5 Reasons Not To Miss Azn Zine Fest

Just a few days left until the first ever Azn Zine Fest in Portland and we cannot wait! Whether you’re a long-time zine lover or just zine-curious, we invite you to spend the day with APANO and over 100 Asian zinesters. If we haven’t convinced you yet, we asked our Cultural Work Manager Envy to give us 5 reasons why you absolutely don’t want to miss this year’s Zine Fest!

1. Snacks

Azn Zine Fest is being hosted at Fubonn, the largest Asian shopping center in Oregon, so we’ll be in close proximity to all the yummiest Azn snacks, boba, and some of our favorite food spots in the Jade. Get munchy while flipping through all the zines! Balong Panaderia is right next door with pan de sal, Kalesa coffee, and a special popup with Cup Coffee to keep that hunger at bay. Or settle in with friends for a longer bibimbap + banchan break at Sokongdong Tofu and BBQ. Whether your craving is snacks or art, we ask - when else can you impulse buy shrimp chips and a radical art zine in the same five minutes?

2. Celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse

The Year of the Fire Horse is passionate, creative, and all about being bold! We can’t think of a better space to celebrate that energy than with a room full of radical, change-making Azn zinesters. Zine culture reflects so much of what the year of the fire horse represents. If you didn’t know, here’s a little history lesson in zine-making from the Asian American Zine Fest in Seattle’s manifesto - “Zines are meant to be shared - an exchange of information. In the U.S., the first zines were Black political thought coming out of the Harlem Renaissance. With the emergence of fanzines and art zines, we urge the zine community to remember the importance of radical zines. Zines, as independent publishing, challenge capitalism and white supremacy through the democratization of knowledge.” Celebrating the Fire Horse means honoring the storytellers and the artists who shape our social movements and move us boldly forward! But also don’t forget to stop by for a selfie at the giant inflatable fire horse before you go home either!

3. Get Inspired by Community

There’s something special about being in a room where everyone has made something by hand. RADII magazine called it “tactile intimacy,” but we just think it’s community magic. You won’t want to miss out on all the creativity and stories that our communities have to share! Maybe, you’ll even leave inspired to make a zine of your own. And if you do - sign up for updates to be the first to learn about APANO’s future zine-making opportunities! 

4. Meet 100 Azn Zinesters

One hundred tables filled with art, storytelling, humor, grief, resilience, and imagination, all from your local Azn zine community. Need we say more? Come for an opportunity to support your favorite Azn zinesters, connect with community, and just enjoy art, all while getting to meet the artists face to face!  

5. Yumi. Sakugawa. 

Our special guest for Azn Zine Fest, come meet the amazing Yumi Sakugawa! Yumi and Helen Oji will be hosting an Asian American Women Artist Talk at Reed College prior to Azn Zine Fest. Yumi will also be hangin’ out at the fest all day as well as at the after-party with tons of other cool Azn artists sharing their work! Yumi is a second-generation Japanese-Okinawan interdisciplinary artist based on Tongva land who has authored several published books, created award-winning multimedia installations, and even recently launched her own illustrated affirmation deck called Cosmic Comfort. Yumi also authored one of our personal favorite zines: “Claudia Kishi - My Asian American Female Role Model of the 90’s. 

Bonus! It’s a Mask-Required Event

We’re so excited to offer Azn Zine Fest as a mask-required space! Accessibility and collective safety matter to us at APANO. We want everyone to be able to gather safely while practicing community care for the most vulnerable among us. So bring your tote bag — or purchase an Azn Zine Fest tote bag! Bring your friends, and bring a healthy appetite for all things zines! We can’t wait to see you there.

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