Shea's Zine Journal!
hello 7cups friends! This is shea here :> Do we have any zine lovers/creators here?
I'm thinking of starting a little mental health/wellness related zine- I have a few unformed thoughts but I would love to discuss this idea with anyone interested
ZINES, A SHORT INTRO
First off, what is a zine?
The word zine takes up half the word of magazine. In some aspects, zines and magazines are similar. They share a resemblance in qualities like catchy covers and somewhat unified page layouts, coherent to an overarching aesthetic. (though admittedly, zines are more creative and artistic than your typical commercial mag) But other than that, they are vastly different–in their intent, content, publishing methods, creative community and creative process.
With that said, let me define zines–a truly undefinable, tightknit, genuine piece of artistic expression. Zines are DIY, self published, small-circulation works, made by a single/ or a small group of creators. Ofc, as seen in many expanding zines today (especially in social media) the line of commercialization is hazy to define.
Content wise, zines may be dedicated to art, fanfiction, political protest (see Riot Grrls), and personal reflection. ZInes can be made out of pure interest, out of passion for a cultural subcommunity. The artistic medium is very diverse. It could be in the form written word: poetry, journal entries, short stories, editorials, essays. It could be artworks: physical/digital, collages or sculptures. It could be as simple as a piece of folded A4 paper with doodles drawn or cut out images, scanned and reproduced by a copy machine.
Bonus**A small history: Zines first made their appearance in the 1930s as a way for sci-fi fans to discuss pulp fiction. Thereafter, zines rose with third wave feminism in the 1990s, developing into the Riot Grrrls , an underground punk feminist movement.
I’ve made zines before! They’re super fun. What are your unformed thoughts? I’m curious :)
@quirkkittenexplosion
wonderful!!
I'm thinking of a zine that combines the personal and the psychological- to explore the science of the mind in an intimate way. Think of it as a way of articulating the human condition. The purpose is to enlighten/educate about mental wellness through storytelling- in whatever artistic medium!
im thinking of the first issue theme being growth, and I'm looking for psych lovers, writers, poets, artists, photographers, anyone! to help contribute this collaborative effort
That sounds amazing! I’m a book designer and a poet, let me know how I can help in any way :)
I'm interested
the first issue theme can be growth
with possible interpretations: a Bildungsroman of formation, change, and transformation; a coming of age confession, a reflection. it could be a slow progression to self acceptance, a sudden epiphany and behavioral change, or something more like 1 step forward 10steps back with a certain issue.
its about sharing our mental health journeys and encouraging each other through experiences and helpful tips
but more than anything, its about building a loving and supportive mental health community
I didn't know zines were still around...thought they'd all gone extinct in today's age of digital everything.
You're right about the political aspect. Anarchists in particular put out a few zines fairly regularly in the late 1990's to early 00's... One rather unique zine I remember from that period was Murder Can Be Fun, by a guy named John Marr. I never read it regularly, though.
@sheanemone
This is so awesome! I used to make a lot of zines in high school and it was so fun to trade them. I'm excited to see the finished project!
@sheanemone Re "is anyone interested": possibly.
I'm an artist myself; have been for most of my life. Was a freelance illustrator for a good while but that was a few years back... Just one question: how is your zine supposed to be a collaboration with others here, given the no-outside-contact rule? It's not like we can just swap e-mail addresses & get to work.