Another Handy Zine Guide - The 12 steps

(Kudos to fellow Zine'r Caitlin Gillian for the Facebook link!) 

This super handy guide was linked to our group the other day, and contains some really straightforward tips to creating a Zine. 

12 Steps:

1. Figure out your style/language
2. Brainstorm
3. Selection of subject matter
4. Begin processing content
5. Continue to produce, multi-tasking if possible 
6. If writing, get writing, and explore possibilities 
7. Remember to be descriptive 
8. Proof read material 
9. Be open to critiques 
10. Adjust it if need be, so that its visually appealing 
11. Make the cover, last job
12. Create something you would enjoy! and get it completed!

Click Here!

Back from Easter Break - Brainstorming

Return to work

The break gave me some thinking space while away, to unwind and and mostly relax.

During this time, I thought that it might be more sensible to look into the more simplistic ideas of creating a zine; something that doesn't seem overly complicated but still an effective idea at the same time.

Then again, joining a group was also something that needed thought about. Currently, my plan was to brainstorm and branch out at the tutorials to see what other groups had in mind, and see if my own ideas linked in with them, if it was possible.

Before doing so, I thought it best to do a word association style brainstorm, just to get some ideas out atleast. 

Examples of the Inital Ideas:

 Overveiw

Monsters, folk, supernatural, cults, all being inital random points to maybe start with?

 Initally selecting "Keyword" as a starting point, some random words sprung off the side

Maybe a particular setting or era could also provide various points of interest? Underground cultural movements, springing off the random words theme came to mind, like the ever growing steampunk genre. Possible Zine to expand on this area?

More ideas to follow from here... 

"Silent Army" an Inspiring Insight

After exploring the web for Zine inspiration from far and wide, and also after hearing about these guys in a tutorial, "Silent Army" seems like an inspiring collective to look into the works of. 

Silent Army (Click) 

Born in 2002, as a group for the more experimental comic book artists of Australia, as a creative community to collaborate with and share ideas over a large radius. 

Now an outlet in Melbourne, the group takes on board the unique artists of australia, (especially those with comic based art) and takes part in the fanzine movement. 

It aims to produce and publish works at a reasonable price for upcoming and aspiring artists, also storing and collecting comics. 


Definitely worth a look, by any means! 

Making Simplistic Zines - Various Tutorials.

SamProof's 8-page handmade zine: 

A simplistic but "charming" way to make an 8 page zine, with an example of his work. A little dated, but an amusing watch. He also gives a small informal insight into how zine makers go about sharing work too. 

Tara Kurtz's brief Zine history and creation guide: 

Another amusing but very informative video on making zines with some added history. Gives a brief idea on where the whole idea may have originated from and how they featured in the music world, before moving onto a guide similar to the above. 

Zine - Classification?

Initially, when thinking of a Zine, I always used to think of a pamphlet of sorts, that would advertise a club or upcoming gigs. 

Then again, what is the difference between a pamphlet and a zine?  

Classification: 

• Zine - "...A small collection of original works and/or texts often reproduced by photocopy..." 
• Fanzine - "...a non-official and and non-professional publication which is reproduced, and made to support a cultural phenomenon..." 
• Magazine - "...A publication normally done on ink and paper to a high standard of quality, reproduced on mass, and normally fairly lengthy compared to that of a regular zine..." 
• Perzine - "...A personal zine, a publication that represents the personal opinions and/or works of the creator, commonly utilized in the revived zine movement today..." 

These seem to be the most popular of the current "zines" in the "movement" today. 

Zines may have lost some of their purpose as an everyday item, due to such inventions as the internet, however the revived underground movement has begun to bring a whole new light onto the publication itself.