Erica and I won't be able to attend the first Brooklyn Zine Fest this Sunday, April 15th, from 11am to 6pm at Public Assembly (70 North 6th St.) in Williamsburg. It's just a bit too far to do as a day trip when both of us have to be at work the following Monday. However, if you live in the area or don't have plans for the following day, please consider attending! It's a free show, and organized by some of our friends in the zine community.
Not sure if the work at the fest will be for you? There's an exhibitor list here, and below are just some of the folks that I can recommend to you if you decide to go:
I Love Bad Movies is one of my favorite zines, collecting essays that are part skewering, part love letter to movies good, bad, and everywhere in-between. They're a great pickup for any movie fan, especially those who are attracted to things like MST3K or Roger Ebert's teeing off reviews.
Paper Rocket Mini-Comics put out one of my Best of Mini-Comics of the year, "This Isn't Working." You should definitely get that one, as well as any others that strike your fancy, for quality, autobiographical tales.
Katie Haegle might be getting to the big time, writing now and again for The Comics Journal, but she's also a great zine writer, with a strong sense of nostalgia for things others have rejected, such as her White Elephant series. One of my favorite zine creators.
Tugboat Press has a series of zines, including a favorite of Erica, Paper Cutter. See them when they're here on the East Coast!
I'm biased here, I consider Darryl Ayo a friend, but he's a very thoughtful guy and you should check out his table when you go. Tell him Rob sent you!
I reviewed Deafula a while back, which is the link used on the site. There are two zines now, and I've enjoyed both of them immensely.
Steve Seck and Sara Lindo are also friends of mine, but they are also two of my favorite mini-comics artists, so don't let my bias stop you. Seck writes and draws an ongoing series, Life is Good, about a cast of characters who aren't the best people, but make interesting decisions and have great moments together. Lindo has a variety of characters, from a traffic cone to a walking brain to a cat with a full time job. They're both excellent in their own way, and you should go see them at the show!
Morgan Pielli is friend of Steve and Sara and I met him through them. He runs an anthology comic, Indestructible Universe, that has a Ray Bradberry feel to it and should be a big hit with fans of soft sci-fi, horror, and similar concepts.
These are just some of the great creators you'll meet at the Brooklyn Zine Fest. Now go to the show and make me jealous!