In the words of the organizers, Expozine, Montreal’s Annual Small Press, Comic and Zine Fair, “was created to help the small press community and local writers and artists meet each other and reach new readers.” Sounds simple and tame. But these tidy descriptions don’t really cut it. Expozine is raw.
The fair, which ran last weekend, is a messy, hectic, and overwhelmingly colourful affair. It’s underground — commercially, culturally, and literally — crammed into a basement that, upon entering, greets you with the smell of sweat and a cozy, incessant clamor. There’s movement in all directions, a sea of people in ebb and flow, streaming around long rows of tables littered with, it seems, everything a true word lover would want.
Expozine was held in an imposing church that, beyond a solemn hallway of echoing steps and yellowish light, concealed an eye-opening paradise of alternative art and independent publication. In retrospect, the event resembles a complex knot of numerous threads of creativity. Just consider titles such as: Time Management for Anarchists; Front d’action stupide pour un quotidien délirant (Fighting Stupidity with Stupidity); Cubec libre, (Cuban-style communism for Quebec); The Yellow Book (sporting a nude female crotch on the cover); We Were Writers for Disastrous Love Affairs Magazines; Fish Piss; and Truth and Beauty Bombs.
Of course, you’ll also find more conventional offerings: Concordia Co-op Bookstore; Matrix Magazine; Canada Council for the Arts; Quebec Writing Competition – 2010; Vallum contemporary poetry; and Montreal Review of Books.
It is a no-cover, non-commercial, uncensored paradise, providing exposure and contacts. Harley Smart, of Anteism Publishing, explains that Expozine is tight for sales, but that’s not what they come for. Expozine allows them to meet artists, distributors, and the community. Chris, a long-haired, black-clad youth presenting a scientific zine on ways of recognizing insects, agrees, stating that he doesn’t expect to make a killing, but hopes his work will be useful to others sharing his passion, “at an unbelievably low price.”
Tyson Bodnarchuk of “Headquarters, Galerie+Boutique” sees the event growing every year, providing excellent exposure and content, “xeroxed zines to pro books — people get really creative.” Celeste of Datapromo, an accordion-playing silk screen artist originally from Alberta, sounded a slightly negative note, stating that tables were becoming more expensive, disadvantaging the participants who have less support, goods, or experience.
Nevertheless, inexperience was evident: more than half of exhibits didn’t clearly advertize what exactly they were presenting. Moreover, it felt that most of these interesting projects would eventually either fade away or commercialize. Not for lack of creativity or greed, but those crude realities of life: the appeal of money and the heavy hand of time. Oscar Yazedjian, Comic-Con promoter, summarized it plainly: “If Marvel or DC offer to publish your book, everybody in this room is going to do it.” France Cantin, an artist agent, added a dose of hope: “I think many want to stay in that freedom they have and [even if you commercialize] you can stay true to what you’re doing anyway.”
People milling about complemented the colourful content. I saw mohawks, ties, décoltés, poppy pins, red stars, bike-messenger bags, long beards, gray hairs, yellow ski pants, smart coats, torn All Stars and brand new Skechers, sleeping babies wrapped in warm embraces next to Gogol Bordello patches, then two curious toddlers, behind them a shirt reading “government sponsored terrorism.”
And they all seem to love it. Dave, a first-time visitor, said it “demonstrates what Montreal really has to offer,” describing it as homey, adding that “the one in Toronto is in a really nice building… [and] maybe a little bit more pretentious, [but] sweet either way.” Tracy, a regular, said it’s similarly varied, noting better contents on the tables.
A scream of creativity, ambition, and energy, Expozine opens minds, celebrates originalities, reconciles differences: a large arrow looming overhead in the centre of the room fit in quite well with everything else: “TOILETTE HOMMES.” It fuses, diffuses, surprises, amazes and, most importantly, fulfills expectations. I’ll certainly return next year.
This year’s Expozine took place at Église Saint-Enfant Jésus, Nov 14 and 15.
