BY RACHEL LEE-THOMAS
The sunlit square of Sheridan’s Trafalgar library bustled with activity at the third biannual Zine fair.
Students and artists gathered and waited turn to check out the amazing artwork and zines displayed on Thursday March 17.
From Animation to Illustration, artists from all programs participated filling the space with creative booths.
Second-year Illustration student Jesse DeNobrega organized the fair and was pleased with the increase in turnout. Dozens of artists semi circled the space as groups of students passed through.
“There’s way more people than there were last time,” said DeNobrega. “The stuff people are bringing out keeps getting better and it’s cool to see what people are exhibiting.”
Having partnered with graduate Olivia Ongai in the past, this is DeNobrega’s first time organizing the event solo and it was a huge success.
“We’re selling stuff but it’s also cool to be able to meet each other,” he said. “Usually we’re confined to our own programs so it’s nice to get outside of that and talk.”
DeNobrega displayed some of his older zines and works including a comic that had been intended for children about an existential dog, as well as an intricate artwork created digitally and then printed.
“I’m going to keep organizing events like this for as long as I can,” he said. “Next time I will probably get some friends to help me.”
The fair also featured other original works including prints, stickers, and comics.
“I made stickers and book marks and it’s all original digital art,” said second-year Illustration student Leah Avila.
“It really fuels you and you get to see peoples reactions and talk and make others feel excited and happy.”
Avila was squished into a tiny space of table, but carried stickers around and walked the floor with a friendly vibe.
She plans on continuing to contribute to zine fairs in the future.
Some of the zinesters drew inspiration from Canzine, Canada’s largest festival of Zine culture and independent art.
“I saw a poster at school for Canzine and that’s what had originally sparked my interest,” said first-year Illustration student Alicia Morris. “It’s a great format for me to get things out and finish things because the way I fold them there’s only eight pages and that’s all I get.”
Morris said that her ideas come spontaneously, for short stories, colouring books and meditation.
Next to Morris’ table was second-year Animation student Christine Wong representing Sheridan’s comic-making club with art and zines made by members.
“A lot of these are diary comics or funny things that happen to the artist,” Wong said. “We try to get our members to make as much comics as they can because a lot of people want to but they don’t.”
The Comic Book Club meets every Thursday at 6:30 in G203. The group sits together to make and critique comics and have a lot of fun. It will be releasing a comic anthology soon for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival.
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