We’re super excited to be able to invite you to come and have a look at our newest exhibition at the zine library. Comic zine maker Lottie Pencheon is going to be launching her new zine No No Life and showing off some of her other work too. We’re having a little launch party for it in the library between 5pm and 7pm on Friday August 7th. There’ll be cans of pop, fairy lights and some nice music, plus Lottie will be selling things. You can even talk to us about the zine library if you like! I asked Lottie some questions and she answered them and here are the answers:
How long have you been making zines?
I always loved making stories and drawing but I think I only started making zines, comics and books when I was at university. In fact, my first zine ‘popcorn’ was in Salford Zine Library! It was a screen printed beak book/comic thing about a cat getting anxiety about popcorn whilst out at the cinema. Sooo 6 years I think.
Do you have any favourite zines?
The type of zines I go for are almost always fiction comics! I have too too too many favourites, but i’ll name drop a few that spring to mind:
‘Goodbye Megu’ is a fanzine of the no longer in existence mobile phone game ‘Kawaii Pet Megu’. The zine is made by Michy Soong, Rikit and Caroline Smith and consists of three different comics made by the three different artists about their experiences playing the game which I believe was a bit like a Tamagotchi! I bought it ’cause i’m very much into that whole thing.
I picked up ‘Sparklies’ by Disa Wallander at ELCAF this year. I have to read it so many times to try and understand it properly. I love it but I’m still trying to get my head around it. Beautiful drawings, intelligent, thought provoking dialogue and glitter. Disa also has a comic series called ‘Slowly Dying’ which you should check out.
‘MGCL_GRL’ by Mathilde Kitteh (published by PEOW!) is another zine I keep coming back to! It’s this fun zine with like a multiple choice questionnaire thing that you take in order to determine what type of magical girl you are! It’s honestly so fun, not just the questionnaire but the illustrations and the overall design. I love it a lot!
Lastly i’m gonna mention John Porcellino’s series of diary comics ‘KING-CAT’. I bought issue number 75 whilst I was at CAKE this year. This is the only KING-CAT comic that I have! I missed all the other 74 but wow, I challenge you to read this comic and not cry. Beautiful and simple drawings coupled with page turning, emotive dialogue.
Tell us about No No Life!
I had been drawing these little comic strips about a rabbit and a frog for a while, I think the first one was 2 years ago. The rabbit was always sad and self depreciating, the frog was always laid back and happy go-lucky. I used to make them sporadically and never really thought much of them. Anyways, I’m the type of person who needs a project constantly, the lull between projects where I have nothing to make or draw or think about really scares me, so I decided to make some more friends for Frog and Bun Bun and create an on going comic strip so that I can be working constantly all the time!!!
There’s now a dog called Marcus who is a poet who shouts a lot about beauty, a cat called Kitty who is extremely sassy and kinda rude and No No, a reflective, thoughtful but not very bright young woman. (There’s also a secret little character too who you’ll meet in No No Life 1.) I gathered all of these friends together and made comics about them interacting with each other and pondering about their own existences and No No Life just grew from there! I used to read Peanuts when I visited my Grandparents and, I must admit, I have always wanted to make a comic strip of my own following that similar formula.
What can we expect from your exhibition?
My new comic!! Which you will be able to buy and take home with you if you like. Original drawings from my comic in the form of comic strips and never before seen ‘Beautiful Drawings’. I also brought some of the characters from No No Life into the real world using clay and other materials, so they will be there with me on the opening night but I will be whisking them away with me afterwards as they have a busy schedule. I expect you to all like my comic.
What’s your favourite fizzy pop?
Ummm I don’t really like fizzy drinks??? I’ll drink coke if it’s mixed with rum and lime but I prefer my soft drinks to be still. Fizzy drinks are way too exciting for me.
