Why are Zines Important?
Why are zines important?
- Zines provide spaces for marginalized voices and stories that are excluded from traditional publishing
- Zines challenge us to think about authority in differing contexts
- Zines reframe topics we talk about in class and life
- Zines allow us to channel our thoughts creatively into art
-from Conner-Gaten, A. (2019). Zines 101 [PowerPoint slides].
What are Zines?
Zines (pronounced like "magazines" without the "maga") are:
- Made for the love of creating and not for profit!
- Independently published
- Can be physical (consisting of one sheet of paper to many, fastened together, generally with staples) or digital objects.
- Physical zines are usually photocopied but can also be offset, mimeographed, letterpressed, or Risograph printed.
- May be created by one person or a group of people (called "comp zines" or "compilation zines").
- The contents can be about anything and everything you can imagine: personal stories ("perzines"), music-related writing, lists of things, political ideologies, photography, mental health and self-care tips, fiction, artwork, comics, and so on.
- Are made by a diverse community of people around the world , from people of all ages and walks of life. People who make zines are called "zinesters".
Wrekk, Alex. Stolen Sharpie Revolution : A Diy Resource for Zines and Zine Culture. Sixth ed., Lunchroom Publishing, 2020.
(Image from https://spark-central.org/birds-nest)
Let's Talk About Zines
Your Librarian
Quarantine Public Library
- Quarantine Public LibraryQuarantine Public Library is a repository of books made by artists. The works published here are for anyone to freely download, print and assemble—to keep or give away.