Alida Bevirt doesn’t have much spare time to make her own zines. “I work all year for this one day,” she says. But when she does get to do her own work, it’s usually pen and ink illustration, she says.

The day Bevirt’s talking about is the third-annual Euzine Comics & Zine Fest. Bigger than ever, the event is being held this year at the Lane Events Center.

Otherwise, Bevirt describes herself as a collector and fan of DIY zines and comics. “Zines can feel so personal,” she says. “They’re so expressive.”

At this year’s event you can expect more than a hundred artists from as far away as Chicago tabling their work, Bevirt says, as well as artist presentations, how-to workshops, a photo booth and more. Also new this year, Euzine Comics & Zine Fest is next door to Eugene Comic Con (EuCon).

The root of the word “zine” comes from magazine, Bevirt explains.

“Originally people were putting together punk rock zines,” she says. “Photocopying them, self-publishing them. They were all limited run. At that time people weren’t thinking of them as an art piece. Now people are making zines that are printed in incredible ways: silk screen, litho, hand-painted.”

Bevirt says the founders of Euzine had been seeing similar events in other cities, but not in Eugene. They wanted an event to support Eugene’s DIY zine and comics underground, but also introduce the medium to wider audiences.

“A lot of people have an idea of what comic book or cartoon is,” she continues, “but I feel like the artists who are creating work and going to these zine events are breaking new ground.” They are creating new art styles with eye-technicolor, or comics that fold out in interesting ways, she adds.

A zine, Bevirt says, is a painting you can open.

Euzine Comics & Zine Fest is 11 am to 6 pm Saturday, Nov. 10, at the Lane Events Center; FREE, all-ages.

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