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Brooklyn Zine Fest #2

posted by Marcroy March 29, 2013

Brooklyn Zine Fest grows larger and more diverse in its second year at Public Assembly. Brooklyn, NY (April 21, 2013) — Warmed (but not toasted) by the success of last year’s inaugural event, zine publishers Matt Carman and Kseniya Yarosh are returning to Williamsburg to present the second annual Brooklyn Zine Fest. The BZF is a space for creative, independent voices from Brooklyn and beyond to make their self-published magazines available to fans and attendees of all ages. This event will be held on Sunday, April 21 from 11am to 6pm at Public Assembly in Williamsburg. Admission is free.

The curated, expanded lineup of more than 80 writers, artists, and publishers is evenly split between new exhibitors and folks returning from last year’s Brooklyn Zine Fest, which brought an estimated 1,500 attendees to Public Assembly.

“Last year we proved that tons of people still want to turn a real page when they read something. Zines take time to create, so a lot of care goes into these publications,” said Carman. “New Yorkers really respond to that level of dedication and interest. This is the only place in the world where every single idea can find its audience, no matter how niche or off-kilter.”

Yarosh added, “We’re excited to see a lot of new faces and zines this year,” which include the graffiti archivists of Carnage NYC, Jess Ruliffson’s comics about Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, and personal tales from zine scene legend Indulgence. “There are whole genres and worlds of zines we’re exploring right now that we didn’t even know about before.” The line-up has even gone meta, with “zine about zines” Finite + Flammable in attendance.

The event also features bold, notable female writers and artists like Womanimalistic publisher Caroline Paquita, the women of New York Times-profiled food zine The Runcible Spoon, and researcher Elvis Bakaitis of Homos in Herstory. “Women and marginalized groups have always been a driving force behind zines and the zine community, and this year’s BZF carries that history forward,” said Carman. “A zine is a voice, and this trash-can choir takes all kinds.”

While the Brooklyn Zine Fest is all ages, attendees 21 and over can enjoy drinks at Public Assembly’s full bar, including specials from beer sponsor Brooklyn Brewery. As the weather warms up, the Brooklyn Zine Fest is the perfect place to discover a new interest and find some reading material for lazy beach days in the Rockaways – toner and paper for tanners and nappers.

After a quick changeover following the zine fest, Chicago-based artist and BZF exhibitor Lyra Hill will bring her live comics & art performance event Brain Frame to the Back Room at Public Assembly at 7pm, the first out-of-Illinois edition of the show. Also free but limited to ages 21+, Brain Frame will bring BZF artists to the stage to act out their works with projection, puppetry, props, soundscapes, and more. As Hill describes it, “Viewers may be damaged and/or healed.”

Carman and Yarosh have been publishing their collaborative zine ‘I Love Bad Movies‘ and hosting film screenings and live events in New York City since 2009. Yarosh is also the co-host of femme-centric film podcast ‘Bonnie & Maude.‘

http://www.brooklynzinefest.com