Haven’t you found yourself reading a book recently and in desperate need for something more than a receipt or scrap paper to hold your page? You want something else that will make you smile when you open that book, don’t you. Yes you do.
In Issue 2, you’ll find cut-out-your-own-bookmarks made by Tom Lowery. Well those weren’t the only two he designed. In fact, we have so many bookmarks scanned here for you now that you’re pretty much set for the rest of your good eyesight part of life!
Each one is original and quirkier than the next. We had a lot of fun looking over them all and pretty much wanted to keep them to ourselves forever and ever, but scanning them here for you seemed like a much better idea.
Some of our favourites:
“Surrender your first born to Static Zine”
“Static Zine is better than season 1 of the X-Files”
On October 20, we had a bonfire in Dufferin Grove to celebrate the launch of our second issue. We roasted marshmallows for smores, everyone got to see the issue for the first time and we enjoyed performances by Anthony Damiao, Shawn Clarke, The Fires Of, Parks & Rec and The Wilderness of Manitoba.
Static’s second issue, First Times in Toronto, came out October 20th. So to celebrate, over the month, you’ll get to know the contributors of the issue through some of their first times in Toronto.
Ellyn Diamondhawk, who illustrated Chiara, Anthony and Harley’s stories in the new issue, is a bad-ass.
First time I felt like Toronto was home was when I was depressed and rode the 501 streetcar all the way east from Lansdowne and watched the weather change and how beautiful it was. I actually had that thought “this is where I live, this city is my home”
First job was Coffee Time at Yonge & the 401!!! Hahaha!! It was so sketchy and I was 19.
First favorite book was ‘Idioglossia’ by Eleanor Bailey
First kiss was NOT IN TORONTO! (I don’t care, this story is ridiculous)
I was four years old, I was on a hill in my backyard. It was warm day and the sun was shining on the hill and it was with my little friend Ryan who was also four and he was one of those weird kids from the 90s (I know they exist in other times but they remind me of the 90s) with dark, dark eyebrows and super white bleach blonde hair. I had a BIG crush on him! AND WE KISSED AND GIGGLED!!
First time I went to the islands I was with my friend Matthew Kirkpatrick and we were milling about Toronto (I still lived with my parents in Burlington) and we were downtown and went to request a song at Edge 102.1. The dj opened the door all quickly as if she was going to ask us for a password and whispered “are you the two here for the tickets?” my ears perked up, “Tickets?” I asked. She explained that she was expecting two idiots who hadn’t come to pick up their tickets to a show on the island featuring Feist, Broken Social Scene and Modest Mouse. Since I love all of those bands I made a big fuss and was all “Oh wouldn’t it be SO GREAT to go see all those bands on the island?! I’ve NEVER even been to the island!” So the dj gave us the tickets and was very sweet in directing us how to get there and told us we had to hurry because we’d probably already had missed the first act.
When we arrived we ran to the little pedestrian bridge and as we were getting our tickets checked I heard Broken Social Scene busting out with ‘Ibi Dreams of Pavement’ and I had tears in my eyes and giant smile on my face.
First time I got lost was when I took a wrong turn left off of Dundas near Spadina and ended up in that weird housing complex area between Spadina and Denison that eventually breaks onto Cameron st. and I had a homeless fellow ask me for a smooch…which I said no to.
If I had a last day in Toronto, I would ride my bike to High Park and visit the yaks and buffalo, then bike to Trinity Bellwoods and roll down that giant ass hill (in an ideal world it’d have zero dog poop on it), then ride to Kensington Market and have an organic chai tea latte with honey in it at Moonbeam, then Courage My Love to buy a dress, Last Temptation for lunch (shrimp pad thai) then to the AGO, then the ROM then down to the Leslie Spit to watch the sun go down.
Static’s second issue, First Times in Toronto, came out October 20th. So to celebrate, over the month, you’ll get to know the contributors of the issue through some of their first times in Toronto.
Alex Topp contributes artwork to Static Zine. In the summer she did half the storyboards for a feature movie called Advocate. She has a psychology BA from York and works at XocoCava and Sweet Mickeys.
First house was the semi-detached 62 Ravina Crescent at Jones n Danforth.
First concert was Archaos with my dad in 1990-ish. Where to my horror it lacked clowns, it made up for with fire, noise, and the smell of gasoline and sulphur. I do like all those things now.
First favourite book was The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
First record store was Vortex at Yonge n Eglinton. I bought And Out Come the Wolves.
My first kiss was in the back of a van when I was 17.
First heartbreak was when my 20-year-old cat went into the forest permanently. My mum said “I hope you cry that much when I die.” She’s good with words.
Most vividly, the first times hearing certain songs – particularly Sun Ra’s version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I was strapped into a kids’ car seat so I must have been very young but it did change my perception of art (like Archaos changed the circus). Somewhere Over the Rainbow was in many ways a standard, from one of my favorite movies but taken way out of context. Why would he push his piano down the stairs… It sounded like a meteor shower or the northern lights, or my parents fighting. It was completely unpredictable, semi-detached like me and our house, but had a firm enough hold on reality to blow a 4-year-old’s mind. It was beautiful and classy and funny as hell. I always used to shut up when it came on, and I still do.
