Hello! This is Volunteer Twoey with a special dispatch on zine activities on the West Coast. I recently moved out here for a job, and here’s what I’ve managed to discover about the zine community in Vancouver:
Copy Machine Manifestos: Exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG)
I attended the zine exhibit at the ever-so-wonderfully-abbreviated VAG, and was not disappointed! It was cool to see some of the original paste-ups of riot grrrl zines I fawned over in high school, and I adored the quilt made of zine envelopes.
Several rooms were dedicated to contemporary zine culture, with the final destination of the exhibit acting as a reading room for local zines. I did struggle with the sparse interpretation of artifacts, and was confused by random Instagram-bait pieces that felt out of step with the exhibit (random unattributed quote in neon lights?) But if you have the opportunity, I would recommend attending this exhibit on one of the VAG’s Free Fridays. (Reserve your tickets in advance, or sneak in like I did).
Zine Collection at the Vancouver Public Library
Toronto Reference Library, take note. Zines are available at many VPL branches, and are displayed front and centre near the entrance of their largest downtown branch. Although the zine selection is fewer in quantity than Toronto’s reference collection, they are organized thematically and fitted with barcodes for borrowing. Impressive.
Zine Fairs / Libraries in Vancouver
To my knowledge, Vancouver Comic Arts Festival (VANCAF) and the Vancouver Art Book Fair are Vancouver’s two primary zine events. I was disappointed to learn that there is currently no major *zines only* festival, but perhaps I am too Torontonian to get invited to this secret underground black market.
In addition to the Vancouver Public Library, I’ve heard whispers of zine collections at Emily Carr University and Douglas College.
If you find yourself out West, I encourage you to explore all this and more that the city has to offer. Hope to see you again soon, Toronto!
Editor’s note: This blog was first published in TZL’s newsletter. To see more blogs and reviews like this, sign up for our newsletter here