Karli IngersollThis week the 2nd issue of a new art zine discreetly hit a handful of downtown locations. Behind the project is local designer and print-maker Aaron Abolofia who you may also know as Tiny Mammoth Ink. The first volume of Baby Knives was printed in Cyan only, the second in Magenta. Only fellow designers will be able to follow the trend of standard 4-color press inks. I anxiously await the mystery of how yellow will be produced.
Zines are sadly pretty uncommon in Spokane and when they pop up, production is not sustained for very long. As a past creator of a music zine, I know the laborious amount of hours and costs that add up in putting together a zine (part of the reason I started blogging instead). Aaron’s benefit is strong ties to the design community, allowing the heavy lifting to be passed off to a new cast each month. Being completely visually focused, there’s not time needed for editing copy or refining vision for content. All that to say, I think Baby Knives will have some shelf life. And not to beat a dead horse but it shows once again the strength and depth of Spokane’s design community. I talked to Aaron a little bit about Baby Knives…read on!
K: What inspired you to start Baby Knives?
A: Baby Knives was started for 2 reasons: The first being the idea that I am constantly surrounded by talented designers and artist that all have their own side projects and outlets other than work. It is a way for my peers to take a step back from the daily grind and do something just for fun. The second reason is that it gave creatives the opportunity to produce something that has no restrictions, no guidelines, and no themes. With no sponsor and no ads, designers have full ability to do whatever they want. It‘s great to see what people accomplish when they are just having fun.
K: What do you think the work that’s being submitted says about Spokane and it’s artists? Or maybe just generally what do you think about the work you’ve been publishing?
A: The variety of artwork that has been showcased in the first two volumes of Baby Knives has been massive. Hand drawn lettering, design, Illustration, photo manipulation – it’s all in there and it’s all coming from Spokane artists.
K: Where can people find it?
A: Baby Knives can be found in a few places around Spokane including Atticus Coffee and Gifts, Garageland Records, and The Bartlett. You might also stumble on one in some random spots downtown.
K: What’s the release schedule?
A: The hope is that Baby Knives will be released once a month on the first of the month. The zine is printed in a very limited quantity so keep your eyes out and grab one while they last.
Based on how quickly they disappeared last month, you might want to haul downtown TODAY if you want a copy. High fives to Aaron and the other designers who have offered beauty to this little glorious piece of inspiration.