As an American expat living and working in Japan, Adam Pasion faces several difficulties in publishing his journal-style mini comic Sundogs and other zines. Connecting with the locals can be tricky when words like “consignment” and “distribution” don’t translate easily into Japanese, or when professional magazines outsell personal projects.
Glossy, high-end art and fashion magazines are the norm, but zines still have managed to survive and thrive – sometimes by mimicking mainstream culture’s style. However, as Pasion notes, “A zine can look fancy and glossy as long as it is being made by individuals who want to participate with the zine community by trading, writing reviews, and all the other things that advance the zine scene. People who take part in this community are all making zines as far as I am concerned.”
This sense of community can be hard to come by, but it is steadily growing. He adds, “It’s coming together after years of us all talking about doing something. There seems to be a lot more going on out in Tokyo than here in central Japan, but I guess that means its up to people like me to get things going.”
So what gives him the strength to keep writing zines? Pasion cites the enormous power of positive feedback. “When I get letters and packages in the mail from people around the world who have connected with my work in some way, I feel the strength to put out one more issue.”
There’s just something about the physical product that can’t be duplicated, Pasion says. “Somehow, holding a zine or a self-published book feels genuine — like a handwritten letter. Recently, I started uploading my stuff to a blog instead, and the rewarding feeling is dissipating. There is something insincere about blogs that makes it harder to connect, I think.”
Pasion distributes many of his zines through Wasabi Distro, a mail-order website run by another expat named Andrea. Wasabi stocks mostly English-language zines, but Japanese, French and Korean zines also are available. Andrea describes the zine community in Japan as “small but friendly” and has hopes that it will continue to grow.
“The self-publishing culture is vast here, but the majority of it centers around comics and art zines,” he says. “The classic ‘cut-and-paste-and-copy’ style is much less common here. I’m sure the culture will evolve, because it always does.”
Andrea also shares Pasion’s fondness for the traditional homemade product, both as a means of connection and inspiration. “Words [are] more special when they are on paper,” she says, “like the way a letter from a friend just feels different from an E-mail. I think it also inspires people to use the paper medium in crafty ways that can’t be accomplished on a screen.”
Naturally, years of working with the Japanese community has inspired Andrea to make her own zine, called Japan Random, which she describes as “mostly photographs of strange things I stumble across.” Both Pasion and Andrea do double duty in Japan’s zine culture. After all, playing multiple roles in a community’s creation and growth is the best way to ensure its success.