SF Zine Fest 2022 Was Everything

BY TAMARA PALMER

Zines and independent publishing culture has resonated with me for my entire life and I have dreamed of participating in SF Zine Fest ever since launching the print edition of California Eating in January 2019. After submitting an application in June, I was accepted to this year’s event, which was held on Sept. 3 at City View at the Metreon in San Francisco. City View is a much bigger venue than the fest’s previous home inside the San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park, and organizers estimated that 2000 people attended to check out 250+ exhibitors.

I had fun conceptualizing what my half table would look like and making collages on blank notebooks with old menus and restaurant matchbooks from mine and my grandfather’s collections to offer alongside back issues of the zine.

*Mindy’s matchbook from my grandfather’s collection*

*Terra Cotta Warrior and State Bird Provisions notebooks*

My friend Sean Vahey served as my “booth bitch” for the day and he had the brilliant idea to keep the table stocked with Halloween candy. He and I fashioned a tablecloth made out of pizza and green salad fabrics. Placed on top was a shelf with my latest offering, a snack zine called Nicely Toasted, and a vase filled with edible herbs.

It was so much fun to trade zines with other makers — that was more of a thrill than making a sale, though that was a delight as well. I also met my indie publishing hero, V. Vale of RE/Search Publications, who inspires me to create on a new level and to do more projects that I own instead of a faceless corporation. I can’t wait to apply again next year!