At the third annual iteration of the event, Reed artists further strengthened the college鈥檚 bond to the broader zine community.
By Cara Nixon
April 17, 2026
At Reed’s third annual Zine Fest, it was students who led the charge, and helped further solidify it as a must-attend event in Portland’s zine scene.
Student workers in the Zine Library and Visual Resources Center Aida Taha ’26 and Andreanna Gude ’26 served as this year’s “Zine Czars”—a new role created by Visual Resources Curator Chlöe Van Stralendorff and Social Sciences & Zine Librarian Ann Matsushima Chiu.
“Aside from the communication and marketing skills that the Zine Czars gained from organizing a large-scale zine event, they also tapped into their leadership strengths and showed tremendous enthusiasm for proposing new ideas,” Chlöe says.
That included organizing a theme—‘‘zinewrecked”—and coordinating art for the event, turning Reed’s Kaul Auditorium into an underwater wonderland with over 100 zine tablers. Among pool-noodle coral, paper-chain octopi, and handpainted banners, dozens of visitors perused the aisles of unique zines created by Reedies and the broader community.
Ann says she knew this year would be a different kind of Zine Fest—shaped by strong student voices and the inclusion of new elements like mini keynotes, a mini zine library, and an after party. “Our students really put their all into running the Zine Fest,” she says.
Tablers showcased their zine art encompassing a wide array of subject matters—from street photography in Shanghai and intimate glimpses into experiences of marginalization to comics and a study of vanity license plates. Many of the tables were spearheaded by Reed students, who have used the college’s zine resources to make their artistic ideas a reality.
One of those tablers was Elliot Needle ’26, who presented his zine, “Cicadean Rhythm.” Elliot says he starts his process with sketching out ideas, and then lining and inking. “When everything is ready, I’ll schedule an appointment with the VRC in Reed’s Library,” he says. “Chlöe and the student workers are always super helpful with getting high-quality scans of your artwork and formatting the files correctly for printing with the risograph.”
With the time it takes to cut, fold, and glue all the pages together, and then get stickers printed, the whole process takes about 50 hours of work squeezed between classes and thesis writing. “It’s always a bit stressful trying to get all my materials together in time,” Elliot says, “but it’s super rewarding in the end.”
Elliot is one example of Chlöe and Ann’s goals with zine resources and events like Zine Fest—to get students to engage in zine-making as a scholarly and social practice.
“If students are exploring their voice, activating their research skills, and showcasing their zines alongside the Portland community, then we’re providing invaluable student experiences where they’re authentically engaging with each other and the wider Portland community,” Chlöe says.
Other highlights included the 2026 Zine Fest keynote speaker, Bre Upton, who presented on the historical importance of Black zines and documenting lived experiences; the mini zine library managed by Percy Okoben ’26 and Lutetia Wang '26; and all the work Reed zinesters put into tabling their work and ensuring the event went even better than years before.
“It has really been the student support, involvement, energy, and love that are why zines are thriving on our campus,” Ann says. “It has been the highlight of my librarian career to work with these students and give them the opportunity to have organized and [led] a full-fledged zine fest before they even graduate undergrad. If that’s not a resume builder, I don’t know what is!”
Ann says her and Chlöe’s punk DIY backgrounds have given them the tools to create the Reed Zine & Arts Program from scratch, and then pass on similar skills to students. “Chlöe and I are fully dedicated to supporting our students and granting them authentic learning experiences that lead our zine student workers to being the leaders that we wish we see in this world,” Ann says.
Zine Fest celebrates independent publishing, community building, and zine making, all while introducing students to the rich history of zines in Portland.
This year, the event received more applications for tabling than it could accommodate, a marker of its growing popularity, much to the credit of Reed’s students. “It is exciting that the word is traveling around town that our little campus puts on a pretty great Zine Fest,” Chlöe says.