The CSULB Photo Kids are scattered between Simi Valley, Los Angeles, and Long Beach, but “collectively our roots as artists were connected in Long Beach, as graduates and current students of CSULB.”
The crew is comprised of Alyssa Bierce, Mike Lewis, Candace Wakefield, Colin Thompson, Mckenzie Stribich, Juliette Angulo, Romana Vera, Marlene Tafoya, Natalie Bouroumand, Alexis Chanes, May Roded, and Shelby Roberts.
The CSULB Photo Kids’ zines are handwritten/drawn, photocopied, screenprinted, and digitally created, with stapled and hand-stitched binding. Their collective zines fit into every genre of zine–memoir/perzines, social/cultural, political, photography, and illustration–with topics covering everything from the California landscape, the prison industrial system, suburban living and art school to families, bodies, and culture.
LBZF16 is their first zine fest, so stop by their table and show them some love!
When did you start making zines … and why?
Some of our crew have been making zines for years, others are just beginning to translate our work into zines and other handmade publications. As a loose community of makers, we have enjoyed the opportunity to create in a way that feels intimate and tactile.
In addition to zines, what are you passionate about?
We all come from a background in image making, as graduates and students of the photography program at CSULB. Digital photography, large format, screen printing, and photograms are all home base, and serve as a foundation for how we view image making and consumption. We are passionate about our work and the growing power of images.
What is your favorite part of making zines?
Making zines feels immediate and intimate. For many of us, the transition from art school students to real-time art practice has been a funny thing, and the hardest thing for many artists is making the leap between idea and product. There is something about working with zines that frees us up to just do.
What are some of the zines you will be featuring at Long Beach Zine Fest?
- Me, 47 Times
- The Worst Shit I Made Did in Art School
- Forms
- Girls Night Out
- Art School Graduate Anxiety
- IDs
Why are you tabling at Long Beach Zine Fest?
We are excited to be at LBZF to connect with the larger community of art and artists in Long Beach and beyond. This city and our university have helped nurture us as artists, and we look forward to representing that.