News & updates – August-September 2016

Some end of the summer activities and zine news:

• On August 13th, I was tableing with my zines and with my friends of the feminist collective FEL at Ieperfest. This is a hardcore festival in Ieper that has been going for decades. Hc-punk music, yummy vegan food, anarchist/feminist books for sale, interesting talks and films, and a zine library, I was a happy bunny! FEL also did a talk about the future of feminism.
• My zines are now distributed by the band Respect My Fist (on the tour they did this summer through Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium), Artificial Womb distro, Heavy Mental distro, Active Distribution, and at various zine events in the UK. They’re for sale in some other places too.
• Same Heartbeats #10 is finished and printed, as well as my new 24 hour zine In Movement! More info soon!
• And yes, I still plan on releasing that Lost Luna demo this year too.
• The home office of ECHO will move in the end of September, so ask for my new address before you send any snail mail.

24 hour zine event – August 20-21 in Gent

• When? August 20-21, Saturday- Sunday
• Start: 15:00 (but you can start later too) till around 17:00 the next day (but you can finish earlier or a bit later too)
• Where? Gent

The next 24 hour zine event will take place in Gent again! Mail me for the exact address and if you’d like to participate.

The idea of this event is that each participant creates a zine of 24 pages within 24 hours, but even if we don’t always succeed in this goal, we have fun making zines together! Your zine can look however you want it to look and be about any subject/theme you like.

Zines we’ve made before were mostly made by hand and includes subjects like (radical) feminism, fiction/stories, home, femme identity, words & language, voice, feminist zines & posters, gender & space, …

Here you can find more info over 24 Hour Zine Thing, what zines are and how you can prepare.

What to bring:

• zine-making equipment (paper, pen, pencil, eraser, sharpener, ruler, glue, scissors, collage materials, stickers, stamps, glitter, photos, whatever you like…)
• sleeping bag and mat (in case you stay over, but let me know first!)
• laptop (optional)

What is already there:

• scanner
• printer (bad quality though + limited ink available, only suitable for text, print images beforehand!)
• paper cutter
• tables & chairs
• yarn to bind your zine
• a garden
• food: we buy vegan/veggie food collectively and ask you to contribute and on Saturday evening we’d like to go get fries nearby

Let me know if you want to participate or if you have any questions!

The ZINE TEST – which zinester are you?

This test is a preview from the upcoming zine Same Heartbeats #10:

Are you curious to know which type of zinester you are? Click on the image and do the test!

 

“Zine there done that” documentary – interview with Ana Hine and Fergus Cruickshank

Exciting zine news! Ana Hine, editor of the zine Artificial Womb (we made a split zine together!) and film maker Fergus Cruickshank are making a documentary together called Zines there done that. It will be about Ana’s struggle with mental health issues and the role that zines are playing in her recovery. Other zinesters may be featured as well as the zine touches upon feminists arts, DIY culture and mental health in general.

The crowdfunding campaign for the film is up now, so hurry to support this amazing project! In October 2016 we can expect the documentary to be finished.

The link between (per)zines and recovery is something which interests me a lot. I think zines, because of their accessibility and creative freedom and because of the supportive zine community in which they exist, can play a great role as tools for self-care and as community support networks. Zinesters often say writing zines as like therapy and survival for them. I’m curious to see how the film will explore this issue.

Let’s ask Ana and Fergus about their motivations and expectations of making the film!

Working on the next Same Heartbeats zine (international zine month)

Currently making the 10th issue of Same Heartbeats: drawing, writing, cutting & pasting, editing on my computer…

This issue will contain a “zine test: which zinester are you?”, rants about age and about keeping memories, reports of feminist events, a short guide to learn how to DJ, an interview with the zinester of Athemaura, thoughts about Brussels, comics, and much more! It will also include a special secret full-colour mini-zine all about Chainsaw Bunny!

Proudly wearing my Olympia Zine Fest T-shirt, even though I’ve never been there, but I was so lucky to win the t-shirt!🙂

Zine sales! (international zine month)

This month it’s International Zine Month AND it’s sales season AND this year I’ve been making zines for 15 years now AND Same Heartbeats is celebrating its 10th anniversary! So that’s 4 good reasons why we’re giving you a 10% discount on all Same Heartbeats zines + the compilation zine Echotopia! They are all 1,80 euro (+ postage & packaging) per copy instead 2 euros. This is your chance to grab some very very cheap feminist zines and complete your collection!🙂 The sales go from today till July 31st 2016.

• Same Heartbeats #9 / Artificial Womb split zine: INFO
  ECHO 033
  Split zine with Artificial Womb: Artificial Womb’s half is about struggling with a job as a journalist causing a mental breakdown, about recovery and about relationships, Same Heartbeats’s half is about zine events and feminist festivals, travelling and mapping the European feminist zine scene, L7…
  A5, 32 p, EUR 2 1,80 + p&p
• Same Heartbeats zine #8: INFO
  ECHO 031
  About feminist events (LaDIYfest Berlin, F-Word in Amsterdam, Et Biiim in Lille, Agitations in Charleroi), sexist and racist responses to sharing sexcist/racist experiences, fighting feelings of depression, feminist strike…
  A5, 36 p, EUR 2 1,80 + p&p
• Same Heartbeats zine #7: INFO
  ECHO 027
  About sister cities, Ladyfest Brussels, Doorbreek De Stilte, mini-tour with Vagina Dentata, Queer Zine Fest London, interview with zine-maker Melanie Maddison, women-only spaces and how to make a crafty Pussy Riot cat.
  A5, 32 p, EUR 2 1,80 + p&p
• Same Heartbeats zine #6: INFO
  ECHO 026
  About trips to London, Berlin, Amsterdam, a DIY/feminist tourist guide to Ghent, Ladyfests and zine fests, feminism, self-defense and learning how to play drums.
  A5, 32 p, EUR 2 1,80 + p&p
• Same Heartbeats zine #5: INFO
  ECHO 023
  About consciousness-raising, herstory of feminist activists, call for action, recycling craft ideas, non-hierarchical organising in groups, Anneke Van Baalen, Bunnies On Strike, postmodernist language and thoughts on zines, libraries and research.
  A5, 32p, EUR 2 1,80 + p&p
• Echotopia zine: INFO
  ECHO 22
  Echotopia is a collection of 10 years of Echo zines. It includes articles and drawings from Flapper Gathering, Punk Feminist Mini Zine, Same Heartbeats, Radix and Be All You Can Be and an old-fashioned but brandnew scene report! It gives a good overview of writings and images from 2001 to 2011 that talk about beauty standards, gender, autonomous spaces, independent publishing, punk and more.
  A5, 40p, EUR 2 1,80 + p&p
• Same Heartbeats zine #4: INFO
  ECHO 021
  About revolution and building a feminist movement, women’s liberation rock bands, _ fest 2010, Heksennacht / Take Back The Night, Dolle Mina, leg hair and questions the accessibility of postmodern queer feminism.
  A5, 32p, EUR 2 1,80 + p&p
• Same Heartbeats zine #3
  ECHO 020
  About racism in activist movements, DIY vs professional artists, feminist herstory and waves, selfpublishing and feminism, Buy Nothing Make Something, Infomania, HexeNacht 2008, Civil Media 08, Zine/DIY Gathering, Ladyfest Liège 2009, L-Salon II and Elles Tournent 2009 and a DIY guide to guitar chords.
  A5, 32p, EUR 2 1,80 + p&p
• Same Heartbeats zine #2
  ECHO 018
  About autonomous media and craft activism, mini-Ladyfests in Brussels, Ladyfest Berlin 2007, Ladyfest Amsterdam 2008, queer fests, Audacity, cloth pads and recycling an old pairs of trousers to an apron/toolbelt.
  A5, 32p, EUR 2 1,80 + p&p
• Same Heartbeats zine #1
  ECHO 016
  About DIY feminism activism, Ladyfest Amsterdam, Ladyfest Brussels, Ladies’ Room, Freak Out Fest, Up The Grrrls, craft and more.
  A5, 32p, EUR 2 1,80 + p&p

 

Reading zines (international zine month – day 2)

International Zine Month is a really good excuse to read zines. I got a few delivered to my mailbox recently and I’m currently devouring them.🙂

The zines in the photo above can be ordered from Pen Fight distro and the ones below from the hoax zine shop. For one of the hoax zines I wrote an article on non-hierarchical organising in feminist groups, which in practice isn’t always easy. That issue is wrapped in the colourful rainbow fairy bag and filled with little stickers.🙂

Expecting some more zines soon… I feel and am very spoiled…