shane patrick boyle (1969-2017) was a zine artist and writer based in Houston and Arkansas, as well as a founder of Zine Fest Houston. He became interested in creative writing and graphic arts at a young age, often frequenting comic book stores. In high school, he made his first zine, Astro Zine Monthly, for the Alief Science Fiction Fantasy and Comics Club he had founded. Zines are self-published graphic and/or written works, usually made in small batches. Being independently produced, they can cover any number of subjects, including art, popular culture, poetry, activism, and more.

boyle, who preferred the lowercase writing of his name, graduated from the University of Houston with a B.F.A. in Creative Writing and a minor in GLBT Studies. While he was a student, he was active with the Daily Cougar, UH Student Government and the Society of Professional Journalists. He also founded both the Writers and Artists Group At UH in 1992 and Virus Board Literary/Art Zine in 1993. boyle organized informal meetings at which Virus Board members and other local creatives shared their works; these have been considered the first unofficial meetings of Zine Fest Houston.

In the early 2000s, boyle began drawing to combat writer’s block, leading him back into the practice of zine-making. During this time, he produced autobiographical works such as shane and Walking Man. He was also an essential figure in the organization of The Houston Comix and Zine Festival in 2004. The event was initially sponsored by the Houston Area Comics Society before moving under its own organization. In 2008 the event was renamed Zine Fest Houston. Zine Fest Houston has gained popularity since its first installment in 2011 and continues to be an annual tradition. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner issued a proclamation designating October 16, 2023 as “shane patrick boyle Day.”

Sources: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-patrick-boyle-30225335/ https://www.prismcomics.org/profile/shanepatrickboyle/ https://www.zinefesthouston.org/grant/ https://www.zinefesthouston.org/history/ https://texasobituaryproject.org/031817boyle.html