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

TiNA 2010, or Casual Work Has Some Timetabling Drawbacks

So you know it already but the This Is Not Art Festival, and more specifically the National Young Writers’ Festival, kicks off this Thursday 30th September til Monday 4th October in Newcastle. I’ve attended the last 3 years, and wrote about last year’s experience here, but I think I’ve filled my quota of zine fairs for 2010 + I’m really tired + I can’t get the time off work. So unfortunately this unholy trifecta (as well as some other inconsequentials) means that the fetus and I won’t be having a Tiny Paper Hearts stall at The Sunday Fair.

But it behooves me to recommend the NYWF program, as there is some plenty interesting stuff being done by plenty interesting people – Bastian Phelan, John Stevens, Leigh Rigozzi, Lisa Dempster and Vanessa Berry to mention a few. Can I also make a couple of musical recommendations? Grouper will be playing as part of the TiNA Showcase gig on the Saturday and kyü will be playing at Soundclash on the Sunday. Both should be excellent shows that I’m pretty bummed at missing (although luckily Grouper’s playing at the Sandringham the following weekend).

Anyways, have an excellent time if you’re heading to Newcastle. Catch you on the flip side.

x Amanda

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

MCA Zine Fair Update

Just a quick update to let you all know that the stalls at the MCA zine fair are already booked out!

Hope you all got a stall, if not, I’m sure the Australian zines and small press google group is a good place to find people who are willing to share if you did miss out.

Peace
fetus

MCA ZINE FAIR: Book now!

Just got the word, book your stall for the 2010 MCA Zine Fair now:

MCA & SYDNEY WRITERS’ FESTIVAL ZINE FAIR 2010
Sunday 23 May, 11.00am – 5.00pm
Book your stall now!

The MCA & Sydney Writers’ Festival Zine Fair 2010 will take place on Sunday 23 May.
Bookings now accepted for stalls at this event, but be quick as it is strictly first come,
first-served.

Stall fees: $15 per table (whole tables only) – max 3 tables per booking.
Bookings essential 02 9245 2484 or education[at]mca[dot]com[dot]au

See ya there!
Fetus

Is there going to be a MCA Zine Fair in 2010?

I’ve been getting a little anxious as the time for the MCA Zine Fair draws closer and closer without a word about it anywhere. So I went directly to the source and I am happy to announce that the MCA Zine Fair will be on again this year.

For those who haven’t attended before it is usually a pretty crazy busy day, but what a fun crazy busy day. With over 40 stalls of zine makers, trades become like the stock exchange, minus the suits and stocks. Not only does it draw zine people from all over NSW into one spot for the day, it brings our lovely interstate zine peeps!

So, I have been informed that all we have to do is just be patient, that call-out e-mail will come. If you aren’t on the MCA mailing list, it might be a good time to subscribe, alternatively you can subscribe to our blog and you won’t miss a trick.

Pencil the details into your diary:

MCA ZINE FAIR
Sunday 23 May, 11.00am – 5.00pm

Take care, more info when we know
Fetus

Adelaide, the city of 24 hour desserts

The 2010 Format zine fair was definitely an exercise in endurance festival-attending. Firstly, because we initially meant to attend both the Blacktown Coded zine fair and fly to Adelaide the same day (which we soon realised was too ambitious, even for us) we arrived in Adelaide after most of the Academy of Words workshops and panels had finished.

BUT we still managed to attend Literary Friction, a “RockWiz-style lit game” hosted with panache by Angela Meyer and Estelle Tang and adjudicated by the ever impartial Lisa Dempster. It was an excellent start to the evening’s festivities and was soon followed by Craig Schuftan’s ‘You Can’t Stop The Musing’ disco lecture and DJ set which was amazingly fun and lived up to its promise to “put the disco back into discourse”.

The DJ set soon descended into indoor handball, rife with interstate tensions and a refusal to accept what we thought was the universal rule of ‘played on’. Format has moved from last year’s Hindley St venue to an excellent spot at 15 Peel Street so apart from its basement handball possibilities it also has a permanent zine shop which should, nay must, be checked out.

Sunday morning found us wandering the abandoned city centre in search of coffee and setting up for the Format zine fair in a timely fashion. It cannot be said enough but there are some truly lovely people doing lovely things in Adelaide and massive kudos must be paid to Sam Rodgers for organising the zine fair and for staying up so late on the Saturday night setting it up.

We managed to shotgun a table upstairs and spent the day talking, selling, trading, burrito-eating and handballing.

I think my favourite part of the day was the machine sewn portraits wall, of which Mary-Helen and I are now proud contributors to. I was incredibly sleep deprived and so I’ve managed to forget this talented lady’s name, but she was a crafty inspiration that I desperately needed.

And that’s pretty much that. Thanks Adelaide for the trades and the conversations and the karaoke and the 5am pancakes. We’ve left some of our zines at Format if you want to get a hold of them and keep an eye on their website for more exhibitions, shows and general festivites.

x amanda

Coded Zine fair 2010

Back in May 2009 we received a fantastic e-mail from Blacktown Arts Centre asking us if we’d like to be part of the zine fair for 2010. We never replied, not because we a giant jerks (I’ll leave that up to your own discretion) but because we were crazy busy starting a fashion label for J.Lo (Flannelette pj’s for evening wear). Well the fashion label failed, so I guess we should now tell you about the fantastically awesome Coded Zine Fair happening at Blacktown Arts Centre in March!

Blacktown Arts Centre (BAC) has been running a zine program over the last 12 months, featuring workshops by Leigh Rigozzi, and now they are putting on an excellent Zine fair on the 13th of March.

Details:
When: 10 am – 3 pm Saturday 13 March
Where: Blacktown Arts Centre, 78 Flushcombe Rd, Blacktown NSW
Map!

Come to BAC’s Zine Fair to see the latest in creative DIY publishing. Zines are typically low-cost and limited circulation publications that feature original writing and illustration. Buy or trade original zines, softies, badges and any creative thing your heart desires at Blacktown’s first ever Zine Fair.

If you haven’t already booked your stall then visit BAC’s website or call (02) 9839 6558.

So there you go, we’ll be there as well as many other excellent local zine makers and distros.

Catchya!
Fetus

New Zine – Sutures

Hey kids!

It’s been a little barren on the zine landscape the last couple of months but this is the week it’s going to change. Firstly, Mary-Helen has her amazing artwork up in the Degraves St subway in Melbourne RIGHT NOW as part of the Undiscovered Press exhibition courtesy of the Platform Artists Group. There are some amazing zine artists involved so I highly recommend you check it out. If not tomorrow, then definitely at the opening this Friday 12th February from 6-7pm. I don’t want to make undue use of hyperbole but I saw the aforementioned artwork with my own two eyes, and was left a changed woman.

Secondly, Sticky’s annual zine fair is being run this Saturday 13th February in City Square from 3-8pm. Now reliable sources tell me that this is not the same as Federation Square but seeing as I have no idea about Melbourne landmarks either way…

Anyway, I’ll finally have a new zine for the fair which has been in the making since last July.

A5, 40 pages, b/w

I’m not going to lie to you, this is a personal zine of the most self-indulgent variety. Inspired by my mother’s recent move back to Lebanon, it’s a record of my parent’s memories of Beirut during the Lebanese civil war, a meditation on the role nationality has played in my life, an attempt to reconcile all the little parts of my life in light of her departure, and lots of other things as well. You can also play “See if you can find the mistake in page numbering” thanks to my butterfingers.

Of course, if you’re not going to be in Melbourne this weekend I am, as always, down with trades. Address details are to your right, otherwise I’ll put it up on Etsy as soon as I can!

And also, if you’ve read our zines and want to say hello this Saturday, please do! We (by that I mean I) may look incredibly socially awkward but we’re actually good people. Really.

x amanda [panda]

I’ve got February on my mind…

Hey guys and dolls,

It’s been quiet around these parts to be sure, but there’s a few projects we’ve been working on which will be revealed come February. But in the interest of getting organised early there’s a couple of dates to pencil into your 2010 diaries.

Firstly, Mary-Helen will be participating in the Undiscovered Press exhibition hosted by the Platform Artists Group Inc in Melbourne. It runs from the 8th February to the 26th February in the Degraves Street Subway but the night to pay attention to is the opening drinks on Friday 12th February. There are 12 amazing zinemakers/artists involved so it should be an excellent night indeed.

And, as timing would have it, Sticky‘s Festival of the Photocopier will be having their annual zine fair on Saturday 13th February, also in the Degraves Street Subway. Tables are free for zinemakers so get in contact with them via stickyshop [at] gmail [dot] com for more information on getting registered. Amanda’s currently working on a hefty zine which will hopefully be launched in time for the fair and if the gods smile on us then we might also have a joint zine completed as well. Since it’ll be the first time that we have made a zine related trip to Melbourne together we’re pretty excited!

Sticky’s still working on the rest of the program for the festival but details should be on their website soon and we’ll update again as more events are posted.

x panda and the fetus