Page 120 – For the love of zines

November 18, 2019

ZineWriMo 2019 Day 18: Make a Mini-Zine: Prompts From Friends

Hello, zine friends, and welcome to a new week in this ZineWriMo month. Today’s prompt is to…

Make a Mini-Zine: Prompts From Friends

As yesterday was about trying our something new (how can we know what we like and don’t like if we don’t try things?) in regards to zinemaking, today is about challenging yourself and having a bit of fun by asking people to ‘prompt’ you for this zine. Maybe it’s answering a question or making a page based on a theme. Who knows? It’s all up to what people suggest and what you decide to take on.

If you’re a bit more prepared than I am, then you collected prompts from friends (and strangers maybe?) earlier to make your zine today. Unfortunately, I’m not nearly so prepared.

So if you’d like to suggest a prompt for me to put in a mini-zine or perhaps in another future zine, be sure to leave your prompt idea in the comments!

Until next time, spread a little sunshine.

Other Participants:

https://www.instagram.com/violett_komplett/
https://www.instagram.com/bydhiyanah/
https://www.instagram.com/dungeon_maven/
https://hadass420.wordpress.com/
https://echopublishing.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/gothcupcake/
https://www.instagram.com/14thframe/

Novice Zinester
Herinza Syadza

November 17, 2019

ZineWriMo 2019 Day 17: Try Something New With Your Zinemaking

Hello and happy Sunday, zine friends. Welcome to day seventeen of ZineWriMo. Today we adventure into some variety with our zinemaking with…

Try Something New With Your Zinemaking

One of the many reasons that zines are so wonderful is that they are so versatile in their making. There is no one way to make a zine with even more ‘traditional’ forms varying in their size, shape, and binding. From the type of paper you use to the way you reproduce them (if you make copies), zines can take you in a number of artistic directions.

Do you usually staple your zine? Sew it? Do you usually use scrapbook paper or create zines entirely on computer? How about printing – laser, inkjet, riso? There are also elements which can be digital, hand drawn, hand stamped, written, and more.

My latest adventure in zinemaking has seen the binding of my zines go from being handsewn to bound by a sewing machine. It’s definitely a time-saver, that’s for sure, but I’m still not entire sure how I feel about it. No judgement to those who do, of course; I’m just missing the relaxing quality of sitting down and sewing something by hand.

These are only a few different ways you can creatively experiment in your zinemaking. Did you try something new today? A new art style? New backgrounds? New bindings? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time, spread a little sunshine.

Other Participants:

Novice Zinester
Herinza Syadza

November 17, 2019

Call for Submissions: Workaholic 2

November 17, 2019

Check It Out: Theee Urban Spacecat – A Mike Nobody Cassette-Zine

November 16, 2019

ZineWriMo 2019 Day 16/Zine Review: The Common Cold

Hello, zine friends, and welcome to the latter half of the month. In today’s prompt, we have a bit of sharing is caring in the form of a review!

Sharing is Caring: Review a Zine

It’s pretty easy to see my bias in regards to reviewing zines, but I still stand by my opinion that reviews are an incredibly important way to share the word about zines you love, zinemakers you admire, and all the things between. So read below for my offering for this day…

The Common Cold: A Zine About Mental Illness Presentation and Priorities
Kirsty
https://twitter.com/MsKirstyFace
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/ForeverIncomplete

The Common Cold is a full-colour A6 perzine about the beginnings of and growing up with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, the complexities of dealing with more than one mental illness, and finding peace with how you prioritise things in your own treatment.

The Common Cold starts off with an introduction to Kirsty that had me smiling. (Why does pizza taste so good? Hm.) From there, Kirsty writes about having Obsessive Compulsive Disorder since the age of twelve and the paths of medications, therapy, and finding peace in how you want to prioritise things with your own mental health treatment.

A big part of this zine is Kristy using the metaphor of having a cold – dealing with OCD on a regular basis as a constant but manageable condition – versus being punched in the face – struggling with things like depression and anxiety. I think this is a great way to make things clear to people whether they are people who don’t deal with mental illness or people who also deal with multiple mental illnesses.

The aesthetic of this zine feels open and calming to me with clearly printed text pasted onto patterned paper backgrounds. The topics discussed are difficult ones, and the small touches to make the reader feel more at ease are appreciated. (By this reader, anyway.)

I identified with a lot with this zine, and I’m very grateful to Kirsty for the metaphor to use in my own life and way of thinking. The funny thing is the timing as well considering that I have been struggling a bit with my own therapy with the idea that I’ve been getting “off track”. Reading Kirsty’s words has helped me to see a way of being kinder to myself.

I didn’t know what to expect with The Common Cold, but I am so glad I read it – and have read it at this particular time in my life. I think it’s a great read whether you also have OCD and/or are dealing with multiple diagnoses.

Other Participants:

Novice Zinester
Herinza Syadza

November 16, 2019

Call for Submissions: Phenomena 2

November 16, 2019

Call for Submissions: Final Dear Anonymous Zine

November 16, 2019

World Zine Events Calendar – Get Your Event Listed!

The World Zine Events Calendar is your index for zine events happening around the world! Zine clubs, fests, and other events are all listed here.

Even better, if you don’t see your event, you can let Fanzines know on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Check it out and have some zine fun!

November 15, 2019

ZineWriMo 2019 Day 15: ½ Way Point! Your Day, Your Way

Hello and happy Friday, zine friends! The halfway day falling on a Friday? Wonderful! So what does the halfway point mean?

½ Way Point! Your Day, Your Way

Rest, read, review, reflect, relax, and all manner of different things – even ones that don’t start with the letter ‘r’.

I spent my Friday in the ‘rest’ mode for the most part – with a heaping bit of self-forgiveness for doing so. 2019 has been a year of many lessons, and taking time to rest has become a big one. It doesn’t make for the most exciting of blog posts, haha, but it makes for a happier Nyx.

How about you? How have you spent your fine Friday? Let me know in the comments and be sure to check out the other participants below.

Until next time, spread a little sunshine.

Other Participants:

Novice Zinester
Herinza Syadza

November 14, 2019

Mini-Zine Review: Zinespiration

Zinespiration
Nina
https://echopublishing.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/echozines/

Zinespiration is a full-colour A7 mini-zine about stimulating creative inspiration.

With it being November when I’m reviewing this and thus the month of ZineWriMo, I though a zine about inspiration would be absolutely perfect to review during this month.

Zinespiration is a little mini that packs a lot of awesomeness. Nina takes the reader through ‘things that help simulate my creative mind’ to ‘things that inspire me’ in the form of words accompanied by colourful art, patterns and pictures. Each page is full of goodness but not cluttered with both words and elements making me smile and feel ready to take up my pen.

I especially love how Nina works in reminders about self-care because, even in my creative life, it’s something I personally forget often.

As with all of Nina’s work, this zine is a pleasure to look at. Nina’s handwriting is amazing and absolutely clear – as are even the smallest elements like a small bicycle and a small record player. Everything flows together so nicely that it’s as if you’re being carried along in a gentle river as you look through.

And, of course, one of my favourite elements of a mini-zine: the surprise inside. When you unfold Zinespiration, you find an awesome collage of stickers, art, patterned paper/tap, and short phrases to keep carrying you along your creative inspiration journey.

Have I mentioned recently how much I love Nina’s creations?

Zinespiration is a fantastic mini-zine in every way that will add something wonderful to every zine collection.