The Learning Zone

All through November, in honour of the OCAD Zine Library’s 10th anniversary, the staff of the Learning Zone will be sharing our favourite zines with you!

Check our social media daily to follow along with our staff’s favourite zines in the collection and learn about why we love these publications so much.

Here are our first few picks:

Wood Panel That Shit by Krystina Plante (Call No. S21XS)

“This zine is so creative and fun! It’s a loving homage to wood panelling, and how you could incorporate it into your life, in mostly unpractical ways. It uses wood-panel contact paper for the cover and throughout to drive the point home. The best part: you flip the zine over and you have the same zine in French. A bilingual zine!” – Marta, Learning Zone Librarian

Bessie Coleman by Marya Errin Jones (Call No. I122M)

“Seeing a black woman on the cover of this zine with clouds swirling around her and a tiny airplane peaked my interest. After reading the introduction by Marya Errin Jones, I understood why – “When I need to remember that there are women in the world who look like me, thrive like me, create like me, laugh like me, challenge stereotypes and perceptions of everyday black life, just like me.” It was that reason in itself why I love this zine.” – Heather, Learning Zone Technician

Queer Sailor Moon FanFiction Saved My Life by an unknown author (Call No. Q37M)

“I was first drawn to zines because of their personal/confessional nature. So, I generally love any perzine, but perzines about fandom and how pop culture connects to our lives and makes us feel less alone are 100% my bag. This zine explores 90s queer girl culture (my heart!) and how the author used media and fanfiction to find herself as a young, queer person. I was (and still am) into finding queerness in cartoons and I saw a lot of myself in this zine (I’m still in love with Sailor Mercury). Connecting with writing on that level is the definition of what makes zines amazing!” – Lindsay, Learning Zone Coordinator

Etiquette: A silly drawings mini-comic by Matt Fielding (Call No. C59XS)

“I selected this comic maybe because my mom used to be an etiquette instructor. I remember her reading all those things you should do in impossible fancy situations. This comic is not at all like that! This comic points out all the situations you are going to encounter on your way to school! In a super fun manner, Etiquette helps you be a better you! Just read it!” – Nikole, Learning Zone Monitor

We’re also holding a party to celebrate the anniversary of the OCAD Zine Library. Come by the Learning Zone from 5pm to 8pm on Tuesday, November 14th to celebrate zines, hear from the founder of the collection, talk about zines, trade zines, make zines and more…

This year the Learning Zone and the OCAD Zine Library put on our second ever OCAD U Poster Fair to help students share and sell their print work. We had many amazing submissions but, given the amount of space needed to show posters and the massive amount of talent at OCAD University, we could only accommodate 12 vendors.

If you missed the event, or if you passed through and missed getting something you liked, here are all the links to vendors who participated in the poster fair:

Vincy Lim kiwimii.storenvy.com

Olivia Kim oliviakim.ca

Rabeea Syed instagram.com/rabeeasyed

Maggie Zhang 4sadluck.storenvy.com

Connie Le connie-le.com

Kai Lumbang smallswordpress.bigcartel.com

Angela Chung angelachung.format.com

Agnes Wong cargocollective.com/agnesdoubleu

Varvara Nedilska varvaranedilska.com

Cleo Peterson cleopatria.ca

Salisa Jatuweerapong eccros.carbonmade.com

Nano Publishing class: Natalie Mark nataliemark.format.com & Lucy Kinsella instagram.com/lucophia

Every July — ever since American zine maker Alex Wrekk declared it in 2009 — zine creators, fans and collectors celebrate International Zine Month. There are various daily activity suggestions rolling around the internet, but this year the OCAD Zine Library decided to write our own list. We hope you take some inspiration from the list, look at some zines, maybe make a zine or two, collaborate with friends, and learn something about zine history and zine making!

1. Read up on zines and zine history at ZineWiki.com
2. Re-read your favourite zines/pick up a zine for the first time
3. Make a no-staple mini-zine
4. Read a zine made outside of North America
5. Order a zine from a zine distro
6. Search our Zine Library online!
7. Make envelopes or postcards
8. Make some mail art!
9. Create and mail a ziney care package to a friend
10. Visit the QZAP.org to read archived queer zines
11. Try something new! If you usually write fiction, try writing a perzine (short for personal zine, which is a journal style zine)
12. Join the OCADU Zine Collective!
13. Zine Trade Day! Ask someone to trade zines
14. ValenZINE’s Day! Write to your zine crush
15. Leave a zine in public for someone else to find
16. Visit the Toronto Zine Library (open today from 1-3pm)!
17. Write and share a zine review
18. Take out a book about zines from the library
19. Zine Shop appreciation day! Visit a store near you that sells zines, like The Beguiling or Page & Panel
20. Submit your zine to a zine library (like us!)
21. International Zine Library Day! Give us some love
22. Send your zine out to be reviewed (Broken Pencil, Xerography Debt and Razorcake accept zines for review)
23. Make a one page zine
24. Teach yourself a new zine skill
25. Organize a zine event!
26. Teach a friend or family member about zines
27. Submit to a compilation zine
28. Cook with a recipe from a zine
29. Post photos of you with your zine or zine collection
30. Visit poczineproject.tumblr.com to read up on zines by people of colour
31. Read more Zines!

The OCADU Zine Collective is producing a collaborative zine about fandom, and they want your submissions!

Two days of zines has come to an end. If you missed this year’s edition of the OCADU Zine Fair (or just need a reminder of some of the zines you encountered), here’s a photo gallery of some of the vendors who were at this year’s event…

Day 1:

Day 2: