Zine Review: 2011 Twin Cities Zine Fest Encyclopedia

I enjoy compilation zines immensely and because I live in rural New Hampshire and rarely travel, I’ve never had the joy of attending a zine fest. The closest Zine Fest geographically is in Boston, a city that I avoid like Walmart on Black Friday (or any day of the year).  

2011 Twin Cities Zine Fest Encyclopedia is a glimpse into what I’ve been missing. 2011 Twin Cities Zine Fest Encyclopedia is a project curated by Lacey Hedtke. Articles in the 76 page encyclopedia range from the sublime to the silly … most of it made me smile and laugh with wry recognition. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll discover between its covers: Serious DIYers and pizza lovers will learn how to make a pizza oven out of sand, mud and rocks with Fritz Bogott.  Ryan Dow shares an example of jam comics. Robnoxious teaches how to bind a paperback book. Mike Toft unveiled a twelve step program for how to be miserable – and oddly enough I could see myself in all twelve steps. It’s scary when that happens. Sarah Morean’s article on how to start a zine fest is perfect for an old recluse like me – in the event that I get inspired, she details step by step how to organize your own!

This is just scratching the surface of the exceptional contents of the 2011 Twin Cities Zine Fest Encyclopedia. It reminds me of early issues of Mother Earth News from back in the day that featured a little of everything. Or snippets from the Whole Earth Catalogue. This is a zine that you can open randomly and thoroughly enjoy.