Spaced Out is now available in a digital format! You can download the zine as a PDF on Ko-fi.

Read more about Spaced Out

A colorful, cosmic-themed graphic that features planets on a starry background and the text SPACED OUT.

2024 zine recap

I make zines for fun, and I want zines to be primarily for fun, so I don’t set specific goals each year. Even so, I’m really happy with what I accomplished in the past year!

Here’s a rundown of zine-related things I did in 2024.

Zines I made

I made 10 zines!

Mini zines:

Six colorful mini zines with various titles such as Left-brained art and How to make a mini zine are displayed on a dark surface.

Quater-page zines:

Contributor zines (that I organized):

Four zines titled Children of Immigrants, Urban Legends, Shoveling Sand: my favorite writing advice, and Spaced Out are arranged overlapping each other.

Zine contributions

I contributed pages to these zines:

Events

  • Local zine fest - I was a vendor, and I taught a workshop on making mini zines.
  • Fall Fest at a local library - I led a zine-making station.
  • Local creative studio - I taught a workshop on making zines.
  • Local college - I spoke to a graphic design class about making zines.
  • Two zine hangouts at local spots - These were great events to spend time making zines with people. Very casual hangouts.

Collage zines I made at events

Three zines with collages on the covers. One cover features autumn leaves. One cover features rows of chairs and dominoes. One cover features technology elements.

Miscelleanous

I joined the zine line of the Smallweb Subway. This is a webring themed after subway systems.

Not a zine, but collaboration with a zine friend. I submitted a short story to a podcast, VLASINDA’s Desolate Library.

I’m looking forward to making more zines and continuing to connect with people in 2025!

Spaced Out zine

One more zine for 2024. 🚀

The cover of a zine titled SPACED OUT with colorful, abstract planets and a starry background.

“Spaced Out” is a quarter-page zine that collects writing and illustrations that are inspired by outer space.

Illustrations were hand-drawn in black and white, and color elements were added with space-themed washi tape. All text is typed.

Details:

  • 12 pages (including covers)
  • Finished zine measure 5.5 inches high x 4.5 inches wide
  • Printed in full color on white paper
  • Folded by hand and bound with staples

Paper copies are available in my Etsy shop (U.S. only), and I’m open to trading (anywhere mail can go).

Spaced Out is also available in a digital format on Ko-fi.

Here are some of the pages:

A page spread with planets drawn in black and white. Colorful curved shapes are around each planet. The text on the left page says I just want to float in your atmosphere. The text on the right says Sometimes you throw me out of orbit, and I have a hard time coming back.

A zine open to a page featuring an astronaut floating in space on the left. On the right, there’s an abstract eye design with text above it that says The abyss looks inside you and you cannot look away.

If you’re interested in how I made the washi tape pieces, I wrote a blog post about my process.

I made holographic stickers to go with this zine! This is an updated design of my “I need some space” stickers. Every “Spaced Out” zine comes with a sticker.

A round holographic sticker that says I need some space. Text and graphic elements, including a rocket ship, planet, and stars, are in yellow on a purple background.

I added a note to the back of my zine about not using AI.

The back cover of a zine includes a starry background, a moon and stars logo, and Mythical Type in a large font. Near the bottom of the page, text says Creativity is human. This zine was made without the use of AI.

I’ve been seeing some artists clarify that they don’t use AI in their work, and I think it’s an important distinction to make. I already have a webpage about why I don’t use AI. Now I have a note in print, too.

Knowledge is

Here’s a collage zine I started at a local zine hangout on Thursday and finished tonight.

I like experimenting during zine-making events, so this style is very different from the zines I usually make.

The images are pretty random. 😂 I was looking more at colors and patterns, with less regard for items in each image. Text is inspired by old card catalog entries (cards were on the tables, among archival materials available to use).

A hand holds the front cover of a collage zine with a photo of chairs and domino patterns. The title is Knowledge is... A hand holds a collage zine that features various images, including a grapefruit slice, a photo of people, and colorful xylophone keys. The text says, Challenge and response. A hand holds a collage zine that features a grapefruit slice, part of a paint brush, and abstract shapes. The text says, skepticism. A hand holds a collage zine with images of large green leaves, colorful geometric patterns, and dominoes. The text says, question and answer. A hand holds a collage zine that features colorful speech bubbles, a blue oval shape with purple doodles around it, and a yellow star. The text says, communication. A hand holds a collage zine that features an illustrated backpack with various objects inside it. The text says, theory. A hand holds a collage zine that features an illustration of Earth with a yellow abstract background and a vintage photograph of a crowd of people. The text says, empathy. A hand holds the back cover of a collage zine with abstract geometric designs on the top of the page and a domino pattern on the bottom of the page. There's a small moon and stars logo next to the words, Mythical Type. Near the bottom of the page, text says F&M zine hangout, Nov. 21, 2024, Lancaster, PA.

Happy Doctor Who day!

I still have a few copies of Hipster Doctor Who.

A hand is holding the zine Hipster Doctor Who. The zine cover has a purple, blue, and red galaxy image in the background. Text on top of the image says Hipster Doctor Who in all uppercase letters.

It’s available in my Etsy shop, or you can message me if you’re interested in trading. 🙂

Collage background for a zine

I’m working on a new mini zine about astronaut food. For the background, I wanted to collage a bunch of images of stars, the night sky, and related textures.

I collected images out of an issue of Astronomy magazine, and I gathered some illustrations and scrapbook paper I had.

Here’s a photo of some of the images.

Several astronomy-themed images featuring celestial bodies and lunar surfaces.

Here’s a photo of what the collage looks like.

A collage features various cosmic-themed elements, including stars, planets, and celestial textures on a textured background.

Next I’ll scan this into my computer, add more images digitally, and then add text (…which I still have to write).

Urban Legends is now available as a digital zine! You can download the PDF on Ko-fi for free (or pay what you want). 👻🎃

The cover of Urban Legends on a purple background with spider webs in the top corners. Text at the bottom says, Digital version now available on Ko-fi.

Urban Legends made it to Australia!

I sent a copy of Urban Legends to Sea Green Zines, since she helped get the word out about open submissions.

Check out the video review on Sea Green Zines’ YouTube channel. Urban Legends is about 25 minutes in.

There’s a whole other set of zines in the video before that if you want to check that out, too. 😃

Left-brained art

“Left-brained art” is a mini zine that includes tips for how to make art without having to plan all the details up front. Each page includes a tip and brief explanation.

This zine encourages you to work with the materials you already have and not worry about what people will think of the finished work.

I drew the background by hand with markers. Layout and text in Canva.

Copies are available in my Etsy shop (U.S. only). I’m also open to trading! (Message me.)

A hand holds a mini zine called Left-brained art. A hand holds and open zine with advice on overcoming creative obstacles by simply starting and allowing ideas to flow. A hand holds an open zine with text about focusing on personal interests and accepting uncertainty. A hand holds an open zine with text about creativity and self-expression.

Full text in the zine:

Front cover

Left-brained art

Page 1

If you are a left-brained person (like me!), sometimes making art feels difficult. 

You want there to be order. You want to sort out all the details from the start. And if you can’t do that, you feel stuck.

Here are some things I try to remember so I don’t get stuck. 

Maybe these will be helpful to you, too.

Page 2

Simply start

Easier said than done. 

Try making something (anything) before you decide on what the end result will be.

One idea might spark another idea..and then another.

Page 3

What’s “good”?

Don’t get hung up on what’s “good.”

Whatever is trending or popular for the moment doesn’t matter. 

Make what interests you.

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Page 4

No plan is okay

You don’t have to plan everything. (It feels uncomfortable. I know.)

Figure it out as you go.

You can take it one step at a time.

Page 5

What you have

In most cases, you don’t need special tools to start a creative project.

You can start with what you already have.

“The best camera is the one you have with you.” – Chase Jarvis

Page 6

You, first

Make stuff for yourself.

If other people like it, that’s a bonus.

If no one else likes it, you’re still learning and growing.

Either way, you win.

My first zine was a joke

“So you met your doppelgänger” was the first zine I made, back in December 2019. It was a fun little thing to give to my friends at work for New Year’s Day. I was playing with the idea of “new year, new you.”

A holds a mini zine titled So You Met Your Doppelgänger: How to deal with the other You - a practical guide, against a colorful background.

I wanted the zine to read like a straightforward guide but at the same time, it’s dry humor.

The stick figure drawings add to the effect: The zine seems serious but it’s actually silly.

Then I posted the zine online, made a few more zines, and started an Etsy shop. “So you met your doppelgänger” was getting positive reactions from people. Copies were selling on Etsy.

In 2023, I went to my first zine fest. People stopped by my table and picked up “So you met your doppelgänger.” They laughed when they read it and said it was clever. It was the first time I saw strangers’ reactions to my zines, in person.

Five years after I made it, “So you met your doppelgänger” is still my most popular zine. There are over 300 copies of it out in the world.

And it started as a joke.

When I made “So you met your doppelgänger,” I had no idea people would find it online and purchase copies…and continue to do that for years.

So whatever you’re making, share it. You can’t predict how people will react to your work.

Share it, and see how it goes.