The word “Zine” originally comes from the word “magazine” or “Fanzine” and is most often used by people outside the established book market as an easy way to disseminate knowledge. DIY stands for “Do It Yourself”, which refers to the production and publishing of these zines.
CPH ZINE FEST is an annual market where artists get the opportunity to sell their zines (self-published DIY magazines), comics and art books.
The selection process at CPH ZINE FEST is characterized by the fact that it is free to participate. Therefore, the artists are selected on a first-come, first-served basis.
Desire drives the work.
Zines are a democratic and political tool where everyone has the opportunity to participate regardless of “talent” and background. Zines have historically been a big part of punk culture and fall into the anti-capitalist ideology of creating without profit. That way, you have more freedom in creating a zine. A zine can contain many things; drawings, poems, art, stories, journalism, graphics, comics – there are no limits.
CPH ZINE FEST represents a broad spectrum of artists creating zines, comics, art books and small press. All created by artists who are not afraid to touch on taboo subjects and push the boundaries. You also have the opportunity to talk directly with the artists and mirror or better understand the perspectives of others who don’t normally get a voice.
The zine community strives for inclusivity and is a diverse bunch of DIY enthusiasts, feminists, queer people, people interested in breaking taboos and who are not afraid to tell personal stories and normalize mental challenges.
In short, the zine medium gives space to the stories you don’t hear in the mainstream media.
Zines as comics.
There are several artists who make zines with comics that are not known to the general comic reader. Several of these artists are coming to Copenhagen comics.
However, there are also examples of comics that started as zines but were later collected and published in a more traditional comic book format.
Two of these examples are the comics Übermensch and Working poor, written and drawn by Nilas Røpke Driessens and Lars Kramhøft. The latter has won both a Ping and a Claus Deleuran award.
With these two examples, it’s safe to say that there is no correlation between shape, quality or price.
If you want to experience comics, art and illustration in a new way, stop by the zine area at Copehagen comics.
See you in Øksnehallen 18. & May 19 to Denmark’s largest comic book festival
