Winsome Icarus is not a distro but wishes it was: I think the idea and ensuing action that somewhere, a kid in black with a backpack, is walking around a dank basement meeting people, shaking hands, sharing hugs, and distributing the precious contents of a backpack filled with records and zines is incredibly romantic.
Instead, Winsome Icarus is an idea, a neatly packed but non-conglomerate, not-really-a-brand, backbone of personal creative and journalism-based endeavors. Current projects include two blogs and one print-based zine. The focus and starting point of Winsome Icarus is print-based zine Macaroon Shindig. Founded in 2000, MS is a music and pup culture-based independently printed publication. Many of its features are online. The most recent issue is available for download in full.
What are zines and what are distros? I am so glad you asked.
Zines are handmade, print-based, independently produced and published magazines. Stereotypically they are black and white, stapled, sewn, or tied with twine, half-tone folded misses of love. They are ingrained in punk culture, having found a base and resurgence in the rise of basement shows but date as far back as the 50s during the height of sci-fi culture during the Cold War. (Do not listen to Nylon. They were not created in London. Nylon is wrong.) Zines are made on typewriters, they are created in Quark before they are carted to Kinkos for copies, they are made by hand and the writing is done by hand. They are sent through mail, they are sent by .pdf, they are in your local comic shop and by the door at your record store. When it comes to zines, I am full of love and poetry. I am ready to bake cupcakes for everyone who has made a zine, I raise a toast to the people who are as desperate and hell bent as I am in sharing ideas, dreams, rants, and art with others.
Want hard facts without the lace, doilies, and paper hearts? No problem. Peruse the following links at your leisure:
The Book of Zines: A Directory (to accompany The Book of Zines: Readings from the Fringe by Chip Rowe)
Atomic Book's Zine/Magazine Page
Chicago Comics (They don't have a zine page--though there is a small press section--but picking through their zines and comics is pure heaven. Ahhhh...)
Found Magazine (Online)
Independent Publishing Resource Center
"What's a Zine" on Undergroundpress.org
Zine Wiki
"Stolen Sharpie" Live Journal Community
"Zine Scene" Live Journal Community
Distros are people and persons (sometimes singular) who operate and manage the vehicle to bring zines to you. Some are big, many are small, and operate under the mantra that independent media is important (because it is). Winsome Icarus dreams of a day wherein there are enough personal funds to support the creative endeavors of someone else. Until there is enough money for postage and enough time to encourage and share the dream of someone else with strangers, the dream remains unfulfilled. It would be unfair to take on the project of another without ample time to fully support someone. Until then, unendorsed, unabashed, unafraid love will continue from the front lines.
Please explore, dissect, disseminate, and examine all of Winsome Icarus projects, ideas, and previous work. Feedback is encouraged, both through e-mail and as hearty discussion in the Winsome Icarus blog.