Today and Saturday: The New Orleans Comic and Zine Fest

Self-published writers, illustrators, and artists—and those who love their work—will gather today and tomorrow (and yesterday; whoops!) for a series of (chap)bookish gatherings and merrymaking under the banner of the 2014 New Orleans Comic and Zine Fest.

Now, when we say “self-published,” we’re not talking about your romance novel-writing aunt with 15 e-books on Amazon ($0.99/ea.) that represent an ongoing struggle against an unsatisfying love life. We’re talking about the old ways of self-publishing—with paper, staples, images cut out of magazines, comics drawn by hand, and a stolen code to a Kinkos copying machine (or a friend with an office job who has access to a nice printer). We’re talking about the punk-rock shortcut of bypassing traditional publishers to get what’s on your mind out into the streets ASAP!

Tonight’s event, Your Friends Make Comics: NOCAZ Edition, takes place at 7 p.m. at 1638 Clio St. (the venue formerly known as Big Top, now unfortunately called “BEATnik”). It’s a performance-based, multimedia comics and zine reading featuring, in order of presentation:

Erin Wilson (“Snowbird” Comic)
Xavier Juárez (“Being There” Photo Zine)
Nyky Gomez (“Skinned Heart” Zine) 

INTERMISSION – DJ Lady Li

Matthew Chandelier (“Surgical Amphitheater” Comic Zine)
Sophie Lucido Johnson (“Neutrons/Protons” Zine)
Local Honey (“Like Praying” and “12 Days” Zine)
Ben Passmore (“Dayglo Ayhole” Comic)

The event is free, but donations are greatly, greatly appreciated.

On Saturday, a whole slew of comic and zine makers will set up shop from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the main branch of the New Orleans Public Library (219 Loyola Ave.) to hock their wares and continue to nurture the festival’s spirit of camaraderie. People on hand to table will come from such far-flung locales as Philadelphia, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Ohio, and the Eighth Ward. Local luminaries in attendance will include Caesar Meadows, Shotgun Seamstress, J.S. Makkos, and Marlo, among many others. For a full list of individuals and entities who will be there, click here. All of this is free.

Then, Saturday night, there’s a party! DJ Rotten Milk. Handsome Willy’s (218 S. Robertson St.). Starts at party time. No cover. No children.