Zine Fest encourages creativity, self-expression, exchanging of ideas through medium

Ghailah Nyeanchi, Contributing Writer 

The zines took up all different sorts of designs — from small, simple booklets written in black ink to large books complete with glossy, hardcover pages. The content ranged from superheroes in comic strips to verses about the U.S. Constitution to reflective haikus about mental health. 

The Richmond Zine Fest occurred on Oct. 6 and 7 at the Main Branch of the Richmond Public Library. 

The point of zines is to exchange and share ideas while making friends, which is what zine makers are here to do, said Bryan Baynes, co-organizer of the Richmond Zine Fest. 

“Zines can look like anything,” Baynes said. “It really can. The main thing that makes a zine a zine is that zines are made to share ideas and magazines are made to make money.” 

The ethos of Zine Fest is to host workshops that aren’t typically presented, Baynes said.

Programming events, including educational workshops, took place Oct. 6, according to their website. Workshops included a variety of topics, such as Narcan training, self-care and massages, rubber stamping and how to integrate zines into the classroom. 

Tabling events where zine artists could present their work to attendees took place on Oct. 7, according to their website. 

Zine makers were scattered across different corners of Richmond Public Library as attendees perused the zines available at the tables. 

“I just hope people have fun,” said Celina Williams, co-organizer of The Richmond Zine Fest. “I hope that they discover something new or even rediscover something that makes them happy or nostalgic.” 

The purpose of Zine Fest is to encourage self-expression and self-publishing, Williams said. Zine Fest was born out of a “do-it-yourself” culture with the goal of fostering creativity across different cultures and communities in Richmond. 

“One of the questions that we got repeatedly about the demographics of Zine Fest is why it seemed so white,” Williams said. “It was a question that we, as well as zine organizers from other cities, kind of had to grapple with.” 

The Richmond Zine Fest had to change how they approached zine fests by restructuring their table sign ups and offering printing stipends to marginalized groups, Williams said. 

“For aspiring zine makers who want to get more involved, please don’t think too hard about it and just make something because there are no rules and mistakes can be beautiful,” Williams said. 

Jack Congilario, a VCU student and zine-maker, came to the Richmond Zine Fest to explore different zines and assist his friend Oura Sannanikone tabling at the event. 

“I love that zine making has so much freedom,” Conigliaro said. “I kind of like to draw and see where the pen takes me.” 

Oura Sananikone, a zine artist participating at the Richmond Zine Fest, hopes that people feel inspired to make their own zines when they see his work, he said. He hopes it gives them joy. 

“I started creating zines about thirty years ago when I was in high school,” Sananikone said. “It just seemed like a handmade, intimate piece of somebody and I really responded to that.” 

Marlena Elmore, a U.S. history middle school teacher, uses zines to express herself and connect with her students. Zines are quick and simple to make, and her students know they have artistic leeway when creating them, Elmore said. 

“They can use it as a creative outlet, share it with friends, keep it to themselves or use it as a tool to talk about their day,” Elmore said.

Elmore is hoping that the zine world can get younger, she said. There aren’t many teenagers or middle schoolers at zine events, and they could benefit from it. 

Beth McCarthy, a VCU student, came to The Richmond Zine Fest to support their friend, a VCUarts alum and zine maker. 

“I like the fact that you can see so much personality through people’s zines just by what they create,” McCarthy said. “I also love seeing the different things that people want to talk about.”