Part 2: A Conversation with Local Creators

by MJ Tolu

“I made my first zine eight years ago for my partner, who at the time ran a zine distro,” Al Siew, a zine maker and photographer shares, “essentially, she was my gateway into zine-making.”

Others were introduced to zines through university, punk concerts, and art communities. Like Michelle Gruppetta, who learned of the medium through students from a Graphic Novel degree at the university she attended in Denmark. A later visit to a zine festival in Copenhagen fueled her enthusiasm, “there was no looking back after that” she recalls. 

Steffi Venturi didn’t know she was making a zine or what they were when she debuted her first self-published booklet Champagne & Bowties at the Malta Comic Con, “to me it was a creative project in the form of a collection of illustrations bound together” Steffi shares. What drew her to self-publishing? A community of online artists, photographers, and web-comic artists she followed online who were publishing their work.

Meta Kulma Ttini Skiet, by David Schembri came about as a way to accompany a single launch with photos and writing that all worked thematically with the title track. “I must say that I was very inspired by the late Zvezdan Reljic’s adventures in photography, printing, and publishing, who was also instrumental in popularising photo zines and chapbooks locally in recent years.” Indeed, Zvezdan Relijc’s chap books encouraged newbies and seasoned writers alike to publish their writings, and were amongst the first zines stocked at il-lokal! 

The aspect of community comes across in most of the answers we received around the motivation to publish zines. This is a crucial aspect for Martina Farrugia and Noah Fabri who work together because the zine format allows them to share resources, thoughts, and practices. “Through collaborative zines I can be playful and angry, raw and honest, messy and strange” Noah states.

Experimentation, messiness, exploration, collaboration, and an overall punk and DIY attitude are core aspects of zine-making, and Suzanne Maas, Climate Campaign Coordinator at Friends of the Earth Malta was introduced to zines while attending punk concerts as a teenager. Rather than produce another report for the NGO, she collaborated with Aprille Zammit, an artist and graphic designer, to create Imagining a Fossil Free Malta. This zine answers the question: “How do you imagine a fossil fuel free Malta?” and includes art, photography, essays, poetry, collages, and song lyrics by over 15 creators!

While Il-Beżżul Bieżel leave their categorisation as zine or otherwise to their readers, they hope they are seen as more than a satirical publication. “For the cartoonists participating in it, it’s self-expression, for the reader it may be art or entertainment, but in the grand scope it’s a cry for editorial freedom, a reverence to the strength of the pen!

But we’re only scratching at the surface here - is zine-making about art? Self-expression? Or activism? 

“It can be whatever you want it to be,” Al says.

“A medium that doesn’t impose so many boundaries,” David adds. 

“An accessible way to self-publish a body of work,” for Aprille.

While Martina stresses that it is also important to acknowledge the materiality of the object which she has done “through folding 100 tiny copies, sewing them together…” 

Steffi agrees with all of the above - “From the DIY creative process it takes to physically create one, to the works and personal message it contains within. I believe it is a space that provides a lot of freedom to express and exhibit the things an artist is passionate about and or wants to voice and share with the masses. I think this specific medium can help others find communities from all around that share similar feelings all together.”

“Considering political events both locally and abroad, I think it’s important to have self-published, uncensored material out there,” Michelle advises. “Zines are a way to make sure we come together as a community, but as an audience, you also need to be critical of what you read.”

Indeed, Il-Beżżul Bieżel are very observant about current news, cultural and socio-political trends which inform their newspaper. What starts out rather spontaneously becomes more structured as they identify what is most poignant and funny. Il-Beżżul Bieżel’s irreverent approach to those in power was refreshing, and we hope to see them back on the scene soon.

Exploring Zine Culture in Malta: A Conversation with Local Creators

il-lokal is supporting a growing community of local artists and creators experimenting with zines and self-publishing as a form of self-expression, activism, and art. In this series, we search for the hidden history of zines in Malta, explore zine culture with contemporary zine-makers, and lay down the foundations for zines to come! 

We thank Dr John Baldacchino, and Mark Camilleri for taking the time to talk to us about ‘self-publishing’ in Malta in the past; Prof. Carmen Sammut for reminding us of the existence of the Melitensia archives at University of Malta library; designers Elisa von Brockdorff and Stephen Scicluna; and all the makers who engaged in conversation with us about their craft: Al Siew, Aprille Zammit, Il-Beżżul Bieżel, David Schembri, Martina Farrugia, Michelle Gruppetta, Noah Fabri, Steffi Venturi, and Suzanne Maas.

Part 1: history | Part 2: introduction to zines | Part 3: the future | Part 4: make your own!