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Keeping the Zine Scene Buzzing in Santa Barbara

Artist Dez Alaniz of honey boy press spreads the “good gospel” of creating.

Keeping the Zine Scene Buzzing in Santa Barbara

Archivist, librarian, and zinester extraordinaire Dez Alaniz is spreading “the good gospel”: Whoever you are, whatever you care about, whether you make art all the time or never, you can — and you should — make a zine.

When you decide to, Alaniz can help. Since founding the zine distro honey boy press in 2019, Alaniz has led zine-making workshops all across the Santa Barbara area, often in collaboration with local schools, the public library, and other community organizations. Rummaging through print samples and explaining the “how-to” of zine production, his enthusiasm for expanding public engagement with zine culture is palpable.

“There’s a zine on pretty much any topic you can think of, and if there isn’t, you should make it,” said Alaniz. “You should make that zine.”

Dez Alaniz, founder of honey boy press in his studio space. | Credit: Elaine Sanders