2019 Denver Zine Fest Photos
Check out the incredible pictures by From the Hip Photo here!
2019 Denver Zine Fest Narrators Session
Listen to a recording of the Narrators’ third performance at Denver Zine Fest 2019 with the theme “Rush”. The Narrators is a storytelling show and podcast where writers, comedians, actors, artists, and other fascinating folks share true stories from their lives, centered on a theme. Voted “Best Storytelling Show” in Westword’s 2019 Best Of Denver awards.
2019 Denver Zine Fest
Sunday, June 23
10am-6pm
McNichols Civic Center Building
144 W Colfax Ave, Denver CO
Free to attend!
The Schedule
- Saturday, 6/22
- Official Pre-Zine Fest Mixer: 2-4pm at Shop at Matter (2134 Market Street)
- Join us for the official mixer of 2019 Denver Zine Fest! On Saturday, June 22 from 2-4 PM, out-of-towners and Denver locals are getting together for drinks, snacks, and good conversation at the Shop at MATTER — the perfect place to hang out and meet other zinesters the day before the big event. The Shop at MATTER is independent retail for designers and other thinking persons. They specialize in Typography, Design, Design Education, and Resistance-focused books and products.
- Doodle Fights: 8-10pm at Ratio Beerworks (2920 Larimer Street)
- Explosive things can happen when Denver’s talented cartoonists community gets together to jam, and now you can take a ringside seat and get a taste of the zany action at Doodle Fights! A friendly elimination competition and comics reading showcasing a crew of local artists. And if you go, you’ll be more than an innocent bystander: “Doodle fighters” will take subject cues from audience members and work madly behind the scenes while their cohorts read comic excerpts on stage, and winners will be determined by a vote from the crowd. Imagine a mash-up of poetry readings and WWE for the nerdset. There’s a high possibility of inadvertent adult material! Some of the best indie cartoonists will be reading their comics, as well as an assortment of artists battling against each other on the easels armed only with sharpies! It’s a free event!
- Official Pre-Zine Fest Mixer: 2-4pm at Shop at Matter (2134 Market Street)
- Sunday, 6/23
- Denver Zine Fest: 10am-6pm at McNichols Civic Center Building (2nd Fl.)
- We’re thrilled to bring you over 125 exhibitors (see profiles below) from 17 different states! The day will be filled with zine-y goodness, delicious food and beverages and some awesome collaborations with Denver’s finest creatives!
- The People Vs: Media: 2-4pm at McNichols Civic Center Building (3rd Fl.)
- Hosted by Warm Cookies of the Revolution, The People Vs. Media will transform the McNichols building into a courtroom with prosecution and defense experts putting all aspects of “media” on trial including journalists, social media, and dissent. What if you felt the same ownership of media as you did about your personal belongings? Why don’t you? Childcare and interpretation is available upon request. And of course, they’ll have delicious warm cookies (traditional, vegan, and gluten free).
- The Narrators: 4:30-5:30pm at McNichols Civic Center Building (1st Fl.)
- A special storytelling event with the theme “Rush”. Returning for its third performance at Denver Zine Fest, The Narrators is a storytelling show and podcast where writers, comedians, actors, artists, and other fascinating folks share true stories from their lives, centered on a theme. Voted “Best Storytelling Show” in Westword’s 2019 Best Of Denver awards.
- After Party: 8-10:30pm at Roostercat Coffee Too
- If you’re not ready for the festivities to end, join us at Roostercat Coffee Too for an all ages, low-key hangout (1045 Lincoln Street, Denver)
- At the same time as the Denver Zine Fest, our friends at the Witch Collective will be hosting a market. If you don’t hang out at zine fest all day, make sure to check them out! Sunday, June 23 from 11am-4pm at STEAM on the Platte (1401 Zuni Street, Denver). Witch Collective is a magical collaborative of makers that work for a more just world. Snag art, vintage, jewelry, botanicals, and more. A portion of all sales benefit Soul 2 Soul Sisters Reproductive Justice Organizing.
- Denver Zine Fest: 10am-6pm at McNichols Civic Center Building (2nd Fl.)
Food and Beverages
Food and drinks will be available for purchase all day at the Denver Zine Fest, including gluten-free and vegan options! Coffee and pastries will be provided by Mutiny Information Cafe, beer by Ratio Beerworks, and a bar with other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. We’ll also have iPie and What Would Cheesus Do food trucks outside the venue. 40% of all sales at the bar will be donated to The Yellowhammer Fund.
Social Media
Please post about the Denver Zine Fest by using #DZF19 and #denverzinefest – spread the word, post while you’re at the event, and show off what you take home with you at the end of the day!
Volunteer with us!
- Help us spread the word! We’ll provide the posters and flyers, you’ll put them around town. Interested? Send us your info via this form.
- Want to help out the day of the 2019 Denver Zine Fest? Fill out this form!
Want more info?
More details will be posted here as well as on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. Or sign up for the Denver Zine Library’s monthly email newsletter to have the latest details be delivered right to your inbox!
Many thanks to our incredible sponsors!
McNichols Civic Center Building, Denver Arts & Venues, Denver Orbit, DiNK, From the Hip Photo, Kilgore Books, Meow Wolf, Mutiny Information Cafe, The Narrators, Ratio Beerworks, and Suspect Press!
Confirmed Exhibitors
More confirmed exhibitors will be added soon. Contact us at denverzinelibrary@gmail.com of you want to be added to the waitlist.
SPECIAL GUEST: Cristy C Road
Brooklyn, NY
Cristy C. Road is a Cuban-American artist, writer and musician. She self-published Green’zine in 1997 for ten years, and has since released three illustrated novels tackling gender, sexuality, mental health and cultural identity; truthfully spoken with curse words and bathroom humor: “Indestructible” (2005), “Bad Habits” (2008), “Spit and Passion” (2013), and her most recent project, The Next World Tarot, a traditionally illustrated Tarot depicting resilience and revolution. As a songwriter and guitarist, she fronted the pop-punk group The Homewreckers for eight years, and currently fronts her new band, Choked Up. Road has been touring nationally and internationally with her published work and with her punk rock bands since 2001. Cultivating a performance trajectory with a consistent show of defiance, she performs at bookstores, record stores, basements, bars, college campuses, and beyond. She is a Gemini and lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Band Website
Denver Zine Library
Denver, CO
The Denver Zine Library is a nonprofit organization founded in 2003 whose mission is to preserve, protect and promote the culture of zines and self-published original work through archival collection, workshops and events. The Denver Zine Library currently houses one of the largest zine collections in North America with a preserved collection of over 20,000 independent and alternative zines. The organization is entirely volunteer run, and the public can access the full library and archives during open hours on Saturdays and Sunday between 11am-3pm or by appointment.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
+ gallery Chicago
Chicago, IL
+ gallery Chicago is an art and community collaborative group, featuring social justice art, crafts and activism by local creatives. Our mission is to provide space to underrepresented local artists, makers, activists, story tellers, instructors, and other community organizers to share experiences, skills, resources and locally crafted goods with one another and the public.
@alex_whiiite
Colorado
Alex White is an interdisciplinary artist from Colorado. He’s performed with The Boulder Laptop Orchestra, The Boulder Symphony, and the Thornton Community Band. He is trying to move out of his mom’s house by selling art, oh god, please help him.
Website | Instagram | Soundcloud
@allofthenorth (Oliver Northwood)
Mountain View, CA
Oliver Northwood is a non-binary Canadian artist living in California. They make comics mostly about gay things, and have two lovely dogs: one who is terrified of cardboard and one who could chew through the Sun if she put her mind to it.
Website | Etsy | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
Aayjah Royston
Denver, CO
Aayjah is an illustrator from Denver. She loves tea, cats, and new art supplies. Her work aims to make the world just a little bit brighter.
Instagram | Store Envy | Tumblr
Abigail Lahnert and Eli Kerry
Denver, CO
Abigail Lahnert is an artist living in Denver, CO. They work in many mediums: drawing, installation, performance, clothing/jewelry making, and hybrid writing. Their current project is the Museum of Reinterpretation which you can learn about at http://www.reinterpretation.org
Eli Kerry lives, writes, and baristas in Denver. She thinks you’re doing great. Her most enduring labor of love is her twitter, which you can find at twitter.com/cd_r0ms
Website | Abigail’s Instagram | Eli’s Instagram
ABQ Zine Fest
Albuquerque, NM
ABQ Zine Fest, now in its 9th year, is the longest-running, organized zine event in New Mexico. ABQZF is community-accountable and fosters a non-competitive, diverse, queer-friendly, creative environment for zinesters in the city of Albuquerque, and beyond. ABQZF is black-woman-founded, co-conspirator-supported, and woman-run. Find out more about ABQ Zine Fest at abqzf.com.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
Adán De La Garza & Jenna Maurice
Denver, CO
Found photos, photo photos, appropriated images, videos. in zine format. probably some friends zines, buttons, stickers, and matches too. We’ll have something you’ll like. probably. no promises. If we don’t have something you like someone you have met at least once will like what we have. an acquaintance. friend of a friend. maybe less than that too. cool.
Adán’s Website | Jenna’s Website
Adri Norris
Denver, CO
For the last three years, Afro Triangle has been creating educational artwork about women in history. The Women Behaving Badly series tells stories of women who have made an impact on our world. Artist Adri Norris has been going into schools teaching students about the importance of women in history and using art as a way of deepening their learning process.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Alex Volpert
Denver, CO
Alex Volpert is a Denver artist who has just started making zines. Some of her zine topics include eating birthday cakes every day, helium gas and all the bacteria that live in our bodies. She loves bugs, 20th century point and click adventure games, architecture and secrets.
Andi Lake
Berkeley, CA
Andi Lake is a queer, intersectional feminist zinester and artist out of Berkeley, California. Her work covers an array of topics including mental health, relationships, dildos and more. Coming from a fine arts background, Andi pushes back against the preciousness of the objects she makes, allowing them to be ‘flawed’, using traditional cut and paste methods, basic copy machine printing, and makes sure they are accessible to folks of all income levels with her sliding scale payment method. The zines often combine poetry, photography and illustration in a variety of ways, with a strong focus on a combination of words and images.
Artistic Nomads
Topeka, KS
We are two artists looking to live and work on the road in an RV. Johnnie makes zines, poetry, photography and videos. Dez is a writer and a collage artist branching into zine making and more. Together we are exploring and learning about life.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Atomic Pixies
Aurora, CO
The trio of Terra Hanson-Necessary, Sarah Hughes and Beverly Necessary have been creating art together for over a decade. From comics to fine art, they have a unique way of collaborative creation that enhances the work of each artist. The trio met at a local anime convention in Denver, Colorado back in 2007, and after becoming fast friends, they formed the creative team now known as the Atomic Pixies and have been working as a creative team for over ten years, now. In addition to traveling and selling their prints at conventions across the country, they have worked on a multitude of projects together, including the published comics Evermore (Cellardoor), Harbour (Chubby Anthology), as well as self-publishing Anomaly, Rendezvous: To Get To You, and Isolate.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
Authentic Creations Publishing Apothecary
Nucchu Territory
We are an earth-based spiritual offering a variety of ancient practices in the form of multi-lingual publishing, programs and herbal medicine. Our practice is dedicated to tending wounds, and bringing about harmony through personal, and collective transformation. Our offerings are by and for People of Heritage (Of Color), genderqueer, and low-income members of the community, and our Allies. All our offerings are ethically sourced and distributed on a sliding scale or trade basis.
We publish writings and illustrations by kuwa jasiri Indomela who uses that one/this one pronouns. That one is published and speaks internationally. Featured in Art For Ourselves, EarthFirst! and Seed Broadcast Journals. You can find this one in Nature collecting Seeds, engaging in Indigenous Solidarity, while organizing Affinity Gatherings such as Emerging Together 2020.
B. Erin Cole
Saint Paul, MN
B. Erin Cole draws comics about brains, working in museums, mental health, cats, fish and green chile. A Coloradan living in Minnesota exile, she is currently working on a graphic memoir about recovering from traumatic brain injury. She can also tell you a lot about Denver in the 1970s, if you ask.
Website | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
Barbosa Twins
Denver, CO
The Barbosa Twins are Denver local artists who have been writing zines and mini-comics for about six years. Using hand drawn or found imagery from websites like craigslist, these two explore the liminal space between being happy and feeling sad. Some of their zine topics include self help, relationships, and their mutual love of Adam Sandler. Jazzmyn and Taylor met on the first day of sixth grade in the line to join the Renaissance Club. When the twins are not making zines, you can typically find them on their porch, roasting their friends.
Website | Jazzmyn’s Instagram| Taylor’s Instagram | Jazzmyn’s Tumblr | Taylor’s Tumblr
betterish /// emily hope dobkin
Denver, CO
BETTERISH is a platform that honors and encourages people to make better things, better relationships and all-around better days through in-person workshops, events, + various forms of storytelling.
The brains behind BETTERISH is Emily Hope Dobkin. For 10 years, Emily has produced creative programs in various settings across the country for spaces that value making meaningful connections and social bridging. She considers herself a ringleader of community building experiences that use DIY craft to nurture curiosity & fuel empowerment. With a little cut, paste, & fold, Emily hosts interactive zine workshops everywhere from libraries to marketplaces, for kids to adults, as a means for people to share their stories in a more compelling and craftacular way—and in a more fun and engaging format.
At heart Emily is a mover, maker and collaborative doer committed to connecting with a wide range of well-beings & well-doings.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Blair Stapp | Office of BS
Denver, CO
Office of BS is the design, illustration, and maker studio of Blair Stapp. Based in Denver Colorado, Office of BS creates work that ranges from branding projects to website, apparel, and enamel pin design. As a Queer, Trans, and Nonbinary maker, Blair’s work often focuses on these communities. Blair is an eternally curious human and tends to make work that satiates these curiosities, at least momentarily. Recent projects include a series of enamel pronoun pins, “The Future is Queer As Fuck” apparel and pins, and several zines. If it’s Queer, Witchy, or irreverent, they’re probably into it. Office of BS is always open to collaborations, work/product trades, or anything else that works to dismantle capitalism as we know it.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Brain Salt
Denver, CO
Brain Salt is a variety show in your pocket! We print art, poetry, and debauchery in our hand-bound zines. This year marks our fifth year making Brain Salt, and we will be debuting our 7th issue. We will also be selling original art, an assortment of random zines also published by Brain Salt, and cassette tapes. Life is unpredictable and crazy and so are our zines! The only rule: salt your brain to taste.
Bruce Otter
Englewood, CO
Bruce Otter is an Englewood, CO cartoonist who explores the humor of the mundane running headlong into the weird or vice versa. His comics are infused with monsters, mad science, and weird humor. He is the creator of Brain Teaser Comics, and runs Blanktapecomics.com, home to miscellaneous comics and art. He’s produced several zines including Grey Matter, exploring the ubiquitous alien grey archetype, Discordian Quote Comix, & Notes of the Future. The world is getting weirder all the time, and Bruce is finding it difficult to keep up.
Buddy Lit Zine
Denver, CO
Buddy publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and art of all styles and medium. We appreciate work that is unique, experimental, daring, cross-genre. We also support mental health issues…please bring us a book (or several) to donate to mental health patients and organizations.
Cellar Door Books
Denver, CO
Cellar Door Books is a Denver micro press celebrating local art in various mediums. Michael William Prince is the Founder and also a typewriter poet. Come see him to pick a topic and get an impromptu poem or just to chat about art and publishing.
Coffee People
Denver, CO
We are baristas, roasters, cafe managers, shop owners, production assistants. We are artists, musicians, poets, sculptors, writers, photographers, and so much more. Coffee People captures the creativity of folx at the front end of the specialty coffee community through this submission-based art zine. First published in early 2018, Coffee People has featured the creative works by coffee lovers and industry professionals around the country (and world) in 5 issues, as well as a smutty version called DRIP (Valentines Day 2019). Along with art submissions, each issue features a number of recurring articles, such as Featured Baristas, Brewing Good, Behind the Bar shop features, and more. Coffee People transcends the care for coffee and the passion for people, and creates space for something altogether new – a place to connect more deeply. This is Coffee People – coffee / creativity / community.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Compost Colorado
Denver, CO
Compost Colorado is more than compost collection service it’s a sustainable subscription and delivery service. Each week members’ full compost buckets are swapped out with a clean fresh bucket filled with local and progressive samples and other products they’ve ordered through our store. Our mission is to make composting mainstream and in the process showcase local, progressive businesses.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Dailen Ogden
Niwot, CO
Making comics in Colorado, and trouble everywhere else.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
Dan Moran Art
Lakewood, CO
Dan Moran is a self-taught artist specializing in black-and-white drawings. Working in a realistic style, his subject matter often veers off into the surreal, the fantastic, and the magic realist. His big specialty is supernatural horror (zombies, demons, monsters, Lovecraftian things). Dan’s favorite medium is the ball-point pen (he uses only office supplies, preferably Bic). He feels he can do anything with a Bic ball-point pen that can be done with a pencil, except erase (people often assume that his ball-point works are actually done in pencil until told otherwise). Dan does not do any digital art, sticking to old-school pen and paper, using computers only to scan finished drawings and share them online. His work has appeared in galleries, on T-shirts and obscure album covers, and in numerous print and online magazines (usually with a horror theme). He sells prints and originals and is always available for commissions.
Daniel Crosier & Elisa Sargent
Denver, CO
Daniel Crosier is a graduate of RMCAD 2000, with a BFA in sculpture. He is a mixed media artist and began a neo-Kabuki performance group in 2003. Crosier came on to the comic book scene in 2006 writing and illustrating Sons of Soil, The Exquisite Vanishteer,, Distortions Unlimited and Vincent Price Presents, as well as illustrating Bartholomew of the Scissors & Caustic Soda. Crosier partnered with The Enigma and Serana Rose for Show Devils comic book series, collaborating with several Denver-based illustrators. He has directed short films since 2005, releasing his first feature film, Isolation Man, a mockumentary about a super hero who accidentally vanishes the western hemisphere. Crosier is currently producing his Camp Crash, Mad Max/ Meatballs serial. He has recently added mural artist to his repertoire. Daniel is also one of the co-founders of DINK Denver Independent Comic and Art Expo.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Elisa Sargent is the writer of Baked Things Attack. She is a filmmaker developing a short film based on Baked Things Attack, and building demonic cupcake puppets for it. She is also working on upcoming comic books like Stanley Kaiu & the Subterranean Bunny Defenders with artist Daniel Crosier.
Denver Public Library
Denver, CO
The Denver Public Library connects people with information, ideas and experiences to provide enjoyment, enrich lives and strengthen our community.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
DenverABC
Denver, CO
The mission of the Denver Anarchist Black Cross is to contribute to the support of political prisoners and defense of local and global social movements, while working for liberation from colonial domination, and strengthening autonomy, mutual aid, and self-determination. Active state repression aims to destroy movements for liberation and reinforces fascism on many levels. Historically, the Anarchist Black Cross has played a crucial role in mass movement defense; organizing support and defense of political prisoners and prisoners of war, maintaining physical solidarity against the police during factory and school occupations, organizing self-defense and armed defense, and addressing a broad range of needs within resistance movements.
DerekWK
Denver, CO
Derek is a Denver based artist who has been creating illustrations his whole life. Growing up around comic books, he knew his passion was to create work that would tell stories. This ultimately resulted in his biggest project yet, “Manifest : Future”, a comic book series he self-published, wrote, illustrated and colored. Over the years, he has premiered new issues and individual work at various Comic Conventions around the nation, such as Denver, Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs to name a few. His hope is to catch a lucky break in the comic or video game industries and draw pictures for a living!
Diana Sprinkle
Englewood, CO
Diana Sprinkle is a shirt designer, a comic artist, a car owner, a lazy slacker, and general hider of all things evil behind a mask of pleasant geniality wrapped in cute. Most of her art is adorable animals made into food or visual puns or puking kittens, but sometimes she likes to draw ghosts and spooky things as well.
Dylan Edwards
Aurora, CO
Dylan Edwards is an award-winning queer & trans comic artist, best known as the creator of TRANSPOSES and VALLEY OF THE SILK SKY. His comics have been featured in several anthologies, including QU33R (2014 Ignatz Award), NO STRAIGHT LINES (2013 Lambda Literary Award), and BEYOND (2016 Lambda Literary Award). His work has also been published by The Nib, PEN America, Dark Horse Comics, and Oni Press.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter | Valley of the Silk Sky
Emma Christopulos
Denver, CO
Denver-based artist/storyteller, writing fiend, and omelette expert. When not drawing dramatically humorous comics and writing magic narrative-based fiction, can be usually found laying on the floor filled with existential dread or composing songs about food, (e.g. donuts. Donuts are excellent.)
Instagram1 | Instagram 2 | Twitter
EMMA Studios
Denver, CO, and Tucson, AZ
EMMA is a collaborative, creative effort between childhood friends Eric Meyer and Matthew Anderson. They always liked comics n’ stuff, so decided they’d start making their own.
Emmy Hamilton
Denver, CO
Emmy Hamilton makes a lot of random zines in Denver, CO.
Erika Finne
Minneapolis, MN
Finne is a queer lesbian who aspires to be a pirate, but meanwhile fills her time with teaching, dog walking and her family. Her comic zines touch on many different genres, such as; fiction, queer herstory, pirates, dog walking and more pirates.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
Fern and Foil by Crystal McDowell
Arvada, CO
Crystal McDowell, a Colorado native, has been illustrating for most of her life. She enjoys connecting with others through her art showcasing a love of fantasy, plants, and themes from her favorite video games. Find her @fernandfoil on Twitter and Instagram for wips, illustrations, and more!
Get It Away From Me
St. Paul, MN
Get It Away From Me is a literary zine and strange, mutating, online novel by writer Scott Bryan. Drawing from the fertile fields of his own insanity, Get It Away From Me is a non-stop cathartic purge of politically charged rants, poetry, hasty scribblings, rejected stories, and punk-rock angst.
Ham Sandwich
Lakewood, CO
Ham Sandwich – 8bit art inspired by the games of old!
Holland Boys and Friends
Longmont, CO
Nick Holland, Jared Romero, Chris Jones, and Dustin Holland live in northern colorado and work on a variety of comic and art projects
Website | Dustin’s Instagram | Nick’s Instagram | Chris’ Instagram | Jared’s Instagram
Hot Sauce the dog!
Denver, CO
“Hot Sauce the dog!” is Rachael Pollard’s latest love song to Denver. A massive (40-48 pager) staple & fold comic fanzine that’s mostly crushin’ on Denver musicians. All of the stories are 99% true, from the eyes and experience of singer-songwriter chihuahua-daschy : Hot Sauce. Yep everyone is a dog or a cat in “the Denver dog scene”. A dumb, funny, wry, and sweet collection of “tails” that hops around from 1999 to present day. You will love trying to guess “who is who??” in Hot Sauce’s universe. Rachael Pollard always includes a credits page to look up the real bands and become their newest fans in real life! Issue #2 is an epic tour adventure!! In issue #3 Hot Sauce plays a gig in a plant store and makes her friend cry! Inaugural issue features Hot Sauce in a roller skate dance contest! But yeah mostly it is fan pages of cool rad bands. People are freaking out over Hot Sauce the dog!! All 4 issues will be available at Denver Zine Fest. Plus greetings cards, free milk bones, and perhaps special DZL edition comics.
Ink Junk
Longmont, CO
Two artists who love their OCs, angels, demons, and food~
is PRESS
Denver, CO
is PRESS publishes DIY zines and art books by artists on Urban and Conceptual Art. is PRESS is the press of international Prank-Art collective Institute of Sociometry.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Sociometry
J. James McFarland – Friendly Belligerent
Boulder, CO
J. James McFarland has lived all over. He is a commercial illustrator, fine artist, and graphic designer with over a decade of experience. He studied Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Mechanical Engineering, and Drafting. J. James LOVES zines, using storytelling to create an emotional reaction from his readers. His oldest self-published zines were specifically intended to bridge the gap between many people and to create a social world of tolerance and understanding. One of the core purposes for J. James is to encourage the enrichment of others through their own self-care and self-improvement. His goals include alleviating his “three-H’s”: hoarding, homelessness, and human trafficking. He believes in the principle of attraction rather than promotion. J. James is known to smile in the face of deadlines.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Friendly Belligerent
Jake McWilliams
Denver, CO
I’d rather be divisive than indecisive. My zine is called Making Edible Playdough is Hegemonic, because I think a lot about how education and play are set up to keep some people in power and others in silence. Keywords: #transgender #academia #education #socialjustice #cats
Jaromir Stoll
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Jeff Washenberger Art
Denver, CO
Originally from the Black Hills of South Dakota Jeff now lives on a little hill overlooking Denver. Self taught artist, he likes to draw cute characters and comics about life, dogs, coffee, and all things silly. A love for bright colors, trees, sunsets, and funny comics have inspired him to draw from a young age. Today Jeff does his best to make people smile, promote peace, love, equality, and help the world be a better place.
Website | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter | Deviantart
Jennifer Udema
Aurora, CO
Jennifer is a Colorado gal creeping her way into the local art scene, one watercolor at a time. She creates zines, comics, and other fun pieces inspired by her adventures and daily life.
Jess Vosseteig
Fort Collins, CO
Jess Vosseteig is from Fort Collins, Colorado. She makes colorful, creative, and fun portrait illustrations, and has recently brought her illustrations into zine form. Jess is inspired by the pop culture of the 80s, street fashion, and vibrant color combinations.
Kane Shirley
Chicago, IL
chicago based intelectual slime girl, i mostly make horror comix but sumtimes i make things that are a lil bit sweeter
Karl Christian Krumpholz
Denver, CO
Originally from a city on the East Coast, award-winning cartoonist Karl Christian Krumpholz’s work has appeared in many different formats, publications and even animated in a documentary.
Karl is currently working on the weekly ‘The Denver Bootleg’ comic for the Westword newspaper, a comic about living on the street and the plight of the homeless done for the City of Denver, the sequel to his biographical comic ‘An Introduction to Alcohol’, and the continuing series of short stories and slice of life comics set in the city: ’30 Miles of Crazy!’
Karl continues to live in the city, though now a different one, and also owns way too many hats. He can always be found at karlchristiankrumpholz.com.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter | Westword
Kelly Shortandqueer
Denver, CO
Kelly Shortandqueer is one of the co-founders of the Denver Zine Library (DZL), a volunteer-run nonprofit organization that boasts over 20,000 zines in the lending collection. For over a decade, the DZL has hosted multiple Denver Zine Fests, facilitated tons of zine-making workshops, and has championed the power of self-publishing as a powerful tool for marginalized voices. He has been publishing his zine series “Shortandqueer” since the early 2000s, with each issue focusing on a different theme through the lens of his queer and transgender identities. Kelly’s live storytelling has been featured on The Narrators and Mortified podcasts. Besides writing and storytelling, Kelly is also a drag artist, performing under the name Olive de Bottom. Since being crowned Honky Tonk Queen of the International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs in 2014, he has performed at several local and national venues and is always looking for new excuses to make appearances.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Kels Choo
Colorado Springs, CO
Kelsey Choo is a Hawaii girl self-publishing comics, zines, and other art in Colorado Springs. Her work is heavily influenced by monsters, magic, nature, nostalgia, and whimsy.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
KEVIN PRINCE
San Antonio, TX
Kevin Prince is a multi-medium creator, Traveler, and amateur astrologist. At 28 his has performed in different states in the U.S and In Japan. As a hip-hop artist his goes by the name Mr. Composition, with 7 albums out and an 8th on the way. Kevin self-published his first work of fiction, a novella by the name of Ideas of Illusion. A psychological thriller that takes place in the year 2025 and is currently working on his fiction book Shadow in The Dark. Kevin Prince also runs a multi-medium company DTC Time Machine Ltd Co. In which he provides media services (photo, video, and audio) as well as self & time management consultations.
Website | Instagram | Bandcamp
Kirixin
Springfield, MO
Kirixin is an epicene designer and illustrator. They could have been captain of the football team, but decided to devote their life to beautiful men.
Currently working in comic production, their previous zines include themes of music, travel, ghosts, virtual pets, femininity in masculinity, and murder.
Latasha Dunston
Denver, CO
My artwork is all about loving yourself and finding joy.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Lonnie MF Allen
Denver, CO
Lonnie MF Allen is the organizer of Denver Drink and Draw, a weekly gathering of comics artists. He’s also an accomplished cartoonist in his own right. His work has appeared in Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics. He has been nominated for a prestigious Eisner Award, won a DiNKy for Outstanding Work by a Colorado Creator and named as one of the 100 Colorado Creatives by The Westword. He’s currently the art director and comix editor for Suspect Press and contributor to the Colorado Sun.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Lye Lawrence
Denver, CO
Lye, a displaced appalachian cottontail, designs and makes multimedia art in their burrow in the winter months, and can be found relaxing amongst the flowers when the air is warm. They expect to bring some art zines, comics, and how-to zines, as well as a couple anthologies.
Malarkey Books
Denver CO
Malarkey Books is a small independent publisher of books, zines, and online writing. Our main website is home to fiction, humor, essays, and reviews, but we also run Derelict Lit, a site dedicated to republishing writing of all journals from defunct litmags.
Website | Twitter | Derelict Lit
Marisabel Lavastida
Denver, CO
Marisabel has been making dark surreal collages from old books and encyclopedias since 2011. Her hand-sewn art zines are a brand new passion that has allowed her to deliver visual narratives about topics surrounding oppressive power structures. Marisabel is a Venezuelan artist that grew up in Miami, FL and is now living in Denver.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
Marsh and Mellow
Fort Collins, CO
We’re a pair of illustrators with a passion for comics and design! We hope to bring something new to this year’s zine fest! From science to fun zines we hope to deliver smiles.
Website | Ree’s Tumblr | Ree’s Twitter | Silent’s Tumblr | Silent’s Twitter | Etsy
Mary Vertulfo
Denver, CO
Mary Vertulfo is an illustrator, animator, and animalière from Eugene, Oregon. She makes zines and comics about identity, commuting, and Filipino folklore, and her greatest dream is to win Best In Show at the Lane County Dog Show.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Maya and Josh
Denver, CO
Josh and Maya are a zinester couple who work with a diverse range of topics within their zines. Maya is a Panamanian artist and activist who works with murals, illustration, and zines. Josh is a Floridian illustrator and zinester.
mediocre
Chicago, IL
hates gender. kinda likes poems.
Mermaid Ink Comics
Denver, CO & Dallas, TX
Mermaid Ink Comics is the creative comic studio created by Rosa A. and Nan Cran. Collaborating long distance, creating zines, comics and short stories that fall into the horror category with a queer and diverse take. We make horror stories for everyone.
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Children of Kronos
Mik Fuqua
Aurora, CO
Girl, 26, store clerk by day, storytelling hermit by night. Hails from the lovely, strange city of Aurora, Colorado.
Has exhibited at Denver Zine Fest, Dink 2017, Canzine and VanCAF, and occasionally moonlights as a musical composer.
When not composing dramatic tunes and humorously angsty mini-comics, can be found getting lost in Wikipedia tangents, aspiring to be a space pirate, and eating way too many jelly candies.
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Issuu
Miles Monroe
Longmont, CO
Miles Monroe is an independent artist specializing in flora and fauna illustrations & merchandise design. They love their cat, filling sketchbooks, and crying a lot about how cool animals are.
Mori Guild
Denver, CO
We are a brother/sister collaboration from Denver. We make art zines using film photography, collage, and pen and ink drawings.
Nathaniel Kennon Perkins
Boulder, CO
Nathaniel Kennon Perkins lives in Boulder, CO, where he works as a bookseller and publisher at Trident Press. He is the author of the short novel, Cactus, and the ongoing literary zine series, Ultimate Gospel. His creative work has appeared in Triquarterly, Maudlin House, South Broadway Ghost Society, decomP magazinE, Pithead Chapel, Timber Journal, and others. He has written journalism for SLUG Magazine, the Tico Times, and the Mormon Worker. Pest House published his chapbook, Acknowledgement (2014), and he is the recipient of the High Country News’s 2014 Bell Prize. He plays bass in Sad Bug.
Nathaniel Osollo
South Pasadena, CA
Long ago in deep space, past the Nebula of No Return and farther than the Galaxy of the Farthest Reaches, a peaceful star was filled with artists, poets, musicians, and all manner of creatives. They flourished. One day they were visited by a traveler from a different time who proclaimed, “There is no future in Art.” The honest star people believed what they were told and they gave up their crafts. The beauty of the star disappeared and was replaced with an economy and politics and the people grew bitter and cynical.
Hiding among the people of the star was a small faction that still had faith in the Arts. They practiced secretly in the shadows and grew strong. These rebels left to find others like them and spread creativity throughout the universe. Nathaniel landed on Earth some time ago…
Website | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
Neil Ewing
Parker, CO
Neil Ewing is an artist from Colorado. He runs Kool Planet Comix and Bombastic Plastic.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Nicki Yowell / ‘Za the Pizza Zine
Portland, OR
Nicki Yowell is the self-proclaimed Pizza Queen of Portland and domains beyond. She produces, writes, and edits ‘Za the Pizza Zine, a pizza publication in its sixth installment. Nicki also is the mastermind behind Pizzas of the USA, a panel and presentation all about regional pizza featuring Portland’s sauciest pizzamakers. When she isn’t writing about or noshing on slices she also moonlights as a writer for several food and drink publications including Sip NW and many others.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | ‘Za the Pizza Zine
no future express
Lawrence KS, Boston MA, and Dallas TX
“no future express” is an artist collective composed of three misfits creating zines, artist books and other related ephemera. Artists include Leigh Kaulbach, Eugene Sarmiento, and Fuko Ito. Through Bracelet Press, a small Riso outfit founded by Leigh Kaulbach, operating from Lawrence, Kansas, we print “no future express” publications as well as other artists’ printed matter in collaboration with the Visual Art program at the University of Kansas. Our publication interests range from eternal schadenfreude, lasting friendships/sisterhood, to plushy emotions. We are also interested in the formal qualities of image making oftentimes in reference to art history. As a collective, we’re interested in collaborating with local and national artists to print affordable, good-lookin’ printed materials that are about sharing ideas, images, stories, and narratives told by artists from all walks of life.
Eugene Samiento | Eugene’s Instagram | Fuko Ito | Fuko’s Instagram | Leigh Kaulbach | Leigh’s Instagram
nolan tredway
Denver, CO
Found covered in moss near the Korvik River, Nolan was raised in the Great North by a mountain and a burning forest. The small zines represent the stories of dimensional bleeding and narrative alterations.
Philip Tran
Denver, CO
Poetry collage artist delivering avenues for artists to join.
Pollux Zine
Denver, CO
Pollux is a Denver based art zine lead by Kaleigh Coleman and David Bridges. Pollux strives to promote up-and-coming artists across all mediums into it’s pages and has featured more than 30 artists and musicians since it’s beginning in 2016. Pollux is set to release it’s Seventh edition at Denver Zine Fest this year!
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Rachel Stout
Norman, OK
It is I, Rachel Stout. As an artist, I strive to create clean images that assemble a personal narative of my being. My medium of choice is ink and my work is mostly black and white. I am greatly inspired by works of street art and appreciate the nature of rebellion it hosts. As of late, my art is slowly evolving and my focus is beginning to shift towards creating poster art for fictional and real events.
Rad Breath
Oakland, CA
Rad Breath is a collective of kids who make art expressing our mutual interests in our sketchy lives. Our work features queer, poc, trans, and other perspectives putting it out there through zines, accessories, photography, etc. Good kids with bad habits, not to be mistaken for bad kids.
Rio Burton
Loveland, CO
Rio Burton is a freelance illustrator. She studied and lived in the UK for 6 years, earning a BA Degree in Illustration in 2011. She travelled the world before settling down in Colorado, USA. Rio is passionate about creating art for fantastical stories and characters for books, comics, games and other various illustration projects. Rio is the sole creator for her comic Lucid Dreaming.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Webtoons
Riot Grrrl Zine
Denver, CO
Riot Grrrl Zine – Rocky Mountain Edition was created in Denver, Colorado to continue the 90’s punk rock Do-it-Yourself movement of women empowerment.
This zine exists to unite riot grrrls, to create conversations, to debate & discuss topics, to record & learn history, to have your voice heard, and to form a community.
Riot grrrl can mean a lot of different things. Riot Grrrl Zine recognizes that the term “grrrl” does not automatically include all aspects of the gender spectrum. This publication is a safe place for the collaboration, community, education, and discussion for all women, grrrls, trans & nonconforming.
Roexeart
Longmont, CO
Relatively new to the Zine scene, Roexeart’s main subject matter tends to be human bodies and all their complexities and the little things in nature. Primarily a watercolor artist, Roexeart’s style veers from extremely stylized to much less so.
Rust Magazine
Boulder, CO and Milwaukee, WI
Rust
The raw, the exposed.
Rust is not a high-gloss finish. It is an unpolished surface that is dirty, broken and beautiful.
It is not a four-letter word. It is a merit, a pride, a history. It is not decay, but change.
It is the smile lines, the cracks, the wounds of a lifetime in progress.
Rust is the underbelly – the underreported, the overlooked.
We are literary outlaws, honoring the rule-breaking traditions of new journalism and the timeless virtue of print. We are artists – modern and muted. We speak in photographs, illustrations, drawings and paint. We write in videos and visuals.
We are observers and we are participants, sharing the stories of the city as they exists in our lives.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Sharon Nicole Cole
Wayne, NE
Sharon gives birth to many forms of art, such as ink illustrations, watercolors, and urbex photography combined with photos of her human junk sculptures. Her zines are collections of her artwork and photography combined with memory poems and flash creative non-fiction about growing up, feeling lonely and loving others while bathed in sweat, dreams and dust on the Great Plains.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Shop Destruya
Denver, CO
Latinx and feminist inspired apparel and decor. Started by Natalia around 2014 and originally from Puerto Rico living in South Florida but now residing in Denver, CO.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr
Sloth.chan and It’s Raining Color
Denver, CO
sloth.chan & It’s Raining Color are two local illustrators from the Denver area. Meg (sloth.chan) is a science nerd who creates educational zines and illustrations. Anna (It’s Raining Color) is a cyberpunk enthusiast who runs an emerging artist charity webzine along with her own illustrations, stickers and pins.
Sloth.chan: Facebook | Instagram
It’s Raining Color: Facebook | Instagram
Sofie Birkin
Denver, CO
Sofie is a queer British illustrator who plays with color and strong shapes to represent a diverse range of bold characters. She creates bright, playful images which capture imaginations, inspire daydreams, and above all empower. She prioritizes inclusive representation in her work in a way that commands positive attention. She draws queer and trans inclusive sex positions for Cosmopolitan UK, and has worked with local and national clients including Playboy magazine, Great Divide Brewing Company and the Denver Zoo.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
SP3KTR
Boulder, CO
The KVLT OV SP3KTR is a for profit religious organization hellbent on subverting mass media’s attempts to make us despise ourselves. The KOS uses Horror, Humor and Positive sexuality to combat the sadistic and venal advertising machine hell bent on destroying our etheric light beings.
Spicy Mango Comics
New York, NY
Known as the Spice Girls of comics, Spicy Mango is Daisy Ruiz, Rachelle Hall, and Julia Mata – bringing you a fresh take on what it means to be a first generation American girl. We are three young women writing and drawing our narratives through comics, cartoons, and illustration. Each with a unique and distinct style, we come together to hustle our dreams into reality, selling handmade comics, zines, stickers, prints and apparel. Spicy Mango is based in N.Y. with roots that span the West Indies, Mexico, and Central America.
Stubborn Mule Press
Kansas City, MO
Stubborn Mule Press is hicks in heels with poetry, mental health workbooks, little art bits and big heart bits. We mostly publish queer (and more) poetry from the midwest (and more).
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Suspect Press
Denver, CO
We are a Denver-based, underground arts & lit magazine and book publisher. We’re into cute, dark, smart and humorous content that leans toward subversive.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Swamphouse Press
Denver, CO
A very tiny zine press, broadly focused on the intersection of LGBT lives and The Internet.
Facebook | Tumblr | Twitter | Gumroad
Taylor Design Collective
Denver, CO
We are a team of illustrators and designers who can do anything.
Teech
Columbus, OH
Teech is a minimalist cartoon, some times funny, some times sad, some times silly, it deals with many of the realities that children deal with on a daily basis.
Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
Thane Benson
Denver, CO
Thane is a Denver based comic book artist and writer. He is the creator of the adventure comic book series Quick The Clockwork Knight, the infernal mystery graphic novel Burnt, and the ongoing web noir serial HellHole. Thane’s other comic book work include Hook, Lynn, & Sinker: The Misadventures of a Pirate Trio and Mr Skizz; The World’s Worst Kindergarten Teacher. Know for his hyper-detailed art, humor, and creative storytelling, Thane is passionate about making comics as fun as possible. His newest comic is Quick The Clockwork Knight and The Pyramid of Doom: an all-ages, choose your own adventure comic book.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter | Patreon
The Dungeon Maven (Samantha Smith)
Denver, CO
A maven is an “expert” or “connoisseur”. That’s me; I’m on a quest to make table top gaming more accessible to new players by sharing my experiences and knowledge! I’m also a lady out to show fans and newbies alike that D&D is not just for boys. I’ve been making zines for over a year and playing the game since 2011. I love meeting players and hearing their stories. Come say hello at my table!
Website | Facebook | Instagram
The Hermetic Circle
Denver CO
The Hermetic Circle is an eclectic art zine with an occult focus. It was founded by two artists and is currently published in Denver Colorado. Each issue of T.H.C. features original art, poetry, essay excerpts from prominent thinkers, explorations of hermetic principles, the tarot, reflections upon the spiritual nature of existence, and more! To learn more about our zine and the artists who create it, please check out our Instagram page @TheHermeticCircle
The Talbot-Heindl Experience
Denver, CO
The Talbot-Heindl Experience is a tiny company with big aspirations to do everything creative under the sun. The Talbot-Heindl Experience is really whatever Chris (they/them) and Dana (he/his) Talbot-Heindl decide that it is! They are most known for their quarterly submission-based art and literature compzine, The Bitchin’ Kitsch, but dabble with perzines (Chris & Crampus, Unexceptional Oddball, What to Expect When You’re Expecting to Birth Your Own Uterus, and The Future is Genderless), design random pun illustration they think are pretty funny, and host yearly chapbook competitions to provide an opportunity for creatives who may not otherwise have an opportunity to showcase their work. Chris is currently working on a graphic novel series called The Story of Them about what it’s like to be non-binary in a very gender binary world.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon
Bitchin’ Kitsch Facebook | Bitchin’ Kitsch Instagram | Bitchin’ Kitsch Twitter
Two Ships
Los Angeles, CA
Two Ships was born out of an investigation. On September 29, 2014, a pair of freighters crashed into one another on the Suez Canal. Due to limited access and the evidence being enclosed in a submerged container, the results of the investigation were inconclusive. However, the image of a collision between two immense objects proved to be a viable means of production: the material world crashes into narratives about the world, the daily news crashes into our diaries, and water crashes into the set of a reality TV show. What we found were debris and some zines.
Van Zayton Arts
Denver, CO
Aubrie Van Zandt an artist from Denver, CO working under the name VanZayton Arts. Aubrie uses black ink to create high contrast images with a keen eye for detail and simplicity.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter |
Vera Benschop Studio
Denver, CO
Vera Benschop is a photographer and book maker with a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She makes photo zines about her life, and also publishes photography books.
Water Sprouts Collective
Phoenix, AZ
We are two women writers in Phoenix, AZ. We aim to bring poetry to the community through publications, workshops, and events. We are committed to the self-empowerment and community-driven empowerment that comes with sharing your story, creating spaces full of bravery, joy, and freedom of self-expression. By the same token, we aim to hold ourselves and others accountable for dismantling any dialogue and actions rooted in hatred, selfishness, racism, colonialism, sexism, ableism, classism, and snobbery. No matter who you are, you are welcome here. We invite you to come listen and be heard, and be real and weird with us. There are no prerequisites other than being human.
Our first zine, On Desert Dwelling, is a series of letters we cultivated over the course of a a year and a half, and we are super excited to share it with Denver folks.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Wayward Studios
Brighton, CO
Wayward Studios is a creative partnership between Crystal M Rollins & Emily R. Gillis. Together, they write and draw a variety of comics including ongoing titles such as Jikoshia and Skyborne as well as minicomics like A Day in the Life of My Cats and Tikoloshe. Though they tackle many different genres, the team has a fondness for fantasy and female-driven stories.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
Wig Shop
Denver, CO
Wig Shop is a Denver-based publisher and curated webstore specializing in zines, artist’s books, original art and rare books. We aim to inspire artists and collectors and spark passion for creators and their content.
“Let us do something, while we have the chance!”
Will Betke-Brunswick
Boulder, CO
Will makes wacky, dark, slightly funny comics about being trans*, their family, and flightless birds. He lives in Boulder and is working on an MFA in comics from California College of the Arts. Will teaches math and is very friendly. You can read their educational comic about birth control at https://www.intomore.com/culture/a-trans-mans-experience-with-birth-control
Zak Kinsella
Denver, CO
I’m a cartoonist & illustrator having worked for Dark Horse Comics, The New York Times, Apple Inc, Popular Science, and many more. All I want to do is make comics about monsters, ghosts and pro wrestling… preferably all at once!
Denver Zine Library 
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