“Kirkland Zine Fest 2024,” one of eight programs selected as part of the National Humanities Center’s first “Being Human” Festival, will be held at Hamilton College’s Burke Library and the Kirkland Town Library from April 18 to April 21. Everyone is welcome: K-12 and college students, teachers and faculty, families, and anyone in the community with a creative spirit. The Zine Fest series of events are all free and open to the public.

What is a zine? A zine is a small, self-made and published, cheap, and easy-to-read magazine meant to convey personal and political views of the day. In this digital age, zines continue to be the medium for self-expression and the mode for self-publishing across socio-economic backgrounds, identities, and communities.

The Zine Fest will offer five separate events led by esteemed zine practitioners and cartoon artists. Attendees will learn how to create many different kinds of zines for their own self-expression in four different sessions. The schedule of events is listed below.

For complete information and to register for programs, go to https://www.hamilton.edu/offices/lits/zinefest.

Here are the free Zine Fest offerings and where they will take place:

• Science of Zinemaking - Thursday, April 18 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. - Burke Library, Hamilton College
Learn the process of making three different styles of zines, each out of a single piece of paper. Walk away with three ready-to-draw or write zine "dummies" and handy zine-styled instructions for each form.
Instructor: Center for Cartoon Studies Adjunct Professor and freelance cartoonist Kori Michele Handwerker has drawn hundreds of pages of comics and printed dozens of weird little zines. Their work focuses on format, Identity, mundanity, process, and queerness.

• Drawing Characters for Cartoons – Saturday, April 20, 10:30 a.m. – Kirkland Town Library
In a hands-on introduction to comic character design appropriate for ages 8 and up, cartoonist Ira Marcks will share a step-by-step process for creating a cartoon face, followed by an insightful look at the power of facial expressions in effective comic storytelling.
Instructor: Ira Marcks is the award-winning cartoonist behind the creepy kid mysteries SPIRIT WEEK and New York Times recommended SHARK SUMMER. His online courses have inspired 100,000+ students.

• Telling Stories with Comics – Saturday, April 20, 3 p.m. – Burke Library, Hamilton College
In a hands-on introduction to creating comics geared towards the college-aged audience, Marcks will share the process of creating comics using the three essential elements of storytelling — characters, setting, and theme.
Instructor: Ira Marcks is the award-winning cartoonist behind the creepy kid mysteries SPIRIT WEEK and New York Times recommended SHARK SUMMER. His online courses have inspired 100,000+ students.

• Making Your Zines Come Alive: A Hands-on Workshop - Sunday, April 21, 1:30 p.m. - Kirkland Town Library
Colleen AF Venable, the creator of Katie the Catsitter will share techniques for making zines while you make your own.
Instructor: Colleen AF Venable is the co-creator of the National Book Award Longlisted Kiss Number 8, a graphic novel. Her other books include the Katie the Catsitter series, Mervin the Sloth is About to Do the Best Thing in The World, The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom, and Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye.