I was a vendor at Chicago Zine Fest last weekend! I have been looking forward to this fest since early 2020 when I first found out I had snagged a spot. Unfortunately, as we all know, 2020 did not go as planned. This year’s zine fest has been a long time coming!
I was excited to have a full 6 foot table to showcase my work. Here is a look at the full table right after setup:
After the ultra mini zines were a hit at Milwaukee Zine Fest last month, I decided to amp up my supply for Chicago Zine Fest — and I’m so glad I did! They were by far my top seller and conversation starter.
I had 24 different ultra mini zines available, which I think was almost overwhelming! I had a couple people ask for me to choose for them, which was a fun surprise! Much to my delight, I sold out of “Temporary” and “NO! A say it with me guide to doing less BS!” — which is today’s download for paid subscribers! Be sure to scroll to the end to download your printable zine file!
To see inside, check out this video of me reading it aloud:
The fest took place in Plumbers Union Hall in the West Loop Neighborhood. It was a nice big space! Here is a view from the balcony.
Truth be told, the first hour of the fest was really slow, which made me nervous! There were not many people wandering around yet, and I was starting to worry that people were actively avoiding my table! Fortunately, that all changed right around noon. Things picked up, people started talking to me, and I breathed a big sigh of relief!
3 Interactions that Made My Day
The person who bought Stink Bugs and said, “I think I’ve been looking for a stink bug zine my whole life!”
The person who told me about someone she met who didn’t like dinosaurs. She was incredulous and so was I (obviously)! I had no idea that there were people in the world who actively dislike dinosaurs, and I had so much fun bonding with a stranger over how crazy it is to not like dinosaurs.
The person who loved the cover of Everything-ness and exclaimed, “Look at these colors!” and then dramatically motioned to the different areas of my table, “Incredible color, incredible black and white!”
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for being here! It truly means the world to me to connect with you every week.
Thanks for everyone who participated in last week’s poll about whether you say Pinky Swear or Pinky Promise. To my surprise, Pinky Swear won by a narrow margin!
Paid subscribers, keep scrolling to download your printable version of my zine “No!”
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