InTrO To ZiNe MaKinG
By Birch K
If you run in the circles of Buffalo artists who are enthusiastic about self-producing you might’ve heard the word “Zine” (as in magaZINE) tossed around. Otherwise, the zine might be an abstract word you happened across today. According to the dictionary a zine “is a small-circulation self-published work”. Oftentimes made in smaller photocopied batches, zines are about as diverse as the communities they come from. Zines can be collages, handwritten poems, or more like small photo books. This week, MAP’s Citizenship and Organizing group took on the task of creating pages about topics they feel strongly about. But how does one go about making a zine and especially how does one do a social justice-type zine?One: Figure Out Your Production Capacity
Do you have a fancy printer, glossy paper, and enough colored ink to make mistakes?
Do you have enough paper to print 20 zines?
Do you even have a printer? Here at MAP we were each given two half size sheets of paper to work on and print. Don't have a printer? Make a little set of these - they're the most accessible method of zine making because you only need a sheet of paper and scissors. Don't attempt a project that needs color if you don't have access to it.
Two: Decide What You Want to Do!
After you’ve decided what you're reasonably able to produce, let that guide what you decide to put on your pages. In my experience, this has started with finding something that gets my heart pumping. Monday’s work shift ended with a brainstorm prompted by the question: “what makes you passionate enough to fill two half pages with art?” Since we had a literal guidelines with the half pages, everybody was able to visualize what would work best on that space. On Tuesday, topics like black fashion, bullying, and art as self motivation were all decided on. And we had slightly different styles too, which leads me to the last and most important step...
Three: Get Stuff on Paper!
You know your size, you know your topic, and now you gotta put it all together! A lot of the pages were collages but not all collages are the same. Some pages were only pictures while others blended text and images to convey their message. And make sure you have fun with this part! Then (if you want to) you can make a little title and then boom! You have produced your own portable piece of art. Distribute them to your loved ones, sell them at a zine fair, drop them in your local coffee shop - they're yours!
Check out pages from our zines HERE!
You know your size, you know your topic, and now you gotta put it all together! A lot of the pages were collages but not all collages are the same. Some pages were only pictures while others blended text and images to convey their message. And make sure you have fun with this part! Then (if you want to) you can make a little title and then boom! You have produced your own portable piece of art. Distribute them to your loved ones, sell them at a zine fair, drop them in your local coffee shop - they're yours!
Check out pages from our zines HERE!
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