This Post is Dedicated to Zines
Before we can talk about zines and how much we love them, let’s lay out a definition for anyone unfamiliar with them. Ready? Buckle up: Zine is short for magazines. Because—you guessed it—a zine is quite literally a short magazine. They’re often made by hand, whether they’re ultimately published for viewing on screen or print.
Now, let’s flip to the next page and talk more about zines—and look at some zine designs we love.
The Short Version of a Long History
Zines have a longer history than you might expect. From Purdue University’s Loud on Paper Library Guide: Zine History:
“While many say that zines have been around since the 1500s when Martin Luther published the 95 Theses, zines began to flourish in the United States beginning in the 20th century. Today, zines continue to act as a powerful medium for sharing the experiences of historically marginalized communities and for promoting political activism.”
They weren’t called zines back then, but the concept has clearly survived the ages—especially for political commentary and activism.
Speaking of Politics
Our team has a strong connection to political artwork. One example of that is decades of cover art we designed for Duke University Press’ boundary 2 journal. We create art to express concern, unrest, respect, celebration—any range of messages that are key to each issue’s content. We’ve found some of the subject matter so moving that we turned it into art for print and screen.
My People Were in Shipping by Mike Monteiro
We often find ourselves on the lookout for zines as rich in art choices as they are in political food for thought. One example that comes to mind is Mike Monteiro’s My People Were in Shipping. As described by the author, it’s “A story about immigrant shame, immigrant racism, and eventually finding common cause.” The design is intentionally simplified, shining the spotlight directly on the content. The cover illustration stands out powerfully set next to a bold, attention-grabbing title font. The tone quickly conveys Monteiro’s signature style of boldly looking at hard truths with purpose—and no sugarcoating. Another creative decision that can’t be overlooked for how it relates to Monteiro’s identity and thoughtfulness: You can flip it over to read in either Portuguese or English. A little goes a long way in the case of this single-color ink, palm-sized, bi-fold zine. (It reminds us that we can always find ways to be more accessible, even in print.) Can't find a hardcopy? Read it over on Monteiro's medium account.The words stand on their own.
Zines are for Nerds
You can find zines on just about any topic, from important truths and history to art, music, writing, and comedy. Zines are also great for geeking out.
Did you know zines saved Star Trek from cancellation? Yep! Harvard Magazine’s ‘The Geeky Underground’ explains that in 1967, the network wanted to cut the show—but fans created a community of resistance through zines, and got an additional season for their effort. Because zines are so great for quickly connecting communities of people with shared interests, there’s even a subgenre of zines called fanzines, as noted by the University of Maryland Baltimore County library guide.
Perfect Horror Movies, Multiple Authors
You don’t even have to make “art” to make a zine. Consider how effective the Perfect Horror Movies ‘zine is in its simplicity: It uses a neon paper stock to pack a punch (from the Neenah Astrobrights line, if we had to guess), and the rest is a featured image and contributor text. For deep horror fans, this small, yet vibrant piece is a great source of entertainment—despite not going above and beyond in the looks department. (That cover is pretty sweet, though.)
Flexible Medium for the Win
Part of the primary appeal of a zine is the fast nature of its production and lifespan, providing flexibility in how you visually convey messages.
A detail from the zine side of Posterzine® Issue 48 by Zipeng Zhu
For example, you don’t even have to make a zine in the style of a booklet. Though it can be a booklet folded piece, Posterzine® Issue 48 by Zipeng Zhu is currently hanging up on the wall in my office in its very pink, very punchy poster form. (Fair warning: Don’t click the link if you tend to clutch pearls about profanity.)
Part of the fun of zines is thinking up new ways to get creative with the concept with each publication—and having (sometimes irreverent) fun.
A sneak peek at a prototype zine from HALO 22!
Dispatches
We’re so into zines, we styled our Dispatches newsletter as a kind of e-zine. Once a quarter, we share work we’re excited about, resources that have crossed our mind, and other ideas about what we do and how we work. Sign up to receive Dispatches straight to your inbox, and check out what we’ve sent so far.
You can look forward to printable zines from us in the near future!
Youzine, Izine, We All Zine
Want to make your own zine? They’re for everyone, and that’s the point! Check out this cool instructional, How to make a zine by Rona via The Creative Independent.
No matter what content zines convey, how they’re designed, or whether the author is an artist or not, they’re always a unique reflection of creativity. #WeLoveZines
Who doesn’t need a pile of zines?
Looking to get creative with how you share your content? We can help you bring creative ideas to life.
