FOTP2018: It's a wrap

L-R: myself, Gracia Haby, Theo Strasser and
Louise Jennison

In the blinking of an eye, or so it seems, the Sticky Institute Festival of the Photocopier Zine Fair is over for another year. As always, it was a blast, and brilliantly organised by Sticky Institute. We simply don’t know how they do it and make it all appear so effortless. Shane Jones and I met up with a steady stream of terrific people and couldn’t have wished for finer zine stall neighbours than Gracia Haby, Louise Jennison and Theo Strasser.

Directly following is an overview, as seen from the Moth Woman Press stand and environs.

Heartiest thanks to the hordes of people who attended and to our magnanimous hosts, Sticky Institute and Melbourne Town Hall. 

See you all again in 2019.

From top: zines by Theo Strasser, Gracia Haby, Louise Jennison
and Moth Woman Press

Detail of the Moth Woman Press stand

Theo, Louise and Gracia

L-R: Elaine Haby, Peter Haby and Gracia Haby

Maria Colaidis and Theo Strasser

Monica Syrette and Des Cowley

L-R: myself, Priscilla Ambrosini and Shane Jones

L-R: Pictured with Mister Evergreen, Tyler and Tyson, who filmed
a brief segment on our MWP zines for a forthcoming documentary

FOTP2018 #3: Alice's Wonderland

I have to admit that the third of three zines set to debut at next Sunday's Festival of the Photocopier is the one that's closest to my heart. Followers of my Art Blog will be aware that late last year my partner Shane Jones and I adopted a rescue kitten.

We're forever indebted to our friends and fellow zinesters Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison (who have a furry household of their own, and regularly foster cats for the RSPCA) for rescuing the kitten now known as Alice, her brother and their father from a tightly taped box with no air holes and taking them to the Lost Cat's Home.

The rest of the little family were adopted fairly soon, but it seemed that nobody wanted Alice. Gracia helpfully posted a photo of the orphan on social media, and I found I couldn't get that little face with its wide, inquisitive eyes and glorious Groucho Marx moustache out of my head. Minutes after meeting her for the first time, we recognised her zest for life and a gift for comedy to equal the great Groucho's.

Despite a rocky start in life, Alice finds everything in her world simply wonderful. And so a humble duster becomes a much-loved toy (a far more durable one than her more conventional toys) and a weather-beaten set of wind chimes a musical punching bag.

Alice's Wonderland will be documented more fully in a future post. But there's no need to wait until then. If you're in Melbourne this coming Sunday, 11 February, join the throng at Melbourne Town Hall for the annual Sticky Institute Festival of the Photocopier Zine Fair and grab yourself a copy. The fair runs between midday and 5 pm.