ZINES AND E-ZINES ROCK MISSION HIGH SCHOOL

·  Break the silence 

·  give you a voice 

·  express feelings 

·  say what matters 

·  right wrongs 

·  show what you can do 

·  let you be counted 

·  help you take a stand 

·  make you visible 
 
 

MISSION STATEMENT

So with high hopes we plowed through the first semester doing essays and reading a variety of texts whose themes would be used for the second semester independent reading.  When second semester arrived, students had a choice of thirteen titles that reprised many of the themes we had discussed first semester.  For the first title, book groups were formed, and for the second title, students worked independently. All of the year’s reading moved towards production of a zine on a topic that interested the student.  Students were then grouped for zine production by the issues they chose to explore.  Resources were provided and students were encouraged to do outside exploration.  So the race is on to see who found out the most information, who designed the most readable zine and who knows more now than when they started.  We’re off! 

Volume 1 starts out with many definitions of exactly what a zine is, according to publications from “S.F. Examiner” to “Homegrown”.  There is a history of zines and examples from many different kinds of zines.  There is a zine directory and interviews with lots of people who have done zines.  Many of the pages look like cut and paste collages, with examples from various zines laid out next to interviews and photographs and art.  Volume 2 picks up where the first vplume leves off, providing zine reviews and profiles on additional zines and their creators.  This volume is slightly smaller but has the same cut and paste format that so many zines use.  The two volumes together give a good overview of the subject matter of zines and a clear picture that a lot of zines contain material that might be considered offensive to a mainstream audience.  Not all zines are well written or have decent art, but all zines have something their creators want to say.  These two volumes together give a good idea about what’s out there in the zine world and are good resources for anyone who wants to know what zines are all about. 
 

Zine Scene 
By Francesca Lia Block 
Designedby Hillary Carlip 
1998, 122 pp., $14.95 
 

This book, put together by the popular novelist Francesca Lia Block is subtitled “The Do It Yourself Guide to Zines”.  This book not only explains what zines are but gives you resources and ideas for producing your own zine.  Early chapters include information on what zines are, how to find them, profiles of zine creators and a short history of zines.  The second half of the book focuses on how to produce your own zine, providing information like how to make design decisions, some possible elements to include, how to pick a name, whether to work as an individual or group, where to do it and how to get the look you want.   The final section includes information on how to raise money, how to distribute your zine and a special chapter on web and e-zines.  The book ends up with some advice and resources.  This is a good introduction to the whole process.  There are a lot of graphics and samples and it’s laid out to be easily read and used. 

This book by the well known cartoon artist provides a history of women’s comics from teens to zines. This is a tribute to the “artists, authors, and characters who have been entertaining women of all ages for years.” The first chapter deals with the comics from 1941-1957 and subsequent chapters take the history up through the 90’s covering those publications aimed at girls, and later those aimed at women, then womyn and finally grrrlz. She dates the comics business from 1938 and the creation of Superman, which gave a superhero cast to all that followed in the comic world.  Ms. Robbins covers teen magazines geared to teen girls as well as to comic books, detailing the letters and advice features which we take for granted now, as well as the star profiles, and fashion tips. All of these publications aimed at teen girls reflected the attitudes of their times if not what was going on in the “real” world.  Superheroines came in fairly early historically but were not as popular as the girl romance comics or the comics about teen life. Even with the feminist movement of the 60’s, comics remained male terrain and very little of what was going on in the women’s movement made it into the comics.  Underground comics featured graphic violence and the same retro attitudes towards women.  But underground newspapers were beginning to sprout everywhere, created by women, illustrated and written by women.  Here women’s issues finally got some expression.  Abortion and reproductive health, sex, dysfunctional families, weight issues and coming out were dealt with.  Today, when comic books are often the first line of defense when it comes to censorship, it is exhilarating to see so many women doing zines and comics, getting the word out about what interests them.  In the process they’re providing stimulation for the younger grrrlz coming up who we all know have something big to say. 
 
 

WORDS CAN HAVE MEANING! 

Zines will exist in hard copy as well as on a website.  Writing and a good portion of research will be done in class. Two websites exist to help people navigate the process.  The first site is provided by our Zeum collaborator and instructor, Susan Mahony.  That site can be reached at: 

userwww.sfsu.edu/~scmahony/mhs/mhs.html 

This site contains a basic overview of the project,as well as tutorials in various technical aspects of the project, everything from doing research, using search engines, importing graphics and designing pages using templates. 

The other site can be reached from the mission homepage, on-campus version only and is located at: 
  www.bearnet.org/~kcecil 

This site contains hotlists on some of the selected topics and a sheet detailing the format for reporting information from various sources. 

Once research and writing is complete and “blocks” of writing are available, students will type and save material in a file.  One file for all material for a particular zine is best.  This material will then be basically cut and pasted into templates.  Refinements on design and format can then be done on the templates. Zines can then be printed out for hard copy and saved as well as posted as web zines. 

The name ’zine,’ short for ‘fanzine’, a science fiction fan magazine, may be new, but small, self-published pamplets and newsletters date all the way back to Ben Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac, which was launched in 1757. Dadaist manifestos of the early 1900’s continued the trend and started a design style adopted by many of today’s zine editors.   Science fiction zines proliferated in the 1920’s and ‘30’s, followed by punk rock zines in the 1970’s.   Today’s zines cover political rantings, sex and sexual politics, hobbies, music, movies and just about every other topic that’s conceivable—and many that aren’t.

We researched zines and our topics.

HOTLIST OF ZINE SITES 

www.gellyroll.com/teen/zines/zines.html 

http://www.fort.lib.wi.us/zines.html 

http://jayna.iturfpages.com/teenzines/html 

http://education.indiana.edu/cas/adol/teen.html 

http://zinebook.com/main.html

www.ala.org/teenhoopla/comicszines.html 

www.pilot-search.com/links/zines/teen_literature/ 

Santa Cruz E-Zine for Teens

Take a look at Lowell's Online Newspaper

· I don’t have enough to write about on my topic 

Find topics which are related to your topic.  For example, if your topic is domestic violence, you can write about physical abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, shelters for battered women, restraining orders, laws and penalties for abuse, sports figures and abuse, anything that is related.  Ask other people for related topics or see me.  Websites and articles will give you ideas for related topics.  Think big picture. 
 

·  I can’t find sources for my topic 

Try key words on www.google.com, look in topic folders and zine folders.  See books on table and on shelves. Look at tables of content for books for your topic.  See magazines etc. on shelves.  Go to the library and tell them your topic and ask for help. 
 

·  No one can proof my written work.

See me for comments and/or proofing,  5th period can ask Felicia for help. Other adults can help, older siblings, parents, tutors in library, other teachers. 
 
 

·  I am behind on my writing and my group wants to design the zine. 

Focus attention on catching up on writing. Ask group for help in proofing.  Ask them to reserve you space, give input on design. 

·  I can’t find art or graphics for my zine 

Try www.ditto.com, or clipart sites.  See if there are photos or graphics on the websites you visit that you can modify for use in your own zine. If you have access to a scanner you can scan art onto disk to use.  Make a friend in the digital art club who can give you tips. 
 

·  I can’t work with my group 

Focus attention on your own writing and individual work.  Once that is complete meet with group about placement of pieces in zine.  If there are problems, see me at that point, when all writing is done. 

·  I can’t expand my topic 

See websites and articles on your topic and see what categories they include. Does your topic fit under a broad topic like discrimination or violence or women’s issues.  If it’s a teen topic, look at the books on teen topics and see what resources are listed.  Try the index in the back of books and see where your topic turns up.  Ask people. Ask for help in the library. 

·  My topic is boring and everything I’m reading sounds the same.  What can I do besides read? 

Are there any movies or TV shows that relate to your topic?  Have you seen an art exhibit or performance you could write up?  Do additional interviews.  Ask people you know if they’ve had any experience with your topic or know someone else who might be an interview subject.  Have you had any direct personal experience with your topic you could write up?  Don’t forget other novels or short stories you’ve read that might tie in. 

·  All my rough drafts of ‘blocks’ say format at the top. 

Please check out the site www.bearnet.org/~kcecil 
Click on Zine Project and go to Format requirements.  There you will find all the information for whatever block you did.  Basically, there must be enough source information so someone reading your zine could find your source again or could make a judgment about the reliability or bias of your source. 

·  My blocks are very short. 

Length is not the most important thing.  Focus on providing solid information, facts, statistics etc.  You are educating others about your topic.  A lot of short blocks can work very well as long as you concentrate on making them strong. 
 

          San Francisco Examiner 

None of this excitement would have been possible without the help of the San Francisco Education Fund. They provided not only the initial grant to get books into the classroom but a digital camera to document the process and for use in zine publication, endless opportunities to network with other teachers and compare classroom experiences, tech workshops and a collaborator from Zeum to train us in desktop publishing 
 
 
 
 
 

http://scout18cs.wisc.edu/NH/99-01/99-01-25/0040.html 

“Teen Writers Hone Their Craft in e-zines” 
By Hollie Shaw 
The Canadian Press 
(excerpt from CSS Internet News)
 

This article describes teens who are interested in publishing their writing and see the internet as a way to do that.  The cost of photocopying and the barriers to distributing their zines made the internet an obvious vehicle to get their words out in the world for a minimal cost.  Angela Kostenko, 17, began looking for places to publish her work when she was only 15.  Because she was not an established writer she set up a website called Warm Soda to allow people to preview and possibly order her work.  Now that website soubles as am online zine distribution service for others peoples’ work as well.  E-zines and magazines of all sorts are appearing on the web to allow teens a voice outside of the traditional media markets. “Spank” an e-zine based in Calgary features teen voices on a myriad of topics.  The editor says the magazine is posted on the web so no trees die to put out the magazine.  Many swear by the traditional paper hard copy zine, but e-zines are becoming increasingly popular for reaching the widest possible audience.  This site features a list of links to e-zines worth checking out. 
 
 

 Alternative Press Expo 
February 2001 
Herbst Pavilion, Fort Mason Center 
San Francisco, CA 

“A gathering of small press and self-published works ranging from mini-comics to books to zines.”  This expo allows you to meet the authors of all kinds of publications.  There are the big name comic illustrators from the alternative press world like Lloyd Dangle and Trina Robbins.  You can meet and talk with beginning comic illustrators who funded their first projects thanks to the Xeric Foundation (money courtesy of the Teenage Ninja Turtle phenomenon). All the biggest comic stores are there, with mainstream and alternative work, graphic novels, collector editions and paraphernalia of all kinds.  If you have questions about how to produce a zine, how to get it printed, distributed etc. there are plenty of people here who have done it. 
 
 

 San Francisco Bay Guardian 
March 14-21, 2001 
 “E-Zine-O-Rama” 
By Joyce Slaton 
 

This article gives capsule reviews of some current e-zine sites. The emphasis is on local sites for art and humor, links to other information, girls sites and teen and hipster sites. 
 

A Reader’s Guide to the 
Underground Press 
Summer 1999, Issue 11 
537 Jones St., SF 94102 
[email protected] 

Issue #12 
[email protected] 
www.UndergroundPress.org 

Each volume is 118 pages with a cover price of $3.  These cram packed issues include features and columns on issues like privacy, technology and how to create a literary movement.  For the zine creator there are resources like printers, information on mailbox regulations, and laws governing free speech, the location of zine libraries here and abroad, and upcoming events.  The bulk of each issue is zine reviews and ordering information. 

Other people's work inspired us.

Leaving prints 
By Tracy Held 
Issue 1, 40 pp, $1 
February 2001 
San Francisco 
http://www.shadesofgreen.bizland.com
 

This little (about 4 x 5) zine covers the rehabilitation of Heron’s Head park in Bayview Hunter’s Point, San Francisco. The residents of that community were able to keep out developers and reclaim the area for native plants to create an “urban oasis”.  There is information about the park, about ecology and about the people who made a difference in this neighborhood. The zine is hand lettered with pen and ink illustrations. 
 
 
 

Java Turtle 
Number 4 
The Comic Issue 
http://www.javaturtle.com
By Lynn Lowe 
P.O. Box 20028 
Santa Barbara, CA 93120 
 

This zine has pages and pages of comics and drawings, all on the theme of coffee.  Poetry, fiction and event listings also revolve around a coffee theme.  Back issues are available by mail order and the many contributors to this issue almost all have zines of their own, so it’s a quick way to find other work by the artists you enjoy in “Java Turtle.”  The website includes all kinds of zine and comics related information. 
 
 

Pablo’s 
Comics Extravaganza 
Special Jam Issue 
February 2001 
33 pages, $3 
2824 South Broadway 
Englewood, Colorado 80110 

This particular issue is full of group activities for artists.  The idea is that drawing comics can be a lonely activity, and many times the creators never even see the effect of their work on other people. This zine is a compilation of art activities, many of which the editor says he tried out in elementary classrooms because he’s an art teacher.  Activities include character chess, where a player draws a single feature and passes it to another artist who then adds a feature and passes it along until the creature is complete.  There are dual panels which show opposites, there are games where players pull settings and characters from a deck of cards.  There are accordion drawings which are one thing when folded and another when opened up.  There are stories that run in small boxes on each page of the zine and make up a story.  There are lots more activities, give this zine to a teacher or artist you know. 
 
 
 
 

 So many people to thank...
 

...the guest speakers who visited us

...the people we interviewed

...Susan Mahony, our amazingly patient web diva

...libraries and library helpers

...Felicia who brought humor and resources to 5th period

...Peiying for designing my website

...San Francisco Education Fund

...the zine creators we met at Alternative Press Expo

...free spirits and activists everywhere who shared ideas