Twin Cities Zine Fest 2020 Is Upon Us

Heads-up: The Twin Cities Zine Fest has gone virtual for 2020. Running now through October 25, the annual celebration of D.I.Y./handmade publishing is more socially and politically engaged than ever. (What a year, right?)

The festival typically takes place at Minneapolis Central Library, one of two permanent homes for the Hennepin County Library’s Zine Collection (the other is at Hosmer Library, a.k.a. the 36th Street Branch), but this year’s events are being staged online at tczinefest.org.

Photo: Entropy Editions

Tune in Friday, October 23 at 7 p.m., for the TCZF Zinester Reading, with ‘zine makers sharing their work in eight minutes or less. On Saturday, October 24, at 3 p.m., is a panel discussion with B. Erin Cole and Paranoid Tree’s Jessica Eckerstorfer, themed “Year of Quaranzine: How Creators Have Responded to COVID-19 Quarantine, Social Distancing, & More.” The final live event, set for Sunday, October 25, at 3 p.m., is “Experimental Art and Zine-making” with MCAD professor Rachael Elam Bonebright.

Of course, the best thing about TCZF is discovering cool ‘zine makers. Check out a small sampling of work from talented Minnesota zinesters below, including comics publisher Entropy Editions; radical collage artist Cedar Thomas; mixed media mail artist Allison Anne; fermentation occultist Pickle Witch; Jeni Larson, whose 64-page ZERO STARS ‘zine is all about her experience with cancer (“the good, the bad, and the darkly hilarious, told through real text messages, emails and social media posts”); and Aevyn, an 11-year-old zinester who is making their big TCZF debut in 2020.

Like, follow, and support D.I.Y. makers, let’s go! 🎉