Zine: Modern-day Sisyphus

“Modern-day Sisyphus” is a mini zine about 21st century tasks that never go away.

The zine is inspired by Sisyphus, a figure from Greek mythology who is tasked with rolling a boulder up a mountain, only for the boulder to roll back down every time he reached near the top.

Copies are available on Etsy.

A hand is holding a purple zine titled, Modern-day Sisyphus: 21st century tasks that never go away.

Page 1 has a summary of the story of Sisyphus.

Page 2 lists chores that are repetitive: washing dishes, doing laundry, dusting, and vacuuming. At the bottom of page 2, there’s an illustration of a man rolling a boulder up a hill.

A summary of the Greek myth of Sisyphus is presented alongside a drawing of his struggle with the boulder, with a comparison to mundane tasks like washing dishes and vacuuming.

Pages 3 and 4 list tasks that are repetitive: making the bed, replying to emails, mowing the lawn, taking out trash, and paying bills. At the bottom of the pages, there’s an illustration of a man rolling a boulder up a hill.

A silhouette of Sisyphus pushing a boulder up a hill is depicted alongside a list of repetitive tasks like making the bed and paying bills.

Pages 5 and 6 list positive things that are repetitive: listening to favorite songs, making a cup of coffee, saying good night to loved ones, cooking favorite meals, celebrating holidays, and spending time on hobbies. At the bottom of the pages, there’s an illustration of a man rolling a boulder up a hill.

A silhouetted figure pushes a boulder uphill against a purple background, accompanied by text about repeating enjoyable activities.

Here’s the back cover:

The back cover of the zine features a thank you message, Instagram information, and a QR code from Mythical Type.

Zine: Song lyrics I mishear

“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.

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.

Copies are available on Etsy.

A hand is holding a mini zine titled Song lyrics I mishear. Misheard lyrics from All Star by Smash Mouth and Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads. Misheard lyrics from Somewhere Only We Know by Keane and At Least It Was Here by The 88, featuring handwritten thoughts on their lyrics. Misheard lyrics from Move Along by The All-American Rejects and I Want to Hold Your Hand by The Beatles. The back cover of the zine.

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

I’ve been particularly annoyed lately about how much we depend on cars, so I made a little zine about it. I’m not saying we should eliminate cars completely. I want better public transportation so everyone has more and better options for getting around.

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. A printed page features text about traffic congestion in Chicago and other cities, detailing car-related concerns. A paper with a printed list of driving-related tasks and challenges. Text that discusses the benefits of reducing car dependency and enhancing public transportation infrastructure.

Zine: An Incomplete History of Zany Brainy

“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 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.

Copies are available on Etsy.

I also made a digital version that is available on Ko-fi (free or pay what you want). You can download the zine as a PDF to read on your favorite screen. Note: 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!

A zine titled An Incomplete History of Zany Brainy with a colorful, abstract line design on the cover. A timeline and a photo display details about Zany Brainy's history, featuring a colorful store exterior and company milestones. A zine page titled Favorite toys, featuring text and images of children's science toys, including Klutz books and Zap Science.

Zine: Playground games in the 1990s

“Playground games in the 1990s” is a pros and cons list of recess activities that were popular in elementary school. (At least in central Pennsylvania, in the 1990s.)

Each page includes small illustrations relating to playground activities. I drew on Whitelines paper so I could draw with a regular pen and then photograph the paper to use the drawings digitally.

A hand holds a pink zine titled Playground games in the 1990s with a sketch of a playground structure. A pink zine lists pros and cons for four children's games: Kickball, Four Square, Kick Back, and Red Rover. A pink zine humorously lists pros and cons for playground activities: Swings, The Floor is Lava, Double Dutch, and Circle Dodgeball. A pink zine lists pros and cons of games like Horse, Tag, and Knockout. A collection of zines titled Playground Games in the 1990s.

Zine: Movies I never want to see again

“Movies I never want to see again” is about movies I watched one time and do not want to watch again. This doesn’t mean they’re bad movies! But something about them makes me feel like once is enough.

I drafted this zine by hand and then I made it in Canva. The popcorn bucket on the front cover is modified from Terrance Barksdale’s photo on Pexels.

A person is holding a red zine, titled Movies I never want to see again, with a small illustration of a spilled popcorn bucket. A person holds a red zine featuring brief commentary on the movie District 9. A red zine with commentary on the movies Annihilation and Jupiter Ascending. A red zine with commentary on the movies 2001: A Space Odyssey and TRON. Five copies of the zine Movies I never want to see again, fanned out on a yellow background.

Zine: My 20-minute rule for movies

“My 20-minute rule for movies” is about how I don’t feel guilty when I stop a movie I don’t enjoy. I give any movie a fair chance, but I’m okay turning it off if it’s not for me.

I made this zine in Canva. It’s 12 pages, printed in black and gray scale on orange paper.

A small orange booklet is titled My 20-minute rule for movies with a film reel design on the corners. Page 1 of the zine with text about someone's movie preferences and their approach to deciding if they want to continue watching a movie. An open orange booklet features the text watching movies. An orange zine titled My 20-minute rule for movies is decorated with film strip graphics. A hand is holding an orange zine with the text My 20-minute rule for movies on it.

Zine: How to Deal with Small Talk

“How to Deal with Small Talk” is a collection of tips for how to handle small talk conversations.

Maybe you’re like me and small talk drags you down. And maybe, like me, you have to put up with it anyway. Hopefully this zine can help.

This zine is printed in full color. I made the background pages using blue, purple, and red inks. Some pages have digital illustrations. All the text is typed.

It might be difficult to tell from the photos, but I tried a new page size for this zine, and I like it! A 12-page zine, printed double-sided on one 8.5x11-inch sheet of paper. The finished zine is about 3.5 inches high x 4 inches wide and bound with staples. And these dreamy cotton candy colors are on every page.

Glorious.

A zine titled How to Deal with Small Talk: a practical guide. A zine page with encouragement to pretend to be a person who likes small talk, set against a colorful background. A pastel-colored zine page displays the phrase Leave them with a sense of mystery. A hand holds a zine titled How to Deal with Small Talk: a practical guide. A zine titled How to Deal with Small Talk is placed on a textured surface.

Zine: Timers for travelers

“Timers for travelers” is a 20-page zine about time travel. It includes:

  • Why timers are important to time travelers
  • Tips and warnings for traveling through time
  • Time travel methods
A hand holds a blue zine titled Timers for Travelers and other thoughts about time travel. Circular designs are above and below the text.

Pages were made with a combination of hand-drawn illustrations, digital elements, and typed text.

The zine measures 5.5 inches high x 4.25 inches wide (quarter-page zine). The cover is blue cardstock. Interior pages are printed in black and white on 24lb white paper. The zine is hand-folded and bound with staples.

An open zine, displaying a passage about how time travelers may lose their sense of time. A zine spread with time travel tips and an ad about a career in time traveling. An open zine with a page that features a constellation drawing with a poem and time travel tips. Two copies of Timers for travelers lying on a yellow surface.

Zine: Everyday Time Travel

“Everyday Time Travel” is about ordinary moments that feel like time moves differently than normal.

A hand is holding a small zine titled Everyday Time Travel with a decorative geometric pattern.

Out of the zines I’ve made so far, this one probably came together the fastest, from the initial idea to the finished zine.

I made the backgrounds with scrapbook paper, and I added some details with fineliner pens. Then I wrote the text on white paper, tore out pieces, and glued them over the scrapbook paper. I like how all the colors and patterns came together.

Here are the interior pages:

A vintage-style page spread with orange paper, a retro telephone, and a message about time slowing down on Friday afternoons or when on hold. A zine spread with a poetic quote about quiet moments with snowflake patterns and yellow and blue backgrounds. A textured purple background with musical notes. Handwritten text describes how time and memory interact with music, emphasizing the effects of playing songs on repeat and singing verses out of order.

And the back cover:

A hand is holding a the back cover of a zine with a thank you message.