A Month of Zinesters: Static Zine

In honour of International Zine Month festivities this July, Broken Pencil asked a handful of zinesters why they make zines. First up, Static Zine

Static Zine

Based in: Toronto

Bio:  Static is a collective arts and lifestyle zine run by Jessica Lewis, Aviva Cohen and Melody Lamb, three music journalists/enthusiasts. The zine was launched during the recent North by Northeast festival and includes a show-hopping guide, a how-to on napping at concerts and an article on why we need more 24-hour restaurants in the city.

Website: staticzine.tumblr.com

Why do you guys make zines?

“I make zines because it’s a creative outlet I really enjoy and find useful. I wanted to put out a new print outlet that breathes excitement and life in to Toronto and its zine community. I wanted to start a new project of something I hadn’t done yet but always had in the back of my mind. I also wanted to showcase my friends’ creativity plus their random knowledge and fascinations about Toronto. I’ve written for Broken Pencil and worked Canzine in the past, so I wanted to dig into this world further. I will continue to make Static Zine because the whole process is incredibly fun from brainstorming ideas to gluing them down on the master copy. It’s amazing to see how the project is received – even the ‘a ZINE!?” or “remember zines??” remarks–and really, I just want to see what happens next.” – Jessica Lewis, Editor

“We make zines because we like gluing things. We’re not talking jerk adult glue: hot glue sticks, rubber cement or archival paste. None of the hard stuff. We’re talking grade-school-approved, sticky-hands, push-up, lose-the-cap-under-your-bed glue sticks. The real stuff. We wouldn’t have it any other way.” – Aviva Cohen, Managing Editor

“Making zines brings me back to the days when you would sit in your bedroom with your friends and do arts and crafts. Evidently, I didn’t go out much as a kid.” A zine isn’t a friendship bracelet or a paper mache bowl, but instead  it’s a collection of fun ideas and a collaborative effort among a group of people. We’re talented, our friends are talented; our creativity constantly screams out for new outlets to express our ideas with and zines just made sense. I attempted to make one when I was 15 by myself and failed miserably. Zines are meant to be a group activity and this group of some of the city’s best writers, photographers, and artists just works so well together. Those who zine together, stay together.” – Melody Lamb, Managing Editor

Photo credit: Derek Wuenschirs at photoderek.com.