ZINE: "An abbreviation of the word 'fanzine', or magazine...the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest..."

Ha! I must say - this particular article on Wikipedia is wrong - dead wrong - about zines being "of minority interest". The 'world of the zine' is expanding faster than a toddler's diaper in the ocean...(so in other words, it's expanding really really fast...)

Let's cover the lingo first: Zines are independently produced, (often simply Xeroxed) booklets that can contain everything under the sun. These mini-magazines are created not only to kill boredom, but to express your thoughts, share ideas, post artwork, and contain writing of every kind. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, songs, journal entries, even book/movie/song/CD/resturant reviews are crucial ingredients to make a great zine.

Want to express yourself? Are you artsy-fartsy? A zine is the perfect way to have fun while putting your talents toward something worthwhile. It's your creation; but how do you decide what to put in it? Photography - drawings - fiction - nonfiction - poetry - songs - journal entries - even book/movie/CD/resturant reviews are great additions to your homemade zine.

 

"Zines should have the kind of material that whacks you upside the head with a cinder block, shoves a spider up your spinal column, or makes you fly backwards around the room like a deflating balloon (with appropriate sound effects)." says Mike Halchin, author of Driver's Side Airbag, (a prime example of a zine.)

TeenInk is a really good example of a 'zine-style' publication.  It's rockin' the poetry, book reviews, and teen-art up the wa-zoo

(Ok, this is a 'girl-site', but it rocks! Check out  the gURL guide to zine-making for some inspiration and tips.)

Have you ever tried making a zine? What would be your go-to topics for a zine publication of your own?

---

---