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What are zines?: Zine 101

A short history of zines---Paye Twin productions

What is a zine?

Zines (pronounced "zeens") are:

  • Self-published and non-commercial works made in small batches 
  • Made for expression & sharing of ideas, not for profit 
  • Physical or digital---zines can be made by hand or digitally
  • Created by one person or a group of people (these are called "comp zines" or "compilation zines") 
  • Created in many different ways and can include many different types of art, including personal writings, drawings, photographs, collages, etc. 
  • About any topic, from politics to personal memoir to recipes to mental health to science to art to history, and on and on 

There is no right or wrong way to create a zine! 


Historically, zines have offered marginalized and under represented groups, such as those from the LGBTQIA+ community, disabled people, people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, people from persecuted religious backgrounds, BIPOC people, & Indigenous people, a chance to express themselves and discuss topics that would otherwise not make it into mainstream media and discussions. It offers a way for lesser heard voices to be heard and tell their stories.  

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Gill Friedlander
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Margaret Roach
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