This month’s cover art was designed by Nottingham zine and print maestro Craig Proud. We asked him a few questions about his inspirations and what he gets up to at Dizzy Ink Studio
Tell us a bit about yourself…
Mr Dizzy Ink, Lord of the Prints, Paper Papa... kidding, just Craig Proud. I'm lucky enough to run the creative print studio Dizzy Ink, whilst also making Notts Zine Fest happen each year AND run Notts Zine Library.
What was the inspiration behind the cover?
The cover inspiration is a blend of different elements from Notts Zine Fest posters, Notts Zine Library bits and other wonderful pieces of artwork from our projects that run through Dizzy Ink. We've been really grateful for the talent behind the Zine Fest & Library posters - some excellent artists have contributed over the years. It's a collage consisting of Ben Wood (@benwood.studio), Kim Thompson (@kim_a_tron), Dylan Woodall (@deedoubleyoo_), Maria Bacila, Jacob Tomlinson (@jacob.illustration), Alex McDougall (@Alex.j.mcdougall) and myself!
How does it compare with some other projects you’ve worked on?
Looking back over the artwork from the years of running zine related events/experiences/workshops, it was nice to make a single image that represented that.
What was the biggest challenge that you faced in creating the piece?
Time, as usual! We're always gratefully swamped in projects! We're buuuuuuuuuuusy!!! Also, collaging so many different styles and elements together can be difficult - they've been created to be strong in and of themselves so putting them all together can be hard as they all want to clash.
Tell us about some projects you’ve worked on in the past…
This is the 3rd Left Lion cover that I've designed!
What have you got planned for the future?
Well the second cover I designed was meant to be April 2020 to celebrate our five year birthday, and that kinda went out the window for obvious reasons. It was about a self directed project I've been running around fruit sticker design so it had to be printed really to reflect the physical nature of stickers. We parked it and will be doing it April 2025 for our TEN years of business - how wild!
Is there anything else you’d like to tell the LeftLion readers?
Zines are great, they're personal publications directly from the makers. These makers are extremely talented at writing, drawing, designing and publishing content on niche topics often overlooked by mainstream media. Zines are powerful statements and honestly so utterly enjoyable to experience. If you want to keep up-to-date with zine happenings around the city follow @dizzy.ink @nottszinefest @nottszinelibrary on Instagram!
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