PPP Editions table display.
“Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one,” observed journalist A.J. Liebling, his years in the media serving him well with the knowledge that the publisher is the king or queen of a domain that may or may not be based in fact or any other kind of objective reality. As a result, the Constitution offers rights and protections for any man or woman willing to pay their own way. Liebling wrote at a time that predated the zine, thus unable to foresee that a day would come when Do It Yourself would become a publishing ethos that reigned supreme.
Zines have existed in one form or another since the days of the American Revolution, when people like Thomas Paine self-published his 1775 pamphlet, Common Sense. But it was not until the 1970s that zines emerged as a movement of their very own, as the punk scene incorporated the highly advantageous ability to use the photocopier to reproduce visual and literary work.
Also: N.Y. Art Book Fair 2015 | Best Of The Books
The New York Art Book Fair presents some of the most exciting and innovative zine publishers working in a variety of formats, papers, and genres. Highlights from this year include 8 Ball Zines, Jennifer Calandra, La Chamba Press, Sean Maung, and WIZARD SKULL (New York); Hamburger Eyes (San Francisco); 4478ZINE (Netherlands), among many others.
Sean Maung.
Sean Maung was a stand-out from the crowd with his simple and elegant booth. A large black and white inkjet print of a group of young boys posing in a posse shot for the camera was the backdrop upon which his series of zines were placed. With titles including Barber Shops and Pigeon Coops, Peep Show, Fascinations, and City of Angels, his latest release, Screw York City, fit right in. Maung consistently finds himself on the fringe, where he enjoys the view. You feel his love for his subjects, and his devotion to the photograph.
When I arrived, Maung had been deep in conversation with a guest at the Fair. They were deep in conversation, heads close as they spoke. After he left, Maung told me, “He grew up in New York and me told me, ‘I was one of those kids.’ He saw himself in the photos. It was heavy. It means a lot when people really acknowledge your work.”
Maung then proceeded to show me two issues of KH by Kevin Harry, a New York based producer who has been documenting the AfroPunk Festival in Brooklyn, the Puerto Rican Day Parade on Fifth Avenue, the West Indian Day Parade and Carnival in Brooklyn, and his alma mater Howard University’s Homecoming in Washington, D.C. The result is a series of photographs that are as dashing as they are daring, as stylish as they are sophisticated, and beautifully reproduced. The bold and brash styles, underscored by the vibrant and fearless color, make KH one of the most glamorous zines at the Fair, beautifully situated within Maung’s booth.
Like Maung, Ray Potes is a photographer whose commitment to the medium has resulted in Hamburger Eyes, one of the best photography zines ever published. Since the first issue of 30 xeroxed pamphlets was printed in 2002, Hamburger Eyes has become an elegant yet underground periodical combining the documentary approach of National Geographic with the hit-‘em-hard sensibility of a late-night tagger.
Inspired by the traditions that began with LIFE magazine and Robert Frank, Hamburger Eyes revitalizes the sensation of photography as a craft as well as a tool to record and document. In addition to Potes, the Hamburger Eyes collective includes his brother David Potes, Stefan Smikich, Ted Pushinsky, Uri Korn, Brian David Stevens, and Jai Tanju, among many others, who come together for new issues of the zine, as well as design and produce their own solo works. The result is a one-stop shop for some of the best of the best. Think of Hamburger Eyes as the Wu-Tang Clan of this here zine game.
Subway Magazine, published by 4478ZINE.
4478ZINE also stood apart, with its beautifully produced Subway Magazine. Focusing on a fresh mix of art, photography, and poetry, it evokes the publisher’s ethos that questioning social phenomena is a healthy habit. The 4478ZINE publishing manifesto speaks to the not only the ideology of the single volume but the larger ethos and responsibility of the creation of a proper list, stating, “If the book is like a building, then, the publisher’s catalogue needs proper urban planning.” A wise reminder to all those who want to get into the zine game and make a name for themselves.
Photos © Miss Rosen.
Miss Rosen is a New York-based writer, curator, and brand strategist. There is nothing she adores so much as photography and books. A small part of her wishes she had a proper library, like in the game of Clue. Then she could blaze and write soliloquies to her in and out of print loves.
