Drawings from the Chicago Zine Fest 2015

Hello, again! Early last month Lemon o Books attended the annual meeting of the Midwest chapter of the International Tree Killers Union. Just kidding! It was the sixth annual Chicago Zine Fest, but the event was held in a beautiful, old union hall this year.

I've been lucky enough to have exhibited at this fabulous event every year, and I love the experience. You can read a comprehensive write-up of Saturday's exhibition from Broken Pencil Magazine at this link (featuring my smirking face). Thanks to all the organizers, exhibitors and attendees who make the Chicago Zine Fest possible.

Here's some fantastic drawings that some kind folks created for The Famous Hairdos of Popular Music project:


This handsome gentleman is wearing a regal cape reminiscent of Madonna's hair. The drawing was done by the incredible Trevor Grabill of Flat Mountain Press. A gentle piece of advice: Give Trevor all your money, cover your walls with his prints and fill your bookshelves with his zines.


This is Madonna's childhood cat who is rarely credited for inspiring the Material Girl's earliest popular hairdo. Drawing by Rebecca Dols.




Two sad men kindly drawn by a visitor to the fest. 💔
❤


And finally, here's a drawing by Liz Mason of Caboose zine and Quimby's Bookstore who has been telling me for years that she doesn't draw. This lovely rendition of Glenn Danzig suggests otherwise! Heartfelt thanks go out to Liz and all the other drawers for these wonderful post cards. You all truly make The Famous Hairdos of Popular Music possible.

Anyone interested in acquiring Lemon o Books' sundry paper souvenirs can see our catalog here and read ordering instructions here. Have a wonderful summer, Internet!

From the Mail

The Famous Hairdos of Popular Music is one of several projects from Lemon o Books, and sometimes folks love those other projects and aren't very interested in these hairdo things. Which is fine; that's why there's so many flavors of ice cream. But if their rationale is that they aren't interested in pop culture or music, I feel the need to point out that that has never been the focus of this project! The Famous Hairdos of Popular Music is an invitation for anyone and everyone to scribble their names on the marble busts of celebrity culture. We are punching holes in Monets!

I love these drawings that some kind folks sent to my p.o. box. Thanks to the drawers, Jack and Charlie!


By Charlie, age 8

By Charlie, age 8

Another great set of drawings. This might be my favorite Dusty Springfield Hair House, and there have been many. Why do I love this project? Because Dusty Springfield Hair House is now a thing. I will have to consult the records, but Hand Turkey Morrissey Hair may also be a trend. Thank you, all past and future drawers. The Famous Hairdos of Popular Music could not exist without you.

Once again, here's a batch of wonderful drawings by area high school students. Big thanks to them for drawing and big thanks to their teacher, my friend Tom, for supplying them with the hairdos to draw on. In related news, Tom has recently launched a website called Pancake Parade, where he and another guy rewrite the dialog from pages from old pulp comic books. It's like a static version of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Check it out after perusing the drawings below.

Thanks for the great drawing, Joe. I'll get that Morrissey book to you soon.

This drawing by a local high school student was procured for the Famous Hairdos of Popular Music by my pal Tom, an art teacher and longtime friend of this project. Big, big thanks to the drawer and thanks as always to Tom.

This postcard was in the Famous Hairdos P.O. Box this morning. Thanks to the drawer for sending it in. I love these drawings where all the constituent parts are nameable, like, ok, that's a river, some hills, Morrissey's hair, a tongue, shining sun, maybe those are nostrils, stegosaurus spikes. Yeah, that's everything. But still, what am I looking at? Is this a prehistoric ancestor of Morrissey's hair, pausing to drink from a cool mountain spring? There has always been a Rorschach element built into this project, but it's interesting when a completed drawing comes back and the hair has been turned into yet another inkblot, and I wonder just who is in the psychiatrist's chair, so to speak.

This is fun. Let's keep doing it!

Madison Zine Fest, Part 3

Here are the last of the drawings acquired at the Madison Zine Fest for The Famous Hairdos of Popular Music project. There are some all-time faves in this batch, too. If you want to see the rest of the drawings, the first batch is here and the second is here. So pour yourself a generous glass of red wine and admire some truly inspired drawings.

Thanks again to all the drawers, festival organizers, attendees, and other friendly folks. Best wishes.

Madison Zine Fest, Part 2

Here are some more (but not all) of the remaining drawings that we collected on Saturday at the Madison Zine Fest for the Famous Hairdos project. Only while scanning the stack of postcards that we went home with did I realize just what an awesome outpouring of great drawings we got that day. So here is the second of three batches. Click here to see the first.

Thanks again to everyone who drew.

Madison Zine Fest, Part 1

The Famous Hairdos of Popular Music have just returned from a long, fun weekend in Madison. The Madison Zine Fest held on October 2 was a blast. It was maybe the most fun we’ve had at one of these events, aside from trying to navigate the streets of the Borgesian labyrinth that is Madison, and even that wasn’t too horrible.

Big, big thanks to the organizers of the Fest, everyone who came down, and anyone who bought a book from us, gave us a drawing, or both. Thanks to all of you I am still very excited about this project. It wouldn’t exist without you.

Back home in Milwaukee, there was a postcard waiting in the Famous Hairdos P.O. Box from a stranger here in town, so we’ll start with that one, and then please keep scrolling down to see half of the wonderful submissions we gathered in Madison. The rest will be posted very soon. Last but not least is a wonderful, not-hairdo-related, illustrated review of a peanut butter and jam sandwich sent in the mail from a good friend in Texas because some things are too great not to share. If you feel compelled to share your own sandwich reviews or hairdo drawings or any other correspondence, send them to:

P.O. Box 11872, Milwaukee, WI 53211

There should be more exciting news here within a few days as well as the rest of the Madison drawings. Stay tuned. Thanks again and enjoy!





































And here is a review of peanut butter and jam sandwich: