Art
Zines
Zines can be a lot of things, but most importantly they are self-published works that are magazine-esque in function with an emphasis on expression rather than monetary gain.​ Zines come in all sorts of genres and styles and with a diverse collection of voices. One of the great things about zines is that they can be instrumental in connecting people with similar experiences and they provide a voice for many subcultures and groups. I have only scratched the surface of the zine community and I won't pretend to know a fraction of all there is to know about zines. I can, however, talk about my own experience and direct you to resources to get started making your own.
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I discovered zines shortly after I began making Artist Trading Cards. Zines allowed me a way to expand my still images to include narrative and to easily reproduce them. It was a way to explore storytelling and writing without the commitment of a larger project like a full-length comic or a novel. I met a lot of neat people as I submitted my zines to distros and went to the local zine-fest. I have been making them ever since and have found that sometimes zines are just the best way to process my thoughts and ideas. Many of my zines began as lists that I expanded to include images. In my experience, lists are one of the easiest ways to start a zine project. Do you have a lot of houseplants? Name them and draw them out on each page of a zine. Give them personalities. Did you learn a lot on your trip backpacking across Europe? Make a list of the key concepts and put one on each page with photos from your trip. The possibilities are endless.
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Here are some resources to get you started on your first or fifth or one-hundredth zine:
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How to fold an 8-page zine with just one piece of paper
How to fold a 16-page zine with just one sheet of paper
Monthly zine prompts on instagram by Mozipro
Massive International Zine Distro List
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If you'd like to see some of my zines, click here.
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Happy Making!