The Learning Zone

OCAD U Zine Library marked their celebration of Pride Month last week @ocadulibrary with Tamara Noor ‘s staff pick:

Stonewall 1969 by Mike Funk:

As we come up on Pride month, it is important to remember the origins of Pride and this zine serves as a great reminder. It provides a brief history of the Stonewall riots in comic form. Most importantly, it highlights the important roles that LGBTQ activists and pioneers Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera played in the 1969 Stonewall rebellion. Pride did not begin as a fun corporate-sponsored party, it was a police riot. This zine reminds me to pause and thank the courageous LGBTQ activists that came before us for the important work they did.

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

#DisplayYourPride at OCAD U! Visit the many events across campus and join us at the Learning Zone for a button making party; Thursday June 13th from noon until 4 pm. Be creative and make a button or a few – only 2 for $1.00. All welcome!

For Pride Month 2019, our LGBTQ+ and supporting Learning Zone Staff members discovered some of their favourite zines from the OCAD U Zine Library. The zine library is an evolving DIY collection promoting diversity and embracing inclusive communities. We’ve highlighted staff picks and more in our Pride Month display.

Tamara Noor staff pick:

We begin with a personal favourite of Tamara’s called Kingston is for Lesbians by Cleo:

For this years’ Pride display, Kingston is for Lesbians by Cleo was a zine I immediately gravitated to. Being a queer person of colour in a very white, conservative city is something I relate to a lot. However, even in those unfortunate circumstances, it is still possible to find role models to aspire to (i.e. the older lesbian couple next door in their domestic bliss). This zine also beautifully explores the concept of “home” and what that means… is it a place? A feeling? I also adore Cleo’s illustration style. All in all, a magnificent perzine about self-discovery.

Nik Szafranek staff pick:

This zine What Makes An Object Queer by Jamie Q was an immediate favourite for Nik:

I was immediately drawn to the playfulness of the little (XS) zine; with its playing with descriptions of queerness that are both fun and accessible. Where a lot of cis/heteronormative discourse tends to essentialize LGBTQ+ identities to merely their sexual aspects and there for deemed not ‘child appropriate’. It is refreshing to see a more light hearted but still very holistic approach to this diverse grouping of identities and lived experiences. The pairing of attempts to describe queerness you can imagine being used for individuals you may know and empathize with equally ‘queer’ but definitionally different representations of abstract composite forms along and more recognizable objects with unexpected additions and omissions attempts to bridge understanding by comparison and contrast seems very approachable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Casey Helm staff pick:

A Queer Women in History: A Zine Celebrating the lives of Queer Women in History caught Casey’s attention:

While the zine is certainly not exhaustive, it gives the reader a great little primer on some influential + pioneering LGBTQ+ women throughout history. I want people to use this zine as an introduction; there are so many more amazing women to learn about, and so much more in-depth information about everyone featured in the zine. Do your research, especially about historical LGBTQ+ women of colour! An important figure missing from this work is Marsha P. Johnson, a Black Trans woman activist who was at Stonewall. Queer and Trans women of colour were so instrumental in building the community we have today, and we owe so much to Marsha and others. I also want this zine to remind everyone – WE HAVE ALWAYS EXISTED!!

Samiya Karim staff pick:

Decolonizing P@renting a zine by & for Queer parents of color edited by  Se’mana Thompson and Maria Teresa Carmier  was love ❤️ at first sight for Samiya:

It is rare to see conversations about queer parenting let alone queer parents of colour. This zine opens up the conversation of how we can approach parenting as POC with Queer identities. A healing zine for anyone of queer POC identity.

Visit the OCAD U Zine Library and discover your favourite LGBTQ+ zine and share it with us!

Come visit and browse a collection of over 2500 zines, from uniquely handmade multiples, minicomics, poetry chapbooks, perzines, and much more! We will have a special display of recent acquisitions with a focus on Indigenous voices, decolonization and multilingual publications.

When? Tuesday July 10, 10 am to 6 pm at the Learning Zone located at 122 St. Patrick Street, Level 1, also accessible from 113 McCaul Street.

This event is part of Art Book Week, a week-long series of events and activities that parallels the Toronto Art Book Fair. Art Book Week 2018 takes place from July 4 – 11 at various locations across the city. The goal of Art Book Week is to celebrate the unique artists’ book community in Toronto, as well as increase the visibility of new and exciting projects, spaces, and artists. www.torontoartbookfair.com/art-book-week-2018

ZINE POWER is the current exhibition at the Learning Zone Gallery, celebrating D.I.Y. publishing.

Learning Zone Librarian Marta Chudolinska and long-time zine maker, curated this exhibition to run in conjunction with the OCAD U Zine Library’s 10 year anniversary. The OCAD U Zine Library was launched November 14, 2007 by former OCAD U student and Toronto artist Alicia Nauta. The zine library collection has grown to over 2000 zines and continues to inspire, educate and entertain.

Fourteen creators from OCAD University and Toronto’s zine making community are featured in this exhibition.

Completed publications are displayed alongside rough notes, sketches and other process documents that were generated in the making of a zine, giving viewers a deeper insight into the experiences of zine creators.

ZINE POWER creators:

• Sahar Abdallah
• Pauline Aksay
• Tal Sofia Braniss
• Carrying Root Collective
• Eunice Lai & Friends
• Lindsay Gibb
• Tara Krebs
• Kai Lumbang
• Natalie Mark
• Yahn Nemirovsky
• Donny Nie
• Josephine Norman
• Tami Poliwoda
• Lina Wu

On until December 2

As November continues (and our Zine Library anniversary party is coming up next week!), we continue to chose and share our favourite zines from the collection.

Here’s a selection of our staff picks:

Stitching Together by Annie Mok (call no. C375M)

“I love the Muppets and I love Kermit the frog. I think he’s having a midlife crisis since separating from Miss Piggy. I really love the Kermit memes. Also, I have cried watching the Muppet’s movie about Gonzo’s deep-seated heartache and longing to belong.” – Natalie, Learning Zone Monitor

Welcome to Nursing HELLo by Joel Craig (call no. C140S)

“This is an autobiographical zine about an actor/writer and his spouse who both turned to nursing after a string of unrewarding career choices. This zine follows Joel dealing with the chaos of adjusting to a new career and working in a hospital. I had not seen the subject matter (putting in catheters, giving IVs, dealing with aggressive patients and stressed doctors) in a zine before and it gave me a highly personal and direct insight into the life of a nurse but also the unique circumstances of the writer’s life. The drawings are simple but work well as a reflection of the fast-paced environment of a hospital where anything can happen. I think this a great example of how the zine format can be beneficial to a very wide range of people and life stories.” – Dylan, Learning Zone Monitor

I Like Girls: Issue 1: “my first crush” published by House Hippo Press (call no. Q17M)

“My absolute favourite zine from the collection, ‘Queer Sailor Moon Fanfiction Saved My Life,’ has already been chosen and written up, but this zine is a very, very close second! I like girls issue 1: ‘my first crush’ is a collection of seven stories ‘for and by queer ladies’, talking about that (bitter) sweet first gay crush, from high school to university to sixth grade. It’s a little funny, a little sad, and perfect for fellow queer girls, those who like perzines, and/or anyone who likes a nice trip down memory lane. ❤️🌈” – Yasmin, Learning Zone Monitor

NOTA by various authors (call no. A135M)

“This zine takes two things I adore and weds them beautifully: the glory of language and the visual pleasures of art.” – Kyla, Learning Zone Monitor

An Awesome Title by Steph Kenzie (call no. C207M)

“A familiar take on the family dynamic of the fight over the family television. Asks questions of other-worldly existence and how even aliens can sometimes use a friend in a time of need. Curious of how stars and other space matter is formed or destroyed? This zine could provide an alternative perspective.” – Tony, OCADU Library practicum student