Music and Sappyfest-inspired Zines
To celebrate the long weekend of music, art, and community love that is Sappyfest, we have highlighted our favourite indie music and Sappy-inspired zines from the Owens’ Teeny Tiny Zine Library. These zines document Sappyfests of years gone by, offer tips to enjoy the festival, review beloved bands, share playlists, and fill in missing gaps in mainstream media coverage of music.
Zines and music have always gone hand-in-hand, with early music fanzines dating back to the 30’s and flourishing during the 1970’s as a vital source to spread information about punk music. Today, music zines cover all genres, often containing art, record reviews, and interviews with artists.
Music Zines
Evan Furness
In the most apt tape like format, Evan Furness‘ Mixtape Vol. 1 illustrates 14 of his top Valentines and love songs.
When you get half way through this zine, you can flip it over and read the B-Side. From Joy Division to Björk, Tom Waits to Sun Kil Moon, this zine will have you feeling the love.
Published by Pentagon Black
2020
Black Dots: An Afropunk Primer is the first instalment of the Pentagon Black Information Pamphlet series from Pentagon Black. This essential eight-page pamphlet profiles black punks of early British and US punk and hardcore scenes by Chris Murdoch.
The second pamphlet in the series, 25 Queer Country Hot Hits, 1938-2020 includes writing by by Steacy Easton which fills the LGBTQIA+ gaps that you might be missing from your Country/Western repertoire.
Both zines include illustrations by Raymond Biesinger and are the perfect pocket sized resources to expand your music history knowledge.
Jeff Oulton
2022
>>untitled was made by McKenzie College student Jeff Oulton for aGraphic Design course assignment which asked them to make a zine on the theme of spring. Oulton’s illustrations and paintings accompany lyrics and song titles from Nine Inch Nails’ album The Fragile.
Dave Dyment
2010
Pop Quiz by artist Dave Dyment is a near comprehensive collection of all of the questions posed in pop songs from the artist’s music collection. Each copy from the edition of 500 includes a unique handwritten question. Our copy reads “Don’t you know I breathe in fire?” from tUnE-yArDs’ Fiya.
Tara Bursey and Ben Needham
Continuing your deep dive into esoteric rock’n’roll and musical movements across time and space, Strange Notes is a printed companion to Tara Bursey and Ben Needham’s radio show of the same name. This issue documents the show themes, playlists and artists featured in episodes 10-16.
Each zine comes with QR codes to access the show on it’s two stations, CHMA 106.9 in Sackville, NB and CFMU in Hamilton, ON.
Sophia L
2022
With all the new knowledge and inspiration from these music-inspired zines, if you feel tempted to dust off an old instrument and join some friends to make a band, Sophie L.’s zine, 36 Band Name Ideas could help you entitle your new ensemble.
Sappyfest-inspired Zines
Various Artists
2020
A zine that appears on occasion during Sappyfest, the Sappy Post has evolved and changed greatly form year to year. Maybe you heard of it as the Rag & Review, Scraps of Time or Telegraphic, either way, these publications serve to document the festival through art and writing. The Sappy Post was inspired by the inimitable Sappy Times, created by Sean Micheals to “collect my thoughts on all the marvels I heard” each Sappyfest. Micheal would stay up all night preparing the Times, and have it available at sunrise each day of the festival.
Capturing the festival and impressionistic memories the Sappy Post creates an “ad hoc memory bloc”.
This issue is a retrospective of the Sappy Post, including contributions from nearly every previous contributor, as well as an essay by Geordie Miller, and an interview with Sean Michaels.
Tori Weldon
2019
Tori Weldon’s Sappy Survival Guide contains tidbits of wisdom from an experienced Sappy attendee. It is filled with good reminders like to have coffee, check the schedule, and wear a hat, to ease you through the long weekend.
Della and Theo Crocker
2020
Perfectly fitting for the year 2020, SappyFest: Near and Far’s mascot was “a flying cat with a forest/world growing on it’s back with a population of children that hatch out of eggs”. Do you remember it glowing across the Cube? This fantastic creature also serves as the backdrop for the other worldly stories in Gritty by Della and Theo Crocker.
Patrick Allaby
With four panel comic strips, Patrick Allaby recounts some of his Sappy memories including discovering new musicians, applying to work as a Sappyfest summer intern, and scandalously sneaking in underage as a high-school student.
