'zine culture.

How many of you know what a 'zine is? Raise your hands? Yes? No?

Here's the Wiki definition:

"A zine (an abbreviation of the word fanzine, or magazine; pronounced "zeen") is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier on a variety of colored paper stock.

A popular definition includes that circulation must be 5,000 or less, although in practice the significant majority are produced in editions of less than 100, and profit is not the primary intent of publication."

There is also a phenomenon known as 'mini-comics' which are pretty much the same thing. I've carried mini-comics for years, but Zine's I've always thought should be locally done, and for that locals need to do them. (Zines can be more of a catch-all, news and snark and stories and art all together; whereas I think of mini-comics as being story oriented.)

I've had only two young people over the years walk in the door and ask me if I carry Zines. I showed them my mini-comic selection, which was purchased from the last of the indy comic distributors (since defunct) and I told them I'd be glad to carry them, and even buy copies from them.

If comics are a hard sell, zine's are nearly impossible. And yet -- how can you not support such creativity and ingenuity?

O.K. I'm a 57 year old guy, and pretty staid. And yet I'm aware of zines and what they represent, and I pretty sure there is an active 'zine' culture in Portland revolving around art / comics / coffee.

But here in Bend? Mostly you get blank looks. The first girl who came in with a Zine, I told her she should go check out all the coffee shops around downtown, because I was convinced they would have them. She said no.

Still disbelieving, I called a couple of coffee places and got: "What's a Zine?"

A couple years ago, another young lady started coming in with Zines, and I'd give her a buck or two a piece and stick a buck or two price on them and put them with my mini-comics. Her name is Rachel Lee Carman and she's very creative. What's more, she's kept doing it.

I wondered if a Zine culture would startup in Bend.

So far....not so much.

However, Hayley at Between the Covers read one of Rachel's stories, and thought so much of it that she called the Bulletin; resulting in a story by Dave Jasper which is going to be published any day now. (I wish I'd thought of calling the Bulletin...)

I just finished reading two of Rachel's stories: the first is a 'Free' zine titled, KEEPERS OF THE GEMS, starring four young women who protect the gems "The Source of Creativity...." who decide they need to buy new sweaters for "Comic Book Day" (I like it) and leave the gems under the protection of guardian kittens in the Cave of Secrets.

But kittens being kittens and catnip being catnip and villains being villains the gems go astray....

I'm not very good at conveying the light touch and charm of the story.

The second Zine is called, V-D Zine and it's 'Valentine' to a variety of people, from Ira Glass to Oprah to Sean Hannity(!?) ("Dear Sean Hannity, Wow, it's been only a short time since we first met (a month). Remember when you were debunking global warming? I've really gotten to know since then: finding clips of youtube, googling your name and lingering on your squinty-eyed jaw-clenched mug." (Drawing of said-mug) "Already I've developd passionate feelings for you! Feelings I can only fantasize expressing with a knee to the groin."

With a Zine, anything goes -- the only limit is your imagination.

So I'm calling out all the zine-aphiles, and asking you to bring your stuff in. All you need is a xerox machine and a pen and paper and some inspiration...