A zine (pronounced ZEEN) is a handmade book used to spread awareness about a certain topic. They can be made using pencils, pens, markers, paint, or other mediums you have. What’s great about zines is that you can share them with others. And what better time to do so than July!
July is International Zine Month, a time to learn about independent publishers and their works. It’s also a good time to just acknowledge Zines as a genre (it’s sooooo cool). They give a voice to a variety of movements and communities. While some zines focus on real-life issues, others can be written as fiction.
Some zine makers use their medium for storytelling. They can also be used by creative artists that want to make a good fiction comic. All of these people can publish a zine without fear of censorship or cancellation. In short, it’s pretty rebellious.
How to Make One
1. Think of a topic or a message you want to spread. I’m illustrating a poem I wrote, but yours can be whatever you want.
2. Get some supplies. Your supplies are (but are not limited to) a sheet of paper, scissors markers, and/or magazine pictures.
3. Fold your sheet in half hotdog style. Then fold that in hamburger style twice.
4. Unfold your sheet. There should be eight sections, or pages.
5. Fold your paper along the middle vertical line and cut along its creased half.
6. From the top, fold the paper so that the cut makes a diamond shape. Move the outer edges of the paper closer, then fold it in half.
7. Start drawing, collaging, or whatever medium you choose. Remember, this should be expressive of you and your message. Don’t be afraid to try something new with it! Even if you mess up, you can get another sheet, fold it, and try again.
8. Once you’ve finished all of the pages, fold the paper back into its booklet form.
And, voila, you made your own zine.
If you followed along with the tutorial, post your book on Instagram with the hashtag #internationalzinemonth. If you want to learn more, check out these resources here:
Have fun creating!
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