Alex Wrekk’s Eastern North America Mini tour thing…

Hello! Greeting from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. I have been here for a week for the Anchor Archive’s Zine Residency Program (http://www.robertsstreet.org). That means I get to live in a shed in their backyard and make zines for two weeks. This also means I should have the zine I have been working on for the past 5 years done and ready for all the events coming up! Anyway, here’s my mini tour shcedule:

19-October-Halifax- 7pm at the Anchor Archive Workshop on teaching zine workshops

24- October-Halifax- 12-5 Halifax Zine Fest St. David’s Church Hall, 1537 Brunswick Street, Halifax. I’ll be teaching a workshop about distribution at 3:30

31-October- Toronto- HALLOWZINE! Zine Reading 2-4PM Toronoto Toronto Zine Library: 2nd floor of the Tranzac Club 292 Brunswick Ave. I’ll be reading with some super awesome zine kids. He’s the line up: ALEX WREKK (Stolen Sharpie Revolution, Brainscan Zine) JEFF MILLER (Ghost Pine Fanzine, Negative Capability) TERI VLASSOPOULOS (Melt the Snow, The Second Part, Cement. Flour. Saints) CHRIS LANDRY (Kissoff Zine) AMBER FORRESTER (Culture Slut, Fight Boredom) MARANDA ELIZABETH(Telegram M’am, Little Acorns, Edith) SUZANNE SUTHERLAND(My Bad) http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=190533701872

1-November- Toronto Canzine-1pm – 7pm The Gladstone Hotel 1214 Queen St. West I’ll be tabling at this event. Wow, a zine fest where I’m not teaching a workshop, exciting! Then I take a leisurely trip to New York City to visit friends and drop some of my zines off around town before heading south.

6-7 November Richmond Zine Fest (Richmond, Virginia) Friday 7-11Gallery 5 at 200 West Marshall Street Saturday 11-5

was going to try to hit up the Milwaukee Zine Fest on the way home but I have tickets to see The Pixies the same day back in Oregon and they are playing Doolittle in its entirety, which was my first Pixie’s Album. After that I go into holiday mode plus gearing up for the 2010 Portland Zine Symposium! Stay tuned for dates! Other stuff:

Paul us at home picking up my slack and making custom buttons and packing zines and copies of Stolen Sharpie Revolution for my Etsy shop: http://brainscan.etsy.com I’ll have my new zine/s up as soon as I get home as well as fresh roasted coffee.

If you would like to follow along with my blog check it out here: http://alexwrekk.wordpress.com

We are looking for a zine friendly housemate for our home in Portland, Oregon. e-mail for more info

When i say e-mail I mean e-mail, don’t leave a message here.

e-mail: alex@smallworldbuttons.com

Hey there! Looks like I’ll be hitting the road with Stolen Sharpie again soon. Chicago, Halifax, Toronto, Ottawa, NYC and Richmond are in my sites for October and November. more details soon!

Also,

Fist planning meeting for the 10th annual Portland Zine Symposium!

Have you ever wanted to help organizing the Portland Zine Symposium? Well now’s your chance! This will be the first meeting for the 2010 Portland Zine Symposium. We’ll discuss dates, themes and lots of big ideas about how to celebrate such a monumental achievement to reach 10 years! Plus, there will be snacks!

When: Sunday October 4, 2009 6:00 PM

Where: IPRC (917 SW Oak #218)

If you are unable to attend this meeting feel free to drop us a line and we’ll keep you in the loop for the next meeting!

Please e-mail pdxzines@gmail.com for more info!

REVIEWS:

Book Spew

Stolen Sharpie Revolution

This cute little thing was such a great little edition to my zine collection. Bright red and handy to pop in your bag when you are out and about; it is packed full of really great useful pieces on zines, distros, mailing and loads more.

Alex has been making zines for some time now and this is the second installment, an updated version of the original Stolen Sharpie Revolution – with the inclusion of websites and the like.

From how to make your own paper to mail craft to setting up your own distro it is packed full of tips and places to go seek out inspiration and other things that may interest a zinester.

The best thing for me is that it isn’t written to tell you how to write a zine, it is there to inspire and give you tips, seek out various resources and go off and do your own thing.

Whether you are new to the zine world or a zine queen/king then I would recommend this 100% .

Check out her website and go buy this great little resource http://smallworldbuttons.bigcartel.com/

Parcell Press
“Alex Wrekk’s monumentally popular little red book for zine enthusiasts and the zine curious alike blew through three editions between 2002 and 2008, at which point it became out of print. Alex did a major overhaul on the content and resources listed in this fourth edition, so this is Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2. The book highlights the how-to’s, tips, and traditions of zines and zine culture. SSR remains a great resource for starting, maintaining, or understanding zines. 140 pages, 4.25″ x 5.5″

Click Clack Distro
“Created by Alex Wrekk of Brainscan, this is the absolute ultimate pocket guide to everything you ever wanted to know about creating zines. For this fourth edition of Stolen Sharpie Revolution, Alex decided to call this edition “#2” because of the incredible overhaul of all of the information from the past editions. As of 2009, SSR has been out for 7 years. This printing is fully updated for the current state of zines including the latest distros, infoshops, zine events, review zines, etc. This guide gives detailed information on basics of making and distributing your zines including different forms for cover art, such as block printing and also binding options. Though, it does not stop there! SSR also gives great pointers on where to get zines, ideas for letters to zinesters, mail art, and how to use the United States Postal Service to your advantage! Highly recommended for both the beginner or, the seasoned zinester who needs a good motivator. “

Learning to Leave A Paper Trail Distro
” stolen sharpie revolution #2 (portland or)
this publication, which straddles the line between book & zine, with a traditionally zine-sized quarter-page shape & typewritten cut & paste contents, but perfect-bound & marked with an ISBN on the back cover, bills itself “a d.i.y. resource for zines & zine culture”. it has undergone many variations over the years as topics of interest to zinesters & patrons of zine culture continue to progress & evolve, & information in the resource listings requires constant updating, but what i have here is the newest edition, revised & updated for spring 2009. alex from “brainscan” zine curates the project, which includes contributions from a variety of zinesters & zine culture advocates, & dozens of folks helped to compile the exhaustive resource listing in the back (clocking in around thirty pages!), listing zine libraries, zine fests, online zine resources, zine distros, shops that stock zines, & more. alex addresses all the main elements of zining, which includes coming up with writing ideas, editing, layout tips, photocopy tricks, postal regulations, mail art, & more. she touches on sending zines to prisoners, starting a zine distro, paper crafts (paper making, blockprinting, etc), copyright & copyleft, organizing a zine fair, & more! this is a great intro to someone who is new to the zine world, because it provides a lot of ideas & inspirations for making your own zines, as well as suggestions for other ways to be involved in zine culture & find zines to read. but it’s also full of helpful tips & ideas even for long-time zinesters. if you curate a zine archive or organize zine workshops, a copy of this zine is indispensable. there are other mainstream resources for zine-making out there, but this one is created by a real zinester, with input from other real zinesters, & is the best reflection of true zine culture. “

Great Worm Express Distro
“Third Edition now available!

Most people know how to make a zine just by looking at one: write some stuff, photocopy it, fold the paper, staple it, et voilà! A zine. However, there is a little more effort involved in making a good zine. This is where Stolen Sharpie Revolution comes in with good advice on a variety of topics:

* Making a zine: tools, revision, layout, binding;
* How to make: block prints, silkscreen, paper, bookbindings, etc.;
* How to deal with distros and the rest of the zine community;
* How to run your own distro;
* How to put out a record.

There really is tons of useful information in there, even for the seasoned zine publisher. This is especially recommended if you want to start making a zine, and want to avoid mistakes by learning from others.

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 gelpful.”

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!

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

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!

]]> http://stolensharpierevolution.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/83/feed/ 0 Alex Wrekk http://stolensharpierevolution.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/alex-wrekk-and-stolen-sharpie-revolution-uk-tour-dates-may-2009/ http://stolensharpierevolution.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/alex-wrekk-and-stolen-sharpie-revolution-uk-tour-dates-may-2009/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:50:47 +0000 Alex Wrekk http://stolensharpierevolution.wordpress.com/?p=81 ]]>

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!

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.

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!