The IE Zine Fest was under way Saturday afternoon at Augie's Coffee House in downtown Redlands.
The event showcases local artists who produce their own graphic art in the zine format gaining popularity with do-it-yourself artists, said Ray Duran, a manager at Comic Quest of Redlands.
The Zine Fest is subtitled "Fear & Loathing in the Inland Empire," a reference to Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream" that first appeared in Rolling Stone magazine in 1971.
The use of "Fear & Loathing" in the IE Zine Fest subtitle is to remind people there is more to Redlands and the Inland Empire than stereotypes that prevail in some circles, Duran said.
"Most people in Los Angeles and the bigger cities, when they think of the Inland Empire they think of it on their way to Vegas, they think of it more as a desert, with no life," Duran said.
"And we wanted to illustrate that there is life artistically out here. Most people think it's a bunch of dirt and cactus. But we're the Citrus Belt, there's a vibrant community out in the Inland Empire, and we just want to showcase that."
Locally-produced zines at Comic Quest sell for $2 to $10, prices that help cover printing and other costs, Duran said.
The IE Zine Fest is scheduled 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday Nov. 17 at Augie's, 113 N. 5th St. There is no charge for admission.
Sponsors for the IE Zine Fest include Loaded Sound, the Dregs, Color Ink Book, Focus Victory Clothing Gallery and A La Minute.
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