As an avid fan of zines and head of the OC Zine Fest, I’ve amassed a hefty collection, from hand-folded, pocket-size booklets to glossy, 8.5-by-11 treats. And while there are numerous zine fests dotting the globe, you still can’t find any Xeroxed gems perched on a display case at the local Barnes & Noble. For your fix, have a gander at these small, local publishers and distributors (“distros” in zine-speak) and never hear “print is dead” again!
As Issued: After six years, As Issued recently moved inside downtown Santa Ana’s Marcas Gallery. The distro, operated by Dana Jazayeri, offers enamel pins, stickers, art books and other doodads, as well as a collection of zines centered on photography, illustration and art. www.asissued.com.
Zineworks: This long-running distro offers informational, handwritten zines on colorful paper that discuss a variety of topics—including LGBT issues, how to be a proper zine pal, self-help, safe-space manuals, even Lisa Frank—made by a collective of artists, educators and writers around OC and the Inland Empire. www.facebook.com/Zineworks.
Bookmachine: Settled in its own little nook in Hibbleton Gallery, Bookmachine publishes plenty of academic writing focused on the cinema of Iran, the history of punk rock in Orange County, historical coloring books and other topics. Stop by on any given Fullerton Art Walk night, and you’ll find comics; classic paperbacks; Philip K. Dick’s works; and buttons, cassettes and zines by local artists. bookmachinestore.blogspot.com.
Funnel & Moxie Zine Factory: In 2007, Irvine-based Matthew Rodela opened his own Zine Machine at Whittier College; it was basically a vending machine that sold zines for students. Now, as owner and founder of Funnel & Moxie Zine Factory, he’s part of a collective that publishes humorous zines with titles such as “Does That Make Me A Lesbian?, Countering a Voodoo Doll Made in Your Image, Why Aren’t You At Your Post? and Takin’ Care of the Booty: A Pirate Tale. He’s hoping to start another zine-selling vending machine to circulate at colleges across the country. www.facebook.com/FUNNELandMOXIEzineFACTORY.
