The ninth annual Portland Zine Symposium sashays onto
the scene on Thursday, July 23, with a party at Holocene—then
it’s on to three days of workshops, panels, and the chance to stock up
on reading material from your new favorite zinesters. We asked
Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC) Director Justin Hocking
and Reading Frenzy owner Chloe Eudaly to recommend a few names to look
for while you’re wandering the tables. ALISON HALLETT
Justin Hocking recommends:
Shawn Granton: Creator of the Zinester’s Guide to
Portland (which is, impressively, one of Powell’s all-time
bestsellers). Shawn also makes some of the most fun and useful
mini-comics series ever: Ten Foot Rule and the Urban
Adventure League series. TFR chronicles Shawn’s many
cross-country bike/train odysseys, while the Urban Adventure
League gives practical tips for exploring Portland via foot or
pedal.
Nicole J. Georges: Always a crowd pleaser, Nicole is one of
Portland’s favorite zinesters/illustrators, and with a full-on graphic
novel in the works, she’s getting to be a bit of an, um, big
deal. Look for her excellent Invincible Summer compilations (published by Microcosm) as well as a variety of
mini-comics and pet portraiture.
Alex Wrekk: The creator of the zinester’s bible, Stolen
Sharpie Revolution. With sales records up in the 20,000 range,
SSR is one of the best-selling underground books of all
time. Alex will be on hand with the newly released and updated
Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2.
Chloe Eudaly recommends:
AIGA PSU (Art and Design Student Group at PSU): Professor
Kate Bingaman-Burt has breathed new life into our local AIGA chapter.
We are currently showing her work [at Reading Frenzy].
Miami, You’ve Got Style: One of our current
bestsellers, Miami, You’ve Got Style is all about The Golden
Girls.
Carolee Gilligan Wheeler: I was excited to see that Carolee
will be at the symposium this year! She makes really beautiful journals
and other paper goods.