Zine Resources
- Make Your Own Mini ComicThis PDF by artist Doctor Popular shows you how to make an 8 page mini comic/zine from a single piece of paper.
- QuickbyteQuickbyte is the Studio zine. All issues are available to read on issuu.
- Making Zines in InDesign PathfinderThis Studio guide takes you through the basic steps of making your zine in Adobe InDesign.
Books About Zines
These books about zines are available here at the UTC Library, and cover the history of zines, the rise of zines as part of the riot grrrl movement, and how to make your own zine. This is only a selection of books, journals, and even videos about zines and zine culture. To find more titles about zines, try searching the UTC Library Catalog using terms like zines, little magazines, or underground periodicals.
The Riot Grrrl Collection by
For the past two decades, young women (and men) have found their way to feminism through Riot Grrrl - more than a genre, but a movement in its own right. Against the backdrop of the culture wars and before the rise of the Internet or desktop publishing, the 'zine and music culture of the Riot Grrrl movement empowered young women to speak out against sexism and oppression. The movement created a powerful new force of liberation and unity within and outside of the women's movement. This is a collection of the original material of the Riot Grrrl movement.
ISBN: 9781558618220Publication Date: 2013-06-11
Zines by
Zines are the maverick inhabitants of publishing's Wild West, where the obsessional, the idiosyncratic and the wilfully obscure roam free across pages unbounded by the constraints of mainstream agendas. This book offers a highly-visual analysis of this phenomenon, assembled with expert fanaticism by the team of Pop theorists who created Highflyers and Scrawl. It showcases a huge, international range of current zines, put into context by historical examples from the hoardings of die-hard collectors.
ISBN: 9781861542243Publication Date: 2001-10-01
From Girls to Grrrlz by
Boys aren't the only ones who read comics--girls do too! From Betty and Veronica to Slutburger and Art Babe, Girls to Grrrlz explores the amazing but true history of girl comics. Pop culture fans will delight in author Trina Robbinss chronological commentary (with attitude) on the authors, artists, trends, and sassy, brassy characters featured in comic books for the last half-century. Meet the bubble-headed bombshells of the '40s, the lovelorn ladies of the '50s, the wimmin libbers of the '70s, and the grrrowling grrrlz of today. Her commentary is paired with a ton of rare comic book art pulled from the best girl comics published since World War II. Bridging the gap between Ms. and Sassy, between Miss America and Naomi Wolf, From Girls to Grrrlz reminds us how comic book characters humorously--and critically--reflect our changing culture.
ISBN: 9780811821995Publication Date: 1999-04-01
Indie Publishing by
Once referred to derisively as "vanity publishing," self-published books are finally taking their place alongside moreaccepted indie categories such as music, film, and theater.Indie Publishing is a practical guide to creating and distributing printed books regardless of your background, skill set, or ambition. It will help you realize projects of every scale and budget, from the traditional bookmaking techniques used to create zines to the more ambitious industrial production methods required to produce hardcover books in large quantity. Indie Publishing's special focus on the visual design of books makes it unique among publish-it-yourself manuals. Readers are taken step-by-step through the process of designing a book to give it personal style as well as visual coherence and authority. Design principles such as scale, cropping, pacing, and typography are explored in relation to each example, along with commentary on how to create effective title pages, tables of contents, captions, and more.Indie Publishing aims to inspire readers with examples of print projects similar to those they might undertake on their own. Sample designs include a picture book, artist's portfolio, exhibition catalog, poetry chapbook, novel, and zine.Indie Publishing addresses the important business aspects of independentpublishingfrom how and why you should get an isbn number to creating promotional materials and using the internet to market your book. This comprehensive, illustrated guide concludes with a curated portfolio of the most exciting examples of independent publishing from the contemporary scene, reproduced in full color. If you have content to share and you want to give it a fresh and orderly form, this book will kick-start your project andkeep you motivated until the ink dries.Indie Publishing is the eighth title in our best-selling Design Briefs series, which has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide.
ISBN: 9781568987606Publication Date: 2008-11-03
Behind the Zines by
Social networks are dominating today s headlines, but they are not the only platforms that are radically changing the way we communicate. Creatives such as designers, photographers, artists, researchers, and poets are disseminating information about themselves and their favorite subjects not via predefined media such as Twitter or blogs, but through printed or other self-published projects so-called zines. Those who publish zines are mostly interested in sole authorship, namely that all components including text, images, layout, typography, production, and distribution are firmly in the hands of one person or a small group. At their best, the results convey a compelling and consistent atmosphere and push against the established creative grain in just the right way. They provoke with surprising and non-linear food for thought. In short, zines are advancing the evolution of today s media. With a cutting-edge selection of international examples, Behind the Zines introduces the broad range of zines that exists today. These include zines that function as a new kind of project-oriented portfolio to showcase a self-profile or document an exhibit. While some act as (pseudo) scientific treatises to call the reader s attention to a specific topic, others serve as playrooms for creatives to run riot and express themselves and communicate with each other in a space that is free from editorial restrictions. The book examines the key factors that distinguish various zines. It introduces projects in which the printing process significantly influences aesthetics or in which limited distribution to a small, clearly defined target audience becomes part of the overall concept. Behind the Zines not only documents outstanding work, but also shows how the self-image of those who make zines impacts the scene as a whole. Through interviews with people involved in zine production and distribution, the book sheds light on various strategies for this evolving media form.
ISBN: 9783899553369Publication Date: 2011-04-01
Notes from Underground by
This first comprehensive study of zine publishing uncovers the compelling story of the movement. From their origins in early 20th century science fiction cults, their more proximate roots in 60s counter-culture and their rapid proliferation in the wake of punk rock, Stephen Duncombe pays full due to the political importance of zines as a vital network of popular culture. Packed with extracts and illustrations, this is a useful overview of the contemporary underground in all its splendour.
ISBN: 9781934620373Publication Date: 2008-11-01
What is a Zine?
"Zine" (pronounced "zeen") is short for fanzine, a self-published DIY magazine. Zines typically have a very small level of circulation, as little as 20 copies and no more than 5,000, and they are made for a community defined by a unique or niche interest. Zines can take many forms, but traditionally have been photocopied. They are not designed with profit in mind.
Zines can be traced back to the 1930s, when they were popular among science fiction fans. In the decades since, zines have been associated with political activism in the 1960s, the punk movement in the 1970s, and the riot grrrl and alternative scenes in the 1990s. Since the 1990s, zines have been more popular than ever. By the 2010s, Kanye West and Taylor Swift were both making zines to accompany their fashion lines and albums, respectively. You can find zines on topics ranging from travel to art to gardening to anything you can think of!
"Chattanooga ZineFest & Opening day of the Chattanooga Zine Library" by chattlibrary is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Making Zines
Making Zines
There is no wrong way to make a zine. From technique to format to aesthetic, zines are all about expressing yourself. Zines have always provided a place where voices that are excluded from traditional publishing venues can be heard. The way people have made zines has changed over the years: early zines were made with mimeograph machines, and by the 1980s copiers had taken over. Today people still make zines using photocopiers, but many others create their zines and share them digitally. This guide will provide you with resources to start making your own zines by hand or using software like InDesign.
Making Zines By Hand
Making zines by hand
Really, all zines are made by hand. But here's how you can make a zine on paper, instead of using a computer.
What you need
You can use pretty much anything you want to make a zine, but you will probably need:
- Paper
- A way to write your zine, if it will have words. You can handwrite your zine, or use Microsoft Word or Google Docs to type it. Or use a typewriter, a label maker, or cut your words out of old books. There's no right way to make a zine.
- A way to hold your zine together, if you're using multiple sheets of paper. Stop by the Studio on the 3rd floor of the Library to use our long-arm stapler if you want to!
- A way to share your zine:
- A photocopier to make copies
- A scanner to make a digital version of your zine to share online
- Optional
- Use stickers, washi tape, paper, or photos to make collages and art for your zine. You can use anything you want!
- Glue or tape to attach your paper/fabric/etc to your zine
"collage & art journal ideas zine" by katie licht is licensed under CC BY 2.0
These videos will show you how to make paper zines two different ways: with multiple pieces of paper, or with a single piece of paper and some clever folding.
Making a booklet zine
Making a foldy zine
Digital Design
Making zines digitally
You can make zines digitally using the graphic design software of your choice. Studio on the 3rd floor of the UTC Library has InDesign on all computers, as well as people who can help you learn to use it.
What you need
You can use pretty much anything you want to make a zine, but you will probably need:
- A computer
- Graphic design software like Adobe InDesign. You can also use Adobe Photoshop, Canva, or your other design software of choice.
- A way to hold your zine together, if you're printing out your zine. Stop by the Studio on the 3rd floor of the Library to use our long-arm stapler if you want to!
- A way to share your zine:
- A printer to make physical copies
- A place to host your zine if you're sharing it or selling it online
"zine suitcase" by crafty_dame is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Making a zine in InDesign
Read Zines
Here are some places you can find and read zines online.
- Zines on IssuuLots of people post their zines on Issuu, including Studio's student workers! You can browse them here.
- Barnard Zine LibraryA list of zines available to read online. Updated weekly.
- Berea College Zine CollectionA large collection of zines browsable by title and subject. The zines have been digitized to read online.
- POC Zine ProjectThe POC Zine Project focuses on making zines by people of color easy to find, distribute, and share.
- Queer Zine Archive ProjectThe Queer Zine Archive Project preserves and digitizes queer zines to make them available to readers and researchers.
- Small Science CollectiveA collective of artists, scientists, and students, the Small Science Collective makes zines and web comics on all kinds of science-related topics.
Want to read zines locally? The 4th Floor at the Chattanooga Public Library has zines that you can visit in person.
- 4th Floor (Chattanooga Public Library)The 4th Floor at the Chattanooga Public Library is home to the zine library, zine lab, the Chattanooga Zine Fest, and lots of other cool stuff.
- Sherwood Zine LibraryThe Sherwood Forest Virtual Zine Library has hundreds of zines you can read online, and is regularly updated.