The Tucson Zine Fest returns with the 2021 Summer Exhibition

The Tucson Zine Fest kicked off its virtual summer exhibition on Sunday, May 9th, after the event was canceled last year due to the pandemic. With over 30 artists attending the event and a zine dedicated to the event called the “Omnibus” zine, there was enough artwork to keep visitors entertained for a while.

Viewers are first treated to the art of Amanda Meeks. Meeks is a self-proclaimed queer artist, maker, and librarian for the Outspokin ‘and Bookish brand. Meeks has a website of current and past artwork and upcoming projects that anyone can participate in starting July according to their Zine Fest bio on Patreon.

CONNECTED: The Tucson Zine Fest is opening submissions for their summer exhibitions

Comic book fans will find Alessandro Morales’ site entertaining. Heroes like Captain America, Vision and Wolverine and many other characters are shown in addition to Morales’ original comic book creations like “Spaced Out” about an alien private investigator in Arizona.

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An illustration of Captain America by Alessandro Morales. Morales’ work and comic series are featured on the Tucson Zine Fest website and in the Omnibus Zine. (Courtesy Alessandro Morales)

Some artists, like Tori Holder from Los Angeles, have even created short interactive videos on YouTube showing their zine artwork live. Holder’s latest version was titled “I Should Be Happy”. These were single-panel comics of characters looking for happiness.

“I really like this zine because it’s my newest zine,” Holder said on YouTube. “I’m always excited about my latest project because it feels good to have created something.”

“LA Ghost” is a personal zine about Holder who realizes that life changes whether you like it or not.

“This is a little bit about returning to my hometown,” Holder said on YouTube. “After taking some time, I think about how people and places are changing.”

One story that caught the eye at the Tucson Zine Fest was about artist Katherine Leung and her zine “Canto Cutie”. Leung said she wanted to create a special place to tell the stories of people like her, while before people may not have had a space to share their stories.

“Canto Cutie is an opportunity for anyone who identifies as Cantonese to create and show their work,” Leung said on YouTube. “It incorporates the work of artists and writers from the Cantonese diaspora to define what it means to be Cantonese.”

CONNECTED: The student filmmaker Alexandra Cerna and FTV’s I Dream In widescreen event

Leung also stressed that it is an inclusive space for more than just those of Cantonese descent.

“Anyone who identifies linguistically, culturally, or ancestrally can submit work,” Leung said on YouTube.

For more information on all the artists and the Tucson Zine Fest, please visit @TucsonZineFest on Instagram, Facebook at facebook.com/tucsonzinefest, or their website at tucsonzinefest.com.

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