Zines - Why We Make Them

It is the last day of July - the last day of IZM . Some of us got a lot done and some of us did a few activities. What is important is we all celebrated the love of zines. I tried a few new techniques, released a new zine, shared my zines and thought of new zine ideas!

On this last day I wanted to share the varied responses to the question: why do you make zines? Throughout the years I have gotten to know so many zine makers from different scenes and I find the only thing connecting us at times is a zine. But zines make a strong bonding glue!
Why I make zines: zines are my voice when I do not feel like I want to communicate with others. It is a way to reach out, share my ideas and have a voice from the comfort of my house. I started reading/making/contributing to goth zines in the 90s. It took me awhile to make my own - I had to get over some insecurities (something I still battle with) and just do it!

 Why do you make zines:

I make zines to make my academic research more accessible to everyone, and explore complex issues as well as politics - both social and personal. - Jess

I make zines to strengthen print media in a time when it is weak, to share the voices of artists who have not found a mainstream outlet and to put my work out there, to keep me accountable, working, and diligent.  - Rebecca 

I make zines to share my story in the hopes that it resonates and helps someone else overcome whatever plagues their mind/body/heart/soul. I write zines to genuinely connect with others and stand in solidarity on -ism issues while lending my voice to help institute change in whatever small way I can.  - Dawn 

I make zines because I love reading zines, and I wanna share my stories with zinesters. - Poliana 

I make zines 'cause I need to. Need to write words. Need to share experiences & my obsessive internal banter. Need to make art with scissors & pictures & words & gluesticks & glitter. Need to create. It's the perfect art form, really. (& when you get to work alongside the most amazing boy in the world? Pure purrrs.) - Deirdree

i don't make zines, i am zines ~ - Steven  

 I make zines for my own therapy. It helps me release stress, tension and all the random thoughts that seem to clutter my brain. Also make zines to share my experiences with others and hopefully make a difference in a person's life..even if it's a small insignificant difference. - Brandy 

I make zines to use all the magazine scraps and bits and pieces of paper I can't seem to stop saving, as well as explore concepts and share my writing and humor and passion for food and small print.  - Heather 

I make zines because it rhymes with beans. - Chris  

I make Pinche Vida / Zine because we were tired of life, monotony and rutine. We needed a way to express ourselves and yell to the world the way we are feeling about the things that happen around us. We still believe in the magic of the printed pages. - Pix 

When we first started we were 16, I was into painting and my best friend into taking pictures, we didn't knew much about art neither, anybody into it like us, so we decided to put up a submission call for a local art show, we met a bunch of people and as we got older the project evolved into art shows, a blog, fanzines and interview, we met people like us around the world and started to do things together. It's been 6 years, and to answer the question I need it to say that. Short answer: to keep learning. As we have met people and together make things, we have grown up so much as creatives. That's why we keep doing it. - Naville 

I always wanted to be a writer, and later I got into different forms of art, like drawing and photography. When I was in High School, the school paper never wanted to publish the things I submitted to it saying it was offensive and obscene. I wanted to make something that would incorporate all my writing and my drawings without censorship and without care for technique and language. Zines are my outlet, they're my freedom and my life. - Hadass 

Is 'because I can' too egotistical of an answer? Otherwise... I make zines because they are my playground. A place where I can let my words play and be free. I love writing books - don't get me wrong. But it is nice to use words to make art without needing to worry about ebook layouts and bad reviews on Amazon Pressure-free creating. - Jaime 

I make zines because I find them to be an achievable goal and a way to share my life with others. -  Kelsey