The Dorchester Art Project Zine Library has grown this year to 280 zines. 280 zines tucked away in the wall of Dorchester Art Project ready for you to browse and check-out and then bring back for others to enjoy! It’s fitting DAP houses a zine library. Like DAP, zines are places, spaces, platforms. Zines are a place for singular work and curated experiences. Zines are a community.
In salute to those who generously donated their zine(s) and to the zine community as a whole here is my list of the best zines in the DAP Zine Library from 2018. The following were releases this year that absolutely won me over and made me believe in community.
Zine on Zines: A Zine about zines, what a zine is and what a zine can be by a zine-maker named Jason Lin
by Jason Lin
A zine library is not complete without a zine about zines. Jason Lin takes this concept to the next level by challenging the straight forward presentation zines most commonly take.
https://www.instagram.com/jasonhlin/?hl=en
The Thread Zine
by Emma Ruff
The thread zine is an exercise of love. This zine asks the viewer to express patience with positive affirmations to another just by the act of looking. The zine is so sweet and thoughtful that with no one at the other end of the thread, I had to acknowledge my love of the zine.
Additional zines by Emma Ruff in the library include The Bed (A Poem) (2018), and The Paper Napkin, issue 1 (2018).
https://www.instagram.com/hellllo_em/?hl=en
https://www.emmaruff.com/
The Truth is Out There, issue #2
by Jordyn Haime
This zine is for searchers. It highlights those who have been left behind and provides a feminist perspective into UFOlogy.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BeatZinester?ref=s2-header-shopname
Magical Crystals of the Bible
by Jessica Caponigro
Hand cut stickers on lavender paper + 10% of the proceeds are donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
https://www.instagram.com/jessicacaponigro/
https://snakehair.bigcartel.com/
Mundi Zine Vol 2: Memento Mundi
by Sable Sanborn
Having previous releases that were primarily visually based, Memento Mundi highlights Sable Sanborn’s poetry. It is a gentle surprise and I’ll be chanting the line, “Winter always overstays her welcome but she always goes away” this January to March.
Additional zines by Sable Sanborn in the zine library: Subcortical (2018)
Moon Eaters, issue 1, vol. 2
Moon Eaters Collective (Crystal Bi Wegner, Ailin Lu, and Lily Xie)
Moon Eaters is a platform for APIA femme queer narratives manifested in art, community and printed media. See Mass Text about their zine release party in 2018 and Olivia Deng’s year ender, “The Top Local Zines of 2018”.
Vol. 1 is also available in the zine library.
Living Under Construction (Paper): a comic zine
by Jepervary
This one had me at the construction cone. This construction paper zine is about being a work in progress.
More zines by Jepervary (Jen Epervery) in the library include Haunted Series I.
https://www.jepervary.com/shop
https://www.instagram.com/jeperbees/?hl=en
Going Nowhere Fast
by PJ Carmichael and Adam Kooken
48- page art and poetry zine put out under Mass Love Distro who is always on tour and is a ball to see. If the library doesn’t get you stoked about zines, PJ Carmichael will.
Additional zines from Mass Love Distro in the library include Crust.
http://masslovedistro.storenvy.com/products/24324453-going-nowhere-fast-zine
Art Talk with Robo Liz
by Liz Y.
Self-care comic zine about how Robo Liz uses art to take care of herself.
Additional zines by Liz Y. in the library include Barista #1 (2017).
https://indigooctopus.weebly.com/
Dejenme Llorar
by Victoria Marcelino
Lloraré si te veo llorar. And we will create rainbows together.
http://victoriamarcelino.com/
Browse the 280 zines in the library here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13W4D4FdBbbvbwYPYVI5oxj_W-7sF1cZmbHQtoXB60bA/edit?usp=sharing
