Skip to main content

Cebu Zine Fest 2016




There is a war on reading.

Or at least in the places where they are not free. Powerbooks never did get its comeback after being unceremoniously replaced by a two-storey Forever21. The two branches of La Belle AuroreBooksale's stylishly curated cousinhave closed. Fully Booked has managed to weather the worst yet of bookstore plagues. It did lose a large chunk of its second floor though, to a K-Pop themed restaurant at that.

In today's cultural environment of instant noodle gratification, how does anybody still pay for a physical copy when an online one exists at no cost? Is there room for zines?

Zines by Wyndell Remonde

Zines from Bomba Press



Spoils from StreetKonect, xlvrbk and Whoopdiedoo Comcis



As it turns out, there is. Last April 16 the first Cebu Zine Fest was held at AS Fortuna in the 856 G Gallery. It was a whole day dedicated to the spirit of the independent, the underground and the handmade in alternative publishing. It was organized by Tropical Futures Institute. The event brought in artists from all over and their zineswith Tashi, Ronyel Compra, Thousandfold, Brian Sergio, Wanju Wu, Encanto, Jeffrey Sisican, Markku S., and Enigma Workz on the Main Gallery and the pop-up featuring Kath Layno, Angelyn Khu, Miko Puns, Bomba Press, Paul Grant, Bea Gomez, Kil Camalongay, Wyndelle Remonde, TFI, Bas Umali and Josua Cabrera. 



The booths were the main attractions, but there were also talks by Brian Sergio and Thousandfold and a printing workshop by Jeffrey Sisican. So not only was Cebu Zine Fest a place to sell their work, creators interacted with consumers in ways that encourage this community of a new readership to grow.








Gathering together obscure titles, irreverent comics, signed chapbooks and limited edition prints in one temporary market is one thing, but when mainstream reading sources are getting less and less foot traffic it's a massive risk. To have pulled off the Cebu Zine Fest successfully was not only an uphill battleit's hiking through a landslide.



Then again, everything starts small somewhere. As the people that night exchanged ideas over music and beer, standing before zines suspended from the ceiling, this much was clear: This won't be the last of Cebu Zine Fest. There are readers out there. 

words by: Mariya Lim
photos: 856 Gallery/ streetkonect 

Popular posts from this blog

conversation with nemo!

"sick.sweet.raw.jaw dropping.wicked painter in all sorts of canvass" -okto Streetkonect: how old are you? 23 Streetkonect: where do you live? And describe the art scene in your place. ususan, taguig city mjo patay ang art scene smen puro kc gangster at adik bubuhayin pa lng nmen ni whoooop! hehe Streetkonect: How would you describe your art and your artistic process? cguro un description nung gwa k di nalalayo s pop-popsurreal/popsocial- surreal tas automatism tas imagintaion based.twag nung iba lowbrow art.. pagkakaalam k kc ksma street art at graffiti dun.. un proseso dpende s kung anu un ggwin e.. minsan me studies minsan nman wla, automatism tlga. tas minsan un mga subliminal images n mkkta m ng bglaan. halimbwa un image n nbbuo s marmol at un image s mga lumot tas un image n mkkta m pag tinamaan ng liwanag un wytbord at kung anuanu pa.. imaginary prends tska mga drowings ng bata. dun ngcmula un mga halimaw Streetkonect: Who/What are your influences? s lokal mda

Tie One

 Jonathan See Lim AKA Tie One (1979–1998), was a graffiti artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was well known in the graffiti community for his aggressive style of graffiti art and the large amount of work he produced. Lim was born in the Philippines to ethnic-Chinese parents. During his early childhood, his family moved to California. -pilipinas-streetplan http://pilipinastreetplan.blogspot.com/2009/03/tie-one-19791998-rip.html Saint Patrick’s Day has always been difficult to celebrate because on this day eleven years ago, our friend and soldier Tie, Jonathan See Lim, was murdered in the Tenderloin of San Francisco on Turk and Taylor. A man named William Porter shot him in the back of his head while Tie was begining to climb a rooftop to pain. Of cource the SF police covered it up as a robbery and our 18 year old little buddies death went unvindicated. He was a major influence to us all and his memory will live on in our hearts. - saberone  http://saberone.com/blog/2009/

Wrap-Up Week-End

Garapata in Bacolod . Many artists from all over the archipelago went to Bacolod last Nov. 13-16, 2014 to participate for the Viva Excon 2014.  The art event is more of a traditional art event rather  than a "primary flight-ish" or !ha? but it didn't  stop street artists to do what they do best. Paint Jam by Soika, Buen Abrigo and    Cori Franchesca Co in Bacolod  Garapata Stop Over in Cebu. He painted with cebuano local street artists, Soika (a Viva Excon Participant), WR, Bart and CrazyMaggot. Free Anting-Anting . Sprouting in Talamban, Cebu City. Really nice to see street art in Cebu making a comeback with new talents. I thought the difference between Cebu and Manila is that the former ceased to produce new talents while the latter had an endless supply. I was wrong! Yummy in Busay. Yummy is Bart's younger brother. He is quite unique in Cebu, and has a distinct inking style. Dr. Karayom for ESC Project Escol