name: ashlee swanson
zine: regeneration

fun fact: i've spent a lot of time recently coloring in coloring books. it's relaxing!

favorite quote: "art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable." cesar cruz

collect anything: books, cds, dvds. it's my life dream to have a fancy home library someday.

favorite childhood book: i don't remember reading much as a child, but i loved the 'scary stories to tell in the dark' books!

afraid of: heights.

Today is the last day of International Zine Month. It's a bittersweet day. I have been incredibly productive this month. I have done zine related things that I have put off for far too long, and I have also done zine-related things that I am usually not brave enough to do. It's been a great time!

Day 31 - Post a picture of yourself with your zine.

I just finished my 24-hour zine, Marked For Life #8

Day 24 – Send in your zine for distro consideration.

I mailed my body-positive compilation zine, FAT-TASTIC #2 to Cindy Crabb's distro.

Day 25 – Order from a different distro than you normally order.

I placed an order with tukru at Vampire Sushi Distro. I’m excited to get my order and enjoy some new reading material.

Day 26 – Review a zine and post it on your website or blog.

Zine Review: Tall Tales 5 by Nik & contributors

On my last library trip, I checked out the zine, Tall Tales #5. I try to choose titles that I am not familiar with and Tall Tales #5 was quite a treat. Each story is a fun mixture of the bizarre and entertaining, from small town nostalgia to work stories. Hands down, my favorite story was the first one, My First and Last Experience with the Pizza Van. I loved the idea of eating pizza in a van with strangers and the ending was awesome and funny.

The date in the zine says July 2010. I’m going to email the author and see if there is a new issue I can pick up. 

Day 22 - Check out zinewiki.com and add or edit an entry. 

I am glad I looked my name up on zinewiki.com because the info was old on my personal page and Sweet Candy Distro's page.

Although both pages need a lot of updating, I only added my current location and zine projects. I will be sure to go back soon and spruce it up more!

~ Sage Adderley
~ Sweet Candy Distro

Day 23 - Ask someone to trade zines with you.

Are you ready for a funny story? Okay, so I just got an email 20 minutes ago from someone who I communicated with in April and they asked to trade zines in today's email which had nothing to do with IZM. I love the Universe & her mysterious ways.

Zine trade = done.

Today, I am reading a zine that arrived in my po box for distro consideration: Sasquatch

Day 20 - Host a zine party or event at a local library or community center.


Day 21 - International Zine Library day! Visit a zine library.

I've mentioned before how badical the Olympia Zine Library is. Librarian, Kelsey Smith, does an amazing job supporting the zine community and bringing its greatness to Olympia, as well as supporting the local zinesters. She rules.

I visit the zine library every week and always find great zines to check out and enjoy.

I'm looking forward to helping out at this zine event coming up at the library:

4th Annual 24 Hour Zine Thing: We Love Olympia Edition

Saturday, 8/4/2012, 2-7:30pm

Your challenge: make a 24-page zine from idea to completion in 24 hours. Drop in to the library's meeting room between 2 and 7:30 p.m. to use provided materials and make your own 24-page zine. This year, you can make your own zine or help us to make an Olympia-themed collaborative zine. Supplies provided include typewriters, long-armed staplers, glue sticks, recycled magazines, Print Gocco, paper, and copy machines. All ages and levels of experience are welcome. Feel free to bring interesting materials to use or share.

Day 19 - Make a zine flyer to pass out & trade!

I needed some new fliers, so this activity is perfect. I made two new fliers for Sweet Candy and two new submission call fliers for FAT-TASTIC! #3

Day 16 – Leave your zine in a public place for someone to find.

I haven’t done this but on Friday I plan on leaving a copy of FAT-TASTIC #2 somewhere in the Olympia Timberland Library!

Day 17 – Teach a friend or family member about zines.

Pretty much all of my friends are familiar with zines since it is such a big part of my life. My kids have been around zines since they were tiny, so zines are just a normal part of life for them. My daughter Emily has made two one-shot zines when she was pre-school age!

What I did do for Day 17 is sit down with my daughters and talk about the food compilation zine we are going to put together. It’s going to be full of fun stuff!

Day 18 – Send your zine to a zine library.

I recently donated my zines to the Olympia Library so today I am going to mail out copies of FAT-TASTIC! to the Barnard Zine Library :)

Welcome to my weekend wrap-up of days 13-15 of International Zine Month activities!

Day 13 – Send your zine out to be reviewed.

More confession time: I don’t send my zines out for review. It’s just something I’ve never felt comfortable with and so I’ve never done it. I think it’s because many of my zines are really personal, and I would be crushed if someone wrote some bad things about my life experiences.

I’ve had my zines reviewed, but in those circumstances, people bought my zine and then took it upon themselves to review it. Luckily, they’ve been good and never made me cry.

Despite my fear of my zines being reviewed, I think if you are comfortable with it, having your zine reviewed is a great thing. It’s a wonderful way to get your zine noticed by a larger audience and meet new zine friends.

I’m just not that brave yet. Here is a list of zine resources if you’d like to send your zine to be reviewed: Stolen Sharpie Revolution

Day 14 – ValenZine’s Day! Write your zine crush.

So, I wrote a letter to someone who makes me swoon with their zine words. I’m not telling who!

Day 15 – Make plans to make a split zine with someone.

Did you listen to the last episode of Postage Paid where Sarah Rose and I talk about split zines? Check it out here, you can listen to me mumble, forget zine titles, and gush over Jami Sailor!

I have plans to make a split zine with Nicci Mechler. She writes Fat Girl, Toy Camera, mostlyHANDwritten, Cook This and many other zines. I am pretty excited about doing a split zine with Nicci. She has been a creative inspiration of mine for over eight years!

Day 11 (yesterday) – Create a care package to send to a friend.

I gathered some zines that I want to pass on to a few zine friends and started writing letters so that I can mail out two or three mini care packages to them this weekend. I’ve also been collecting some ephemera for zine or collage making to include in the packages as well. I hope they enjoy them!

Day 12 – Make some mail art!

I love love making and receiving mail art. It is one of my favorite things! I have a three tier storage cart that sits next to my computer, and it is full of all my material and crafty items for mail art. I will make some small mixed media collages and postcards and post photos when they are finished.

Tomorrow, this awesomeness is happening:

I am pumped about this week of IZM activities because it revolves around MAIL! Today I am writing my zine friends who have recently sent me mail. I have fallen behind on writing letters so this is a great kick in the pants to get going.

Don’t forget: Send a letter to get a letter :)