Fanzines have come a long way since their cut-paste+photocopy punk origins. Having taken crucial space in mainstream culture in recent years as both vehicles of untainted artistic expression and artefacts of cutting-edge publishing, the accessible yet boundless nature of zines makes them arguably today’s most exciting means of putting ideas out in the world.

“Ok, sounds cool. I want to make a zine. But I want it to look snazzy, you know, like a magazine, and I want to get other people involved! How do I put that together?”

This 4-hour workshop is a crash course in modern zine-making and its tools of the trade. You’ll dive right into different types of publications, understand writer-editor dynamics, break down graphic design notions, utilise project management skills and ultimately get a visual on the different tools involved in the process of bringing a fanzine to life. All of this without losing sight of the DIY ethos that makes zines different from traditional media.

Behind the workshop is Emanuel Matos, aka Ema, the main driving force behind The Juice Fanzine and the record label & publisher Juicy Records. A one-stop-shop for everything zine related, he acts as The Juice’s Editor-in-Chief, Art Director and Designer and occasionally writes for other publications.

Goals:

Understanding what is a zine, the role of the editor and knowing the basics of creating a publication using professional tools and methods.

Schedule:

14:00 - 14:45 - Introduction: different types of zines, choosing your frequency, illustration or photography-oriented, how to set the tone/theme, understanding your audience - who do you write for?

14:45 - 15:00 - Editorial: what is it, how does it apply to a zine?

15:00 - 16:00 - Collaboration: coming up with an index, project management tools (spreadsheets, checklists, google docs), liaising with writers and artists, how to set deadlines and push for the right content

16:00 - 16:15 - Break

16:30 - 17:30 - Designing & Printing: InDesign (setting up master page, bleeds, paragraph styles, GREP queries, orphans & widows), the importance of proofreading, printer basics (matt or glossy, importance of lamination/varnish, paper quality & gsm)

17:30 - 18:00 - Questions / Closing