World's biggest zine!

On July 21st  2016, Zine Library Day, in a public workshop at Auckland Central City library, we created one of the world’s biggest zines.

Our zine, titled Zine doggo yeet crocco yeet nice crocco dile dun deet look nice on feet has a page size of 1240 x 845mm (slightly larger than A0), and has 8 pages, excluding covers. It is a collection of mostly art, with some poetry and prose, made by the general public as well as feature artists Chippy and Holly Paynter.

In preparation for the event we researched other large zines and found two main competitors: one created at the MCA in Australia in June this year, and one at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, USA in 2012.

Both of these zines were fold-out, and when folded, are smaller than ours.

The MCA zine is an A6 concertina, and though it has many pages, its page size is much smaller than our A0+, therefore we win.

The Carnegie Library Zine has 6 separate sections that collective fold out to 6’ x 8’, but folded up it is approximately 13” x 13”.

So yet again it folds down smaller than ours and therefore we are the champions.

But seriously, it’s the biggest zine in the world, or at least in the top 3 depending on how you look at it. Thanks to everyone who came along and helped us make it happen!!

Literary Houses - nostalgia, fantasy and magical places

I’ve been feeling nostalgic for the fiction of my childhood for a number of reasons over the past couple of months. I found out about the death of Jonathon Crombie, who played undeniable heartthrob Gilbert Blythe in the Anne of Green Gables. I mean yes, he left us nearly a year ago, but I only found out a few weeks ago. Silo cinema screened The Secret Garden, and then The Princess Bride. Plus, taking two postgraduate papers at Summer school alongside work left me exceedingly keen to ignore adult life and delve into something cosier and more magical. Valentine’s Day has probably also had something to do with it – I’ll never again find a love like Tom Sawyer or Samwise Gamgee, after all.

In typical me fashion, I’ve wanted to revisit the literature but I can’t decide. I can’t choose, and what if I find it’s just too junior now and it ruins it for me? I huffed and puffed and requested and returned. Until I found the perfect book. I could not have imagined a better one. I stumbled upon it on a goodreads wander, swooned, and located a copy in the central basement. It’s one of the best basement treasures I have found yet.

Children's Literary Houses is an illustrated guide to famous dwelling’s in children’s fiction. The dwellings’ are taken from such literary delights as The Secret Garden, Little Women, David Copperfield and Alice in Wonderland. The art is gorgeous, and the excerpts are superbly well-chosen. And as if it weren’t already perfect for my current dilemma, it just happens to be written by Lisa Tuttle – one of my favourite science fiction/fantasy/horror writers, prolific from the 1980’s onward – and Rosalind Ashe, who appears to be of the same oeuvre. I infuriatingly cannot credit the beautiful illustrations, which are simply credited as “Copyright Dragon’s World Ltd, 1984”.

Dragon’s World Ltd, though, appear to be an absolute goldmine of fantasy, science fiction and esoteric art publishing out of Surrey during the late 70’s and early 80’s. For fans of Chris Achilleos and Heavy Metal etc, it should be worth investigating. And an added Bonus: Rosalind Ashe, I discovered, published Literary Houses two years prior, and it is just as brilliant.

So if you're looking for a smorgasbord of nostalgia with some beautiful - have a look! 

Graphic novels ARE art!

I'm an animator. Or, an animation student. I can animate (though I don't get paid for it). I can draw (which sometimes I do get paid for) and I can ink and I can paint (a little). Art like this is the love of my life and I blame it all purely on cartoons and comics.

Working in a library, you see a lot of people – mostly parents - scoff over the value of comics and graphic novels. ‘Not real books,’ they say. ‘I don’t want my kids reading those.’ Full of pictures and therefore empty of anything worth acknowledging. Well! To those people I say –

‘...’

I mean, it’s my job. I’m not going to openly disagree with any patron in the library about the rights and wrongs of literature, but here – here, I can stand up for comics and my love for them. Comics expanded my world. It got me into Japanese (and I went to Japan) and drawing (I went to animation school) and webcomics (which I’m thinking of doing myself). Imagine what it could do for you? Or your kids? Or anyone?

When I was little, I drew Sailor Moon. As I got older I branched out into different styles and techniques, and most of these have been a direct result from something I've read. These are just some of the more memorable comics and manga that helped me pave my way into a world of art and magic that I will never want to leave.

Sailor Moon – Naoko Takeuchi
As I said, Sailor Moon is what got me into drawing. Now, back then it was the anime, but the manga is just as beautiful.  Usagi Tsukino (Serena in the English anime) is a lazy fourteen year old who likes nothing better than playing video games and eating junk food. One day, she saves a cat with a moon on its forehead, and the cat follows her home. That night, the cat tells her (yeah, it can talk) that her name is Luna and Usagi is undoubtedly Sailor Moon, the Guardian of the Moon reincarnate. She must find the other Sailor Guardians and protect the mysterious moon princess. Cue awesome transformation scenes/panels, battles and romance. Great stuff.

Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne (or Phantom Thief Jeanne) – Arina Tanemura
This manga is for the older teen, but definitely not as risque as Arina Tanemuras other works.
Maron Kusakabe, main protagonist and lonely teenage girl meets a half-angel, Finn Fish. Finn tells Maron she is the reincarnation of Jeanne D'Arc and must save the world by capturing demons that take human hosts for God in return for a wish. Again, fancy costumes appear and battles commence. A pretty big difference between Sailor Moon and KKJ is this one gets darker and heavy, fast.
This manga is beautiful. When I first started reading it, I really adored Tanemura’s attention to detail, and I still do. Her art is stunning and emotive and it’s not easy to get that in a manga. I'm pretty sure I cried over this book. Don’t judge me.

xxxHolic - CLAMP
Clamp, who made xxxHolic (thankfully pronounced just 'Holic') is also the dream team behind childhood memories like Cardcaptor Sakura. Another magical girl thing, though? No. No no no. The lovely thing about Clamp is they're made of a group of ladies, and the art tends to vary between each different title they bring out - as well as the story. XxxHolic is not for kids, either. It’s not terrifying, and it’s not filled to the brim with sex – it’s just serious.

Yuko is a time witch who lives in a shop, where she will grant your wish for the right price - be it your money, your favourite thing or your very life. Watanuki is a teenager who runs to her shop one day and declares he's plagued by spirits, chasing him everywhere he goes. In return for stopping the spirits, Watanuki becomes Yuko's cleaner and all around maid. He becomes more important as he starts to help with the wishes being granted as well.

This manga inspired my love for black and ink work and flow. You only have to look at the detail in the cover pages to know it’s a piece of art.

The Adventures of Superhero Girl – Faith Erin Hicks
Here is where I started to read more indie comics and venture out of my comfort zone. Faith Erin Hicks has a style and humor I could only hope to emulate one day.
Superhero Girl is just that - a superhero. Having to deal with mundane things like buying new capes after her old one gets destroyed and living up to her (superhero) brothers legacy, she has it tough. This one got me into webcomics as it shares a lot in common - one liner puns, two page storylines, hilarious characters.

Very light hearted and funny, so I suggest you check anything of Faith Erin Hicks out if you need something less serious after those manga.

And last but not least...

French Milk and Relish - Lucy Knisley
A journal, rather than fiction, Lucy Knisley is a comic artist with a great simple style to boot. Knisley takes us with her as she traverses countries and navigates her life. In French Milk, she decides to go to Paris for her birthday with her mom, and stay for a month. As you get to know her, you get to know Paris and all its landmarks and foods. Especially foods.

In Relish, a more recent publication, she goes over her deep connection to food and cooking, sharing recipes from her childhood and the memory's that go with them – all with beautiful illustrative comics.

I love food. I love journals (especially reading other peoples) and of course I love comics. Lucy Knisley made me a huge fan since the first time I picked up her book and I have a feeling I'll stay a fan for a long time coming.

5 book titles to make you laugh (and then request them)

I'm pretty sure I'm a nice person. What's more, I think I'm a nice person who is capable of great philosophical thought. You just have to dig down deep. Like WAY down deep. When you hit the cold lump of coal that should be my heart, keep going. In fact, bring a shovel and a miner's hat. (Leave the canary at home, that's just cruel). I am all about the laughs because, as most people who know me know, I not-so-secretly possess a juvenile sense of humour. I forever watch terrible movies that are overladen with toilet humour and the worst puns ever. What's worse is I then con other people into watching them with me. And I'm that way about books, too. I'm forever making lists when I come across book titles that amuse me. What is the point of such titles if you cannot hold them up to people and say "THIS! THIS!" And so, here's my list of "THIS! THIS!" for today: 5 book titles to make you laugh (and then request them).

10 things nobody told you about being creative

I've been reading Steal like an artist by Austin Kleon. So I followed his advice, and stole the title of this blog post from the subtitle of the book.


I loved the way Austin openly states that nothing is original, so he encourages us to embrace influence and then remix + reimagine things in our own way. He intersperses his 10 key pieces of advice with great quotes, stories of his own journey, and plenty of stolen (but acknowledged) ideas from others.

So if you are feeling like you are stuck in a creative rut - no matter what industry or situation you are in - just get hold of a copy of this book. Read it + then put the ideas into practice.