Giant Robot Store and GR2 News

I apologize in advance for being the guy who puts up a blog about something cool that’s impossible to acquire. My brother getting married last week provided an opportunity for me to help make a print zine for the first time since Robot Power (the stapled-and-folded half issues between Giant Robot 17 through 21). The first couple of spreads had the ceremony program, thanks list, menu, and seating chart. After that, a full-on zine!

Serious Giant Robot readers will be familiar with much of the contents and vibe. It was conceptualized, designed, and laid out by San Diego artist and wedding speaker/guest Susie Ghahremani, who has been featured in the magazine and shown at the art galleries. Giant Robot readers will also be familiar with interview subject and wedding weekend contributor Goh Nakamura, who has also been in the pages of GR and performed at GR events.

Continue reading
I guess I said this years ago. The best part, I don’t quite recall most of it, but most still make sense. Any new advice? Think of a fun topic and go from there, but “here’s my random thoughts” zines don’t really work out. Thanks Ryan and Evan. It appeared in Electric Ant which you can buy here. What a post! (Samehat.tumblr.com) Zine wisdom from ERIC NAKAMURA Don’t expect anyone to care about your zine, read your zine or even remember it. You most likely won’t get free shit from your crappy zine. Zines might make you a friend, but that’s about it. Even though zines are thin & sparse, they take a long time to make. Why? Because you don’t know what you’re doing. Your page 4 will end up upside down on another page. The photos will look like shit too. Zines look junky & cheap, but they actually cost a lot to print. The idea is to get copies free. If not, expect to pay. Copies aren’t cheap. Chapbooks are almost like zines, but they’re called chapbooks. You can charge more for a chapbook. But you also have to tell people that you made a chapbook. Chapbooks are like rollerblades, zines are like skateboards. You pick. Zines are not art. I don’t care what people say, zines don’t go up in price and shouldn’t ever be on walls. A zine is cheap unless you’re famous or phony. Zines can be as crappy as you want it to be. They can also be great. But they are most often not both. Most likely, your zine will be crappy. It’s the law of averages. At some point you’ll deny participation in your own zine. Or you’ll say it sucks. You will be embarrassed of yourself. You’ll say, “I did that , and it was bad.” Selling your zine is nearly impossible. Don’t expect anyone to want to buy it or stores to want to sell it. If someone does buy it from you direct, they’re feeling sorry for you. Take their money. Most zines die after Issue 1. Why? Because it’s hard to make a zine that someone aside from you cares about.
Continue reading