Fanzines on the Tomebamba

Our first night in Cuenca, a friend of ours took Paz and I to a Fanzine exhibit at the Casa de los Arcos along the rio Tomebamba, one of Cuenca's four free flowing rivers. A fanzine is the graffiti of magazines, produced by individuals without editorial support and usually reproduced through the cheapest means possible, multiple black-and-white photocopies. The subject matter covers an entire ambit of themes and can be very saucy in its political commentary and artistic creation.







The house was historic (late 1800's) and recently restored with a beautiful view of the river and the southern end of the city. We sipped warm canelazo from the balcony while looking out over the night-lit city, listening to the river rapids below and commenting on the intriguing qualities of the fanzine...the creativity it encourages, its peculiar method of reproduction...