Behind the Zines: Part Two

​By Jeremy Arias

    A quick glance at the blank 11x17 inch paper triggered a flash of memories. Fold after fold, cut, twist, push, hug, and create. It all came back. 
    “The first step to making your zine, is to hold up your paper so it stands nice and tall,” I held my paper up to demonstrate and the class followed along. 

“Next, we’re going to fold it hamburger style,” i pulled the top end of the paper down as if it was reaching for it’s toes, then I creased the fold to a sharp point. ​

“We’re going to fold it in half one more time," I instructed as the class eagerly followed along.​

“Now we’re going to fold it again, crease it,” I watched the class. “Now we’re going to unfold our paper so we see eight little rectangles on our sheet.

“Next, we repeat the first step and fold it downwards, then look for the side with the loop formed from the fold.”

“Cut down the middle crease, just down to the center of the fold where the two creases meet.”

“Open up the sheet and fold it longways so that we have a long thin rectangle. You’re going to notice the opening from the cut we just made, point that side up and prepare for the next step.”

“This step can be tricky, but pinch your zine from the two endpoints of the opening and slowly push the two together so the folds form a cross.”

“Pick a corner of two flaps and make them “hug” the pages closed. These flaps will become your front and back cover.”

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“Now you have your zine and you’re ready to start creating! You can use whatever you’d like to get creative: Markers, colored pencils, newspaper or magazine cut-outs, paint, or whatever it is you do that you do!” 
People were surprised to have made a blank book out of nothing in just a few minutes. In each and every person staring down at the white pages, you can see their excitement revive, the flashes of endless possibilities of creation at their hands. There was a moment of confusion induced silence right before the ripples of noise spread and intensified. Boxes of pencils opening, students sharing ideas and materials, chairs backing up, and the occasional sounds of hip hop hiding the silences. 
    Not too long after, some students had more developed pages with astonishing hand drawn pictures, comic strips, poems, magazine cut-out collages, and even a pop-up book! It was rewarding to see the smiles and art created by the students in so little time. I hope the instructions were easy to follow along and not nearly as boring as that yellow and blue Swedish furniture store everyone seems to know about. If you're interested in participating a zine making workshop, click here to visit our workshop schedule near the bottom of the page and find a workshop at a library near you!