Liz Bolduc
Contributing Writer
My name is Liz Bolduc and I recently became involved with creating comics and zines in the summer of 2014. Although I have not been doing this for long, the support of my friends and those I have met through tabling at zine fests has been so wonderful. My very first zine, “Liz: the zine,” had a total of six contributors (including myself) who were close friends of mine.
This project was created in order to have a way of expressing my personal experiences in a positive but also collective way. Over the past few months, the zine I have created and distributed on campus has evolved greatly. After going from a few friends and myself to over 20 contributors, “Liz: the zine” has been renamed “Existential Stew.”
Art by Liz Bolduc
I alone collect the submissions, organize and layout the work and then print and assemble the numerous copies that are then distributed on campus and through mail. This past February, I had the opportunity to hold an “Existential Stew” zine release/reading in Allston, Massachusetts.
Friends read their essays and I read my comic to a crowd of over 20 people. I met new people in the comic and zine scene and caught up with old friends. Hopefully I can continue working with other zinesters in the future as I move away from Keene this upcoming June.
Once I graduate, my goals include continuing to create more “Existential Stew” (my contribution-based zine that I mail out to those who ask) issues, but I would really like to continue to practice drawing personal comics about myself, my friends and my experiences. My next comic project will be dealing with my experience of graduating college and moving away and starting my “real world” life — whatever that means.
Drawing diary-styled comics has helped me keep track and document my last year of college as well as reflect on my past experiences and see where I can grow from my mistakes. It has been a source of comfort to draw my thoughts as well as a fun way to remember the good times over the past months. Final words of advice: find a support system that will help you every step of the way and encourage you to keep working toward your goals. Don’t listen to the nerds who aren’t helpful.
There will be one more issue of “Existential Stew” out at the end of April. The theme is “The Future & Beyond!” If you are interested in contributing, drawings, poems, short stories or comics can be sumbitted to lizbolduc1@gmail.com by April 3. This email address can also be used to contact Liz directly with questions, suggestions, hate mail or secret crush confessions.
