Shape of the Crowd 9, Make-A-Mag Contest, and Remasters

Recently, I released Shape of the Crowd Volume 9, and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. As of writing this, there are just over 20 copies left unclaimed. This is one of my favorite volumes in a while, probably my favorite since volume 6, an extremely similar issue. Volume 9 features my favorite time of the year, October – January, with highlights including Sludgefest 2, Halloweekend 2, the final show at local house venue The Marigold, End of the World at The Milestone in Charlotte, and New Year's Eve. You can DM me on social media or email me to order a copy. 

The release of this volume means I'm right at the doorstep of the long-awaited Volume 10. I was holding out on saying too much about it publicly because I had a few options, and the details of whether those options remained/became available were dependent on factors outside my control. One such option I was considering was "Shape of the Crowd Magazine". Inspired by projects like Greenville SC's "Rattlesnake Press", Asheville NC's "Imprint", and countless similar works documenting DIY and local culture, I wanted to expand the photographic documentation I already do with text interviews of local bands, DIY venues, relevant ethical businesses, Indie labels, other artists, lighting and sound people, anyone helping shape the culture with something interesting to say. There are many challenges in making this happen. The jump to magazine size and format demands money to produce, distribution and marketing, online infrastructure, a lot of time and enforcement of deadlines, and a flexing of journalistic ability and good writing, things I have not studied nor do I have much experience in. These things were/are possible to overcome. The biggest inspiration to pursue this idea came from a contest I saw on Hemlock Printers' website, called "Make-A-Mag".

The summary was that if you applied with your idea, a panel of judges would choose a winner and award them with a free print of 250 copies of your idea's first issue. The grant received an astounding and universally unexpected nearly 300 applications, and suffice to say, "Shape of the Crowd" did not win. This means that what is left in the zine fund would have to support a print run of the magazine were it to happen, but that is not the only hurdle. There are other difficult realities at play. The biggest issue with commitment to such an idea is that I am increasingly unsure if I will be able to continue to afford living in Asheville. The high cost of living here coupled with almost no accessible career opportunities providing anywhere close to living wage, let alone benefits, is proving outright hostile to try to survive in a city that does not value the locals that make it worth coming to. The needs I have as an adult transgender woman are potentially unmeetable by the city's offerings, and I'm reminded that my being here was never meant to be permanent. Each day the best option for me seems to edge closer to leaving, and at this rate I may not have much choice. This, coupled with the relatively low-popularity of the zine when considering how many copies move within what degree of time, as well as their financial viability as a donation-based work, all makes it feel like a potential misstep to commit to anything long term. 

I apologize for the negativity of the above sentiment, but I feel the economic struggle of Asheville for DIY artists is a subject I'm outright obligated to share as a factor in my work, given my love and relationship of the culture I dedicate my photography and art to. I've been looking for more pleasant or professional ways to express this perspective, but the repeated disappointment I feel as I see these issues continue to harm my friends, fellow artists, cultural participants and I has made me lose patience for those formalities.

That brings me to my current considered options of what to do with the remaining zine fund.

October will mark 5 years of my photography of the Asheville scene. This makes this year a good time to culminate my work into a photobook spanning my full career, 2019 – 2024. I have a little fear at the monumentality of emptying the whole fund on this endeavor and then some, something this option would surely do, but I think the result would be the most important thing I've ever created. 

It is also good to acknowledge that the idea of shaping the zine into something more reminiscent of a magazine as stated above isn't an idea that is dead in the water. There isn't a whole lot of reason I can't begin to include all the previously mentioned ideas for interviews and writing into what it is now, other than space in the pages. Such a move would likely lead to a more frequently released zine, and that may help or hurt it, it's hard to say. I do fear over-saturating the project. 

That is what is currently on the table for Volume 10.

Lastly, the remasters. In order to comply with intellectual property rights, tax code, and my sanity, as well as improve the earlier volume's ability to preserve the culture, every volume up to this point will be treated to remasters in the near future. Expect releases soon. Many volumes are already completed as remasters, but again, many factors are at play at once and I don't want to oversaturate by releasing them all at once.

Thank you to everyone that keeps up with and supports my work, and creates a culture worth saving.