Meet the Zine-Maker Behind Cult Classic 'Truckface'

The Creators Project is hosting a digital zine making competition called The Offensive. From now through August 17, you can enter by creating a zine and tagging it #TCPOffensive using the all-new zine-making platform, Zean.it. For more information, click here. 

Zines can take innumerable forms, from art and comic zines to political pamphlets, but some of the most moving work comes from the “perzine.” A perzine, or personal zine, is an author’s attempt to journal their life and times and make it into something tangible, something that can be held, passed around, and shared. There’s an interesting dichotomy at play with the perzine, it’s at once intensely personal, and distributed out into the public. Few perzines are as personal, or have had as lasting an impact on the underground scene, as Truckface. Made by LB, Truckface is a chronicle of their life and times from high school forward. In a rare interview, LB spoke with The Creators Project about the history of Truckface, their thoughts on creating public works so young, and what they’re up to now.

The Creators Project: How did Truckface first come about?

LB: I started making Truckface in high school. They were short zines mostly focused on feminism and activism. When I first started making zines it felt special and secretive. Zines felt like the only way that I could connect or disrupt the heavily dude based punk scene around Chicago. For me, reaching out and connecting to others about our experiences of sexism, injustice and abuse was a method of survival.

Truckface has become a cult-classic in the zine world, but did it feel that way when you were in the middle of it?

Definitely not. Zines now can be very isolating. You complete it on your own. Spend hours editing; spend hours with glue sticks for the layout; spend hours copying and cutting and stapling. Even as it being a "known" zine, very few people have read it since very few people read zines. Zines are made in isolation and most people who write zines are incredibly shy and awkward.

Can you talk about the style and content of Truckface?

Truckface is a text-heavy zine that is only interrupted by my janky drawings or re-creations of student work. I try to divide it up with drawings to give the reader some breaks from the extensive amount of reading. I always try to make the reader care about the status of public education and how its destruction contributes to continued classism, racism, segregation, gentrification and ableism within the country.

How do you feel about your past work? Do you look back on it with nostalgia? Does any of it make you cringe?

Woof. Some of my past exploits were quite embarrassing. I drank heavily and revealed too much personal information. I sometimes re-read old zines and think, "Holy shit, I wrote that?" Oh, and now as I am older, the title makes me cringe a little bit. I picked it when I was 17 and now I am stuck with this 17 years later. Thanks a lot teenage LB.

Do you feel like you put yourself on a semi-public stage at a young age?

Yes, I was very much about writing honestly when I was younger. I revealed way too much about myself and I felt that the vulnerability made me a stronger writer. I didn't care if I was seen as a mess because I knew I was a mess at the time. The older you get you try to pretend to be somewhat composed even though you still don't know what the fuck you are doing.

What are you up to now? Are you still working on zines?

I'm entering my 9th year of being a Chicago public school teacher. I'm fucking old as shit. I also paint a lot and play drums for feminist and queer bands. I still work on zines, or at least I've been procrastinating on working on a new zine. My job has taken up so much more of my energy and time that it's gotten harder to write. Also, things at CPS with budget cuts, lead water, and filthy working conditions have gotten worse. I'm at a loss as to how to frame it without it being overly depressing, but, hey, this is fucking depressing that our city has allowed this to happen. My goal was to have my 18th of Truckface done this summer. But, I've been sidetracked with painting and trying to rest up after a stressful school year. It's OK; I'll do it; I know I have to in order to have that release.

To read LB’s work, pick up Truckface Anthologies Volume One and Volume Two from the incredible Mend My Dress Press.

Like zines? Check out Zean.it, a new platform for zine-making. Make your own zine, tag it #TCPOffensive, and you'll be in the running to get printed and included as an insert inside the September Issue of VICE Magazine. Click here for more information. 

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