square Foot Zine Fest is a mini fest to showcase all the amazing artists, writers, and zinesters that are members of the Independent Publishing Resource Center. Each table space is only 1 square foot and only one space is available per person. Square foot table registration is limited, costs $5 and only open to IPRC members.

Admission to the Square Foot zine fest is FREE and open to everyone who loves zines and wants to support the IPRC. Feel free to stop by and browse the tables of items crafted by IPRC members and take a tour of our space!

More info about registration later!

Stolen Sharpie Revolution video about completion!

hey look! It’s me in my pajamas and bed head talking about finishing the book!

FINALLY! Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2 ready for PREORDER!

Since 2002 Stolen Sharpie Revolution has been the ultimate guidebook to all things zine related. This little red book is stuffed with information about zines. Things you may know, stuff you don’t know and even stuff you didn’t know you knew for the beginner to the experienced zinester. Stolen Sharpie Revolution consists of how-to guides on a variety of topics from layout to book binding to paper making, resources online and off, where to find zines, information about zine libraries, how and where to get your zine distributed, reviewed and more!

For 2009 Stolen Sharpie Revolution has been completely rewritten and expanded to 144 pages with new a layout and includes the previous information, updated resource listings for stores, distros, zine events and zine libraries. It will also contain all new sections on zines in academics and education, a guide to the US postal system, what to do at a zinefest, how to start a zine fest, lots of internet resources, and more!

This book has everything you need to get started creating your own zine or to figure out what to do with the zine you already made. Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2 can serve both as an introduction into the wide world of zine culture, and the next step to being a part of it.

Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2: A DIY Guide to zines and zine cultures is now ready for PRE-ORDER! Orders will be shipped in Mid April.

Here’s how to get your own copy:

*At at book store or library request the book by title or by this ISBN: 978-0-9817941-0-5

*by mail n the U.S.A:

Put $7 in an envelope and send it here:

Stolen Sharpie Revolution
c/o Lunchroom Publishing
P.O box 17230
Portland, Oregon
97217 USA

*In Canada: $8US postage paid

*Rest of the world: $10US postage paid

*If you use Paypal send to this address: brainscanzineATgmailDOTcom
In the US: $7.50
In Canada: $8.50
rest of the world: $11

*Order from my web site Small World Buttons

*Order from my Etsy Shop

Copies will be sent to distros and libraries in late April. Get in touch for wholesale rates if you would like to PREORDER copies for your store or distro: brainscanzineATgmailDOTcom

Stolen Sharpie Revolution is printed with vegetable based inks on 100% recycled paper and bound with animal free glue.

Seriously…. we re getting close!

So, yesterday I spent 12 hours scanning pages and touching up things on the computer for Stolen Sharpie! I will have SSR to the printer by the end of the week and then I can start taking pre-orders and I should be shipping them out around April 15!

Retail price will be $6

I’ll try to post a video soon.

Today is going to be a long day.