ZineFest Focuses on Comics

Zine Fest, which takes place this Saturday in London, will include a new exhibition of women zinester's comics, curated by Melanie Maddison, editor of the Leeds-based 'zine Colouring Outside the Lines, which features interviews with contemporary female artists and illuminates various corners of current female artistic and creative activity.

Zine Fest, which runs from 12-4.00pm at The Women's Library, 25 Old Castle Street, London, is a hands-on day celebrating women’s involvement in self-publishing, bringing together innovative publishers, artists, illustrators and crafters. The event shares easy techniques for making zines and visuals and advice on publishing projects from those in the know.

The event includes a creative workshop by zine producer Red Chidgey on how to get started on your own zine, stalls, the chance to meet zine distributors and hang out with the finest female zine producers.

Included in the exhibition is work by creators such as Jess Bradley (who has created a mini comic just for zinefest to take away on the day) Lizz Lunney, Kate Evans, Liz Greenfield, Laura Stimpson, Sarah McIntyre, Rachael House, Lee Kennedy, Jackie Batey, Emma Welch, Susie Rumsby and many more. For images of some of the work that will be on display and all the creators involved, check out this post on Melanie Maddison's blog or the links list below.

The event is free but booking is required: all are welcome.

• More info about Zinefest on the Zinefest web page including a full programme of events (PDF format)
• Zinefest on MySpace

Creators in the Exhibition
• Lizz Lunney (www.lizzlizz.com) is a fab cartoonist who has published several 'zines. Some very funny cat jokes were published on ROK Comics.
• Charlotte Percival
• Sarah Lippett (crayonlegs.com/author/sarah) The other half of the British illustration duo, Crayon Legs
• Rosie Brice (www.rosiebrice.com) Illsutrator
• Karrie Fransman (www.karriefransman.com ) Draws "Stranger than Fiction"
• Erica Akerlund (www.erica.fi) Finnish animator and artist working in Bath.
• Lady Lucy (ladylucy.livejournal.com) alter ego of Lucy Woollett
• Flo Brooks
• Carolyn Alexander (www.carolynalexander.co.uk) Illustrator "who lives up a mountain in France"
• Kate Dickinson
• Jenny Linn-Cole (jennylinncole.myartsonline.com ) - Contributor to The Girly Comic. Crearor of Ghurka Trifle by the Sea
• Kate Evans
• Liz Greenfield (www.stuffsucks.com). Creator of Stuff Sucks (2004-2007) and Fancy Circumstances.
• Leonie O'Moore (www.lomoore.com ) Leonie describes herself as a "comic artist, illustrator, designer, writer, shark wrangler, intrepid explorer, professional ninja and fighter pilot."
• Carol Swain London-based, began creating comics with her self-published Way Out Strips in 1988. Her first graphic novel, Invasion of the Mind Sappers, appeared at Fantagraphics in 1996, who also published Foodboy.
• Tanya Meditzky (www.milkkitten.com) Creator of Milk Kitten
• Francesca Cassavetti (www.fabtoons.blogspot.com) Cartoonist behind A Very Nasty Solitary Habit and The Most Natural Thing in the World. Read an interview with her by Matt Badham on the Bugpowder site
• Isy Morgenmuffel (www.morgenmuffel.co.uk ) Illustrator and Columnist for Last Hours magazine. Her Morgenmuffel magazine covers the direct action scene, going on holiday and making cakes!
• Sarah Ray (www.sarahray.co.uk)
• Jeremy Dennis (www.alleged.org.uk/jrd). Founding member of Caption and small press publisher who also runs comics workshops
• Sally-Anne Hickman (www.cheesecomics.com)
• Laura Stimpson (www.laura-stimpson.co.uk) Co-creator of Lazy Soosan with Lucy Davidson. The two illustrators based in London and together they publish The Alphabet Series zines.
• Karoline Rerrie () An illustrator who makes art like this:. She did the album covers for Matthew Herbert’s ‘Doctor Rockit’ project and created X-Rated Animal Hospital which can be found at nursepussy.co.uk, a site we think must get many accidental visitors...
- Ellen Lindner (www.littlewhitebird.com) Cartoonist, writer and illustrator. Little Rock Nine, drawn by Ellen and written by historian Marshall Poe, was published last year by Aladdin Paperbacks
• Sarah Lynch
• Sarah McIntyre (jabberworks.livejournal.com ) draws Vern and Lettuce for The DfC
• Lucy Sweet won a Face magazine award for her self-published girl-mag cum comic Chica in 2004.
• Siobhan Bowers Writer, director and animator. Her The Instructional Guide to Dating is described as "essential for every modern girl and hipster guy to navigate through the turbulent modern dating scene".
• Rachael House Rachael's work includes producing her own series of comics, Red Hanky Panky. Her work has appeared in titles such as Girlfrenzy, Anything That Moves, Gay News in Ireland and Bi Community News.
• Lee Kennedy (crazycrone.livejournal.com) Lee describes herself as "a longtime alternative cartoonist/writer, still struggling away in her council block garret having nervous breakdowns."
• Jess Bradley (www.jessbradley.com ) has drawn a 'zine especially for the event. Her zines include Guide Dog Detective and Undead Luchadores.
• Heather Middleton (honeypears.livejournal.com) Heather produces a zine called Honeypears, which is mainly cartoons and the odd essay about history of girls comics.
• Jackie Batey (www.dampflat.com) Publisher of titles such as Future Fantastic and Running a Secret Society No.20, all available via her web site. Read an interview with Jackie on the V&A Museum web site
• Iro Tsavala was born in Athens and lives and works in the UK, where she is attending a course in illustration at the Kent Institute of Art & Design.
• Siobhan Britton (wigglymittens.livejournal.com) Siobahn's work has appeared in zines such as Wrap Yr Troubles in Dreams.
• Mireille Fauchon (www.mireillefauchon.com) Illustrator for, among other things, The Idler Magazine. Very much inspired by personal and local history, her work often plays upon the commonly felt anxiety to preserve and protect the recent past. View her work exhibited at the Royal College of Art show last year.
• Emma Welch (www.arcaderscomic.blogspot.com) Creator of The Arcaders, a comic based in an 1980's videogame arcade.
• Susie Rumsby (interwebscrapbook.blogspot.com) Co-publisher of the 'zine Enthusiasm.
• Kate Anderson (www.kateanderson.co.uk)