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!

Take Care Distro Update

Take Care Zine Distro will be officially opening on the 1st of January 2010. You’ll be able to buy a wide variety of zines and comics etc from them online.

Check out their site on the 1st of January takecarezines.org

Take care Zine Distro

I found some very exciting news this morning when I opened my google reader, a new zine distro is starting up in fair old Sydney town. Take Care Zine Distro will be the combined efforts of Emma D. from Flying Machine and Tim who plan to have a regular stall around town as well as a mail order system for buying zines. They are looking for zine makers to send them zines, so this is a big old call out to all of you zine makers out there to get posting.

Find out more info by e-mailing Emma and Tim at takecarezines(at)gmail.com

Check out the original post here

Most importantly, spread the word! Feel free to repost the info!

That’s it
From your long lost blogging brother/sister
Fetus

S’all happenin’ in Adelaide!

Something that became very apparent when Amanda and I visited earlier this year for the Format Festival is that Adelaide is a pretty happening place. If you were at the MCA zine fair it’s very possible that some of your zines were collected by Sam for the Adelaide zine shop. The Adelaide D.I.Y scene is nothing short of epic, a powerhouse of motivated people pooling their strengths together to create a really amazing and strong community of creative people. Not only that, it’s a really welcoming community, yet another wonderful thing we noticed when we visited. So if you get the chance you should definitely visit.

So, below is a whole bunch of stuff that is happening in Adelaide that you should check out.
Format Collective
Format website has info about Big!, calendar dates and a blog with all the stuff that is happening. Add that to your RSS feed STAT!

Format Zine Shop Facebook Group
Join the Format Zine Shop FB group, find out what’s happening and of course send your zines there to be stocked.
Make: Do
Check out these excellent videos on the ever growing D.I.Y community in Adelaide.

VITALSTATISTIX THEATRE CO. PRESENTS – The Vitals Book, Zine & Crafty Affair

Crafty zine fair that is happening on Sunday the 19th of July. Book a stall or visit! (Click the link for more info)

That’s it for now!
-fetus

Feed the birds!

As we mentioned in the previous post Susy Pow of Bird in the hand zine Distro has just opened up a lovely zine shop in Newcastle. She is still running her online shop but now you can also go and browse in the flesh, what a delight! Also in store is a photocopier where you can run wild on 3c per side photocopies of your own zines. She is also looking for more zines to stock on consignment so get in touch with her asap via zineshop [at] gmail [dot] com.

I’ve made up a little flyer for Susy below, so feel free to repost this wherever you can to gather support for our bird loving friend.

– fetus

More excellent stuff you should know about

What, another post already you say? Why yes, yes it is! I’m going to try and fit everything that’s happening into one post so fasten your seat belts kids, it’s going to be a bumpy night…

Firstly, my esteemed partner in crime, The Fetus, has been up to all kinds of shenanigans both within and across state lines! Check out her interview with the lovely Kelly from Catacomb Creative and while you’re there take a look at all the amazing design/craft/zine events going on in Melbourne-town.

Secondly, she is also responsible for the fantastic mural on the wall of Bird in the Hand‘s new zine shop as part of the Renew Newcastle project. To see it in person you can visit the shop from Thursdays to Sundays, 11am to 4pm at 100a King Street Newcastle. Susy also needs more zines to stock in the shop so if you’re a zinemaker contact her at quiet.chirps[at]gmail.com.

Thirdly, July is International Zine Month! And as part of this excellent month the 24 Hour Zine Thing is running again [thanks zine-aus google groups]! So it goes like this – sign up to the website with your zine name and zine goal and from then you have 24 hours to make a zine of any size. Once it’s done send your zine to Avocade Tree Distro in Virgina, USA [who run the project] and they’ll send you back another 24 hour zine and a badge as well as scanning your zine cover for the website.The Fetus and I have decided we’re going to participate since there’s nothing like winter to make you feel like staying inside cutting and pasting, it’d be awesome if more Australian zinemakers [new and seasoned] got involved.

AND THAT’S IT!

x panda

Adelaide Zine Shoppe

You’ve been dreaming about it and now your dreams have come true. Format (in Adelaide) is going to start running a Zine Shoppe, both walk-in and online and they need your zines! There are lots of good things happening in Adelaide, as Amanda and I both saw when we visited last and we are very excited to get on board and help stock the new store with zines and so should you. More details will follow about all the exciting upcoming events that are brewing at Format once we all know more, but until then get in touch with Sam via e-mail (samwise27[at]gmail[dot]com) to find out more about stocking your zine.

That’s it!
El feto

Bird in the Hand! Its a new zine distro!

We all know that places to stock & sell our zines in sydney are few and far between, but thankfully there are some really motivated people out there that are ready to take on the challenge of opening a distro!

Bird in the Hand Distro, created by SUSY POW! is located in Sydney and is looking for zines!

Check out the blurb below and see if your zines might be what Bird in the Hand is looking for:

“These birds are interested in cooking, crafting, other people’s lives, kittens, drawings, stories and cups of tea with two sugars and milk. Do you make a zine about the above or think we may be interested in stocking your zine? Get in touch!”

If so then contact with Susy Pow at quiet.chirps[at]gmail.com if you are interested!