KC Zine Con

Join KC Zine Con (The Midwest’s DIY Publishing Fest) for three fun, interactive writing workshops! You’ll create your own zines (pronounced like magazine)— DIY publications used for self expression, made using collage materials and a copy machine. Attendance is free.

January 5, 1pm to 4pm – New Year, New Zine February 2, 1pm to 4pm - Conversation Hearts March 2, 1pm to 4pm - Lucky Wish Zine

We’ve been invited by the staff of the Johnson County Library to host zine workshops at their 2018 Writer’s Conference! Zine Con Organizer Dayna will be facilitating two workshops per day: TELL YOUR OWN STORY (a perzine writing workshop) and ZINE HARVEST (a mini-zine drop-in class).

🍂✏️ Join us for these fun, FREE workshops on Friday, November 2 or Saturday, November 3... plus, stick around for all the other classes, lectures and lessons! RSVP today at bit.ly/jocowriterscon

KC Zine Con #4 was spectacular, and it’s all thanks to you: the exhibitors, presenters, attendees, volunteers and sponsors! We are already starting to plan KC Zine Con #5, and we would love your feedback on making the event better. Please take this survey about your experiences at this year’s fest:

We asked and you answered! Get the skinny on our tabler’s thoughts on raccoons, Hogwarts houses, denim, leather, museums and more!

SEE THE RESULTS!SEE THE RESULTS!SEE THE RESULTS!SEE THE RESULTS!SEE THE RESULTS!

Neither/Nor Zine Distro: Neither/nor is a zine distro in Kansas City with 5 locations: Holy Cow Market & Music, Revolution Records, It’s a Beautiful Day, Josey Records, and Inner Space Yoga. It’s the perfect place to scope out zines during our convention’s off-season. The distro is organized by our very own Jess Hogan, who also helps organize the KC Zine Con, and leads zine workshops in the community.

LaBudde Special Collections: UMKC’s LaBudde Special Collections​ is a longtime partner of KC Zine Con and our official location sponsor! Their unique collections include documents on music, women & gender, Kansas City topics, LGBT history and–of course–zines! If interested, feel free to contact them for a tour of their collections.  They'd be happy to show you around!

ScrapsKC: ScrapsKC is one of our new sponsors. At their store, you can purchase recycled and unused art supplies for your next project. We love that they positively impact the environment through their reuse practice, and that they also provide resources for our community’s homeless through their programs and services. At this year’s convention, they will offer a hands-on workshop for making zine covers. Leather, paper, maps, and scraps will be available for working on the perfect zine cover. They will also host an all-day crafting room during the run of festival. ​ To attend the workshop, meet in Classroom 1 at 4:30pm.

Broadway Roasting Company: Broadway Roasting Company…​ a midtown mainstay… a true Kansas City Classic! Broadway Roasting Co. has generously supplied us with that dark, sought-after, nectar of the gods: Coffee. They’ll be happy to see you in one of their mellow, sociable locations any time.

It’s a Beautiful Day: Every KC DIYer knows this returning sponsor: It’s a Beautiful Day. If you don’t, prepare for a trip to a bohemian paradise. Located in midtown KC, the shop features music, merchandise, trinkets, zines and more and much of the fare is local! Pro tip: This is definitely a good spot to visit for out-of-towners.

Revolution Records: This returning sponsor was happy to host our annual open mic. A KC-original, many rad records, CDs and zines can be found there. They also host music events, making them a great place to keep on your radar!

InnerSpace Yoga: Inner Space Yoga is the host of our Sunday Zinester’s Brunch and their welcoming, relaxing atmosphere provides the perfect Post-Convention vibes! They offer acupuncture, Tai Chi, meditation, and yoga sessions, including a donation-based yoga class on Sundays from 10:30am to 11:30 am.

Oddities Prints: Oddities Prints is a long-standing supporter of KCZC, and a definite standout in the world of paper arts. Their extremely-distinct risograph style prints can be found in many businesses and homes in the area. If it’s a custom job with unforgettable flare you’re looking for, they’re your outfit. Check out their live printing demos during the Convention from 1pm – 3pm; you’ll find them at tables 8 and 9!

One More Cup: One More Cup is one of our longest-standing supporters. This returning sponsor is the coffee gem of Waldo, featuring numerous, unique specialty drinks, delicious baked goods and more! Visit them any time (before the donuts are gone, they are delicious).

Johnson County Library: Johnson County Library​ has astounded us with their rabid interest in zines! We partnered with them this Spring to host a Zine Club for teens. They are an excellent resource of words and media in the KC metro with numerous branches, all of which contain fantastic material available to the public.

Plan your day! Our Vendor’s List and Table Map are live!

CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF ALL KCZC4 VENDORS!

We’re stoked to have Casey Babb​ and Kels Choo bring monsters, mutants, and magic to the forefront of this year’s fest as featured tablers.

Casey Babb ​– designer of this year’s Zine Con poster artwork – will distribute zines, mixed media art, and collage work. Casey Babb’s work demonstrates a knowledge of zine layouts, photo collaging, and DIY ethos, which we found to be an authentic and refreshing way to represent zine-culture in this year’s Zine Con poster. He has been involved in a number of exhibitions, from his homebase in the Midwest, to NY, NY and beyond! His work has been featured in a number of publications and has snagged many an award. Babb’s work is influenced by “multitudes of vicious substances” and “monsters”, as seen in this year’s con poster, featuring a scissor-wielding monster conquering a city with the tools of DIY Publishing! http://breakingbabb.com

Next in the line-up of featured tablers is the Omaha Zine Fest Distro and Kansas City’s own SugarBeans Shop.

The​ Omaha Zine Fest Distro​ table will feature zines, art, patches, and other items of note by zinesters from Nebraska and the surrounding areas. If you want a flavor of how people do zines Nebraska-style, be sure to check out their wares! Omaha Zine Fest organizers will also lead a workshop with a Q&A about how the fest was started and the creation of the distro. Omaha Zine Fest ​organizers Andrea Kszystyniak and Daphne Calhoun work at Omaha-area nonprofits. In addition to their love of zines, they share matching zine tattoos. Be sure to arrive early, as their workshop will be at 10:30 am in classroom 1. http://www.omahazinefest.org

Howdy Folks, it’s about that time of year when we start lettin’ ya know about the featured artists that will be representin’ at this year’s 4th annual, Kansas City Zine Con!

We’re stoked that urban farmer Taylor Fort and HearQueer editor Anne Selle will be featured tablers at the con. As the movers and shakers of urban farming and QueerMusic coverage, we think they’ll do a fabulous job of representing the city that we call home.

Taylor Fourt​ is an artist and urban farmer from “Sweet Home Alabama” who has transplanted her roots to Kansas City. We’re glad she’s here too, because she’s active in KC’s arts and agricultural communities, making things happen. Taylor helps creates community at Manheim Gardens as the Program Director and educates the people on all things urban farming. She’ll be at the Zine Con to distribute art works, zines, and a love of urban gardening. She will also lead a workshop called “Garden Planning with Zines”. Be sure to snag a complimentary zine and some seasonal veggies at her workshop, which will take place at 2:30PM in Classroom 1. http://taylorfourt.com/

Announcing our 2018 Featured Tablers! 🌟 This spectacular and varied group of zinesters from across the Midwest and beyond represent everything we love about zine culture! They will be presenting their work at KC Zine Con 4.