what are zines:
if I had a nickel for everyone someone asked what are zines (pronounced zinnys, I’m kidding they are pronounced like zeen). I’d have a weird third income. There is a lot to be said about zines, but essentially they are individually crafted magazines. Usually catered to particular interests. Zines started in the early days of nerd culture when before there was an internet to share your theory about Spock and Kirk being secret lovers, there was someone stapling their typed up version of the events which lead to their hypothesis.
I got into Zines through my love of Punk and Alternative Music. Before the internet made learning things easy, the best way to find out about bands you love or how to discover bands was through tangible media. Mix tapes, zines, comics etc etc. The internet makes sharing those things easier, but this is still a lo-fidelity way to share what you love with others and make it easier for them to access.
why do zines:
There are a million reasons to do zines, I’ll try to narrow it down to these 17 reasons.
- I like to hold a tangible literature.
- I love to make tangible art.
- It lets me be creative
- I get to express myself in various ways
- I get to connect with others
- It turns my list of weird ideas into something
- I find joy and pleasure in folding and stapling stuff
- I love cutting and pasting things too, digitally and by hand
- printing and copy machines are fun to play with