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.

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.

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.

Contributor zine: Urban Legends

“Urban Legends” is a quarter-page zine that collects art and writing about urban legends, myths, and folklore. Eighteen people contributed stories, poetry, illustrations, and collages. Work was submitted from the U.S., Canada, Scotland, Belgium, and Germany

Auto-generated description: A hand holds a book titled Urban Legends, which features artwork and text about urban myths, folklore, and legends on its cover.

The finished zine is 36 pages (including covers); 4.25" wide x 5.5" high; printed in black & white; and bound with staples.

The cover is white cardstock. Interior pages are 24 lb white paper.

I’m mailing copies to contributors this week. Limited copies are available in my Etsy shop.

Urban Legends is also available as a digital zine. You can download it for free on Ko-fi (or pay what you want).

Check out a few of the pages:

Auto-generated description: A book is open to a page titled Crazy Jones by C.F. Robert, featuring a personal narrative about childhood experiences with an Indian Guides group. Auto-generated description: An illustration of a woman with long hair holding a scythe, seated by a moonlit backdrop with the title ARDUINNA at the top. Auto-generated description: Holding an open book, the visible page contains a story titled Ogopogo by Christine Hart, discussing a personal experience with the legendary creature.

Zine station success

Yesterday I ran a zine-making station at a public library fundraiser. 🙂

The library had a Fall Fair with a bake sale, raffles, magic show, and games. Arts and crafts tables were inside the library. Here’s the zine-making station.

Auto-generated description: A library table set up for a crafting activity is covered with art supplies like markers, glue sticks, and colorful paper.

The library provided magazines, scrapbook paper, markers, glue sticks, scissors, and plain white paper. I brought copies of How to make a mini zine and What’s a zine?

This is the first time I’ve done a zine event with kids. Having collage materials definitely helps, so kids don’t have to write something on the spot.

Two girls spent about an hour and a half at the table, making two zines each, because they said they were having so much fun. 🥹

I think if I do more kid-focused zine events, I might make some kind of template that they can fill in. Having more of a guide might be a nice option besides having a blank piece of paper.

Here’s a zine I made during some downtime.

A hand holds a small zine titled My favorite Fall Things with autumn leaves on the cover. A hand holds pages 1 and 2 of the zine, which includes the text: apple pie, apple dumplings, apple cider, and apple turnovers. At the bottom of the page, there's a photo of a basket of apples. A holds pages 3 and 4 of the zine, with phrases like Fall colors, changing leaves, sunsets. There's a small sun illustration. A hand holds pages 5 and 6 of the zine. The text says, holidays, Halloween, Nov. 14 is my birthday! and Thanksgiving. Decorative orange and brown patterns are on the edges of the paper. A hand holds the back of the zine, which features floral and celestial designs, titled Mythical Type, with event details for the Wernersville Public Library Fall Fair in September 2024.

What's a zine?

“What’s a zine?” is an 8-page mini zine that you can download and print on your own. It includes a brief introduction to zines: what zines are, some historical highlights, and common formats.

Auto-generated description: A hand holds a mini booklet titled: What's a zine? a brief introduction.

The zine is available on Ko-fi for free (or pay what you want).

The PDF is sized to print on one sheet of 8.5 x 11-inch paper (standard U.S. letter size).

This zine is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), which means you’re welcome to distribute and share copies for non-commercial use.

If you don’t know how to fold this kind of zine, search for “how to fold an 8-page zine” on YouTube to find tutorials.

Zine: So You Met Your Past Self

“So You Met Your Past Self” includes tips for what to do when you meet a past version of yourself. This fictional zine is a handy guide for the time traveler in your life (even when that’s you).

This zine is available on Etsy (U.S.) only.

Auto-generated description: A booklet titled So You Met Your Past Self: a practical guide is displayed against a red background. Auto-generated description: Tip 1 suggests ensuring time-travel permits and avoiding interactions with one's past self to prevent complications. Auto-generated description: Tips for interacting with Past You include staying calm, being reassuring, and lying if necessary to protect them, with the understanding that future knowledge gives you an advantage. Auto-generated description: A blue card with tips about interacting with the past and timeline risks is shown on a red surface.

I made the background for this zine by hand. I diluted blue fountain pen ink in water. Then I painted the ink on to watercolor paper.

Auto-generated description: A sheet of blue watercolor paper is placed on a measuring grid.

After the paper dried, I drew an abstract design with a dark blue marker and white gel pen.

Auto-generated description: A series of abstract, interconnected geometric shapes are drawn on a blue watercolor background, bordered by a ruler grid.

This kind of line drawing is a technique I learned from Katie Gebely.

First you draw dots on the page, at random. Then you connect the dots with straight lines. That’s what I did with the dark blue marker. Then I added shorter lines in white gel pen.

Visuals in Barbie and Pleasantville

I wrote an essay for The Wrench Dispatch: The Movie Issue about visuals in Barbie and Pleasantville. The zine came out in January 2024 and collected essays about recent movies.

The essay is about 900 words, so I’m going old school and putting it under a Read More. So retro.

Zine: How to make a mini zine

“How to make a mini zine” is an 8-page mini zine that you can download and print on your own. It includes a brief introduction to zines and instructions for how to fold an 8-page mini zine from a single sheet of paper.

Auto-generated description: A hand is holding a small booklet titled How to make a minizine with decorative patterns on a checkered background.

The zine is available on Ko-fi for free (or pay what you want).

The PDF is sized to print on one sheet of 8.5 x 11-inch paper (standard U.S. letter size). No access to a color printer? No problem — the zine looks great in black and white, too.  

To fold the zine, you can follow the instructions directly on the PDF. Or if you prefer video instructions, search for “how to fold an 8-page zine” on YouTube.

Auto-generated description: Instructions for folding an 8-page mini zine from a single sheet of paper are shown on a grid-patterned surface. Auto-generated description: A hand holds two small booklets titled How to make a minizine, set against a black grid background.

This zine is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), which means you’re welcome to distribute and share copies for non-commercial use.

Zine: The antidote to social media

“The antidote to social media” is a mini zine that looks at how negative things are outweighing positives on social media. But social media platforms are still a good way to find people to connect with. The zine suggests ways to work around the negative aspects of social media.

The cover a zine titled The antidote to social media. The title is printed in black on bright yellow paper. On the left side of the cover, there's a large potion bottle. Near the lower-right corner, there are small circles with Like and Heart icons.

Copies are available on Etsy (U.S. only).

Auto-generated description: A person holds a yellow paper with handwritten notes about the negative aspects of social media, including ads and privacy concerns. Auto-generated description: A hand is holding a yellow booklet with text discussing the positive aspects of social media and ways to counteract negative influences. Auto-generated description: A person is holding a yellow paper with handwritten suggestions and reflections on going offline and social media.

A lot of my zines start in a notebook page. Here’s where I started writing out what I wanted to include in this zine.

A notebook page with handwritten notes about the zine.