The dream of the 90s is alive… in small-town Indiana? An unlikely spot to revive a RiotGrrrl and Grunge revolution, but that’s where artist, writer and zine producer Jolie Ruin runs her eclectic art business and printing press.
Zines were a big deal back in the 90s, since they allowed those in Punk and Rock communities to tell others about their favorite bands and share their original art, before the internet and social media made marketing so easy. The mini-magazines were nothing more than photocopied and stapled pamphlets full of articles, collages, and photos, and they were especially crucial in the RiotGrrrl movement of the early 90s as a way to promote female musicians and artists. Jolie started making her own zine way back in 1996, as she saw others in the Punk community writing their own stories, poetry and drawings in zine form, and sharing them with each other at local concerts and festivals. The zines also included musician interviews, and articles on feminism, gender issues, and social justice.
Around that same time, Jolie was recording spoken word performances onto cassette tapes, and was inspired by those around her using that integral DIY mentality to start their own labels. In 1997, she started her own label as well, called Ego Records, and began distributing her own cassettes. She was also encouraged by Tobi Vail, drummer from the RiotGrrrl band Bikini Kill, who had started her own label to distribute cassette tapes of unsigned bands to help them increase their audience.
Jolie continued with her label through the mid 2000s, then began focusing solely on zine production. Her zines have included reviews of local bands, comedy shows, lists of her favorite things, and personal reflections. Nowadays, many of her zines are compilations of articles, poems and original art from a variety of independent writers, whom she puts out an open call for over her Instagram page. She will usually put a theme on the submissions, such as “Teenage” or “90s”, like with her zine called “Skurt Cobain.” Her zines are also a way to support other artists and writers, by publishing samples of their work or photos of their art and merchandise.
The zines also include Jolie’s original art in her favorite form: collages. She started making those in 2010, as a way of exploring a new creative outlet. Using cut-out images from vintage magazines and catalogs from the 1940s and 1950s, Jolie creates mixed media masterpieces that she sells, both as stand-alone 3D gallery pieces to hang on your wall at home and available as color prints. She also has compiled collections of her prints into full-color art books. The themes in her art almost always include feminism and women’s empowerment, as well as lyrics from songs, and sometimes even quotes from true crime shows. Her art style is heavily influenced by her musical taste in Punk and RiotGrrrl bands, and some classic favorites like Blondie.
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You can find all her zines, art, art books, t-shirts, stickers, patches and bags online at her two Etsy stores:
Follow her on social media at @RiotGrrrlPress and @JolieRuin.