Zines: A DIY Type of Art (That's Still Around)

This homework is in response to the articles "Anatomy of a Zine" by Meredith Melnick, "Yes, Zines Still Exist, and, They're Not Antiques" by Chris Berube, and "How to Make a Zine" by Emma Dajska

Zines are more personal because they are handmade, according to the first article. In this way I agree, zines are something that is handmade to be published. As the Girl Crush zine tries to embody, zine editors say, "I have something to say, so it's time to publish". Zines are also described as fan magazines and are ways that an artist can create uncensored, identifying, tribute publications. I really enjoyed how this first article described zines in a way that showcases feelings and emotions, and is greatly able to show a message that the artist wants to convey.

The second article was interesting because it showed how zines aren't just a 90s norm anymore, it's still around. Zines in the 90s were small, homemade publications by anyone who wanted to handcraft a piece of work. Nowadays, zines are still around and there are fairs and exhibits that showcase them. In this article, zines seem to be handmade and crafted or even created on different softwares and printed out. The good thing about zines, as this article points out, is that it contains so much personality and personal expression and is a great type of art piece that is able to convey an experience and provoke emotion.

This last article talks about how to create a zine. Zines are self-published and, as this article states, usually contain content that is too "controversial" for mainstream media like official magazines or television. Zines are part of a creation of culture, especially in the underground realm. There is not set of rules on creating zines because they can be anything. Zines communicate different types of feelings and can be absolutely anything. This article also states that handmade zines are more personable, but digital zines are also something that came about and helps the artist reach an audience across the world a lot more quickly.

Based on what I read in the articles, zines sound like one of the best ways I can be completely honest with my feelings if I want an audience to see them. For my digital zine in class, I want to do something personal from my childhood. Since the theme is nostalgic pop culture, I wanted to do something that was kind of popular during my childhood yet hold significant meaning to me. My grandma and I would watch Tom and Jerry together when she got sick. Every time it was on, I would run to the phone and call her. We would sit for two hours on the phone watching Tom and Jerry. I would like to create a zine from this cartoon because it gives me memories of my grandma while she was alive. I will also be incorporating Lilo and Stitch cartoon as well because I watched that as a kid and it is also based in Hawaii, where I'm from.