cut copy paste zine fair
Kozue and I shared a table, we made friends, and I get to sell some zines :D
The fair was at Temasek Polytechnic and since it was all the way at the east end of the island, I didn’t think there would be many visitors. But the weekend crowd was bigger than I expected. Behind the scene, the exhibitors and organisers formed a warm community. It was my first time boothing and I had a fantastic experience!
I am often very touched when someone buys my zines and comics because these are projects that I put a lot of myself into. One visitor (in the photo above holding zines) bought all 3 of my Afterlife zines! Thank you! That really gave me confidence to put more works out.
Making zines
All the zine I sold at the fair except for Zombie Diaries and Extraction, were printed with my home inkjet printer on acid free paper. (I am quite particular about paper and spent some time looking for the right one.) For Extraction, a zine folded from one piece of paper with 32 pages, I had it printed at the printers but folded and cut the flaps myself. It was rather tedious but I do enjoy making folded zines because their form naturally makes it more interesting for me. I might create more of those.
If not for Kozue who proposed the idea of sharing a booth, I wouldn’t have participated in this zine fair. I am so grateful that she did! I am encouraged to participate in more fairs for it motivates me to create new works, increase my visibility as an illustrator, and gives me a chance to meet up with people - ie other illustrators and readers. While I often work alone at my desk, I’d like to remind myself that I am not alone nor can I be a better illustrator from being alone. Exchanging ideas and information, receiving feedback and validation are also important to the development and maturity of future works.