Pop-up Zine Library at the University of Maryland

On April 5th we held a pop-up zine library in the Women’s Studies Multimedia Studio at UMD (we being myself and Women’s Studies PhD student Melissa Rogers), as “a day-long celebration of feminist self-publishing and DIY cultural activism”. Overall I would say the event was a splendid success–we had a steady stream of visitors including 3 classes of undergrads who were very excited to get their hands on some typewriter keys and gluesticks. The “library” was comprised of several components–over 200 zines (basically mine and Melissa’s collections), alphabetized, cataloged, and shelved; two computers with tabs pulled up with online interviews, podcasts, distros, and archives; a reading area with a coffee table collection of books about zines; and zine-related craft activities, particularly making a page for a compilation zine and learning to make a mini-zine. The catalog, workshop instructions, as well as a list of zine-related resources was all combined into a program for the event. We definitely learned some lessons, like that over 200 zines looks kind of skimpy on a bookshelf, and don’t stand up very well, and are less attractive to browsers than zines hung up on ribbon with clothespins. In general though, I think that everyone who came had fun (I definitely did) and folks left with some new knowledge. This is sort of a quick update since as usual I’m multi-tasking, but I’ll probably post more pics, especially comp zine pics, later.

Here are a couple pictures–I tried to only grab ones with my friends in them so they can yell at me if they don’t want their pictures up, so these don’t capture the masses that descended upon the library, but they do capture some of the activities and the space.

Working on compilation zine pages.

Melissa teaches typewriter skills.

Mid-library carnage--the cardboard alphabet dividers proved no match.

I had to include Rachel's cute outfit.

Zine making is fun!

Anyway I’d love to talk to folks who have done or are interested in doing similar events–we’re planning to do a variation in D.C. in May through the D.C. Zinefest Collective.

–JB

Pop-up Library

Hello friends,

A lot is going on and I haven’t had a chance to process much less write or draw about pretty much anything, but here is a banner I drew for the upcoming Pop-up Zine Library at the University of Maryland, which you should totally come to on April 5th. Here is the description written by my co-organizer and back-of-head model Melissa: “Come check out 100+ zines (and books about zines) at UMD’s first ever Pop-Up Zine Library, a day-long celebration of feminist self-publishing and DIY cultural activism. Make your own zine in one of our free workshops occurring throughout the day, collaborate on a unique compilation zine (theme TBA), and learn more about why people around the country love this medium from online interviews, podcasts, distros, and archives.”

jb

Sister Spit at UMD, April 9th.

This poster was made from an original illustration I posted here a while back, and designed by Grace Toulotte. What do you think?

Anyway I hope folks come to Sister Spit on Saturday, it should be interesting and I hope there is a Q&A where maybe some famous people get called on their shit. The event is free, you don’t have to be a student. Maybe it will be a cutie-fest.

<3 your favorite curmudgeon.

Working on a new poster

This is a slightly bad photo of the beginning of a flier for the Sister Spit performance at UMD on April 9th. I’m pretty psyched because I wrote the budget proposal for the event when I was still a student, and now I’m working with the brilliant graphic designer Grace Toulotte on promotional stuff. I’m hoping we can keep working together, because I am good at vomiting ink onto paper and she is good at actually creating interesting, visually appealing marketing materials (and uses her powers for good not evil).

Heavily inspired by Divine and Crackers in Pink Flamingos imbuing the Marbles’ house with their filthy queer spit.

<3 jb

Disorientation Guide Now Available!

University of Maryland students and other interested parties, look for the guide around campus or you can print your own! That’s my Testudo doodle on the cover. Plus look for re-prints of “Mactivism” and “Activist Burnout.”

Also in other news Femme a Barbe 1 and Sassyfrass Circus 5 are now available from Marching Stars Distro, for all you folks across the Atlantic. They are also both still available from my Etsy shop, where your purchase will help fund the imminent printing of Femme a Barbe 2. It’s sick.

<3 jb

I made this cartoon in like 3 minutes…

After my editor called and told me my original toon had been rejected by the higher-ups for the appearance of intra-newspaper dueling. Damn higher ups.

You can kind of tell that I taped that shit together in warp speed. But really, what the hell does “fiduciary duty” mean and why can’t I find a job?

Here’s a photo of the original toon:

Which is a response to one of the most idiotic letters to the editor ever written, probably. Maybe.

“In the second panel, the woman says, “Yea!” So it wasn’t against her will. The column also says that the male in the cartoon “crams the heel of the boot up the woman’s skirt with such force that she is thrown spread-eagled off her feet, flying higher than the man’s head.” The only reason it was drawn that way is because that is the only way I could accurately depict the whole country of Italy going into her.”
~Joe “I’m an idiot” Welkie

<3 j.bee

Diamondback cartoon and stuff

Here’s one of those 10-minutes before deadline toons. It prompted the anonymous reader comment “you’re an idiot” so I must be doing something right!

Also, it’s Pride Month at the University of Maryland! My face is on the poster! Whoah!

<3 j.bee

p.s. anonymous reader-commenter on the internet, you ain't got nothin' on these gems:

Pressuring UMD to cut it’s Nike Contract

http://www.diamondbackonline.com/opinion/editorial-cartoon-march-11-1.1263894

<3j.bee

Geppetta & Evan Greer at the University of Maryland

When I make fliers, I don’t mess around. There’s a wonky photoshop edit that required speed over beauty, but oh well. For updates and such, check out the Facebook page.
<3 j.bee

One of the things I did in Chile…

…was to work on this amazing mosaic project with a local artist (Cristian Pavez Herera) and school kids in Valparaiso, to decorate the front of la escuela “Republica de Bolivia”. Here are some pictures gleaned from Facebook!

Going over the design idea with Cristian and my incomparable friend and teacher Vivianne Salgado.

Laying out the design on plywood in chalk first.

Working on the actual mosaic was so much fun!

Finished mosaic on the wall!

The inauguration, with Cristian, Vivianne, my amiga Betsabe, school admin and students.

Most of the University of Maryland crew.

Famous in Valpo! Special thanks to my agent.

For more pictures of the project and the week spent in Valparaiso with our amigos, check out Silvia Molina’s Flickr set.

Hope folks in my region are enjoying the fast-melting snow.

<3j.bee