Over the last couple of years, I’ve been getting back into zine culture.
Zines have existed for a very long time. The recent history is traced back to the 1930’s and a way for science fiction writers and artists to put their work out in the public bypassing the publishers.
In the 1970’s it was all about punk rock bands and alt culture. Zines were a way to quickly distribute and disseminate information about happenings, gatherings, and political points of view that differed from the mainstream. Zines were and are a cheap way to self-publish.
In recent years I’ve had my work published in Femstatic, the brainchild of Charissa Lucille, also founder and co-owner of Wasted Ink Zine Distro in Phoenix, AZ. Then I stepped out, creating my first zine, Please don’t call me a Lesbian, I’m a Freak (email me if you want a copy, $5.00 thru PayPal).
I’ve just finished my 2nd “full-sized” zine that will be released in late May. It will include a piece of art from a friend created specifically for the zine.
I’m also creating photo micro-zines. To make a micro-zine, you take one piece of paper and, by using folds and one cut, turn it into an 8-page story. I’m digging into the archives of my photography to make these lil zines. The first one is called Desert My Heart and features eight 35mm color photos I shot over 20 years ago. These photos have been scanned for digital storage. I then made the zine. There’s another one in the works that will be available later this spring.
That’s a long way to say that in this video I talk about tools for artists that are available free as well as the creative process of zines.