The first ever Long Beach Zine Fest took place on a sunny southern Cali Sunday at the Museum of Latin American Art. Hundreds of zinesters flocked together for a glimpse into the zine world of DIY culture, literature, music, art, photography and everything in between.
In the past couple of years, zines have seen a big comeback in the US and worldwide. Printed matter just makes people happy. There's a sort of unidentifiable satisfaction that comes with holding your own work in your hands or that of someone you truly admire. Almost like a shot of adrenaline.
Zine fests and book fairs have been popping up all over the world. Now you have all these different categories of zines: perzines, comics, illustrations, photography, poetry etc. The list goes on. And all the zinesters share one goal: to present and talk about their work. Clearly, Print is not dead.
The Long Beach Zine Fest was buzzing with people from open to close. The crowd seemed pleased with the array of zinesters that were programmed; there was something for everyone, including numerous panels and workshops. And when the bustle of the indoor fest became too much, people could head outside to enjoy the zine library, live music, food and drinks. This year was awesome and I’m sure next year will be even better.
