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Blastosaurus, Ducklingmonsters Spacethings, Minarets, Independent Woman Records, Things We’re Not Going to Talk About – are just some of the varied titles at this year’s Auckland Zinefest.

Organiser Tessa Stubbing explains what a zine is and what to expect at this year’s fest, as part of First Thursdays DIY edition, K Road, August 2.

“I like to say that if the maker/author would call it a zine, than it's a zine! 

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Name, age, where are you from?

Tessa Stubbing, 25, Auckland City!

What is your creative background?

I'm pretty lucky that I get to work full time in graphic design, and on the side I get to help organise things like Auckland Zinefest. In the past I was involved with artist collective Cross Street Studios, where we launched our first Zinefest four years ago.

For those of us that don't know, what is a zine?

A zine is a self-made publication/booklet/magazine etc. That description is quite loose, but that's because zines are so varied and unique! You can get the traditional zines that are cut-and-paste, very hands-on with a DIY ethos; you can get independently produced comics that feature anything but superheroes; you can get experimental literary journals from emerging writers.

So zines can be quite tricky to define sometimes. I like to say that if the maker/author would call it a zine, than it's a zine!  

How did you first get involved in zines?

You could say that I got involved with zines when I was a teenager - I found this zine in the free rack at Real Groovy called 'Punk Brazil'. It was pretty low-fi - they didn't know how to double side the paper in the photocopier, so every second spread was blank - but from there I guess I was introduced to this new world of fanzines.

For me, I think the most exciting thing about zines is that they are an open, alternative media/art form. Practically anyone can put together a zine, so you get such great insights into a subject - whether that subject is how the author is feeling on a particular day, or ranting about something they feel strongly about at any given time. They can also be quite an intimate object - you get zines that are lovingly hand-sewn, or block-printed, or just have this little unique aspect to them, because they are made usually in small numbers and by one person who had that passion to stick with it and produce this tangible thing.

I've made a few zines over the years (some I'd rather not mention!), but most recently I make a zine with my partner called 'Health Wealth and Happiness'. It is kind of a low-fi tongue-in-cheek grungy art zine featuring our creepy collages and such.

What's Zinefest and how did you get involved? How long has it been running?

When I was at Cross Street Studios we had a gallery space that we rented out for exhibitions/events - one day it occurred to me that I should use this to my advantage and organise a zinefest! We had such a great response from everyone involved, it was pretty overwhelming/heartwarming. And we've pretty much been running annually ever since.

Can you tell us about the upcoming collaboration with First Thursdays?

I'd been in discussions with Cleo Barnett, First Thursdays organiser, and we both agreed that it would be a great idea to pool our resources and put on a really amazing DIY themed party on K Road! So Zinefest and First Thursdays are kind of happening simultaneously for one night only - there will be all kinds of amazing exhibitions/performances along K Road, as well as zine-specific events.

We have our usual zine market at Alleluya Cafe & Bar in St Kevins Arcade - around 30 stall holders selling their zines, and Rose Quartz will be DJing. Just along the road in the Bizdojo Makerspace, Alphabet City will be hosting a zine-making workshop as well as displaying zines from their library, and at the Film Archive the Auckland Libraries' Zine Collection will be celebrating its first birthday where you can meet your local zine librarian, eat cake and read selected titles from their 600+ strong collection.

You can check out our website for a run-down on the zine-related events, or check out the First Thursdays website for the entire programme, spanning 30+ venues!

Can you tell us a bit about the stall holders at this year's Zinefest?

We usually get zine-makers from all around the country, and this year is no exception (we even have a zine veteran from Australia coming over for the event). We have  detailed descriptions of each stall holder, in their own words, on our website. Can I say that I am excited to see what they all bring to the mix, or is that a cop-out? Probably the most intriguing for me will be to meet the new faces and to read their zines!

• First Thursdays is a community-conscious collaboration of artisans and art lovers whose ultimate goal is to showcase new and exciting talent in the fields of visual arts, music and performance.