With the start of International Zine Month in July, three experts give us the low-down on the niche, short-content art form that is often subversive
A page from Aqui Thami’s latest zine, titled Rules of Misogyny
Not for profit
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Make it personal. The whole idea behind zines is that they’re a medium of expression, so if you’re putting out something that’s already out there, or if you are influenced by something that’s already in the mainstream, then it’s pretty much part of dominant discourse. Zine-making is an alternative way of life. You have to look at the history of zines to understand that it has a history rooted in activism, and it essentially serves as a space to question authority. It’s a way to disseminate information that does not exist in the mainstream.
Aqui Thami, founder of Bombay Zine Library
It does not necessarily have to talk about activism; it can also be something that’s personal, just not part of dominant discourse. Try to exchange zines on-ground and physically. Meet and talk to people who purchase your zines as much as possible because that’s part of the beauty of the medium. Also, make your zines accessible. Lately I’ve been noticing that a lot of these zines are extremely expensive and are catered to a certain population. Keep your zines as cheap as possible, or make zines for simply exchanging and not selling. Profit should not be the intent of making them.
It’s an open book
Abhijeet Kini, illustrator
I would define zines as extremely independent and unfiltered short-content magazines. The content can be quite unsettling and experimental at the same time — it’s sort of an open book of what the creator has experienced in life. The main part, I think, is the message; what are you trying to convey? Most zines usually stem from social or personal elements like sexual or mental health issues. You have to hold on to one particular issue you believe in. That’s the way I see it.
The cover of a zine by Kini
It also defies all the pre-set notions of self-publishing. You can simply take one A4 sheet and fold it to make four pages of content. Even the layouts aren’t traditional — I once saw a zine where the whole page was blank with one small detail somewhere on it. It’s liberating. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to go so experimental that people don’t get the message. Having said that, it can’t be so very basic that it doesn’t grab a person’s attention.
It is okay to make mistakes
Tarini Sethi, artist
Zines began as an affordable means to spread information. On one hand, they were used for political reasons, with parties using them to share their manifestos. On the other, artists used them a lot to spread their work and information about themselves. But what I always tell people is that you don’t have to be an artist to make a zine. All you really need is a sheet of paper, a pencil and a pair of scissors.
A foldable zine that Sethi created
There really are no rules. I don’t want to say that people can make mistakes either, because a zine is not as clean-cut as a magazine, newspaper, or book. You don’t need that sort of accuracy. Even when you are cutting the paper, the lines don’t necessarily have to be straight. The whole DIY ethos of the art allows you to work with your mistakes, and it’s okay to make them.
Grab these zines
* Daily Life of Deepsy Dee by Deepika Venkat at @artbydevilwoman on Instagram.
* The Loop by Rhythm Sood at rhythmsood198.myportfolio.com/work
* Accomplices Not Allies by Indigenous Action, available at indigenousaction.org
* King-Cat Classix by John Porcellino. Buy it from amazon.in
* The Grub Zine by Synchronise Witches Press, at cherrystyles.co.uk
Trivia time
* The first zine is often traced back to a 1930s effort called The Comet.
* The punk music culture heavily appropriated zines.
* The first version of Superman appeared in a zine.
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