It’s Zion for zine readers.
The Brooklyn Zine Fest is coming to Public Assembly on April 15, bringing together more than 60 indie publishers for the borough’s first convention for small batch magazines in three years.
The self-published pamphlets often focus on niche subjects and boast small, localized readerships — but that doesn’t mean there aren’t enough zine lovers to throw a good party, according to event organizer Matt Carman.
“It’s not incredibly easy to get zines — you have to know where to look — but I think the fests are the best and most rewarding way to find them,” said Carman, who decided to get involved after previous organizers hung up their printing presses following the 2009 fair at the Brooklyn Lyceum.
Zines are sometimes carried in comic book shops and bookstores, but festivals and conventions are the true bread and butter for many zine writers, who are often forced to travel across the country to find a good venue for their homemade products, he said
Carman and fellow Zine Fest planners Kseniya Yarosh and Eric Nelson, who work together to put out the mag “I Love Bad Movies,” have journeyed as far south as Richmond, Va. and as far west as San Francisco, Calif. to hawk their self-published essays and editorials.
“The thing about the festivals [is] they’re great ways to meet the people behind all these things,” said Carman. “If you enjoy reading it, or enjoy the topic, there’s probably going to be someone there who knows a lot about it.”
And with titles like “Put A Egg On It” and “The Carbon Based Mistake,” there’s something for everybody — or at least everybody who enjoys quirky, super-specialized publications with fun names.
“The reason I enjoy zines is because they’re so specific and they’re about topics you wouldn’t necessarily read about anywhere else.,” said Carman. “Some of these are from research, but a lot are from personal experience and they’re sort of unfiltered in that way.”
Public Assembly [70 N. Sixth St. between Kent and Wythe avenues in Williamsburg, (718) 384-4586] April 15, at 11 am. Free. Visit www.brooklynzinefest.com.
Reach reporter Colin MIxson at cmixson@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4514.