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"We still hope that love will prevail. We still believe in love’s promise.”
- bell hooks ('All About Love') |
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MISSION STATEMENT
Ovaettr Art & Zine Distro is a hopepunk, queer, feminist, anti-racist, anti-fascist and trans-led small business committed to helping build a better world through the act of self-publishing and distributing zines, along with teaching how to do so yourself. Education is freedom. Rooted in Paganism, following the Call of Nature and Love. Ovaettr seeks to defend freedom, truth, and the Earth
along with all lives deemed “monstrous” by far-right fascists worldwide.
We are focused on building a community and temple-like space that heals people through shared creativity and learning how to find your own voice.
"we believe in THE ACT OF self-publishing as a path to liberating the self."
On the origins of 'ovaettr'
OVAETTR (oh-VAY-tur) means MONSTER in Old Norse!
Monsters and their symbolism are sacred to Orion's work and queer identity.
The choice of Old Norse comes from the fact that Orion is a
Norse Pagan / Heathen / Vanatruar and Green Witch
dedicated to the Vanir Goddess of Love & Battle, Freyja.
Monsters and their symbolism are sacred to Orion's work and queer identity.
The choice of Old Norse comes from the fact that Orion is a
Norse Pagan / Heathen / Vanatruar and Green Witch
dedicated to the Vanir Goddess of Love & Battle, Freyja.
mutual aid
Committed to building a better world through ‘ARTivism,’ (inspired by art hero Keith Haring) the distro serves the community with a completely free table full of educational zines, COVID Cautious Kits (masks, tests, info zine), Know-Your-Rights Cards for ICE Interactions in Spanish/English, NARCAN + Instructional Zines, Fentanyl Test Kits & Info Zines, Safe Sex Contraceptive Supplies & Plan B. The distro also commits to doing PUBLIC ART and ZINE DROPS twice a month around the Denton, TX area at Little Free Libraries & Pantries, providing queer anarchist educational material and fun art zines for the community to enjoy.
meet the distro crew!
Notable Project Participation:
- Sundown RPG (fiend illustrator) - The Fat Folks Tarot (8 of Wands) - The Children of the Forest Zine - Character Design Zine 2021 - Wrestling With Gender Volume 2 Zine (unreleased, organizer cancelled project) - The Super Posh Club - The Fox Who Became A Girl - Me and My Shadow (Coming Soon Releasing May 2025) |
Orion Fern is a two-time award-winning illustrator, motion graphic designer and zinester who uses his art to create prints, zines, comics and more!
He is the founder of Ovaettr Art and Zine Distro, established in 2017 as Ovaettr Art originally. Their notably colourful work is inspired by monsters, mythology, nature, and the fight for social justice. Xyr work celebrates queer and trans communities through educational zines and emotional stories told through visual storytelling. Pronouns for public use are he/him or they/them. Within trans or trans-friendly spaces, xe/xyr/xem neopronouns are his favorite.
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Captain Barbosa the cat,
nicknamed "Barby" for short. Head Supervisor of the Distro & ESA |
OUR HISTORY
2007
Started our first job at my parents' small business, PJ's Party Supply & Rentals. Raised to be an entrepreneur, small business runs in my blood. I did a lot of the design work for my parents shop too.
2011
Began college at a nearby art school after flunking out of community college. Chased my dreams! Had no idea what I was doing after high school!
2017
Founded and established Ovaettr Art in January of 2017, beginning to take custom art commissions, especially supported by friends early on.
2019
First published work in L.A. Wilga's 'SUNDOWN' RPG, having illustrated all 11 fiends that one could fight or tame in-game.
2020
Second published work, featured art of the Eight of Wands for THE FAT FOLKS TAROT published in 2020 originally, with the second printing of the deck and guide book accrued 823 backers pledging $63,825 helping bring this project to life.
July 2021
Experienced making my FIRST ZINE in a Disability Pride Month Workshop on Zoom, releasing 'EUPHORIA ISLAND' an 8 page mini. Not long after I was pushed and inspired by the wrong-doing of the Texas government in banning abortion during 2021's legislative session. I made 'TRANS MASC & NONBINARY INCLUSION IN REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ACTIVISM' to start conversations about better including people who were not cisgender women but were impacted by abortion bans like Greg Abbott signed into law. After the ban passed, we adjusted the zine to serve as a continual guide outside of the moment that inspired it (plus bonus "I Need An A" resources added inside.) It continues to be one of our most popular zines to this day, as the conversation surrounding reproductive rights still goes on in a world without bodily autonomy for all.
November 2021
Started teaching arts for my first time, as a part-time educator over Zoom instructing lessons I had constructed myself from the ground up covering Comics and 2D Animation for youth. This started my journey into being an educator, following my passions. Nothing is better than seeing the smile of a person who gets to be creative.
July 2022
Graduated COLLEGE! After 11 years of extreme struggles, I finally made it out of college with my Bachelor's of the Fine Arts in Media Arts and Animation earned July of 2022. My focus being in Motion Graphic Design & Character Design.
autumn 2022
As a growing advocate and activist for transgender and queer rights, we took part in the Equality Fellows training program for developing leadership skills. This enabled us to have more knowledge on how to apply ourselves in the systems we exist in, and how to imagine possibilities outside of it in our community work and actions.
December 2022
Started vending my first time at Killer's Tacos in Denton, TX. Eventually grew to be vending full time in Denton with a table sign and everything!! I love the memories I get to make talking with people in-person about my art and zines!
2023
WON OUR FIRST AWARD! Awarded by The Greater Denton Arts Council for excellency of our work on 'THE FOX WHO BECAME A GIRL' - the GDAC funded the first 100 copies of the comic to be printed by KENESS.com, who we got a special deal with thanks to the Cartoonist's Co-op. We are so grateful for the GDAC's support of our work! This award helped put us on the map and helped launch our career further.
2024
Released 'THE FOX WHO BECAME A GIRL' on August 17th, 2024, debuting it at Grand Rapids Zine Fest, our first event to travel for bringing our zines and new comic to another state! Before we left, the amazingly generous Vault of Midnight took 8 copies of the comic in their store seen below!
February 2025
WON OUR SECOND AWARD!!! For continued excellency with 'THE FOX WHO BECAME A GIRL' - we won coverage for our SECOND print run, with the support awarded by The Comics Advocacy Group! We are SO thankful for their support! The 2nd edition of the comic will release June 13th, 2025.
April 2025
We started teaching workshops IN-PERSON at The Denton Maker Center after meeting the awesome people running it at their grand opening in March 2025. April brought us our first Zine Workshop we did for Denton, TX and it went amazing! We teach Zines every month and some other classes including Watercolors and Heraldry Designs. Come join us and have fun!
May 2025
Re-established ourselves as OVAETTR ART AND ZINE DISTRO!!! Finally figured out our MISSION and have revitalized the business, making a pathway for us to help the world we live in survive fascism to see tomorrow through mutual aid and community-building efforts. Together we create a better tomorrow for all of us.
"We believe in the act of self-publishing as a means of liberating the self."
"We believe in the act of self-publishing as a means of liberating the self."
