Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Trevino.
Hi Tyler, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started Temp Tats Magazine by accident while I was in high school. On the weekends, my parents would reluctantly drop me off at local shows. Places like House of J, The End, and 1810 Ojeman became my safe-haven. Never in my life had I felt so understood by a community of people. I started to grow into myself and feel alive for the first time. That era of my life was very special, I knew at the time that it would be something beautiful to look back on when I was older. I began bringing a shitty point-and-shoot camera to the shows, documenting the bands, the crowd, the venue, and anything interesting I could find. Eventually, I accumulated so many photographs, it made sense to turn them into a physical collection. I began experimenting with zinemaking, that is when I made Issue 001 of Temp Tats. I never stopped! Today, I have self-published ten issues with more to come.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Generally, I would say it has been a smooth road because I had a village to learn from. Building the magazine and brand identity of Temp Tats would have been impossible alone. Everything I know about DIY organizing has come from people in the Houston scene, especially Pablo from No Sleep Fest. He has helped me out a lot along the road and given me great advice. Same applies to my dad, he hasnt always understood what I do but has always supported me and provided good feedback.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Temp Tats Magazine is a Texas-based, vegan straight edge print publication that documents DIY music and culture across the United States. The magazines are collectable, affordable, and made in limited quantities. Inside, you can read interviews with bands, essays, cool new releases, artist spotlights, and more! It is fairly mixed genre but mostly covers emo and hardcore.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I grew up in Houston, it is my favorite city in the world but our leaders and our infrastructure confiscate our freedoms. It is a real shame that my hometown has a food insecurity rate of almost 40%, horrifically car-centric infrastructure that makes public transit difficult to access, and severe unaffordability. People can not be free if they are hungry, unable to travel, unable to afford a place to live, or support their family. This is why community is so important, and I think that the people of Houston do it very well. Ever since getting involved in local music, I have always had somebody around to pick me up when I fall, both literally and metaphorically. People always offer each other rides home and give the touring band a place to sleep after the show. We take care of each other because we are all we have. Without community to rely on, I don’t know how anybody could survive Houston. Community is the closest thing to freedom.
Pricing:
- $15 magazines
- $20 shirts
- free stickers
Contact Info:
- Website: https://temptatszine.bigcartel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/temptatszine
