Zines, Zines, Zines!

Hello my fellow bookworms!

I wanted to share with you today part of a Zine Making Workshop I went to today, at Secret World Books out in Highland Park, Illinois. The workshop featured a short history of Zines presentation by Emily Steffen of Chicago Zine Fest!

Chicago Zine Fest (2024) defines a zine as:

"A zine (an abbreviation of the word fanzine, or magazine; pronounced “zeen”) is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier on a variety of colored paper stock. A popular definition includes that circulation must be 5,000 or less, although in practice the significant majority are produced in editions of less than 100, and profit is not the primary intent of publication. Zines are written in a variety of formats, from computer-printed text to comics to handwritten text. Topics covered are broad, including fanfiction, politics, art and design, ephemera, personal journals, social theory, single topic obsession, or sexual content far enough outside of the mainstream to be prohibitive of inclusion in more traditional media. The time and materials necessary to create a zine are seldom matched by revenue from sale of zines."

Some brief history tidbits that I picked up during our presentation include:

• The first zine makers trace back to the 1700's with Benjamin Franklin! Remember Poor Richards Almanac? That was printed and produced without a publisher, and it is widely known today! For more information on the beginnings of zines, check out this short blurb in the Virginian-Pilot from August 4, 1995.
  

• Science-fiction authors helped to contribute to zines, due to the fiction they wanted to published. It was deemed "too fantastical," so authors like H. P. Lovecraft took it upon themselves to publish their work without the help of a publisher. Thank goodness they did so, otherwise our science-fiction, fantasy, and horror novels would not be what they are today!
  

• Zines helped the grrrl riot movement in the 90's, a movement of punk girls and women, allowing women of all ages to express themselves freely about topics that were never explored in the mainstream, such as sexuality, abuse, politics, and a general way to document what was happening to them at the time. Check out this thoughtful article by Ashwanta Jackson, titled Start a Riot (and a Zine), Grrrl, from JSTOR, for more background information. 
  

• If you want to create your own zine, do it! There are a lot of how-to's and videos online. Vice has a nice article titled A Beginner's Guide to Making Zines that helps to fill in what to do. Some tips from Emily included:
• DO NOT USE PENCILS! They erase and go everywhere, and is generally not a good medium.
• If you use alcohol inks, put paper underneath your zine paper, as the inks will bleed through.
• Fold and crease over a couple times, both ways. Ensure your creases are perfect. (No one wants an odd shaped zine - especially if you are buying one!)
• Folding zines by yourself over and over can take away the natural oil from your hands. Use a bone folder, such as this one from Amazon. It can help you score and crease without pain and your hands can stay nice and naturally oily without issue!
  
• If you can make your zine memorable and stand out from others, do so! I loved the zines by Rachel Bard that Emily brought to the workshop, such as a little matchbook zine about burning out or one about an acorn (I am not sure what the story was there, it was too delicate to touch). They were cute, pretty, and I would love to add them to my own library! (Note to self: Buy some of Rachel's work! Isn't the seashell adorable?)
• Revamp your social media image and then be sure to add your social media to your zine! If people like your work, you want them to be able to contact you / ask for more. 

• If you want to sell your own zine, try so at Quimby's Bookstore. Ask them for a form to do so and submit. Who knows, you may be making some extra income on the side, while meeting a whole new group of people!

• Also, you should check out the Chicago Zine Fest, which is coming up on October 5, 2024! They are also looking for volunteers, if you should choose to help out.
  

There was time after the presentation to create my own zine, which was a really cool activity and opportunity! I hope you enjoyed learning a little about zines today. Who knows, maybe your local library will bring zines to their collection! ;)

Until next time, Happy Reading!