Street artist and Open Walls creator Gaia wanted to share his art and city travel experiences. Carrie Bird was captivated by 1,000 people at a Baltimore bike party. Johns Hopkins University student Peter Cardamone saw the need for more poetry and fiction. These ideas led to the birth of three Baltimore “zines.”
Short for “fanzine,” zines highlight topics outside of the mainstream, often in— gasp! — hardcopy format.
“In many cases you’re reading unfiltered thoughts, opinions, points of view,” says Benn Ray, owner of Hampden’s Atomic Books.
“So with some of the best zines, you feel connected to the person you’re reading,” Ray says. Atomic Books sells 1,500 unique zines, which account for one-fifth of its profit, Ray says.
BmoreMedia provides a snapshot of three new Baltimore-based zines: Second Cities, CrankMania and Seltzer.
