Zines – Page 3 – Mythical Type

My process for making mini zines

August 22, 2023 / Process, Zines / making zines

Here’s a video overview of how I make mini zines, from initial idea to finished zine.

Zine: Song lyrics I mishear

August 9, 2023 / Zines / music, my zines

“Song lyrics I mishear” is a mini zine that lists lyrics where I hear the wrong words. Each page is about one song and includes the actual lyrics along with what I hear instead.

A hand holding the mini zine "Song lyrics I mishear"

Purchase on Etsy

I wanted the interior pages to be a mix of typed text (the actual song lyrics) and handwritten notes (the words I hear). This way, the pages look like they’re annotated.

Pages 1 and 2 in "Song lyrics I mishear"

Pages 3 and 4 in "Song lyrics I mishear"

How to design a mini zine in Canva

August 4, 2023 / Process, Zines / making zines, zine resources

I made tutorials that show how to set up a design file in Canva to make an 8-page mini zine. The tutorials go over how to set up guides and what the page order will be. Everything in the tutorials is done with the free version of Canva.

There’s a video version you can watch on YouTube.

And a PDF version you can download for free.

Download PDF tutorial

Here are a few preview pages from the PDF:

If you have any questions or feedback on these tutorials, please send me a message.

Zine: Things we wouldn’t have to worry about if we didn’t depend on cars

June 24, 2023 / Zines / my zines

I’ve been particularly annoyed lately about how much we depend on cars, so I made a little zine about it.

A hand holds a mini zine called "Things we wouldn't have to worry about if we didn't depend on cars." The text is printed in black on a white background. Above and below the text, there's a black and white map of Chicago streets.

Purchase on Etsy

I’m not saying we should eliminate cars completely. I want better public transportation so everyone has more and better options for getting around.

Here are the interior pages.

Pages 1 and 2 of a mini zine called "Things we wouldn't have to worry about if we didn't depend on cars." The text is printed in black on a white background. Above and below the text, there's a black and white map of Chicago streets.

Pages 3 and 4 of a mini zine called "Things we wouldn't have to worry about if we didn't depend on cars." The text is printed in black on a white background. Above and below the text, there's a black and white map of Chicago streets.

Zine: An Incomplete History of Zany Brainy

June 2, 2023 / Zines / my zines

“An Incomplete History of Zany Brainy” is a 20-page zine about a U.S. retail chain from the 1990s. These stores focused on affordable, educational toys for children.

The cover of "An Incomplete History of Zany Brainy" zine on a purple background.

Purchase on Etsy

The zine includes background on Zany Brainy, my favorite toys from the store, and what happened to Zany Brainy after the company declared bankruptcy in 2001.

Pages 2 and 3 of the Zany Brainy zine. Page 2 shows the outside of a Zany Brainy store, with bright colors and fun shapes on the building's exterior. Page 3 shows a timeline of Zany Brainy, from 1991 (when the first store opened) until 2001 (when the company filed for bankruptcy).

An inside page of "An Incomplete History of Zany Brainy." This page lists favorite toys from the store, including Klutz books.

I also made a digital version that is available on itch.io. You can download the zine as a PDF to read on your favorite screen. It’s a pay-what-you-want model, which also means you can download it for free. (I totally don’t mind if you do!)

The cover of the zine "An Incomplete History of Zany Brainy" on a purple, red, and blue background. White text at the top of the image says "Also available as a digital zine!" White text at the bottom of the image says "Pay what you want on itchi.io"

Note that this is meant to be read as a digital zine. This is not formatted for printing and folding a paper copy.

I had a lot of fun collecting info and reminiscing about Zany Brainy while I made this zine. I hope you enjoy reading it!