A zine is an independent, self-published magazine that is designed to tell stories and focuses individual's experiences. It is made through cut and paste, photocopying, and artistic hand-made layouts.
What is Oh Hamilton! Zine?
Oh Hamilton! is going to be a zine about Hamilton. I am looking to assemble artists, writers, new immigrants, average people from Hamilton to talk about both negative and positive feelings of living, working, or moving in and out of the city. There are a number of publications in Hamilton, but I would argue that there are few that are so specifically aimed at listening to people.
I want as many different people to contribute as possible, and try to capture a snapshot of what life in Hamilton is like at this moment.
On the blog, I'm going to try to include a number of informative posts about zine making, and might set up some zine/writing workshops in the city. At the very least there will be e-workshops/activities you can try on your own, or even with a group of friends.
I want to contribute my work! How do I do that?
Check out the contributor post for full details on how you can go about making a contribution!
Why do you need to make a zine? Isn't a blog good enough?
There is something very tactile about a zine that a blog cannot capture. There is a way that it can be passed from one person to another, shared, explored and savoured. There are guerilla design elements, whether it's in cut and paste, photocopier smudges, or assymetry that blogs specifically try to avoid to be more aesthetically pleasing.
There is also some sort of value or significance in being published in a physical form. A lot of the people who I aim to include in this zine might not have been published, or have ever had their work out there before.
In my brain, there is also a permanence that paper has over bits and bytes of computer screens. That should electricity fail, I want a way that these stories can still be shared.
I really like this idea, and want to help get the word out! How can I do that?
1. We are currently looking for spaces to hold zine workshops and maybe a zine release party. If you have access to a space that could be used for ideally free, please contact ohhamiltonzine [at] gmail [dot] com
2. Spread this idea by word of mouth. Tell your friends, your co-workers, people you go to school with. Tell your neighbours, tell local businesses that you frequent. Tell your mom!
3. Pass on posters (digital or physical). Currently I am in the process of making digital and physical posters, and will provide links to download in the very near future
gracieabrams
vaporwave
gamechangershow
yousharknotpass
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
blakekathryn
prguitarman
