natalie 麥月明

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Bio

Hello!! I am an artist, cartoonist, and zinester from the canadian prairies. I make zines about my feelings, growing up, and stories about belonging. Things that I feel love for! I often find that I don't really fit into whatever the massively consumed Asian experience seems to be. Sometimes it feels like I can't share my experiences without them being commodified or misunderstood, so I want to be able to honour my experiences and zines help me do that.

Making zines makes me feel really empowered. The power of production and distribution is in my own hands, and what I make can be about whatever I want. It is truly amazing to be able to create a tangible object from my thoughts and feelings and then share it with other people who feel seen by it. Anyone can make a zine and everyone SHOULD make a zine (and then show me). I miss zine fairs and meeting other cool BIPOC zinesters and zine lovers <3

Zines

From Yesterday, $15.00 - A walk home on a rainy day with hands full of heavy groceries, the way the birds settle in the schoolyard. A family in a restaurant. From Yesterday is a comic released with Old Growth Press. Through the retelling of mundane, fleeting moments from childhood, From Yesterday features the progression of a year growing up in Winnipeg. There is no clear beginning, middle, or end, but rather an emotional progression that relies on memories. Link to purchase.

Restaurant Diaries, $8.00 - Restaurant Diaries is a collection of handwritten anecdotes about growing up at my uncle’s restaurant. Some of my always-changing feelings about home, family, and the place I grew up in. Restaurant Diaries was also shortlisted for a Broken Pencil Zine Award in 2020 which I think is very cool and noteworthy. Link to purchase.

Your Body Is Fine, $8.00 - Your Body is Fine is a zine about processing trauma and its physical manifestations. Delicate ink drawings depict skin and body sensitivities alongside seemingly disconnected stanzas that describe a whole-body ache from sexual trauma. Link to purchase.

All packaging is either recyclable or reused plastics.

Other Work

I am also a freelance illustrator and am available for both personal and commercial commissions, as well as to work or collaborate on any cool projects. I am also available for zine or skill sharing workshops, artist talks, or any other fun arts programming. Email me at natalie_mark@outlook.com. More goodies can be found on my online shop here.

Links, Social, & Support

Website: nataliemark.carrd.co

Social media: @jytmng on Instagram

Paypal: paypal.me/nataliemark