We’ve passed the October midpoint and I’m still thinking about Black Zine Fair I attended in May, the creators whose work I got to purchase and talk about, and the tables I missed due to the sheer amount of attendees and my own flagging energy. It was as I was daydreaming about the next possible fair that I got to thinking of what other types of zines I wanted to see more of. Not just at BZF but in general. That thought led to what I believed to be obvious choices:
Writers with OCs and a Vibe (but No Plot)
As a fellow writer, it’s pretty standard for ideas to hit us at random times. To build scenes in our head with nothing but a handful of characters and one (1) lyric verse that sets the whole mood. This could be the start (or middle?) of an amazing story!
Right?
You absolutely can strive for a 70,000 plus word novel. Or maybe a novella if that’s more your speed. That’s been the dream for years. Writing, and publishing in general, has changed from what it was not even a decade ago. And that’s freedom others can make use of. Even now, you’ll have people reminisce about “Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons“, a book about dragons written as a non-fictional encyclopedia.
I met tatiana esh, a writer, at this year’s Black Zine Fair and bought both issues of her zines “tashi style,” an in-universe fashion magazine featuring her characters and tibits of her world. When we were talking about her zines, she admitted that she wasn’t sure where to start writing and had decided to create “tashi style” as a way to explore her writing and her stories. A fashion magazine! I was obsessed with the idea immediately.
That story doesn’t have to follow the traditional narrative writing path. All writing doesn’t have to look the same. When you free yourself from the idea that your story has to be a novel, the way you choose to tell it becomes endless.
Up and Coming Musicians
Look, I’ll give it to you straight: I’m asking for lyric books. The same lyric books that you find in cd releases. However, this could be a cool merch option for smaller artists just starting out who maybe can’t afford a physical release at the time but still want to offer something. But there’s only so many t-shirts a person can own. A lyric zine, both reasonably small and cheap to make, can be as simple or as elaborate as you want.
Mash together your inspiration for the ep as the background and splash your lyrics across the page. Filmed a music video? Grab your favorite screenshots and give a behind the scenes of the meaning of the video. Include snippets of interviews, whether from a media outlet, among band members or just questions you feel like answering as a solo artist.
Indie Film Makers
Wouldn’t this just be an artbook? Technically yes. However, curating a book ranging from 50-100+ pages of stills that people MIGHT buy is a big undertaking for the filmmaker, and that’s before you remember that they had to come up with some amount of funding for the film itself.
Often times, film makers make do with digital options for such books as a compromise. While it wouldn’t be a massive book of concept illustrations or photography, zines could be an excellent alternative to not only offer to anyone interested but also a physical piece of memorabilia that lasts long after the credits have rolled.
As I was making notes for this post, Jake Frew came across my Youtube feed. As a filmmaker himself, he expresses more on what I was thinking about the zine format can benefit film makers.
Creatives of various backgrounds have been creating cool zines for decades. Why shouldn’t you? The possibilities are limited only to your imagination. And I suppose the tools available to you but if you have access to a library or makerspace that becomes a low hurdle to cross pretty quickly. So please! Make the zine I want to see in the world! And the ones you want to see too.
Until the next post,
.chel
