BakoZines.org

 Q: What is a zine and how do you say that word?
A:  Zines (pronounced "zeen," like "bean") are self-published magazines usually (though not always) written by one person or a few individuals. They come in all shapes and sizes, usually only cost a few dollars, and are made by all kinds of people. Zines can be informative, obsessive, hilarious, sad, rude, inspirational, hand-scrawled, or neatly typed. They can be on any topic at all, but often represent points of view missed by mainstream media/publishing houses. Adapted from "A to Zine; How to Build a Winning Zine  Collection at Your Library" by Julie Bartel and a statement by Sean Stewart writing on www.newpages.com

  Q: Why zines?
A: Why not? We love zines and there aren't enough of them in Bakersfield.

Saturday, May 28th 2005

The first meeting was held at Dagney's Coffee Co. in central Bakersfield. There was about twenty five people (maybe more) that showed up to talk about zines. We discussed zine making, what zines where available in our are and we even talked about getting together a zine library. Some of the topics where zine workshops, other meetings and making zines.

Sunday, May 28th 2006

Bako Zines Library celebrated its one year anniversary Sunday May 28th 2006 at Downtown Records just blocks away from where it all started to the day of its first meeting at Dagny’s Coffee Co. Little has changed since then. Membership has dwindled a little and meeting dates have varied but the zine library is still a priority.

The idea for the library has been around for over a year and technically the library has only been running for about nine months at Downtown Records. Bakersfield needed a place where its counter culture had an outlet to create, write, gather, and read other peoples zines. That is why Dave Montoya, Melissa of Gutter flower zine and I felt it was necessary to get together those that enjoy zines and creating them. Bakersfield zine writers where scattered all over town and only a handful actually knew of each other. It was time to gather them together to share regularly, ideas, zines and conduct workshops.

Incase you folks forgot what a zine is since last year when Greg Goodsell covered the first event; It’s pronounced like Magazine without the “maga”. A zine is a self published, booklet or leaflet usually photo copied, and some in news print. They are stapled or bound by something… Zines can be made by a group or a single person… There are a variety of zines. Each zine has its own personality. There are personal zines, cook zines, parenting zines, traveling zine, activists zines, music zine and of course the punk zines. There are many styles and formats, monthly, quarterly, yearly and one hit wonders. They are underground works of art only a few are just crap.

Bako Zines members included a benefit show at Downtown Records. Jimmy Holliday, Social Terrorist, and Carl Winslow played to a crowd of at least thirty-five. Jimmy Holliday was terrific he played an acoustic guitar and sang. Carl Winslow kicked ass and Social Terrorist was acceptable. The show had the usual dumb ass tiring to get the small crowd going and he joined in vocally during a performance. He was sooo punk rock. It was harmless.

The money raised by the benefit will be used to purchase new zines for the library. Everyone is welcomed to come into Downtown Records to sign out a zine and later return it. Some people take their time returning zines, they get lost or damaged. Since some zines are one of a kind they cannot be replaced. But the library tries to keep new zines in stock for Bakersfield’s viewing pleasure. The collection also included local Zines such as Ghetto Gardner, Gutter Flower, Niche Zine, I Ran I Rock I Roll and many others.

The Zinesters stood around during band rotation and talked about zines, DIY projects, silk screening, music and “Food Not Bombs”. For those that stood out side to loiter it was a beautiful breezy evening. A few zine members rode their bikes to the show, some played chess at the counter, and a few sold zines and t-shirts.

A young lad named Sean won the Bako Zines Myspace online contest. He won two passes to the show and a zine goody bag; filled with zine buttons, supplies essential to making a zine, a Bako Zine Office Max discount card, and yes a zine.

Members also enjoyed “Soy-nudo” It’s like Menudo but made with textured soy product instead of tripe. It was great and tasty a lot better than getting chucks of unrecognizable pieces of fatty stomach lining. The food was provided by Food Not Bombs.

Food Not Bombs is a vegetarian faction, anti war, anti hunger group that believes food is a necessity not a privilege. The Food Not Bombs group feeds people at Central Park every Sunday afternoon and usually serves this dish on the third Sunday of the month. A lot of the Bako Zine meetings (once a month) have been held after Food Not Bombs.

It was dinner and a show! And thank you to Downtown Records

 This article was written by Belinda Lopez
for The Bakersfield Blackboard June 2006 issue.

May 28th(?) 2007

July 2008

Bako Zines Library was shut down due to new ownership at the record store.