Zines
A zine is a small, independent publication which is usually made by hand and replicated using a photocopier or scanner and printer. Zines often deal with topics that may be too niche or controversial for conventional publication, and have a long and storied history of resistance. They come in all shapes, sizes, and designs, and are usually published out of love, rather than for profit. There are zine festivals all over the United States and the world.
- Make a zine (use a typewriter, sharpie; make a collage or write poetry; reuse old materials; tell a story; xerox it or use a scanner)
- Trade a zine (bind it using needle and thread, or a stapler, or any other number of methods; then give it away for someone else’s in return)
- Repeat
I love zines, and I love zine culture. Back when I lived in Lexington, KY, USA, I participated in the Kentucky Fried Zine Fest. I didn’t buy a single zine, but came away with many after trading all of mine with fellow zine-makers. So much fun.
Someone I knew in those days was a distro. She doesn’t do that anymore, but I love how the culture of independence often goes all the way to the distribution process. I also love finding zines at local bookstores (such as Topos or Quimby’s in NYC).
Related: trash notebooks
My zines
As I mention in my travel log, I used to make travel zines (printable versions: nz, eu, china. Before that, I designed and coordinated my college radio station’s trinnual zine, which was printed professionally, but only around 1,000 copies each, and handed out for free. Here are the three I designed, the last being some of my proudest design work: Fall 2014, Spring 2015, and Summer 2015.
A random assortment of otherz
Some zines that I left here for you to peruse:
- A disassembled Code Societies zine (I thiiink that’s what this is?)
