novemüer 4. 2005 • JUSt OUt 45
CULTURE
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Apt in your hands
he stapling, writing, photocopying and
chatting that occurs at various zine-creating
symposiums throughout the city may not
convey the power of self-publishing.
“Zines are where a lot of revolutions start,”
said Nicole Georges, a queer veteran of the
BY J AYMEE R. CUTI
local zine scene. “It’s like an underground net
work of radical ideas.”
For the uninitiated, zines are self-published
are important, and I want to know their
ial for queer girls to relate to. Her forth
mini-magazines often in autobiographical or
story,” says Georges of Zine Canteen atten
coming handwritten fxx>k, Demon of Lesbos,
creative narrative, with comics and illustrations.
dees. “We want to support their efforts with
is a compilation of issues 14 through 19 of
Georges says her own zine, Invincible
out being too invasive.”
her zine, Way Down Dnv, which she
Summer, is mostly an autobiography about
Georges says zines have been ahead of the
describes as mostly personal, queer and
“dogs, coffee, dates, diaries and vegan stuff.”
mainstream media in covering progressive ideas
political narrative with some comics.
She helped organize the first Zine Sympo
about the queer and trans community as well as
sts sees zines as “art in your hands”
sium in Portland after planning the Midwest
relevant issues such as sexual assault and the
and says: “Zines offer their readers the
Underground Media Symposium in Kansas.
anti-capitalist movement.
most uncensored, up-to-date, creative
She began publishing her own work—mostly
Another accomplished zine publisher, sts,
media used to convey ideas, works of
narratives about working at Subway, her
says zines validated her attraction to the same
poetry, fiction, narratives, reporting
favorite bands and
sex as she discovered
based on current events, history, per
aliens—at the age of 14.
her sexuality as a
sonal experience and/or a mix of these.
Georges is the out
teen.
They are more accessible to create than
reach coordinator for
“The first place I
b<x)ks, and if you can find them, they are
the Independent Pub
ever read a positive
cheaper to buy. Anyone can make a zine
lishing Resource Center
thing about being a
about anything. It can be sold, traded or
and frequently staffs
lesbian was in a zine,”
given away, copied, printed off a computer or
Zine Canteen, a boot
sts says. “1 secretly got
each one handmade.”
camp for emerging
that zine out and
She and Georges sing the praises of Port
zinesters between 8 and
stared in absolute
land’s resources that help zine culture flourish.
18 to take advantage of
amazement at the two
According to Georges, while many young
free supplies, glean
girls going for a kiss
zinesters use their work to get into art school,
knowledge from trained
in the final panel and
others “just want to have a forum to say what
mentors, sound ideas off
identified with the
they want without having someone tell them
each other and attend
kx>k in their eyes.”
how to say it.”
workshops on specific
sts says because of
sts adds: “Portlanders are so lucky to have
aspects of the craft.
this, she makes a
access to zines all over the city, from the backs
“I want them to feel
point to be pro-queer
of people’s toilets to the indie bookstores to
empowered. I want
in her zines to com
merch rabies at punk, pop and rock shows, the
them to know the
fort
girls
coming
out
Zine
Symposium and zine library at the 1PRC.
Nicole Georges empowers young zinesters at
things they have to say
and to provide mater
Zines are a great way to meet new people and
the weekly Zine Canteen.
T
Portland zinesters bring
underground publishing to the surface
Demon of Lesbos, a compilation of zines by sts.
contains mostly personal, queer and political
narrative with some comics.
create a community of writers who may never
be published in kx)k form.” JF1
Z ine C anteen is held from noon to 5 p.m.
Sundays at the Independent Publishing Resource
Center, 917 S.W. Oak St. #218. For more
information visit www.ifrrc.org.
STS will read from and discuss Demon of Lesbos
from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 8 at Central Library,
801 S.W. 10th Ave.
Staff Writer J AYMEE R. Cun can be reached at
jaymee@justout.com.
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