Zinester at the Boat Show
Well, I attended my first public event this past weekend.
I was given two big tables and set up a big world of zines
and alt media for all to see. I was the only zinester there!
The only publisher and about the only book-type person.
(One author had a table.)
It was fun!
Oops: we need a subject here. This show was the annual
Great Lakes Quietwater Symposium held at Mich. State Univ
(capitol city) in a big new pavilion. All the exhibitors were
about freshwater, rivers, heritage and getting around under
your own power. Kinda neat to not see a motor in sight.
Lots of boat-building and small boat, sailing,
lake kayaking, paddling and rowing stuff. Snow and ice counted,
too, as ‘quietwater’. Dog-sled people, too. Expedition info.
Man, I never saw so many pretty boats and homebrew projects in one
place. We had a HUGE 10″ snowfall blizzard the night before, but
still tons of folks showed up all day. 100 exhibitors came from 500 miles
away. I missed all the seminars, shows, videos, speeches all day long.
I guess it’s a big annual confab. I’d never been before. But I got invited
as an ‘accent’ exhibitor. So I showed them some accent.
I have a new slogan that I printed up and displayed broadly:
“NO TRESPASSING—the new state flag”. –I’d say that was the only
protest statement in evidence at the show. I had bumperstickers
made up for it, too. I thought it kinda neat, maybe stick a bee
in someone’s bonnet. I had no idea how it would be received.
This is a bearded, conservative crowd by and large, but also
very fiesty and independent. I’m sure plenty of official govt
types and property owners were in evidence. I hate no trespassing
signs, by the way. I also handed out an essay I worked up about
the topic (it’s also at my website I suppose). But people seemed
to notice the sign and some said they liked it.
Anyway, I had all my back issues layed out, plus all my new books.
I had good overall signage but lousy particular signage: each book
should’ve had a big paragraph about it in plain view. I had to do my
rap too many times. A book is NOT obvious (all the time) as to what’s
really going on in it. (Hey, probably a sign that my cover design SUCKS.)
The printer botched the cool explanatory back cover of my hot new title.
(Delivered day before; a couple other botches made the whole delivery
freebies, which was kinda OK.) I sold quite a bit of everything and even
met some subscribers and nice new folk. Got some freaky hangers-on, even!
Then I had another table layed out with my collection of alt.outdoor.culture
media and rare underground a.o.c. books. I think it’s the best collection
of such stuff in existence. People liked seeing all that.
I also had a big display of freaky a.o.c. equipment that caught attn.
The org in the end said he thought my scene added a needed spark
to the show.
In the end, I’m not sure what real purpose this sort of thing serves.
Possibly too superficial. Maybe it’s best to always go with a good helper,
so you don’t get booth-bound like I was. But I didn’t really care that much
about anyone elses stuff. I knew about most of them already. I know what
quality looks like. More power to em. Forward ho. But it was neat and I’d do
it again. Gets me out of the cave. But the time perhaps might’ve been better
spent on getting out my year-late next issue! Or launching my new books
properly. Who knows, it probably all adds up. I have nothing against kicking
back a little around town. In fact, it’s very tempting stuff. Hup, back to work!
