A zine is born

At some point, we decided we needed to visit a bog. Southern California, however, is not exactly full of them. The closest thing we could find was a marsh, the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, so we met there and hoped for the best.

We didn't really know what to expect from a marsh, but it quickly exceeded expectations. Birds everywhere. Wildlife everywhere. Much more excitement than we probably deserved given our lack of preparation.

Our gear situation was minimal. Sana had checked out a birder's backpack from the LA Public Library that came with children's binoculars, some coloring sheets, and a field guide. Naturally, we forgot about the field guide until the very end. Instead, we spent most of the time squinting through the tiniest binoculars imaginable and arguing (respectfully) about what bird we were looking at.

The star of the day was the California cormorant. We were absolutely captivated by it. After a fair amount of debate, several rounds of binocular squinting, and some late consultation with the field guide we had been carrying the entire time, we determined that yes, it was a California cormorant. Correctly identified.

From this encounter, we decided to make a zine. Sana had some zine experience. I had none. We had done a bit of casual prep beforehand, collecting inspo, talking through what a zine might look like, but the actual making happened in a burst of about two days, which in hindsight feels both impressive and slightly unhinged given how much work it was. We loved that first zine so much that we decided to make another one (currently in progress), and somewhere along the way, blirbrus was born.

Blirbrus, which we fully acknowledge is a bit of a mouthful, is our small attempt to pursue whimsy in a world that sometimes takes itself a little too seriously. We want to connect with the community around us, experiment with design and different media, and learn as we go.

Mostly, though, we're just two friends making things for fun.

If you'd like to join us in the process, we'd be delighted.