AUTHOR: linda TITLE: So what's all this zine business about anyway DATE: 9:30:00 PM ----- BODY:

Today I adventured to the local SF Zine Fest at CELLspace, an open artist-collective-event-space in the Mission District. (Freshly arrived back in town, it's a relief to be among the weird and the strange of this City again from the downright homogeneous and grotesque populations in less cosmopolitan areas where the Wild West Adventure went.)

I'm fascinated by this world of zines, heard about and now have touched -- paper booklets and postcards, buttons, pamphlets and comic books, each made by hand and made to solely represent the individual insight and flair of the designer. So many commentaries and sketchbooks and blank recycled-paper notepads, but I settled on a companion book called Inside the Brambles from Briar Levit, a little travel guide to a favorite urban walk complete with Japanese-inspired imaging, park map and inspirational quotes. My kind of zine!

Also picked up two copies of Bootleg Comics Age of Sinnocence, to "have something different on the coffee table." Cool.

Though I figure I got some exploration to do before I launch my own zine, I also realized that zine defines exactly the type of thing I've already been doing, what with my collages and e-newsletters, greeting cards and gift-books produced for family and friends or prosperity's sake.

I guess that means now's the time to get my voice out in the world.

Stay tuned!

--------