Intro & Intent

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Towards the emergence of equitable Zine Fairs is a new, interactive webzine showcasing the “how-to” in organizing equitable zine fairs and work of emerging zinemakers and meditating on questions of representation and access. Zine fairs and art book fairs often produce a scarcity model; paper, printing, funds, and relevant skills can be a hindrance to young artists, especially those working outside of the west. This project draws inspiration from the recent in-person Emergence Zine Fair in NYC, organized by Hyperlink Press and Yellow Pearls Zine, and offers an opportunity for DIY, emerging zinesters to present their work in a new online format. In place of the sometimes exorbitant pay-to-participate Fair model, Hyperlink Press redistributes its commission fee to imagine and enact a system in which artists and zinemakers are paid-to-participate. In doing so, they ask: how much would change if artists and bookmakers were instead paid for their time, labor, and participation?

Brainstorming to Making it Happen by Taehee Whang (Hyperlink Press)

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Brainstorming

1. Set Concept / Proposal

1. Conceptualizing your zine fair/event is helpful when you are trying to allocate funds, space, and collaborators for your events.
2. Based on the budget and the space, we have decided that Emergence Zine Fair (EZF) will be a one day zine fair with 12 vendors total.

2. We started to brainstorm a list of potential vendors and collaborators. In the very beginning, we listed more people in case … schedule doesn’t work out. Set a max number of vendors you can accept (think about budget and space for accommodation* check logistics). Also you will have clearer ideas of administrative roles that will be required from the organizing team.
3. For EZF, we had very limited vendor spots due to space and since it was our first zine fair we have decided to use “word of mouth” tactics to find the vendors who are in need.
4. One vendor list is fully completed… send out an invitation with the zine fair pitch/flyer.
   
   Example draft here!

Logistics

1. Finance

1. Our main income for this fair was from the City Artists Corps grant from NYFA and donation. Next time, we wonder if creating merch or fundraising would have helped covering not only the vendor fee but administrative labor.
2. Honorarium/Admin hour: For the zine fair we decided to set honorarium instead of hourly rate for the admin labor since we weren’t sure how much time would be put into organizing.
3. Have a spreadsheet to keep track of your spendings!
4. List down supplies and look up the estimated cost!
5. It’s always worth it to hire a photographer for both promotion, documentation, grant report, and also future grant proposal. Get a quote first from a photographer or videographer before finalizing the budget.

4. Layout should consider the size of Zine table (full size 6ftx3ft) and the numbers of chair
   - Full table can fit 8~12 zines & merch
   - Based on previous zine experience, it is appropriate to prepare 8-12 copies of each zine/print for one day fair.

3. Printing Access

1. Check in with the vendors who requested a printing access and risograph workshop and then set an appointment. For one zine project of 50 editions, a few postcards and stickers, we took 2 and half days to produce.
   
   - Studio visit & Consultation: picking out the work that is appropriate for zine projects.
   - File setup: Digitizing and color separating the image for risograph.
   - Risograph Demo
   - Printing
   - Collating & trimming

2. The list of questions we asked are:
   
   - Did you present any new work at the Emergence Zine Fair?
   - Was this your first time participating at a zine fair as a vendor?
   - How much did you earn from the fair?
   - Was receiving the honorarium improved your zine maker experience? If so, how?
   - If this was your first zine fair experience, would you still continue making zines after this fair?
   - Is there feedback you'd like to give us about the fair? How it was run, layout, communications, etc. We are really invested in this model and hope to do it again and would love any notes.
3. Send out remaining honorarium after doing the final budgeting !

Programming & Organizing Tips by Yellow Pearls)

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My name is Samantha Skinner, I’m a Brooklyn-based multimedia producer focusing on social impact film and zine work about the Asian diaspora. I had the pleasure of organizing the Emergence Zine Fair with Hyperlink Press on October 16th, which included zine vendors, a workshop, panel, livestream, and the launch of my newest edition of Yellow Pearls, the mental health resource zine for Asian American femmes. As an emerging zine maker myself, partnering with a warm and supportive collective like Hyperlink Press helped me to feel confident in releasing my work, both emotionally and logistically. These feelings were only amplified by this exciting zine fair event we pulled off together, where vendors, artists, and attendees all expressed great joy in participating in an event centered around uplifting artists and Asian American femmes. It was exhilarating to combine our various experiences with event planning to pull off this joyous event.

How I planned the Yellow Pearls release, programming, & special guests

Yellow Pearls is a zine series for Asian American femmes to heal, rage, and learn about community care. The zine series is made of research, cathartic activities, and insightful interviews with Asian Femmes working in activism and culturally informed healing modalities to radically shift the conversations around mental health in the Asian American community. For Issue #2: Channeling Rage, I talk with interdisciplinary artist, Yumi Sakugawa, and life coach, June Kaewsith, about creating ritual to channel rage, thinking about what kind of ancestor you want to be, and their personal stories with mental health and healing work. Depression has been described as anger turned inwards. Instead of suppressing anger and turning it on ourselves, what if we used that energy to confront the injustices and boundary crossings that cause the anger?

Programming

While brainstorming with Hyperlink Press, we decided it would be fun to plan a couple of special events throughout the day. I immediately thought of reaching out to Yumi Sakugawa and kwonyin, two incredible artists that I collaborated with for the creation of Yellow Pearls Issue #1: Self-Healing and Issue #2: Channeling Rage. Because I received the NYFA CAC Grant, I was able to offer them a stipend, as well as the possibility of being flown out and housed for the event. I made contact and pitched that I would love for them to participate. Yumi was available to attend the event in person, and kwonyin let me know that she was able to participate virtually. Collectively we decided that it would be a blast to have a panel discussion, as well as an in-person workshop, and livestream.

I had a friend of mine from Soft Surplus, the event space, join me on a sunny Sunday to try this out. I set up a regular Zoom meeting that we could test calling into as 1) in-person panelists, 2) a virtual panelist, and 3) a livestream audience member, and 4) a camera for the in-person audience. We had a simple PA system that hooked up to the house speakers in the event space. We plugged microphones into the PA system for the in person panelists, and used an aux cable to connect a laptop with the virtual panelists audio to the PA. I took a “monitor out” from the PA and plugged it into a USB interface so I could send a mix of the in-person panelists to Zoom where it would reach the livestream and virtual panelists. Lastly, we plugged a laptop into a projector via HDMI so the virtual panelist could be displayed. And it all...worked!!! Check out our pictures of how the livestream went below.

Planning the workshop

Since Yumi Sakugawa was able to fly from California to attend our event, I realized what an incredible opportunity this would be to have her lead a workshop. If you do not follow her work, she is an experienced facilitator of workshops and has many recordings available on Crowdcast on topics ranging from Sacred Asian Femme Rage to How to Meditate to Healing Money Shame. As a part of our collaboration on Issue #2: Channeling Rage, Yumi contributed an activity named “SACRED RAGE GODEXXX” that I asked if she could lead for attendees. She excitedly agreed and sent me a list of materials she would need. The next step was to find the right space for this workshop. Soft Surplus, our event space, has a workspace in the back where machinery, wood cutting materials, and gear are used and stored. With the help of friends and event organizers, we were able to clear it out and set up rugs, drapes, pillows, lights, and decorations to create a meditative and sacred space!

Special guests

It was an honor collaborating with Yumi Sakugawa and kwonyin for these special events. Ever since I began making Yellow Pearls, I knew I wanted to work with both of them. In my own personal journey with mental health, much comfort and growth has come from learning about the intersections of my identity, and how these power dynamics impact how I experience the world (ex: sexism, racism, and classism). Two of the very first people I EVER saw talking about Asian femme identity and mental health were Yumi and kwonyin. It felt so powerful to add to this conversation by not only releasing my zine, but bringing community around these important topics. Here is more information about the two artists, as well as their testimonials of what it was like to be involved in Emergence Zine Fair.

YUMI’s Reflections on Emergence Zine Fair

“ Participating in EMERGENCE ZINE FAIR as a special guest and vendor was a really incredible experience to me for many reasons. Not only was it the first in-person zine fest I have participated in since the beginning of the pandemic, it was also my first time experiencing a zine fest that centered Asian American femme mental health and specifically explored the topic of Asian American femme rage--something I cherish deeply as a second-generation Japanese-Okinawan-American femme artist who has felt extremely isolated and helpless in my own mental health struggles in the past. After a very long time not attending community events in person for most of 2020 and 2021, it was revitalizing for me to be reminded of the importance of people coming together in person to share art, discuss important issues, destigmatize mental illness, and celebrate creative expression of marginalized communities in an accessible space.

KWONYIN, Special Guest Artist; Emergence Zine Fair Virtual Panelist
IG @kwonyin

KWONYIN is a 1.5 generation Korean-American healing artist, emotional alchemist, and teacher of yin. Based in California, kwonyin conducts self-study programs such as Asian Femme Catharsis, Visibility Shame, and Erotic Visibility. She works with shadow energy and trauma blockages, helping Asian femmes to release old patterns and reclaim the power of their voice and authenticity.

How to plan your event

I’ve thought through the steps Hyperlink Press, Soft Surplus, and I took to plan the Emergence Zine Fair, and have pulled out what I think would be helpful for you to think about if you’re planning your zine fair! This is going to look a little different from one individual to the next, but these are the steps that worked for us, along with tips that I have picked up from planning music and film events over the years.

1. Planting Seeds (AKA Meetings)

1. Plan a meeting:
   
   This is where it all begins! Get together to establish shared goals. What are you working towards together? This will be your north star! I met with two members of Hyperlink Press over Zoom where we got super giddy, but also down to business >:)

When would you like to have a tech rehearsal? Like to have all crew and artists locked? Etc! I’d recommend having around 2 months to plan and promote your event.

3. Brainstorm lists & Delegate:
   
   Create a shared document where you can generate lists of everything you may need to source and all crew positions that will need to be filled. Create actionable items from what you brainstorm, and divvy up tasks between the organizers. I always find it's helpful to start here with an air of experimentation and flexibility. Try things out, hear ideas from everyone, and adjust as you go! Also, make sure to keep your links handy! They’ll add up quickly.

2. Press Release:
   
   Putting together a press release is a great practice to get into, especially if you have some time to promote your event. This is where you can put together ALL relevant information, links, scheduling, bios for organizations and artists involved, and most importantly, write language that can be easily copy/pasted from whoever you are asking to share this. You can include your event graphic here as well! You can see our press release here. I’d recommend taking a look at a few press releases as you put yours together!
3. Event Flyer:
   
   We were able to use a design from Yumi Sakugawa, our gracious featured artist, for our flyer. Yumi gave us permission to use her illustration, and a member of our organizing team who also does graphic design whipped this up. I loved how this flyer came together, because it included open conversations about capacity and permissions, and came together beautifully in a way that made everyone happy.

With COVID-19, we let all attendees know they would need to provide proof of vaccination in order to enter, and that masks were highly encouraged. Our door crew checked vaccination cards and ID’s on entry. Having safety measures in place often helps people to feel more comfortable and able to relax and have a great time!

6. Run of Show:
   
   This is a schedule breakdown for the event that can include crew call times, shifts, and any notes. It’s the roadmap on the day of the event for everyone involved. Here is a copy of ours!
7. Programming:
   
   Plan some special events for your attendees, and to collaborate with artists you would like to work with! This could be a livestream, panel, or workshop like I planned, or a raffle, performance, DJ set, live painting, etc! You can create graphics for the special events to further promote your event, in addition to your event flyer.

3. ADMIRE YOUR FLOWERS (Hosting your event)

Take care of yourself leading up to, and during the event. Get rest the night before. Drink plenty of water. Make sure to plan your meals out or you might forget to eat. Do what you need to fill up your energy well so you can pull from it as much as you need on the day-of!!! Schedule breaks. Seriously, schedule a couple of these in and have someone to take over your responsibilities so you can go recharge or get re-grounded. Prepare notecards. If you are leading a panel or workshop, help yourself out by writing out bullet points to guide yourself. This allowed me to be more present, and not keep running over what I wanted to say next in my mind. Have fun! Events can get high energy very quickly, if you get overwhelmed, come back to your north star you established at the very beginning. You are always allowed to ask for the support you need to be able to be present and clear-minded. Make sure to take time to meet new people, take some pictures, and walk around and see what the vendors have!

Survey (Contribution by Emergence Zine Fair participants)

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• Alfred Dudley III
• Zach Hazard Vaupen
• Connecticunt
• Claire Zhang
• Sabrina Sims
• Sunmi

I think the umbrella term of "emerging" is quite vague and useless in giving a realistic depiction of an artists life and current socio-economic status. I bring the social and economic aspect of this up because all too often artists who are "emerging" or have just started exhibiting their work aren't always in ideal financial or social positions.The "emerging" aspect of their life is mostly in relation to the newfound recognition/exposure they're receiving from gallerists, collectors, and other institutions of power. The contrast in what we see of these artists in media, versus what we would learn from sitting down and speaking with them is the core of where my distaste for the term "emerging" resides. With this logic, I don't think I'm an emerging artist. I've been a successful student before, and now I'd say I'm a great father of two cats but unfortunately my cats are not high end collectors, nor are they art critics seeking to be the founder of a "new emerging talent". I'd say I'm still submerged. Captive to the desire most of us have to surface to attention and be flooded with extraordinary amounts of opportunities and space for us to exist. For now, I'm in the abyss, crafting attention and enjoying my time amongst friends who facilitate universes of attention within and around our communities of allies.

When do you feel most welcomed at a zine fair as a vendor?

I feel most welcomed when my time is compensated. To be welcomed in my eyes is to be greeted, understood, and nourished. When I am remunerated for my time+efforts and am shown recognition, I feel safer and granted higher agency as a creative. I feel like i'm being nurtured rather than the usual torture and disrespect of table fees and applications.

In equitable zine fairs, if you were to be compensated for your participation, which aspect do you feel the most need for support and why?

My answer to this is all of the above. All of these aspects of participation should be fully supported due to the fact that each is a potential reason a person wouldn't be able to participate.

Any other thoughts you have on equitable zine fairs for emerging artists?

Equitable Zine Fairs should specifically not be for artists who are already beyond emerging. I'm fed up and frankly pissed off at how most zine fairs are more of a money making scheme rather than an opportunity to bring power and health to the greater community. Emerging artists all too often are the ones who have been submerged in their communities, day to day, struggling to escape from the bondage of invisibility. It's infuriating witnessing zine fairs that feature predominantly artists who are beyond emerging and already flying through the skies of possibilities drenched in wide-spread support. I dream of a space where ONLY Submerged folk are shown, so that we can in some way help bridge the gap of survivability. Thank you for reading, and I hope all of my writings finds you and your family safe, and in good health.

What is your relationship with zinemaking, and how is it related to your creative practice?

I love duplication and distribution as practice. For the purposes of my practice, art is born to be shared. Zines are a perfect format for experimentation and for sharing. There's no minimum or maximum in terms of quality or expectation. It has a unique freedom that most other types of printed matter do not. They also allow the artist to work solo or collaboratively, immediately or over the course many years. Zines also provide a crucial base for archival, something that is more and more reliant on ephemeral tech in the current era.

How does your access to material resources (limitation/sufficiency/lack thereof) make the distribution of your creative work difficult?

With less resources you're severely limited, but I've always been attracted to zine making because there is a decades long tradition in zine making for community and diy effort. With the built in community and shared knowledge and resources, many of the restrictions due to material wealth or access are removed (or creative work-arounds discovered), which makes zine making such an artform of the people.

Any other thoughts you have on equitable zine fairs for emerging artists?

Valuing everyone's time is an underrated factor of zine fairs. I've done fairs in the past that are pointlessly long, often in order to line up with another event or to milk sales, but the level of exhaustion this can cause usually vastly outweighs any benefits for anyone. Another factor is giving exhibitors a voice or a seat at the organizing table (if desired), so decisions can be made equitably, especially in terms of how funding is used and how the event is advertised/presented/contextualized.

How would you define an “emerging artist,” and how would the term be applied to you?

The creators of this zine graduated college in 2020 and used that time in undergrad to explore artistic avenues. All of us did not graduate with an art major, and did not have immediate access to printing, Photoshop, etc. The first issue was made with Google Slides, and now one of us uses the Creative Cloud that one of our partners gets from working at a university. We definitely played with different artistic paths in college. Zoe DJ’ed and made video art, Iyanna originally majored in Musical Education, plays viola, and also creates video art. Izzi taught herself printmaking, Mariana is an avid collage artist, poet and graphic designer, and we all worked on a zine in college at the radio station. I think as we begin our lives outside of an educational regimen, we can actually decide how we want to spend our time, on what type of art, and do it without the confines of an educational setting. I believe we’re emerging from this academic lens into who we actually are, without deadlines or grade point averages.

It wasn’t until the WHUS zine club (where I met these Connectic*nts :p) that I realized there are other ways of visually expressing yourself. It was through my involvement with this zine that I first started collaging and making graphics (thanks to Izzi who taught me everything I needed to know to use Illustrator). It’s also been so exciting and challenging to try putting images to express the feelings in words in my writing as well as trying my hand at writing things that aren’t poetry! In the “grown up world” there aren't a lot of places where you can try something new and not worry about the repercussions of maybe not doing so well. Zines give you that freedom! I’ve been able to write articles and reviews, without much experience, and have a welcoming outlet for that — and so many other people have also expressed their excitement to us when they submit stuff! That’s probably the dopest part of zines for me.

When do you feel most welcomed at a zine fair as a vendor?

Zoe: Seeing vendors as humans. It meant so much at the Emergence Zine Fair that there was an area for vendors-only to decompress upstairs. The consideration of vendors to allow people to relax after talking to hundreds of people in a few hours means a lot. Providing tables and being there to answer questions means so much, but also being prepared with bathroom access, water, even coming over and chitchatting means so much. I’ve experienced this as a DJ too - people treat you like a commodity that they can place and control, rather than someone who may have needs outside of just a space to perform and share art. It means so much when someone takes in the considerations of a human: they (unfortunately) need money to get there, a place to pee, a place to decompress, a place to sit - and then the zine fair goes more smoothly.

In equitable zine fairs, if you were to be compensated for your participation, which aspect do you feel the most need for support and why?

Zoe: Definitely the production of the zine. We are incredibly detailed with our zines - spacing, what goes where, how it feels to flip through the issue, what looks great next to what, along with designing and formatting written pieces for the zine. It can take a lot of time, especially when we are producing the zine on top of our day jobs. Plus, when we print extra zines for a zine fair, that can be incredibly expensive when it’s a smaller number of zines ordered. For example, usually we pay $4.50 per issue when we order over 100 copies. However, when we ordered 25 copies for our last zine fair to have something to bring, we had to spend $8.20 per issue. If organizers want people to bring lots of zines and have something to share, compensation goes a huge way.

Claire Zhang
they/them

Please introduce yourself!

I am a multidisciplinary artist whose practice mainly involves writing, design, and time-based media. Recently, I have been exploring the floating spaces in between communities, the shared spaces that then facilitate healing.

How would you define an “emerging artist,” and how would the term be applied to you?

The term emerging artist seems to encapsulate to me not only the experience of the beginnings of a body of work, a lifelong practice that will evolve and change with you as you grow and change, but also a way of looking at the world. As I continue to live through each day, I feel more and more a sense of awe, a daily signifier of how much I still have to learn, in my relationships with people, my relationship with myself, and my relationships (multiple) to my practice. I would like to apply this term to myself as a reminder of my relation to the world.

How does your access to material resources (limitation/sufficiency/lack thereof) make the distribution of your creative work difficult?

I am lucky enough to still have institutional access to printing resources, but as I am graduating at the end of December, I am trying to put as much time in as I can before that access ends. Printing and binding is a labor of love and I am constantly blown away by how much work goes into the making of a printed object. Time is really the greatest limiting factor for me in production.

When do you feel most welcomed at a zine fair as a vendor?

When there is a sense of community among the vendors and the people involved. This was the first zine fair I was ever a part of, and I loved the communal meals, the vendors coming together to set up the space, the dance parties! I felt very much like everyone was happy to be there and to see and support each other's work.

Sabrina Sims
she/her

Please introduce yourself!

I'm Sabrina Sims, a Black Puerto Rican chronically ill & interdisciplinary artist from the Bronx. I work with a variety of mediums and materials including paper, print, sound, photography and textiles. My art spans many themes including self care, healing, Black mixed magical femme-ness and light. I also love tea and board games, as far as my other hobbies go.

How would you define an “emerging artist,” and how would the term be applied to you?

I'd define an emerging artist as someone who's early in their creative career. They're making connections to other artists and developing their work.

I would apply that definition to myself. The interesting thing is that I've been making art most of my life. I really got into it in high school with drawing and painting.

Deeper doesn't always have to be serious though! Zines have a low cost to make, especially since I use materials I already have. This makes it less scary to rip up paper, scribble and collage. It's very freeing to not worry about wasting a blank zine vs something more expensive like a canvas.

How does your access to material resources (limitation/sufficiency/lack thereof) make the distribution of your creative work difficult?

Having to print and fold each of my zines is definitely costly and time consuming. I think having a dedicated studio space would make distributing my work easier. And it would just be easier to create in general. My apartment is my studio, so it doubles as a work and living space. My big goal is to have a dedicated studio space next year. I want to be able to rest without worrying that I have an art mess out.

Sourcing art supplies is also a struggle. I live in the Bronx and there are no art stores here. That's because of systemic racism. There are so many local artists here that would benefit from an accessible store.

Even though I've done many zine fairs, it's still a struggle having to make inventory (zines, prints, stickers) every time. I've started asking friends and family for help, but paying them for their labor is another expense I often can't afford.

There is a lot to consider with transportation to and from zine fairs. None of the zine fairs I've been to (except mine) have been local. If a zine fair isn't local, I have to pay for a cab or other transportation to carry all my equipment and items. The time and energy sink is expensive too. Getting money to offset these barriers would be so helpful.

My chronic illness makes all of these issues harder to deal with. If zine fairs and the art world want to be equitable, especially for Black, Latine and Indigenous people with chronic illnesses/disabilities like me, paying us is an important first step.

Sunmi
they/them

Please introduce yourself!

I'm a cartoonist based in what is known as Baltimore, Maryland on the occupied land of the Piscataway people. My comics and body of work explore themes of emotional distance and fantastical femininity, within a framework of queer and Korean diasporic identity, history, and mythology.

How would you define an “emerging artist,” and how would the term be applied to you?

I don't feel particularly great about the term to be honest. I'm a career artist by choice and practice, but I believe in the value of art as a means of communication, and the act of creating art as a means of expression, catharsis, and emotional processing for all people, especially those who are marginalized. The capitalist associations of "emerging" also tie into that of novelty and freshness, which make people like products, easily exploited and dumped once tired.

How does your access to material resources (limitation/sufficiency/lack thereof) make the distribution of your creative work difficult?

I am fortunate to have ample access to material resources, and be connected to many peers and artists whose work I admire through higher education and bicoastal location. I have also always been flexible and working from a DIY mindset, so I am able to keep travel costs low, find cheap deals on equipment and materials, and always seek to create something interesting with whatever I have access to. Overall, people in zine communities have always been generous to me, so I am happy to pay it back to others.

When do you feel most welcomed at a zine fair as a vendor?

I feel most welcomed when the organizers are transparent, communicative, interested in a relationship beyond a single event, and above all, willing to provide care for their vendors that includes accessibility needs as well as simple nourishment like food and water for the long hours that we are tabling.