Static Zine wants to know what you think the future will be like. Will we all be wearing Google Glass? Will we only completely speak in acronyms like YOLO? Will the desktop computer be extinct? Will every city be run by Rob Fords (ohgodohgod)? What will feminism and politics be like? Will we finally be able to speak to animals? Will everybody be making zines? Join Issue 7 and make a page on what futuristic worries and wonders keep you up at night.

What we’re looking for:

• Interesting, hilarious and thought-provoking pieces about what you think an aspect of the future will be like. Just pick one! (Example: money, politics, activism, literature, cities, crime, technology, education, athletics, food, any kind of entertainment, war, kids, houses, medication, happiness, sadness, utensils, the list goes on and is obviously very open!) We encourage you to pitch us a few of your favourites though, as that will help us to make sure there won’t be any overlap.
• We want you to tell your stories through a unique way that fits to what kind of story it is. For example: if you think kids will somehow learn to communicate telepathically, write out their thought bubbles. Or you could write a short piece on who could rule Canada someday. Maybe draw what it would look like if we’re all lemmings wearing the same things. Or create a game that we would play.
• We love the written word in its many styles, drawings, illustrations, comics, photography, lists, games and more. Check out our previous issues to get an idea of our style before you submit.

Criteria to keep in mind:

• A “Static Zine page” is a half of an 8.5×11 sheet of paper (folded vertically). Our zines look like booklets. Again, check out our previous issues to see how much space you’d have. Sometimes we decide to split a zine page in half as well (thus a quarter of 8.5×11), depending on how many pitches we get and if we think it’d work to that size.
• We print in black and white.
• If your pitch is accepted, you can either complete it on your own and send it to us or come make it with us at our HQ. We employ a border of white space around the zine pages as well to make sure your piece doesn’t get cut off in photocopying.
• Please also know that if you want your page to look the best in its photocopied form, it should not be too light or too dark. Keeping things close to even toned seems to work out the best and we want you to be happy with how it comes out.

Here’s what to do now:

• Interested? GREAT! Email a short pitch of your idea and how you would want to do it to info @ staticzine . com.
• You must email us by WEDNESDAY, MAY 8. We’ll get back to you shortly after.
  

Other important dates to keep of note if accepted:

• Your submission (if doing it on your own) is to be due no later than MONDAY, MAY 27.
• If you would like to do your page with us, then you would have to work out a day with us to come by during our production schedule between TUESDAY, MAY 28 and TUESDAY, JUNE 4. We intend to print in time for NXNE, which starts on June 10.
• Stay tuned for launch party information!

We’re looking forward to hearing your pitches! Get those futuristic thinking caps on!

IT’S HERE!!! Now you can go out into the city and grab yourself a copy of ELSEWHERE.

This list will be continually updated!

As of morning of Wednesday, March 20th:

BLOOR STREET — THE ANNEX AREA
Queen Video
Victory Cafe
The Central
The Beguiling
Green Beanery
Big Fat Burrito
Sky Blue Sky
Sonic Boom

COLLEGE STREET — KENSINGTON/LITTLE ITALY AREA
Big Fat Burrito
Ideal Coffee
Cafe Pamenar
Wanda’s Pie in the Sky
Sonic Boom
She Said Boom
Manic Coffee
Soundscapes
The Green Grind
Queen Video
Of a Kind

DUNDAS STREET
Ideal Coffee
Grasshopper Records
The Lakeview

QUEEN STREET
The Horseshoe
Kops
Type Books
Rotate This
Poutini’s
The Drake Hotel
The Gladstone Hotel

If you can’t get to a location to grab a copy, now you can order us to mail it to you.
It’s $2 to cover mailing.

• Thank you, The Bean, for being a giant outdoor mirror. I was able to check my make-up AND take a photo of myself without looking weird.
• Thank you, Big Star, for filling our bellies with beer and tacos, all for under $20. You know those commercials where people look at their receipt, think that the cashier forgot to ring in half of their items, and run out before they get caught? That’s exactly how I felt. Except I was too full to run.
• Thank you, Uncle Frank, for showing us around the city. I will always look at those bridges and think, “that’s where that Transformers scene takes place.”
• Thank you, Chicago Zine Fair, for being a giant pile of talent.
• Thank you, cute zine boy, for being the first person to pay for my solo zine, Hello Goodbye. I hope you enjoy my witty stories and don’t judge me too harshly. Also, my Twitter account is on the back on the zine, follow me and be my friend, please.
• Thank you, Quimby’s, for stealing all our money. I mean, in return for all of the books and zines, but still.
• Thank you, CTA, for tying your subway lines in a knot and calling it a loop.
• Thank you, Rock ‘n Roll McDonald’s, for fulfilling all of my wildest fast food dreams. No thank you to the creepy guy working there who stared at me the whole time as I dropped ice cream on my dress.
• Thank you, Chicago, for being as wonderful as I (don’t) remember. Four-year-old me might not remember much, but 22-year-old me will never forget the wonderful times we had on this trip. See you again in a few months for Pitchfork Fest!

art by Greer Brabazon

Raise your hand if you make a playlist to listen to while you’re leaving/going somewhere! If you’re that person, well, we just made the next playlist, errr mixtape, for you. In honour of our sixth issue’s theme of Elsewhere, we decided to format this mixtape based on songs that mention other places. Now get daydreaming!

<<DOWNLOAD THE SIXTH ISSUE MIXTAPE — GOIN’ ELSEWHERE>>

1. “Lets Get Out of this Country” by Camera Obscura

2. “The Giant of Illinois” by Andrew Bird

3. “Jasper” by Aidan Knight

4. “O New England” by The Decemberists

5. “The Cold Swedish Winter” by Jens Lekman

6. “Postcards from Italy” by Beirut

7. “Grand Canyon” by Magnetic Fields

8. “Two Girls from Montreal” by The Bicycles

9. “Miami” by Foals

10. “Paris is Burning” by St. Vincent

11. “Impossible Germany” by Wilco

12. “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

& you can still download our previous mixtapes!

Our sixth issue is full of 25 amazing contributors so we wanted to give a little introduction to them and their pieces. Meet our team, where they’re from and find out a few words about their piece in Elsewhere, out in March for Chicago Zine Fest on March 9 and mid-month throughout Toronto.

Jessica Lewis
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Current City: Toronto, ON
Elsewhere: other people’s postcards, 1 of my own
The description: collection of memories, not mine

Melody Lamb
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Current city: Toronto, ON
Elsewhere: New York City, NY
The description: the most non-romantic romantic story

Aviva Cohen
Hometown: Thornhill
Current city: Thornhill
Elsewhere: Swamp Magic, NB
The description: everybody knows this is nowhere

Marta Chudolinska
Hometown: Hard to say…
Current city: Toronto
Elsewhere: Nature, wild & weird places
The description (about the cover): Moments between departure and arrival.

Isabel Salazar
Hometown: Lecheria, Venezuela
Current City: Toronto
Elsewhere: around the world in 35 mm
The description: Cinematic spark for globetrotters

Garry Tsaconas
Hometown: Brampton, ON
Current City: Toronto
Elsewhere: around the world in 35 mm
The description:  Cinematic spark for globetrotters

Gilles LeBlanc
Hometown: Mississauga
Current City: Concord, Ontario (Vaughan)
Elsewhere: Chicago
The description: Elvis. BBQ. Lolla. Good times!

David Solomon
Hometown: Brandon, FL
Current City: Brandon, FL
Elsewhere: Minnesota, Vermont, South Carolina, and Georgia
The description: Outdoor experiences from 4 states

Paige Sabourin
Hometown: Toronto
Current City: Toronto
Elsewhere(s): parts of  Europe and Africa
The description:  I brought back some things

Elaine Kelly-Canning
Hometown: Erin, Ontario
Current City: Toronto
Elsewhere: Dublin, Ireland
The description: Maple Maiden Misadventures in Dublin

Monica Emile
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta
Current city: Toronto, Ontario
Elsewhere: Florence, Italy
The description: My Italian Stallion’s Foot Fetish

Robb Mirsky
Hometown: Richmond Hell
Current City: Toronto
Elsewhere: In the sky
The description:  Dreaming my life away

Nicole Bazuin
Hometown: Toronto
Current City: Toronto
Elsewhere: Chalk River, Ontario
The description: Madeleine Collective blanket fort bonding

Carly Maga
Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario
Current City: Toronto, Ontario
Elsewhere: Desert outside of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
The description: Worst physical experience to date.

Carmela Ferro
Hometown: Waterloo, ON
Current city: Toronto, ON
Elsewhere: Wilmington, NC
The description: Worrisome, Beautiful, Awkward, Amusing, Memorable

Ricky Lam
Hometown: Hong Kong
Current city: Toronto
Elsewhere: New Orleans
The description: Ricky Eats Food in N’awlins

Amy Lam
Hometown: Toronto / Calgary
Current city: Yellowknife!
Elsewhere: Georgia (the post-soviet country, not the state)
The description: Jetsons meets Trump meet post-communism.

Bhairavi Thanki
Hometown: Porbandar, Gujarat AND Dubai, UAE (It’s a long, emotional story)
Current city: Toronto, Ontario
Elsewhere: London, England
The description: Finding myself in the rain

Holly Norris
Hometown: Halifax
Current city: Toronto
Elsewhere: The internet.
The description: Hi stranger. Here’s my life.

Linda Paolucci
Hometown: Woodbridge
Current city: Uh…Woodbridge ):
Elsewhere: Trois-Rivieres
The description: Loud mouthed Anglo takes Quebec

Brian Cauley
Hometown: Whitby, ON
Current city: Toronto, ON
Elsewhere: Portland
The description: A romantic, eye-opening trip.

Claire Moshenberg
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Current city: San Francisco, CA
Elsewhere: Tokyo, Japan
The description: Scotch and music create conversation.

Graham Robertson
Hometown: Chester, England
Current city: Toronto, Canada
Elsewhere: Bangkok, Thailand
The description: Love, life, and past

Dylan Baldi
Hometown: cleveland, ohio
Current city: cleveland, ohio
Elsewhere: tour memories
The description: hot and steamy

Cameron Harding
Hometown: Toronto
Current City: Toronto
Elsewhere: Touring around the US
The description: Good times had between shows

poster by Aviva Cohen

Join Static Zine for the best Valentine’s Day (week) yet!

The evening will start off with an hour of stand-up comedy from some of Toronto’s finest up-and-coming funny ladies and dudes and then move into an electro surf rock dance party for the rest of the evening.

Our comedy will be hosted by Mike Kellet and features Carolyn Nesling, Andrew Barr, Marc Hallworth, Ashley Moffatt and Nigel Grinstead.

Our dance party will be DJ’d by Alex Pulec.

Cover @ door is $5
Doors @ 9:30
Comedy @ 10
Dance party @ 11

Come on out early before we hit capacity!

This event is to help fund the printing of Static’s upcoming sixth issue.

We’ve all been elsewhere, we’ve all thought of anywhere but here. But here we are, announcing Issue 6′s theme! In honour of Static Zine making its first trek outside Toronto to the Chicago Zine Fest in March, we’ve decided to form this issue around your tales of yonder.

What we’re looking for:

• Interesting, hilarious and thought-provoking stories of when you’ve been somewhere else. Love, adventure, loss, being lost, chaos, seeing something with your own eyes (are just some examples).
• We want you to tell your stories through a unique way to what kind of story it is. For instance: did you get really drunk in London? Maybe you’d want to draw a map or a game of all the places where you puked. Did you have a one night stand in the Caribbean? Maybe play it out like an erotic novel. Did you climb a mountain? Maybe give us a time recap. Did you run away from home as a kid? Maybe let us know what was going through your mind at the time. Did you study abroad? Maybe write or draw out or compile some photos of an interesting time you had. (These are also just some examples!)
• We love the written word in its many styles, drawings, comics, photography, lists and games. Check out our previous issues to get an idea of our style before you submit.

Criteria to keep in mind:

• A “Static Zine page” is a half of an 8.5×11 sheet of paper. Again, check out our previous issues to see how much space you’d have. Sometimes we decide to split a zine page in half as well, depending on how many pitches we get and if we think it’d work to that size.
• We print in black and white.
• If your pitch is accepted, you can either complete it on your own and send it to us or come make it with us at our HQ. We employ a border of white space around the zine pages as well to make sure your piece doesn’t get cut off in photocopying.
• Please also know that if you want your page to look the best in its photocopied form, it should not be too light or too dark. Keeping things close to even toned seems to work out the best and we want you to be happy with how it comes out.

Here’s what to do now:

• Interested? GREAT! Email a short pitch of your idea and how you would want to do it to info @ staticzine . com.
• You must email us by MONDAY, JANUARY 28!
  

Other important dates to keep of note if accepted:

• Your submission (if doing it on your own) is to be due no later than Monday, February 11.
• If you would like to do your page with us, then you would have to work out a day with us to come by during our production schedule between Monday, February 11 and Monday, February 25. We intend to print by Friday, March 1.
• Static heads out to CZF on March 6 so we’ll be celebrating in Toronto later in the month around CMW.

We’re looking forward to hearing your pitches! Happy Nostalgia-ing!

This list will be continually updated to let you know where you can grab a copy of Issue 5!

As of October 26th:

Queen West:

Kops Records

Murray’s Sandwich

Tequila Bookworm

TYPE Books

Rotate This

Bloor Street:

Big Fat Burrito

Sonic Boom

Sky Blue Sky

Rustic Owl

Holy Oak

College Street/Kensington:

Big Fat Burrito

Sonic Boom

The Green Beanery

Soundscapes

Of a Kind

Manic Coffee

Cafe Pamenar

art by Greer Brabazon

For issue 5, we decided to do something a little different with our mixtape. Because the issue is an ode to fanzines, the three editors decided to make the mixtape an ode to some of their favourite bands (and ones we haven’t used on our other mixtapes). This mixtape includes odes to Three Gut Records and Arts & Crafts.

<<DOWNLOAD THE FIFTH ISSUE MIXTAPE>>

1. “Now, More Than Ever” by Jim Guthrie

2. “One More Night” by Stars

3. “Calculation Theme” by Metric

4. “Unsurfed Waves” by Snowblink

5. “Let it Die” by Feist

6. “Make it Better” by Gentleman Reg

7. “Scratches” by Dog Day

8. “Young Offenders” by The Constantines

9. “Bring My Father a Gift” by Royal City

10. “Family Tree” by Evening Hymns

11. “Tie Me Up God” by Sea Snakes

12. “Arena” by Suuns

13. “I Wanna Rob a Bank” by Jason Collett

14. “Bandwitch” by Broken Social Scene

15. “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” by Arcade Fire

Photo by William Pemulis.

Many thanks to our sistahs in the Madeline Collective, who put on a fantastic exhibit at Nuit Blanche last weekend. Their 12 Hour Zine Machine featured a different artist group each hour with the task to make a zine in that hour. We were very lucky to be invited to the 2AM time slot, we had so much fun! And we all stayed awake! Also, thanks to artist Marta Chudolinska joining the Static eds, and everyone who sat down at the table for the fun.

The zines were based on themes that any passerby could write on a chalkboard. We chose:

• cats
• Big Brother
• what choices should I make?
• favourite movies as sandwiches
• explosions weekly

CHECK OUT WHAT WE CAME UP WITH HERE!

Photo by William Pemulis.

Photo by William Pemulis.

crazy 3am faces. Photo by William Pemulis.