LBZF 2015 was the first time mother-daughter team kristen and frankie, aka the kid and i, had tabled at a zine fest, but it definitely wasn’t their last. They tabled at IE Zine Fest in October 2015, and again this past March for LAZF 2016. Of course, prepping for a zine fest is a cake walk compared to hand drawing/writing, digitally editing, photocopying, folding, stapling *and* mailing out a zine every single month, as they have been doing since Vol 1. of “the kid and i”. They are now on Vol. 2, issue 7, and have no plans to stop.
Why do you make zines?
we make our zine because we believe self expression is so important. how you think and feel is valid, whether its frankie at 12 or me at 36. that whole, “paper is patient”…we can write about whatever we want. social issues, cultural issues, current events, feminism, growing up, solidarity, and just what goes on in our lives. its current and its real. its basically a documentation of our lives, and we think its pretty special.
What is your biggest challenge in making zines?
our biggest challenge is that we put out an issue every.single.month. frankie has school and homework and sometimes she’s at her dad’s. i work for a living, and there’s just everyday, life stuff. but we manage to get it all together. sometimes its sent out early in the month, sometimes, its mid month, but we do it. and people love getting mail. frankie also makes the envelopes each month.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start making zines?
do it. and do it however you want. there are no rules. everyone has their own style, their own content, their own ideas. the one you make is yours.
What else do you want people know about you or your zines?
we want people to know that just because our zine is “the kid and i”, just because we’re a mother-daughter collaboration, we write about real stuff. its not all “cutesy” or something. its sometimes ugly or uncomfortable. but its real and that’s what matters to us. it’s about frankie growing up, and we all know how hard that is, especially for a 12 year-old girl. it’s an opportunity for her to express herself, and her experiences. it also gives me a chance to share my stories as a mom. a mother trying to raise a loving, strong, open-minded, aware, giving person.