New Zine – Letters To A Sister

Hey kids,

It’s been about a year since we last posted on this blog. I’m sorry if you’ve tried to contact us or have been checking back but a lot of things happened just after our last post which has meant that the fetus and I have kind of disappeared from zine making and trading. I have though just finished a new zine which is pretty much about this disappearance (from my end at least)

 

Letters To A Sister, A5, 36 pages, bw & colour

So this is the zine. It has a colour cover and centrefold (not that kind!) and is pretty much a personal zine written after the death of my little sister last February. I’ve given some to Sticky for the 2012 Festival of the Photocopier (see below for details) and some will be going out to Take Care Distro but other than that I guess it’ll be a pretty small run. It has been a tiring year, and I feel as though the energy I had when I first started writing zines is pretty rapidly dissipating. If you want to trade though, please email tinypapermail@gmail.com for my address (the PO Box expired while I was overseas and I was too late to renew it). I’ll be checking the email address again, I promise.

xx Amanda

I am Typewriter 2011, or Yes for Melbourne Fun Times

Once again I am at work sans boss and listening to a combination of The Magnetic Fields and Electrelane (surprise, surprise), all of which indicates that it is time to update Tiny Paper Hearts. No new zines yet for me and the fetus, however based on the excellent times we had at Sticky’s 2010 Festival of the Photocopier we have decided to once again descend on Melbourne for the I am Typewriter: The Triumph of Continued Usefulness Festival.

The festival runs from the 3rd to the 13th of February, with the zine fair taking place in the Degraves Subway on Saturday the 12th. Hopefully some other interstate zinemakers will attempt the trip as I cannot recommend it highly enough, and there’s plenty of other events for those who don’t have zines to sell/trade. Plus Sticky has organised an official typewriter soundtrack, so there’s that.

Ok, the demands of administrative work are calling. Catch you in February.

x Amanda

Zine trade: Blue Floral Gusset and Death of a Scenester 2

I’ve been a little lax with my paper correspondence (amongst other things) but in the last couple of weeks we’ve received some interesting mail that I thought I would share.

First was blue floral gusset by Spurzine, which was written for the TINA 2010 Sticky challenge (I think).

I’ve got to admire such dedication to a deadline, since I on the other hand have absolutely none. And this is a continuation of the themes he raised in his earlier zine Travesty, but without repeating itself – it’s honest and awkward in its intimacy but that’s what I like about personal zines.

The second zine we received was Death of a Scenester Issue 2: Boys.

I have an admission to make – I don’t usually seek out collaborative zines, or zournals as Death of a Scenester prefers. But I was pleasantly surprised by this issue when it popped up in our PO Box, especially the opening article which constituted the most spirited defense of the Pet Shop Boys I have ever read (or possibly the only defense of the Pet Shop Boys I have ever read).

So that’s it. Both zines should be available from Sticky or Take Care, or email us if you’d like their contact details. Keep sending us zines (if you’d like) and I’ll keep writing this zine that has taken me the last 4 months to start, simply so I have something to trade.

x Amanda

What shall I do with a life turned to memory?

The last time  I went photocopying was in May, just before the MCA zine fair, and afterwards, even though I meant to do another run so I could post the new zines on Etsy and send them to distros, I felt so sandblasted that I could not handle the sight of the Officeworks photocopiers (snazzy as they now are) without experiencing a mild panic.

I’ve  calmed down a little bit now and, as always is the case with me when it comes to times of stress, I’ve found myself turning back to the typewriter and to zine-making and -reading. Plus I’m going on a month long holiday tomorrow, and have put the Etsy store on hold for the duration, so if you’d like to get any of our more recent issues (including Sutures, Shy #2 and Ampersand after Ampersand #3) I’ve sent out a big box of zines to Sticky, and there should also be some available on mail order from Take Care as well.

And I’ve also sent out the first copies of my new zine COME BACK (home to me).

A6 (quarter size), 16 pages. There is no picture, because I haven’t taken one.

This is my first limited edition zine, mainly because the paper for the covers comes from a tiny old newsagent in Melbourne’s Chinatown (a town that I’m unlikely to visit again any time soon), and it’s a mix tape love letter to Electrelane. It’s also about repetition, perfect dreaming, Springsteen covers, and a little tiny bit about when Nietzche met Groundhog Day.

So I’m off to reunite with some of the people I call home, and will be back when the winter weather does not match my temperament so well. Until then, to quote Phil Connors quoting Coleridge, remember that “Winter, slumbering in the open air, wears on its smiling face a dream of spring”.

x Amanda

P.S. The fetus will still be checking both real and internet mailboxes so keep up the trading!

Winter activities for winter people

So a little update about some ziney things coming up that I wish I could attend (but regrettably can’t).

As we’ve posted before, the Canberra Zine fair is coming up on the 3rd July. If you’re in Canberra, hurrah! If not, what are you afraid of? Take Care zine distro will be making the pilgrimage from Sydney as well as a number of other Sydney/Wollongong zinemakers so why not, give it a whirl.

Secondly, and if you’re on the Australian Zines and Small Press Google Group you’ll already know about this, but there’s a zine reading slash show and tell at Marrickville’s Urchin Books on the 18th July. It’s being put together by Vanessa Berry and promises a delightful afternoon of tea and mutual zine sharing and appreciation away from the hectic and often stressful (for me at least) world of zine fairs and markets. So take your zines, if you have any, or just take yourself to Marrickville for the day, week, rest of your life. Also Urchin Books is looking to stock some more zines so check with them the why’s and how’s on the day.

Thirdly, and this is not strictly zine related, but a friend sent me a link to the screening of Strange Powers  at the Chauvel on the 4th of August that I wish wish wish I could go to, but unfortunately I’ll be separated from Oxford Street by an ocean, several land masses and the supposedly linear nature of time. BUT, if you have ever read any of my zines (or possibly only the titles) you will have realised that I have a ridiculous love for The Magnetic Fields, one that is all encompassing and indefatigable. So if you are in town, and feel like watching a documentary on my favourite songwriter/musician, then go with my blessing.

And I guess that’s about it. Happy holidays kids (if you’re on them), soldier on if not.

x Amanda

The White Room Or Astronauts Are Not Excitable

The White Room Or Astronauts Are Not Excitable is an exhibition of Emma D’s (from Take Care Distro) exciting super secretive art project that she has been working on over the past 12 months. I’m so excited and I’ll tell you why. Why? Because she’s been building a space ship! Not many people can casually comment that they’ve been spending all their time building a space ship, well except Emma. Along with the space ship will be amazing artworks, prints and zines. Anyway, need I say anything else? Come along and be part of this most excellent opening night and be sure that you will have to fight me to be first to sit inside of the spaceship.

Anyway, BE THERE! You are being specially invited.
More info here at Flying Machine

Map

In anticipation,
Fetus

Zine School Update

Quick update about Zine School that is happening this Thursday 15th April at Wollongong Youth Centre

Zine-making is about creativity and self expression. Come along to ZINE SCHOOL for lectures by zine-makers who illustrate, write or collate; learn about their creative process, and be inspired by their work. There will be the opportunity to sit and browse through zines at the zine library, or go to a zine tutorial to work on something of your own and workshop your ideas.

Current lecturers include:

AMANDA BAIRD
CARLIN MCLELLAN
JESSICA-ROSE HARDY & BODIE JARMAN
and I’m guessing although it hasn’t been stated MADDY PHELAN AND LICKY THE CREAM (Natalie!)

I’ll be heading down to cheer on Amanda and I may even sneakily film her. I guess if she stabs me one day, I’ll know why.

Anyway, point is, if you have thursday free, come on a lovely train ride with us and get schooled.

Event thang here

Burbs Festival

Check out Burbs Festival 2010 this weekend in Blacktown. Take Care zine distro will be there with an excellent collection of zines from all around, definitely worth a train ride

17th April, from 1pm and it’s FREE!
Blacktown Showground (Richmond Rd, Blacktown)
It’s easy to get to, but I thought I’d be a smart arse and put a map up for y’all.

More info here

peace
fetus

Pie Zine #1: Zine Trade

This week we received a zine trade from the brand new sydney based zine PIE zine.

PIE zine is the brainchild of Maisie and Rosie two lovely Sydney gals. Filled with articles, movie reviews, musings, photographs, art works, recipes and so much more! This is a juicy and satisfying read, you can tell a lot love and work has been put into it. Needless to say we are pretty excited to see what these gals make next.

These guys have been busy sharing the love, so if you are a sydney sider you can pick up a copy from the following places:

- BUZZBAR, 349 King St, Newtown
- CAFÉ ELLA (upstairs), 274 Abercrombie Street, Redfern
- I RAN THE WRONG WAY , 378 Cleveland St, Surry Hills

Find PIE zine online at:
PIE on Facebook
PIE zine Blogspot
PIE Etsy store

Also, trades are welcome!

The next issues theme is ILLUSION. So get writing, drawing, snapping, whatever it is that you fine people do and submit to PIE zine.

Thanks so much for the trade PIE ladies!

That’s it, enjoy your weekend/life people.

Fetus/Meggs

P.s.
Not to sound like a desperado, but PLEASE send zine trades to us, we want to trade with you and our minds and mail box are so hungry for new zines and we will always send you lots of treats back.

P.O. Box 392
NEWTOWN, 2042, NSW
AUSTRALIA

Back to Zine School

Calling all Professors of the zine world!

(This is the unofficial poster, so wait for the real poster before re-blogging!)

Zine School is going to be a fantastically fun afternoon of zine makers preaching the words of their zine making practice to innocent children at Wollongong Youth Centre April 15th 2010. If you are zine maker under 25 years old and think this might be something you’d like to get involved with e-mail Maddy Phelan & Natalie (Licky the Cream) via licky.the.cream[at]gmail[dot]com.

As a wise and well travelled zine maker you will present a 5 minute presentation accompanied by 20 slides about how and why you make zines, what your process is and so on. You can do this however you please, interpretive dance, a mine, or a straight speech! You’ll also be involved in some great one on one zine workshops at the library in Wollongong.

This project has been put together by the lovely ladies of Totoro’s Tea Shop (Maddy & Natalie) who have put on Wollongong’s previous zine fairs, so you know you are in good hands and are in for a good day.