The sisters are doing it for themselves.
A group of Brooklyn women will showcase their female-focused magazine “Got a Girl Crush” at the Pete’s Mini Zine Festival in Williamsburg on July 30. The 95-page magazine, by and about women, may be slicker than the usual stapled zines at the annual backyard gathering, but it started with the same do-it-yourself spirit, according to its founder and editor-in-chief.
“We started the print magazine mostly for me to have a personal outlet to photograph people and approach other women I admired,” said Meg Wachter, a Bedford-Stuyvesant photographer.
The latest issue of “Got a Girl Crush” — its fourth — features interviews with 13 women, including former Daily Show correspondent and comedian Jessica Williams, a taxidermist, and a member of the Peace Corps, who in turn interviewed a Ugandan farmer and teacher. The only rule to choosing subjects, said Wachter, is that they be interesting and inspiring to her, her contributors, and subjects.
“I always have a running list in my head, with every issue before we start we ask our previous contributors and features, ‘Who are you really inspired by?’ and our circle expands every issue,” she said.
Got a Girl Crush also exists as a blog, but Wachter says that creating a print magazine gives the interviews more impact.
“There’s something to be said about having a tangible thing you can take with you rather than sharing a link on Facebook that is easily forgotten tomorrow,” said Wachter. “And we’re able to focus on people that aren’t really shared about online — we don’t have to cater to the expectations of what’s cool.”
That devotion to the print format is a staple of exhibitors at Pete’s Mini Zine Fest, said the event’s co-founder.
“It’s a lot like when you made a mix-tape on cassettes — it’s an opportunity to share something you made at a low cost. People really appreciate the work you put into it,” said Andria Alefhi. “The value is that it’s in print — that’s the entire point, it’s handmade and in some cases literally hand-copied and hand-stapled.”
In addition to the Girl Crush team, 24 other publishers of comics, art books, and traditional zines will set up inside the bar and in the backyard of Pete’s Candy Store. The mood is laid back, and the annual “mini” fest is big enough to give visitors plenty to look at, and small enough that they can get personal with publishers and fest-goers, Alefhi said.
“You can buy a zine, drink a beer, and relax — there’s certainly enough going on to spend hours and hours there without feeling overwhelmed,” she said. “It’s just the right size for people to meet and have conversations.”
“Pete’s Mini Zine Fest,” at Pete’s Candy Store [709 Lorimer St. between Richardson and Frost streets in Williamsburg, (718) 302–3770, www.petes
